Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Molybdenum in icelandic geothermal waters

  • Published:
Contributions to Mineralogy and Petrology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Molybdenum concentrations in Icelandic geothermal waters lie in the range 1–70 ppb. Warm waters and dilute high-temperature waters which contain high concentrations of sulphide are lowest in molybdenum. No correlation is otherwise observed between molybdenum concentrations and temperature. Surface waters and cold ground waters do not contain detectable molybdenum (<1 ppb). It seems likely that leaching rate is the prime factor in limiting molybdenum levels in these waters. Within individual geothermal fields molybdenum concentrations are either approximately constant or they vary regularly across the field. This regular variation may often be correlated with variations in other solute concentrations and subsurface temperatures and is taken to indicate a control of molybdenum mobility by a temperature dependent equilibrium. The evidence suggests that the solubility of molybdenite is responsible. Molybdenite has not been found in active geothermal systems in Iceland but is known to occur in some New Zealand geothermal systems and it has been identified in hydrothermally altered Tertiary basalt formations at Reydarártindur in southeast Iceland. Boiling and mixing with cold water leads to molybdenite undersaturation and thus these processes favour leaching of molybdenum from the rock. On the other hand, conductive cooling leads to supersaturation which favours removal of molybdenum from solution.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnórsson S (1969) A geochemical study of selected elements in thermal waters of Iceland. Unpublished Ph D thesis, Univ London

  • Arnórsson S (1970a) The distribution of some trace elements in thermal waters in Iceland. Geothermics 2:542–546

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnórsson S (1970b) Geochemical studies of thermal waters in the Southern Lowlands of Iceland. Geothermics 2:547–552

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnórsson S (1978) Precipitation of calcite from flashed geothermal waters in Iceland. Contrib Mineral Petrol 66:21–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnórsson S (1985) The use of mixing models and chemical geothermometers for estimating underground temperatures in geothermal systems. J Volc Geothermal Res 23:299–335

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnórsson S and Gunnlaugsson E (1985) New gas geothermometers for geothermal exploration, calibration and application. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta (in press)

  • Arnórsson S, Sigurdsson S, Svavarsson H (1982) The chemistry of geothermal waters in Iceland I. Calculation of chemical speciation from 0 to 370° C. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 46:1513–1532

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arnórsson S, Gunnlaugsson E, Sčavarsson H (1983) The chemistry of geothermal waters in Iceland II. Mineral equilibria and independent variables controlling water compositions. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 47:547–566

    Google Scholar 

  • Baes CF, Mesmer RE (1976) The hydrolysis of cations. Wiley, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Bertine KK(1970) The marine geochemical cycle of chromium and molybdenum. Ph D thesis, Yale University, New Haven, Conn

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowman HR, Herbert AJ, Wollenberg HA, Asaro F (1975) Trace, minor and major elements in geothermal waters and associated rock formations (North-Central Nevada) Second United Nations Symposium on the Development and Use of Geothermal Resources 1:699–702

    Google Scholar 

  • Carmichael ISE, McDonald A (1961) The geochemistry of some natural acid glasses from the North Atlantic Tertiary province. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 25:189–222

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cobble JW (1953) Empirical considerations of entropy I. The entropies of the oxy-anions and related species. J Chem Phys 21:1443–1445

    Google Scholar 

  • Criss CM, Cobble JW (1964a) The thermodynamic properties of high temperature aqueous solutions IV. Entropies of the ions up to 200 and the correspondence principle. Am Chem Soc J 86:5385–5390

    Google Scholar 

  • Criss CM, Cobble JW (1964b) The thermodynamic properties of high temperature aqueous solutions V. The calculation of ionic heat capacities up to 200. Entropies and heat capacities above 200. Am Chem Soc J 86:5390–5393

    Google Scholar 

  • Ellis AJ (1969) Present-day hydrothermal systems and mineral deposition. Ninth Commonwealth Mining and Metallurgical Congress

  • Evans HT (1979) Molybdenum. In: Wedepohl HK (ed) Handbook of geochemistry, vol 4. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Garrels RM, Christ CL (1965) Solutions, minerals and equilibria. Harper and Row, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Giggenbach WF (1980) Geothermal gas equilibria. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 44:2021–2032

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gunnlaugsson E, Arnórsson S (1982) The chemistry of iron in geothermal systems in Iceland. J Volc Geothermal Res 14:281–299

    Google Scholar 

  • Helgeson HC (1967) Thermodynamics of complex dissociation in aqueous solution at elevated temperatures. J Phys Chem 71:3121–3136

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Helgeson HC (1969) Thermodynamics of hydrothermal systems at elevated temperatures and pressures. Am J Sci267:729–804

    Google Scholar 

  • Jankovic S (1970) Reconnaissance prospection for base-metal mineralization in southeastern Iceland. Unpubl report of the National Research Council, Iceland

