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A new mechanism for mineralizing systems based on cnoidal wave instabilities
  • +2
  • Chong Liu,
  • Victor Calo,
  • Lisa Tannock,
  • Klaus Regenauer- Lieb,
  • Manman Hu
Chong Liu
The University of Hong Kong
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Victor Calo
Curtin University
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Lisa Tannock
Resource Development Consultants
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Klaus Regenauer- Lieb
UNSW Sydney
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Manman Hu
University of Hong Kong

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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Abstract

The formation of mineral deposits in mesothermal quartz veins is a complex process that has been the subject of much research. The classical fault-valve hypothesis suggests that mineralization occurs when metamorphic fluids are injected during a brittle event and then locked in to mineralize, but this hypothesis does not fully explain the regular spacing of repeated mineralized patterns that are often observed. This paper proposes a new mechanism for mineralizing systems based on the theory of cnoidal waves in solids. Cnoidal waves are standing waves that can persist for long times in materials under compressive and extensional regimes. We investigate mineral deposits by analytical and numerical methods and show that the cnoidal wave instability theory provides a plausible alternative mechanism for mineralizing systems. This study opens a new avenue for field studies to demonstrate that the mechanism-based cnoidal waves play an essential role in the formation of mineral deposits.
19 Sep 2023Submitted to ESS Open Archive
17 Oct 2023Published in ESS Open Archive