The occurrence is reported of a saline spring water from Weardale, which compositionally closely resembles other saline waters derived from the Carnmenellis granite, southwest England. The total dissolved solutes achieve approximately 38 000 mg/L, and alkali geothermometers suggest equilibration temperatures of approximately 150°C, equivalent to a depth of 4 km. Using Na, K and Li it is possible to compare the composition of the spring water with those of other spring waters derived from Carboniferous sequences adjacent to the North Pennine Orefield and with published data for fluid inclusions from North Pennine fluorite. These compositional parameters suggest that the ancient mineralizing fluids resemble modern Carboniferous sediment-derived waters and contain a relatively minor component of granite-derived water. Data for Br and Cl indicate that a significant component of the present day Weardale spring waters was probably ultimately derived from organic-rich sedimentary sequences while data for K, Na and Li indicate the importance of a component derived from a permeable granite aquifer. The Weardale springwaters continue to have ‘mineralizing’ potential, in view of the possibility that they may have precipitated quartz or chalcedony during their ascent.

Large thenardite crystals have been sampled at New Agorgott, in the Taoudenni area of northern Mali. They are still in equilibrium with a pressurized NaCl saturated brine capped by a halite layer. Clays located about 1 m above the thenardite occurrence have been dated at 6760 y.BP. The crystals contain numerous, large, brine and solid inclusions. Microcryscopic studies show that the fluids can be explained by the addition of MgCl2 to the Na2SO4-NaCl-H2O system (eutectic temperature: −31 to −35°C; possible bloedite Na2Mg(SO4)2.4H2O formed after freezing). The homogenization temperatures of primary fluid inclusions are in the range 28 to 50°C. In order to understand the significance of the highest Th values, overheating experiments under 1 bar pressure were performed at different heating rates up to 170°C. The results are as follows:

• (i) When the temperature of stretching (TOh) is higher than about 10°C, overheating is recorded and fossilized (identical Th after some hours, several days or 8 months storage at 5°C).

• (ii) The lowest Th values (28°C) are probably near the formation temperature of thenardite; the highest ones reflect stretching under present desert conditions.

• (iii) With TOh lower than about 60°C, a fair correlation is observed between Th and TOh.

Finally, taking into account recent natural overheating, the fluid inclusion data are compatible with the formation of thenardite from underground brines later than the beginning of desert conditions in the Taoudenni area (i.e. about 3000 y.BP).

Liquid-hydrocarbon-bearing fluid inclusions have often been described associated with petroleum occurrences and diagenetic sediments. Infra-red microspectrometry allows characterization of fluid inclusions greater than 20 µm by establishing the presence of aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbons as well as associated H2O, CO2 and CH4. Semi-quantitative analyses have been made by focussing on gaseous and liquid phases separately. Some CH2/CH3 and CO2/CH4 ratios have been determined by this method.

Fluorescence microspectrometry permits precise measurements of the fluorescence emission spectrum of chromophore-bearing organic phases (essentially aromatic hydrocarbons) in fluid inclusions greater than 10 µm. Such a spectrum is a function of both the gross composition of the trapped oil and its thermal history.

Both of these methods lead to the in situ characterization of hydrocarbon fluid inclusions. They are useful in providing a quantifiable distinction between different oil generations trapped during mineral growth in diagenetic and epigenetic minerals.

A core of concrete taken from a major road bridge in the Strathclyde Region, Scotland, has been subjected to an applied mineralogical investigation, which involved stable isotope analysis, petrography, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.

The structure is actively undergoing severe degradation due to mineral growth which is related to chemical reactions between the concrete and pore fluid. The physical growth of minerals causes disfigurement and structural weakening.

