Assignment Week 6: Hydrothermal Alteration

Geology Geothermal

Submitted by: Tuesday, 31st October 2017

Assignment format:
• Print out on A4 paper, submitted on my desk
• Maximum 500 words on the analysis and conclusion sections,
(excluding table) font Calibri 12
• Reference style use APA

Write a report to interpret the observed hydrothermal alteration at each depth.

Rhyolite lavas and pyroclastic rocks occur down to 450 m and andesitic lavas and
tuffs below that depth to the bottom of the hole at 1200 m.

Depth (m) Primary Main Replacement Vein Minerals

Mineral(s) Minerals
Surface Quartz Alunite -
Kaolinite
100 Quartz Mordenite -
Andesite Augite Montmorillonite
Hypersthene
200 Quartz Mordenite -
Andesine Clinoptilolite
Augite Montmorillonite
Hematite
300 Quartz Calcite Calcite
Siderite Hematite
Montmorillonite – illite
400 Quartz Calcite Calcite
Andesine Siderite
Montmorillonite-illite
500 - Adularia Wairakite
Quartz Quartz
Wairakite
Illite
600 - Adularia Adularia
Epidote Fluorite
Prehnite Calcite
Quartz
700 - Albite Garnet
Adularia Fluorite
Epidote Quartz
Actinolite Adularia
Illite
800 Andesine (Na- Albite Calcite
Feldspar) Chlorite Epidote
Calcite Wairakite
Epidote
900 Augite Marcasite Calcite
Anhydrite Epidote
 Enargite Wairakite
Alunite
1000 - Diaspore Alunite
Alunite Diaspore
Tourmaline Tourmaline
1100 - Wairakite Prehnite
Illite Wairakite
Chlorite Quartz
Laumontite
1200 Andesine (Na- Laumontite Laumontite
Feldspar) Quartz

Hint:
Identify the fluid type with the correlating minerals.
Identify the temperature range for common aluminosilicate minerals (Wohletz &
Kenneth)

For report example:

Lagat, J., Hydrothermal Alteration Mineralogy in Geothermal Fields with Case
Examples from Olkaria Domes, 2009

Any questions can be directed after class or Thursday.