Preservation of pre-orogenic palaeofluids within the Caledonides of northwest Scotland.

Fluid inclusion microthermometric data are reported from early diagenetic mineral phases from NW Scotland that have subsequently been involved in Caledonian deformation. The original information concerning the physicochemical conditions of the parent fluid that precipitated diagenetic minerals is often lost from fluid inclusions that have experienced excessive overheating. Although the diagenetic mineral phases in this study have experienced temperatures of approximately 275 degreesC in response to Caledonian deformation, they still retain some fluid inclusions that yield temperature and compositional information about the original pre-orogenic early diagenetic environment of formation. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.