Epithermal Gold-Silver Mineralization of the Asachinskoe Deposit in South Kamchatka, Russia

The Asachinskoe epithermal Au‐Ag deposit is a representative low‐sulfidation type of deposit in Kamchatka, Russia. In the Asachinskoe deposit there are approximately 40 mineralized veins mainly hosted by dacite–andesite stock intrusions of Miocene–Pliocene age. The veins are emplaced in tensional cracks with a north orientation. Wall‐rock alteration at the bonanza level (170–200 m a.s.l.) consists of the mineral assemblage of quartz, pyrite, albite, illite and trace amounts of smectite. Mineralized veins are well banded with quartz, adularia and minor illite. Mineralization stages in the main zone are divided into stages I–IV. Stage I is relatively barren quartz–adularia association formed at 4.7 ± 0.2 Ma (K‐Ar age). Stage II consists of abundant illite, Cu‐bearing cryptomelane and other manganese oxides and hydroxides, electrum, argentite, quartz, adularia and minor rhodochrosite and calcite. Stage III, the main stage of gold mineralization (4.5–4.4 ± 0.1–3.1 ± 0.1 Ma, K‐Ar age), consists of a large amount of electrum, naumannite and Se‐bearing polybasite with quartz–adularia association. Stage IV is characterized by hydrothermal breccia, where electrum, tetrahedrite and secondary covellite occur with quartz, adularia and illite. The concentration of Au+Ag in ores has a positive correlation with the content of K₂O + Al₂O₃, which is controlled by the presence of adularia and minor illite, and both Hg and Au also have positive correlations with the light rare‐earth elements. Fluid inclusion studies indicate a salinity of 1.0–2.6 wt% NaCl equivalent for the whole deposit, and ore‐forming temperatures are estimated as approximately 160–190°C in stage III of the present 218 m a.s.l. and 170–180°C in stage IV of 200 m a.s.l. The depth of ore formation is estimated to be 90–400 m from the paleo‐water table for stage IV of 200 m a.s.l., if a hydrostatic condition is assumed. An increase of salinity (>C_NaCl≈ 0.2 wt%) and decrease of temperature (>T ≈ 30°C) within a 115‐m vertical interval for the ascending hydrothermal solution is calculated, which is interpreted as due to steam loss during fluid boiling. Ranges of selenium and sulfur fugacities are estimated to be logfSe2 = ?17 to ?14.5 and logfS2 = ?15 to ?12 for the ore‐forming solution that was responsible for Au‐Ag‐Se precipitation in stage III of 200 m a.s.l. Separation of Se from S‐Se complex in the solution and its partition into selenides could be due to a relatively oxidizing condition. The precipitation of Au‐Ag‐Se was caused by boiling in stage III, and the precipitation of Au‐Ag‐Cu was caused by sudden decompression and boiling in stage IV.     

