Electrical conductivity of brine-bearing quartzite at 1 GPa: Implications for fluid content and salinity of the crust

Abstract

The electrical conductivity of brine-bearing quartzite with fluid fractions of 0.19 to 0.30 and salinity of 3 to 17 wt.% was measured at 800 to 1,100 K and 1 GPa. The conductivity of the brine-bearing quartzite increases with salinity and fluid fraction, but is almost independent of temperature. Our results suggest that regions of high conductivity (10-3 to 10-2 S/m) in the crust could be explained by the presence of quartzite with fluids of salinity similar to that of seawater. To account for those regions with the highest conductivity of 10-1 S/m, quartzite with fluid of high salinity (>10 wt.%) is required. © 2014 Shimojuku et al.