Quantitative investigation of the spatial distribution, 3D geometries and evolution of fluid pathways in siliciclastic rocks.

Sheet silicate-rich lithologies are highly abundant in Earth’s upper crust and represent in a geodynamic context important rock types because (i) strain is often localized in these rocks and (ii) they serve as important fluid sources owing to water release during diagenesis and low-grade metamorphism.

In my PhD-project I do a quantitative investigation of the spatial distribution, 3D geometries and evolution of fluid pathways in siliciclastic rocks. These rocks experienced temperatures int the range of 80 – 450 °C and are situated near large-scale shear zones. The work is based of quantitative mapping of fluid pathways along a N-S profiles in the European Alps combined with quantitative microstructural and geochemical analyses.