Deep Crust
Hydrothermal also refers to the transport and circulation of water within the deep crust, generally from areas of hot rocks to areas of cooler rocks. The causes for this convection can be:
- Intrusion of magma into the crust
- Radioactive heat generated by cooled masses of granite
- Heat from the mantle
- Hydraulic head from mountain ranges, for example, the Great Artesian Basin
- Dewatering of metamorphic rocks which liberates water
- Dewatering of deeply buried sediments
Hydrothermal circulation, particularly in the deep crust, is a primary cause of mineral deposit formation and a cornerstone of most theories on ore genesis.
Read more about this topic: Hydrothermal Circulation
Famous quotes containing the words deep and/or crust:
“The parents who wish to lead a quiet life I would say: Tell your children that they are very naughty—much naughtier than most children; point to the young people of some acquaintances as models of perfection, and impress your own children with a deep sense of their own inferiority. You carry so many more guns than they do that they cannot fight you. This is called moral influence and it will enable you to bounce them as much as you please.”
—Samuel Butler (1835–1902)
“All civilization has from time to time become a thin crust over a volcano of revolution.”
—Havelock Ellis (1859–1939)