The dynamics of fluid flow, fluid mixing and ore mineralization in the Navan Ore body.

In order to be successful in exploration in an increasingly competitive environment, interdisciplinary research with new innovative ideas is clearly needed. This project merges state-of-the-art numerical models of fluid flow, mixing and mineral precipitation with one of the best geochemical datasets that is available from a structurally controlled world-class ore deposit. The structural control at Navan deposit in Ireland implies that fluids travel along faults and fractures, however, horizontal stratigraphy-controlled flow has also been observed. It is not clear in detail how faulting, fluid flow and mixing influence the ore precipitation. In addition it is not clear how the metal-bearing fluids enter the system, multiple pathways exist at the level of the mine, but does this pattern represent multiple deeper sources or one pathway?
The main objectives of this study are to understand fluid flow, fluid mixing and consequent ore mineralization in the Navan ore-body in Ireland, in order to predict the potential location of additional resources. Based on previous work, the hypothesis is that metal-carrying fluids from a deep source move up in semi-vertical pipes in the footwall of a larger fault system and then spread out horizontally into the sedimentary host to form the large ore deposits when the deep fluids mix with a shallow brine, charged with bacteriogenic sulphide. The student will combine novel numerical modeling techniques with a detailed analysis of a world-class 3D dataset of the distribution of mineralization and isotope data in the Navan ore body coupled with a detailed microstructural study of the local ore structure.