Heat and mass transfer in volcano-hydrothermal systems

Abstract:

Hydrothermal systems re-distribute heat and mass derived from subsurface magma bodies over large temporal and spatial scales. Numerical models of fluid flow and heat transfer provide a quantitative basis for understanding the thermo-hydrological structure and transient behavior of volcano-hydrothermal systems. At the brittle-ductile transition around a magma body, the rate of conductive heat transfer from the impermeable intrusion is balanced by the rate of advective heat transfer by the fluid. Using the Complex Systems Modeling Platform (CSMP++) to model fluid flow up to near-magmatic conditions, we examine the effect of geologic factors such as host rock permeability, magma emplacement depth, the temperature conditions of the brittle-ductile transition, and rock/magma thermal conductivity on the rates of heat and mass transfer around magma bodies. Additionally, we investigate the role of these factors on the thermo-hydrological structure of the hydrothermal system, including patterns of phase separation, gravity-driven phase segregation, and fluid mixing. Passive tracers are included in the fluid flow models to simulate the input of magmatic volatiles into hydrothermal fluids and their fractionation between the liquid and vapor phases. Ultimately, we compare our model results against measured heat and gas fluxes from volcano-hydrothermal systems to help inform the interpreation of these measurements.