How Fast Did That Crystal Grow? Quantifying the Growth Rate of Natural Quartz Crystals

Abstract

Circulation of hydrothermal fluids controls the timescales of cooling in the Earth's crust and allows for large-scale exchange of matter between different levels of the crust. The time required to grow quartz crystals within these systems governs how long individual fluid-filled fractures remain open. Here, we present micro-FTIR measurements that characterize the morphologic evolution of a series of quartz crystals grown from a single hydrothermal vein from China.