Fluid-Mineral Equilibria

Abstract

In chemical reaction modeling, we use the available data to determine (1) what chemical reactions have occurred, (2) the extent to which the reactions have proceeded, (3) the conditions under which the reactions have occurred (such as open vs. closed, equilibrium vs. disequilibrium, constant or variable temperature), and (4) how the water quality and mineralogy will change in response to natural processes and perturbations to the system. The available data may include chemical analyses of aqueous phase, hydrology, mineralogy, gas compositions, isotopic data, and other relevant information. Chemical reaction modeling is largely a mental exercise, but it is facilitated by calculations of (1) equilibrium speciation, (2) mass-balance, and (3) reaction-path.