  • Koga A (1967) Germanium, molybdenum, copper and zinc in New Zealand thermal waters. New Zeal Jour Sci 10:428–446

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuroda PK, Sandell EB (1954) Geochemistry of molybdenum. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 6:35–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Manheim FT, Landergren S (1979) Molybdenum. In: Wedepohl HK (ed) Handbook of geochemistry, vol 4. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Mankovskaya LI, Sovga EE (1973) On the composition and distribution of copper, zinc and molybdenum in the Caribbean Sea (Russ). Morskie Gidrofiziche-kie Issledovaniya, p 200

  • Martin JM Kulbicki G,De Groot AJ (1973) Terrigenous supply of radioactive and stable elements to the ocean. In: Ingerson (ed) Proc Symposium on Hydrogeochemistry and Biogeochemistry, Tokyo, Sept 7–9, (1970)

  • Naumov GB, Ryzhenko BN, Khodakovsky IL (1971) Handbook of thermodynamic data (translation of Russian report). U S Geol Surv Report WRD-74-001

  • Palipchuk MF, Volokov II (1974) Behavior of molybdenum in processes of sediment formation and diagenesis in Black Sea. In: Degens FT, Ross DA (eds) The Black Sea: Geology, Chemistry and Biology. Am Assoc Petrol Geologists, Memoir 20

    Google Scholar 

  • Pentcheva EN (1967) Sur les particularités hydrochimiques de cartains oligoéléments des eaux naturelles. Annali di Idrologia 5:90

    Google Scholar 

  • Ragnarsdóttir KV, Walther JV, Arnórsson S (1984) Descripion and interpretation of the composition of fluid and alteration mineralogy in the geothermal system at Svartsengi, Iceland. Geochim Cosmochim Acta (in press)

  • Robie RA, Hemmingway BS, Fisher JR (1979) Thermodynamic properties of minerals and related substances at 298.15 K and 1 bar (105 Pascals) pressure and at higher temperatures. US Geol Surv Bull, p 1452

  • Rowe JJ, Fournier RO, Morey GW (1973) Chemical analysis of thermal water in Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming 1960–1965. US Geol Surv Bull, p 1303

  • Shannon RD, Prewitt CI (1969) Effective ionic radii in oxides and fluorides. Acta Cryst B25:925-

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigvaldason GE, Óskarsson N (1976) Chlorine in basalts from Iceland. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 40:777–789

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Silvey WD, Brennan R (1953) Concentration method for the spectrochemical determination of seventeen elements in natural water. Anal Chem 34:784–786

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith RE, Martell AE (1976) Critical stability constants, Vol 4: Inorganic complexes. Plenum Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

  • Stefánsson V, Arnórsson S (1975) A comparative study of hot-water chemistry and bedrock resistivity in the Southern Low-lands of Iceland. Second United Nations Symposium on the Development and Use of Geothermal Resources 2:1207–1216

    Google Scholar 

  • Sugawara K (1967) Migration of elements through phases of the hydrosphere and atmosphere. In: Vinogradov AP (ed) Chemistry of the Earth's Crust vol 2 Jerusalem

  • Sugawara K, Okabe S, Tanaka M (1961) Geochemistry of molybdenum in natural waters (II). J Earth Sci, Nagoya Univ 9:114–128

    Google Scholar 

  • Taylor SR (1964) Abundance of chemical elements in the continental crust: a new table. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 28:1273–1285

    Google Scholar 

  • Vinogradov AP, Vainshtein EE, Pavelenko LI (1958) Tungsten and molybdenum in igneous rocks. Geochemistry 3:279

    Google Scholar 

  • Volokov II (1975) Chemical elements in river runoff and forms in which they are supplied to the sea. In: Peive AV (ed) Problem Litologii i Geokhimii Osadochnykh Porod i Rud (Strakhow 75th Anniv ed) Moscow, Izdat Nauka

    Google Scholar 

  • Voegeli PT, King RU (1969) Occurrence and distribution of molybdenum in the surface water of Colorado. US Geol Surv Water Supply Paper 1935N

  • White DE (1965) Metal contents of some geothermal springs. Symposium on Problems of Postmagmatic Ore Deposition vol 2 Prague, Czechoslovakia

  • White DE, Hem JD, Waring GA (1963) Chemical composition of subsurface waters. Data of geochemistry (6th ed) U S Geol Surv Professional Paper 440F

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Science Institute, University of Iceland, Dunhagi 3, 107 Reykjavík

    Stefán Arnórsson

  2. Nordic Volcanological Institute, University of Iceland, Jarðfræðahús, 101 Reykjavík

    Gretar Ívarsson

Authors
  1. Stefán Arnórsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gretar Ívarsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Arnórsson, S., Ívarsson, G. Molybdenum in icelandic geothermal waters. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 90, 179–189 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378259

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00378259

Keywords

Search

Navigation