Epithermal Gold Mineralization in the Trenggalek District,East Java,Indonesia

Gold‐mineralized quartz veins at the Trenggalek district of the Southern Mountains Range in East Java, Indonesia, are hosted by Oligo‐Miocene volcaniclastic and volcanic rocks, and are distributed close to andesitic plugs in the northern prospects (Dalangturu, Suruh, Jati, Gregah, Jombok, Salak, and Kojan) and the southern prospects (Sentul and Buluroto). The plugs are subalkaline tholeiitic basaltic‐andesite to calc‐alkaline andesite in composition. ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar dating of a quartz‐adularia vein at the Dalangturu prospect yielded an age of 16.29 ± 0.56 Ma (2σ), and a crystal tuff of a limestone‐pyroclastic rock sequence at the southwest of the Dalangturu prospect was determined as 15.6 ± 0.5 Ma (2σ). Statistic overlap of ages suggests that the gold mineralization in the northern prospects took place in a shallow marine to subaerial transitional environment. Hydrothermal alteration of the host rocks is characterized by the replacement of quartz, illite and adularia. Quartz veins in surface outcrops are up to 50 cm wide in the northern prospects and up to 3 m wide in the southern prospects, showing a banded or brecciated texture, and are composed of quartz, adularia, carbonates with pyrite, electrum, sphalerite, galena, and polybasite. Gold contents of quartz veins are positively correlated with Ag, Zn, Pb, and Cu contents in both the northern and southern prospects. The quartz veins at the Jati, Gregah, and Sentul prospects have relatively lower gold‐silver ratios (Ag/Au = 23.2) compared to those at the Kojan, Dalangturu, Salak, and Suruh prospects (Ag/Au = 66.8). The quartz veins at the Dalangturu prospect are relatively rich in base metal sulfides. Ag/(Au+Ag) ratios of electrum in the Dalangturu prospect range from 45.2 to 65.0 at%, and FeS contents of sphalerite range from 1.2 to 6.4 mol%. Fluid inclusion microthermometry indicates ore‐forming temperatures of 190–200°C and 220–230°C at the Sentul and Kojan prospects, respectively. Widely variable vapor/liquid ratio of fluid inclusions indicates that fluid boiling took place within the hydrothermal system at the Sentul prospect. Salinities of ore‐fluids range from 0 to 0.7 wt% (av. 0.4 wt% NaCl equiv.) and from 0.5 to 1.4 wt% (av. 0.9 wt%) for the Sentul and Kojan prospects, respectively. The boiling of hydrothermal fluid was one of the gold deposition mechanisms in the Sentul prospect.     

东胜砂岩型铀矿床低温热液流体的证据及意义

东胜地区砂岩型铀矿床是近年来发现的大型砂岩型铀矿床。笔者首次发现了低温热液流体成矿作用的证据：矿体中有后生的钛铀矿和锐钛矿组合。矿石流体包裹体均一温度为58～176℃，平均114．9℃。研究表明，鄂尔多斯盆地在中晚侏罗世-白垩纪发生过显著的构造热事件，造成砂岩型铀矿含矿层之下产生大量的微裂隙与裂隙带的出现，导致下部热液流体向上运移。低温热液流体的成矿作用是形成东胜铀矿床的重要因素。     

Relationships between Volcanism, Hydrothermal Alteration and Epithermal Gold-Silver Mineralization in the Muka Mine Area in the Kitami Metallogenic Province, Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract: Neogene magmatism in the Muka mine area in the Kitami metallogenic province was characterized on the basis of K-Ar age data by felsic–to–mafic terrestrial extrusive and intrusive volcanism from Late Miocene to Early Pliocene. The geology of the Muka mine area comprises the Upper Cretaceous-Paleocene Yubetsu Group, consisting primarily of sandstone and shale; Upper Miocene Ikutahara Formation, consisting of clastic and felsic volcaniclastic rocks and Kane-hana Lava (rhyolite) of 7. 5 Ma; Upper Miocene Yahagi Formation, consisting of clastics, felsic volcaniclastics and rhyolite lavas; Late Miocene andesite and rhyolite dikes (Chidanosawa Rhyolite of 7. 2 Ma and Hon-Mukagawa Andesite of 6. 6 Ma); Lower Pliocene Hakugindai Lava (basalt: 4. 0 Ma); and Quaternary System. The volcanism consists of earlier Late Miocene felsic extrusive activity during the sedimentation of the Ikutahara Formation, later Late Miocene felsic extrusive and intrusive activities during the sedimentation of the Yahagi Formation and intermediate intrusive activity after the sedimentation of the Yahagi Formation and Early Pliocene mafic extrusive activity. The Muka gold-silver ore deposit occurs primarily in the felsic volcaniclastic rocks and Kanehana Lava of the Ikutahara Formation and in Hon-Mukagawa Andesite. These wall–rocks, the clastic rocks of the Ikutahara Formation and the clastic and felsic volcaniclastic rocks of the Yahagi Formation were affected to various extents by hydrothermal alteration. The hydrother-mal alteration can be divided into two stages (early and late) based on the modes of occurrence and mineral assemblages. Early hydrothermal alteration is characterized by regional and vein-related alterations associated with epithermal gold-silver mineralization in a near-neutral hydrothermal system. Regional alteration can be subdivided into a zeolite zone (mordenite+adularia±heulandite–clinoptilolite series mineral±smectite±quartz°Cristobalite±opal–CT) and a smectite zone (smec–tite±quartz±opal–CT). Vein-related alteration can be subdivided into a K-feldspar zone (quartz+adularia±illite±interstratified illite/smectite±pyrite), an illite zone (quartz+illite°Chlorite±interstratified illite/smectite±smectite±pyrite) and an interstratified illite/smectite zone (quartz+interstratified illite/smectite±smectite±pyrite). The adularization age of 6. 8 Ma in the K-feldspar zone that developed in Kanehana Lava hosting ore veins coincides well with the epithermal gold-silver mineralization age of 6. 6 Ma. Late hydrothermal alteration is characterized by a kaolinite zone (kaolinite±dickite±alunite±quartz°Cristobalite± tridymite±pyrite) in an acid hydrothermal system, and cuts early alteration zones such as the K-feldspar zone. Other modes of occurrence of acid alteration are a 7Å halloysite-kaolinite vein in the hydrothermal explosion breccia dike and smectite–kaoli–nite veins along joint planes of Kanehana Lava. The style of the gold-silver deposit associated with early near-neutral hydrothermal alteration is a low-sulfidation epithermal type. The low-sulfidation epithermal gold-silver mineralization of 6. 6 Ma in the vicinity of the Muka ore deposit was essentially accompanied by felsic volcanic activity during the sedimentation of the Yahagi Formation, and was closely related both temporally and spatially to the felsic intrusive activity of Chidanosawa Rhyolite of 7. 2 Ma. The related hydrother-mal activity of the gold-silver mineralization took place at intervals of approximately 0. 4–0. 6 Ma after the volcanic activity related to the mineralization.     

