Determination of Chlorinity in Aqueous Fluids Using Raman Spectroscopy of the Stretching Band of Water at Room Temperature: Application to Fluid Inclusions

Abstract

A new analytical method, based on the Raman spectroscopy of the ν(OH) stretching vibration of water, has been developed for the determination of the concentration of chloride in aqueous solutions with the goal of reconstructing the bulk ion content of fluid inclusions that are relics of paleo-fluid circulation in rocks. The method involves calibrating the area of one band of the spectrum difference between pure water and solutions of appropriate composition with respect to the chloride concentration. Calibration curves were constructed for the major geological chemical salts LiCl, NaCl, KCl, CaCl₂, and MgCl₂, and NaCl–CaCl₂ systems. The application to fluid inclusions has been confirmed using synthetic fluid inclusions. For cubic minerals such as fluorite, the calibration curve for the NaCl system correctly estimates the chlorinity. For birefringent minerals, such as quartz, the Raman spectrum of the aqueous solution depends on the orientation of the host crystal. The crystal must be oriented in such a way that one axis of the ellipse of the indicatrix projects parallel to the spectrometer slit. This method complements micro-thermometric data and allows the determination of chlorinity when ice-melting temperature cannot be used.