Pyrite and pyrrhotine hosted by dolerite aggregate appear to have been oxidized, providing sulphate for the deposition of ettringite and minor gypsum, in spheroidal cavities within the cement paste. The rainwater which passes through the structure mobilising sulphate from original gypsum in the paste and oxidizing the iron sulphides is also involved in the further leaching of elements from the cement paste and in the deposition of calcite. The isotopic values of calcites forming a crust on the concrete and a stalactite under the bridge are similar with δ13C= −19‰ PDB and δ18‰= +16‰ SMOW. We suggest that atmospheric carbon dioxide was the carbon source. The carbon isotopic fractionation of −12‰ from atmospheric carbon dioxide of δ13C= −7‰, (O'Neil and Barnes, 1971) can best be explained as due to a kinetic fractionation related to the hyper-basicity of the pore water. The equilibrium formation temperature of about 45°C calculated from the oxygen isotope values and assuming a δ18O value of meteoric water of −8‰ SMOW, is considered unreasonable. The exceptionally low δ18O values are attributed mainly to reaction kinetics and the calcite inheriting its oxygen, two-thirds from atmospheric carbon dioxide and one third from the meteoric formation water (O'Neil and Barnes, 1971). A δ18O value of atmospheric carbon dioxide of +41‰ SMOW and a δ18O value of meteoric water of −8‰ SMOW, lead to a calculated δ18O value for the calcites of +10‰ SMOW. The calcites analysed have a value of +16‰ and this may be due to partial re-equilibration towards a calculated value of +21‰ for calcite in equilibrium with the meteoric water at 20°C.

The fluorite vein deposits of the Southern Alps (Northern Italy) exhibit similar geotectonic, paragenetic, and textural characteristics permitting useful comparison between their fluid inclusions and REE systematics. Due to differing post-crystallization deformation, primary fluid inclusions can only be observed in the northernmost deposit (Rabenstein/Corvara). Here, fluorite precipitated from highly saline H2O-NaCl-CaCl2 solutions containing appreciable H2S. During vein formation the fluids changed from low salinity (≈7 wt. % NaCl equiv.) and medium temperature (Th ≈ 230°C), corresponding to the precipitation of early quartz, towards high salinity (≈20 wt.% NaCl equiv.) and lower temperatures (Th ≈170°C during the deposition of late-stage fluorite. This was accompanied by an increase in Ca in solution.

REE distribution patterns for the northern deposits are very uniform suggesting a similar source, a large-scale homogeneous fluid system, and fluorite precipitation under reducing conditions. By comparison the southern deposits exhibit contrasting patterns documenting a more complex history, probably due to their remobilization from an earlier mineralization. None of the fluorites shows a ‘primary’ magmatic REE distribution pattern, thereby favouring a genetic model for fluorite mineralization involving the leaching of suitable rock units by formation waters.

Phenomenally large (up to 2 mm) oil-bearing and associated brine inclusions in fluorite from carbonate-hosted, epigenetic, fluorite-calcite-(baryte) deposits of the Koh-e-Maran area are investigated using a combination of microthermometry, UV-microscopy and FTIR microspectroscopy. The liquid hydrocarbon phase in primary ‘oil’ inclusions is brown in colour and is dominated by saturated, low molecular weight, aliphatic hydrocarbons.

Two types of mixed aqueous and ‘oil’ inclusions occur. Aqueous/oil types represent co-eval trapping of immiscible drops of oil and brine during primary growth. In oil/aqueous inclusions the oil appears to ‘wet’ the aqueous phase resulting in an odd ‘dish-shaped’ meniscus. The oil or liquid hydrocarbon part of the inclusion is primary but the aqueous part is thought to represent a secondary infill. The fluid inclusion evidence suggests that fluorite precipitated from a dilute (3.5 wt.% NaCl) brine at temperatures around 110–140°C in the presence of an immiscible liquid hydrocarbon phase dominated by saturated, light hydrocarbons. This ‘oil’ was present as an emulsion in the aqueous fluid and the phenomenal size of the inclusions is thought to reflect the large droplet size in the emulsion. Infiltration of a more saline, calcium-enriched brine into pre-existing oil inclusions resulted in complex oil-water inclusions showing a reversal in the nature and shape of the oil-water interface due to the presence of unspecifed surfactants in the brine which affected the wetting characteristics of the oil.

The homogenization temperatures and the presence of liquid petroleum inclusions are characteristic of Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) and manto-type fluorite deposits in many other parts of the world.