The study of heat transfer mechanisms in hydrothermal systems is important for understanding the basic physics behind orebody formation and mineralization in the upper crust (Bickle and Mckenzie 1987; Bjorlykke et al. 1988; Brady 1988; England and Thompson 1989; Hoisch 1991; Connolly 1997). Generally, heat energy may be transferred within the crust in the following forms: conduction, advection (including forced convection) where the heat is carried by a moving mass of rock during def- mation or by a moving uid, convection (i. e., free convection, natural convection, buoyancy driven...

Geoscience is a fundamental natural science discipline dealing with the origin, evolutionary history and behaviour of the planet Earth. As a result of its complicated and complex nature, the Earth system not only provides the necessary materials and environment for mankind to live, but also brings many types of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tsunamis, ?oods and tornadoes, to mention just a few. With the ever-increasing demand for improving our living standards, it has been recognized that the existing natural resources will be exhausted in the near future and that...

The study of heat transfer mechanisms in hydrothermal systems is important for understanding the basic physics behind orebody formation and mineralization in the upper crust (Bickle and Mckenzie 1987; Bjorlykke et al. 1988; Brady 1988; England and Thompson 1989; Hoisch 1991; Connolly 1997). Generally, heat energy may be transferred within the crust in the following forms: conduction, advection (including forced convection) where the heat is carried by a moving mass of rock during def- mation or by a moving uid, convection (i. e., free convection, natural convection, buoyancy driven...