International Journal of Earth Sciences

, Volume 94, Issue 5–6, pp 1039–1055 | Cite as

Sealing of fluid pathways in overpressure cells: a case study from the Buntsandstein in the Lower Saxony Basin (NW Germany)

Original paper
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Abstract

We studied veins in the Triassic Buntsandstein of the Lower Saxony Basin (NW Germany) with the aim of quantifying the evolution of in-situ stress, fluids and material transport. Different generations of veins are observed. The first generation formed in weakly consolidated rocks without a significant increase in fracture permeability and was filled syntectonically with fibrous calcite and blocky to elongate-blocky quartz. The stable isotopic signature (δ18O and δ13C) indicates that the calcite veins precipitated from connate water at temperatures of 55–122°C. The second vein generation was syntectonically filled with blocky anhydrite, which grew in open fractures. Fluid inclusions indicate that the anhydrite veins precipitated at a minimum temperature of 150°C from hypersaline brines. Based on δ34S measurements, the source of the sulphate was found in the underlying Zechstein evaporites. The macro- and microstructures indicate that all veins were formed during subsidence and that the anhydrite veins were formed under conditions of overpressure, generated by inflation rather than non-equilibrium compaction. The large amount of fluids which are formed by the dehydrating gypsum in the underlying Zechstein and are released into the Buntsandstein during progressive burial form a likely source of overpressures and the anhydrite forming fluids.

Keywords

Veins Lower Saxony Basin overpressure 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

We thank Dr. Jentsch (EMPG) for access to Buntsandstein cores. Werner Kraus is acknowledged for the preparation of thin sections and the fluid inclusion wafers. Philippe Muchez (K.U.Leuven) is thanked for the use of the Linkham stage and discussions on the fluid inclusions. We are very thankful to Prof. Strauss (Münster) for the analyses of the S isotopes and to Dr. Joachimski (Erlangen) for the δ18O and δ13C isotopes. Comments by Anne-Marie Bouiller and an anonymous reviewer significantly improved the manuscript. This project is funded by the DFG (Hi 816/1–2) and is part of the SPP 1135 “Dynamics of Sedimentary Systems under varying Stress Conditions by Example of the Central European Basin System”.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag 2005

Authors and Affiliations

  1. 1.Geologie-Endogene DynamikRWTH AachenAachenGermany

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