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Ferruginous thermal spring complexes, northwest Tasmania: evidence that far-field stresses acting on a fracture mesh can open and maintain vertical fluid flow in carbonate terrains
Citation
Davidson, GJ and Bavea, M and Harris, K, Ferruginous thermal spring complexes, northwest Tasmania: evidence that far-field stresses acting on a fracture mesh can open and maintain vertical fluid flow in carbonate terrains, Hydrogeology Journal, 19, (7) pp. 1367-1386. ISSN 1431-2174 (2011) [Refereed Article]
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Copyright Statement
Copyright 2011 Springer-Verlag
DOI: doi:10.1007/s10040-011-0751-0
Abstract
Far-field stress changes in the southern Australian
plate since 5 Ma have produced significant areas
of uplift and seismicity. In northwest Tasmania, there is
evidence that this stress reorientation to maximum
horizontal NW–SE stress has influenced meteoricderived
thermal (15–20°C) discharge patterns of confined
karstic aquifers, by placing pre-existing NWtrending
faults/fractures into a dilated state or a
critically stressed state. Previous studies have shown
that spring discharge has operated continuously for at
least 65,000 years, and has transported large volumes of
solutes to the surface to be deposited as mounds of
calcite-goethite-silica up to 7 m high. The thermal
spring chemistry at one site, Mella, is consistent with
descent to at least 1.2–1.5 km, although the hinterland
within 50 km is less than 500 m elevation. Thermal
spring chemistry is consistent with most of the deep
water–rock interaction occurring in low-strontium
Smithton Dolomite. While some of this water is
discharged at springs, some instead intersects shallow
zones of NE-fracture-controlled rock (2×4 km in area)
with karstic permeability where, although confined and
subject to a NE-directed hydraulic gradient, it circulates
and cools to ambient temperature, with only minor
mixing with other groundwaters.
Item Details
Item Type: | Refereed Article |
---|---|
Keywords: | Thermal springs . Karst . Far field stress .Hydrogeochemistry Tasmania |
Research Division: | Earth Sciences |
Research Group: | Hydrology |
Research Field: | Hydrology not elsewhere classified |
Objective Division: | Environmental Management |
Objective Group: | Other environmental management |
Objective Field: | Other environmental management not elsewhere classified |
UTAS Author: | Davidson, GJ (Dr Garry Davidson) |
ID Code: | 74790 |
Year Published: | 2011 |
Web of Science® Times Cited: | 2 |
Deposited By: | Centre for Ore Deposit Research - CODES CoE |
Deposited On: | 2011-12-13 |
Last Modified: | 2017-11-06 |
Downloads: | 1 View Download Statistics |
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