Penetration of deformation‐driven meteoric water into ductile rocks: Isotopic and model observations from the Southern Alps, New Zealand

Abstract

A stable isotope laser fluorination probe was used to examine oxygen isotope zoning within foliation‐parallel quartz veins of two Alpine Fault mylonite samples and two Alpine Schist samples, all of amphibolite facies. The technique used has a spatial resolution of c. 1 mm, and we found variation of ä¹⁸O values within individual samples and between schist and mylonites. ä¹⁸O values from individual mylonite quartz veins showed a slight variation of up to 1‰. By contrast, there was up to 2.4‰ variation within veins from outside the fault zone.

Equilibrium fluid ä¹⁸O values were calculated for aqueous fluids from which the quartz precipitated. The calculated values range from 5 to 13‰. They suggest the involvement of a near‐surface fluid just beneath the brittle‐ductile transition which is depleted in ¹⁸O relative to the fluid calculated to be in equilibrium with the local meta‐morphic assemblage.

The geochemical evidence of penetration of fluids depleted in ¹⁸O into ductile rocks constrains models of the mechanics of fluid flow. Ductile rocks are impermeable to fluids driven solely by thermal and topographic gradients. Simple numerical experiments illustrate the need for coupling of deformation and fluid flow to allow access of meteoric water into ductile material.

Keywords:

• stable isotopes
• fluid flow
• meteoric fluids
• Alpine Fault mylonites
• Alpine Fault
• Alpine Schist
• Southern Alps
• deformation coupled flow
• collisional orogen