We performed a detailed study of the rocks surrounding a major Zn–Pb–Cu ore deposit in southwestern Spain in order to characterize the behaviour of chemical elements in the influence area of the hydrothermal system that produced the deposit. Based on this information we propose new ways of detecting the nearby presence of ore deposits of this kind during exploration, thus improving our ability to detect new resources and contributing to securing the future supply of metals for our society.

In this study, we conclude that surface weathering is a primary control on rock characteristics and also guides fluids through the system during deep burial process. We also find that the formation of the rock decomposition zone depends on rock composition, climatic conditions and the duration of the process. Finally and most importantly, we provide a workflow for data reliability analysis for paleoclimate research.

In this work, the formation of natural magnesium silicate hydrate cement has been studied. The cement forms through the extraordinarily fast dissolution of quartz under high-pH, Mg-rich conditions that occur in south-east Norway where an ultramafic body is exposed. We studied the cemented rocks and the processes that led to the formation of the cement from the field scale to the nanoscale. Magnesium silicate hydrate cement might be a low-CO₂ alternative to Portland cement.

Our reactive transport models show that high-temperature fault-controlled dolomite can form from mixed convection and act as a sink for Mg in the circulating seawaters. This provides new perspectives to enhance understanding of mechanisms and controls on dolomitisation, geometry, and spatial distribution of dolomite bodies within faulted and fractured systems, which has important implications for modelling of systems ranging from geothermal resources to ore formation and carbonate diagenesis.

This study evaluates the buffering of seawater oxygen isotopes at midocean ridges, using a process-based model of hydrothermal circulation and reactive transport of oxygen isotopes. The buffering intensity shown by the model is significantly weaker than previously assumed. Oxygen isotopes of oceanic crust are consistently relatively insensitive to seawater isotopic composition, which explains the ancient oceanic crust without invoking a constant seawater oxygen–isotopic composition through time.