Abstract
An unusual salt-rich (SR) and salt-poor (SP) fluid immiscibility (FFI)
could occur in a variety of hydrothermal fluids. The segregation of SR
fluid from SP fluid provides a potential mechanism for substantial mass
enrichment during some ore forming processes. However, the physical
properties of SR and SP fluids, which determine the hydrodynamic
behaviors of unmixed fluids, have not been well constrained. This study
adopted in situ optical observation, quantitative Raman analysis, and
the mass conservation law to derive the density of the SR and SP fluids.
On this basis, falling sphere viscometry was employed to determine the
viscosity of the SR fluid. Results showed that SR fluid exhibited an
obviously higher density but comparable viscosity to SP fluid, favoring
its high mobility and strong tendency to segregate from SP fluid.
Consequently, the FFI could contribute tremendously to mass enrichment
during fluid evolution.