Two Stage Growth Evolution of Hydrothermal Quartz : Impurities Tell the Story

Abstract

Large-scale hydrothermal fluid systems control the thermal evolution of the Earth's crust. Quartz crystals, the primary product of circulating aqueous fluids, contain chemical impurities that document their growth history in hydrous environments. This study documents the distribution of defect abundances in crystals extracted from a single vug from Le Chang City, Guangdong Provice, China, that record two distinct phases of growth.