Fluid characteristics of a quartz-carbonate vein in the Canadian Rocky Mountains

Abstract

Different vein generations can be identified within a hand specimen of a quartz-carbonate vein system from the Rocky Mountains. Textural analysis of thin sections reveals a relative age of the veins. Analyses of calcite minerals of the older vein yield relatively low SrO contents of 0.22 wt% with little variation and relatively low MgO contents of 0.43 wt%. The calcite of a younger vein contain SrO contents ranging from 0.18 to 0.41 wt% and higher MgO contents ranging from 0.58 to 0.64 wt%. Melting temperatures of ice of primary fluid inclusions in calcite range between -3.7 to -4.2°C and -2.1 to -2.7°C for the older and younger vein, respectively.