Elco Luijendijk

Reconstruction of the history of fluid flow in fault zones

Fluid flow, fluid pressure and water-rock interaction are important controls on fault activity. However, the relation between fluid flow and fault activity is often difficult to quantify because of a lack of data on the timing and duration of past flow events. In this presentation I will discuss a new approach to quantify the history of hydrothermal activity in fault zones that combines low-temperature thermochronology, borehole temperature data and numerical modelling. I will present case studies from the Basin and Range Province, the Alps and the Roer Valley Graben that provide new insights on episodic fluid flow and its links with deformation and seismic activity.