Physical properties of natural siliceous sinters from thermal springs
EMSL Project ID
4292
Abstract
We propose a study of physical properties of naturally occurring silica minerals to examine the ultrastructure of silica minerals in hydrothermal systems. Our work also will include a study of the structural environment of silicon in hydrothermal silica phases using Si NMR spectrometry. Silica phases precipitate from oversaturated hydrothermal solutions as the water cools, as it evaporates, and as it interacts with microorganisms. We hypothesize that these depositional processes impart different physical and chemical signatures on the resulting silica phases that affect solubility, diagenesis, and permineramlization. In this preliminary study, samples collected from hot springs in Kamchatka and Yellowstone will be compared. We are requesting specific surface area analyses from one higher temperature solid phase and one lower temperature solid phase from each area for a total of 4 samples at this time. The samples are dominantly hydrated amorphous SiO2 with varying amounts of Al, Fe, and other trace elements. Results from this analysis can tell us whether further studies are valuable for understanding these natural solid phases.
Project Details
Project type
Exploratory Research
Start Date
2003-08-18
End Date
2004-09-24
Status
Closed
Released Data Link
Team
Principal Investigator