Publications

Hydrothermal brecciation: particle modeling

A. Ord, B.E. Hobbs & S. Mikula

ABSTRACT: Brecciation is a common feature of many mineralized systems including vein gold and Fe-Cu-Au deposits. In this paper we use a particle code (PFC2D) to simulate the brecciation process. Breccias of the Cloncurry district (Australia) are believed to form in response to a pulse of overpressured fluid released from a cooling intrusion and we set out to explore this model here. Results are presented for fluid boundary conditions which involve a fluid flux applied to the base of a cohesive particle assembly as may occur at the top of an intrusion releasing fluid. This simulates brecciation as a fluid-driven (hydraulic) fracturing, followed by fluidization of the resulting fragments. We introduce the concept of Flow Regime Maps to delineate different behavior regimes arising from different boundary conditions.

Available in Continuum and Distinct Element Numerical Modeling in Geo-Engineering - 2008

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