Hydrothermal Economic Resources in Magmatic EnvironmentS

• Applicant: Dr. Manuel Keith
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry ; Geology
• Term: since 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 545430726

The comprehension of transfer mechanisms of fluids from source to sink is fundamental for the reconstruction of heat and matter exchange at the lithospheric-scale. However, despite its importance, the general understanding of tectonic-magmatic-hydrothermal processes in a well constrained temporal context in subduction regions remains unclear. Although the currently admitted models of porphyry-epithermal systems suggest a direct link between structures acting as fluid pathways and the concomitant evolution of these fluids from deep to shallow mineralization, this relationship has rarely been studied in detail to date. By gathering the diverse expertise of the project partners, HERMES will address these knowledge gaps by studying the regional dynamics and temporal relations between the tectonic, magmatic and hydrothermal evolution in NE Greece. Sampling assisted by portable spectroscopic tools and detailed structural analysis of Western Thrace and Samothrace Island will relate magmatic intrusions and vein systems to the local and regional stress regime. Trace elements together with stable and radiogenic isotopes of sulphides and silicates will fingerprint the sources of magmas, fluids and metals. Fluid inclusion studies of porphyry-epithermal systems and related miarolitic cavities will record the fluid pressure and evolution, and track element mobility and fractionation during magmatic-hydrothermal processes. High-precision age dating will provide temporal constraints between tectonic, magmatic, and hydrothermal events. HERMES therefore bridges several research actions: (1) the development of spectroscopic tools providing field-based chemical and mineralogical data guiding the collection of specific samples with certain chemical (e.g. element contents) and mineralogical (e.g., accessory minerals) features that can otherwise not be identified in the field, (2) the understanding of the crustal architecture of porphyry-epithermal systems and the integrated control of tectonic, magmatic and hydrothermal processes on their metal endowment through space and time, and (3) the formation of mineral systems in NE Greece that host rare metals of interest for the European economy. The final synthesis, merging a variety of disciplines, will develop a coherent model integrating the tectonic-magmatic-hydrothermal processes in a temporal context that control the formation of porphyry-epithermal deposits in subduction systems worldwide.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: France
• Partner Organisation: Agence Nationale de la Recherche / The French National Research Agency
• Co-Investigators: Professor Dr. Karsten Matthias Haase; Professor Dr. Daniel Koehn
• Cooperation Partners: Dr. Jean Cauzid; Dr. Antonin Richard; Privatdozent Alexandre Tarantola, Ph.D.