Hydrothermal Quartz Genesis via SEM, FTIR, LA‑ICP‑MS Mapping
Researchers used SEM, FTIR, and LA‑ICP‑MS to map trace elements in hydrothermal quartz, revealing zonation linked to temperature and pressure changes.
A recent paper by Marko Bermanec, Nils B. Gies, Thomas Pettke, and Jörg Hermann describes how trace elements are incorporated into quartz formed in magmatic‑hydrothermal ore deposits. The study appears in Eur. J. Mineral., volume 38, pages 397–417 (2026) 1.
The authors combined scanning electron microscopy charge contrast maps, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy mapping, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry geochemistry to track Li, B, Al, Ti, and OH defects across crystal growth zones. This multi‑modal approach revealed distinct trace element zonation patterns linked to temperature and pressure evolution during crystallization 1.
Their findings show that the distribution of these trace elements reflects changing conditions within the deposit as quartz grew, providing a record of thermal history at microscale 1.
By demonstrating that integrated trace element data and spatial mapping can serve as a powerful tool for understanding ore deposit genesis and prospecting ores, the work offers new prospects for identifying critical metal enrichment environments in hydrothermal systems 1.
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