Use of two new Na/Li geothermometric relationships for geothermal fluids in volcanic environments

This work has made it possible to obtain two new Na/Li geothermometric relationships in addition to the three already known (Fouillac and Michard, 1981; Kharaka et al., 1982) and confirms that the Na/Li geothermometer, unlike the Na/K, Na/K/Ca, K/Mg and silica geothermometers, or the isotope delta O-18 (H2O-SO4) geothermometer, also depends on the fluid salinity and the nature of the reservoir rocks reacting with the geothermal water. One of the relationships concerns the fluids derived from seawater-basalt interaction processes existing in emerged rifts such as those of Iceland (Reykjanes, Svartsengi, and Seltjarnarnes geothermal fields) and Djibouti (Asal-Ghoubbet and Obock geothermal areas), or in numerous oceanic ridges and rises (Mid-Atlantic and Middle-Valley ridges, East Pacific rise, etc.). The best adapted Na/Li relationship for geothermal fluids discharged from emerged rifts between 0 and 365 degrees C is: T(K) = 920 / [log (Na/Li) -1:105] (r(2) = 0.994, n = 27) where Na and Li are the aqueous concentrations of these elements given in mol/L. The other Na/Li relationship was determined using dilute waters collected from wells located in different high-temperature (200-325 degrees C) volcanic geothermal areas of Iceland (Krafla, Namafjall, Nesjavellir and Hveragerdi). This relationship can be expressed as follows: T(K)= 2002/ [ log(Na/Li) + 1.322] (r(2) = 0.967, n = 17). These two relationships give estimations of temperature with an uncertainty close to +/- 20 degrees C. The second Na/Li relationship was also successfully applied to HT dilute geothermal waters from the East African Rift (Ethiopia, Kenya). Some case studies in the literature and thermodynamic considerations suggest that the Na/Li ratios for this type of fluids could be controlled by full equilibrium reactions involving a mineral assemblage constituting at least albite, K-feldspar, quartz and clay minerals such as kaolinite, illite (or muscovite) and Li-micas. Unlike the Na/Li ratios, no thermometric relationship using Li isotopes could be determined for this type of water. However, it was noticed that delta Li-7 values higher than 16 parts per thousand are always associated with low- to medium-temperature waters. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.