Hydrothermal Gold Mineralization at the Rodnikovoe Deposit in South Kamchatka, Russia

Abstract. The Rodnikovoe gold deposit situated in a presently active hydrothermal system located north of the Mutnovsko-Asachinskaya geothermal area in southern Kamchatka, Far Eastern Russia, consists of typical low-sulfidation quartz-adularia veins in a host rock of diorite. The age of the mineralization was dated by the K-Ar method as 0.9 to 1.1 Ma based on adular-ia collected from the veins. Representative ore minerals in the deposit are electrum, argentite, aguilarite, polybasite, pearceite and lenaite. Dominant alteration minerals are adularia, α-cristobalite, chlorite, illite and kaolinite. Hydrothermal solutions of neutral pH were responsible for the mineralization, which is divided into six stages defined by tectonic boundaries. Gold mineralization occurred in stages I and III. Hydrothermal brecciation occurred during stages III, IV and VI. Stages II, IV, V and VI were barren. The estimated ore formation temperature based on a fluid inclusion study is 150 to 250 °C at a depth of approximately 170 m below the paleo-water table. Boiling of hydrothermal fluids is hypothesized as the cause of the intermittent deposition of gold ore. The sulfur and oxygen fugacities during the deposition of anhydrite prior to the hydrothermal brecciation were higher than those during the gold mineralization stages. The occurrence in the hydrothermal breccia of fragments of high grade Au-Ag and polymetallic ores suggests that higher grade mineralization of these metal ores might have occurred in a deeper portion of the deposit.     

新疆阿希低硫型金矿床流体地球化学特征与成矿机制

位于新疆西天山的阿希金矿为一赋存于古生代陆相火山岩中的冰长石—绢云母型（低硫型）浅成低温热液金矿床,其围岩为下石炭统安山质火山岩和火山碎屑岩。矿体呈脉状产出,严格受古火山机构外围的环形断裂带控制。成矿作用分为石英—玉髓状石英脉阶段、石英脉阶段、石英碳酸盐脉阶段、硫化物脉阶段、碳酸盐脉阶段,形成的矿石有石英脉型和蚀变岩型两类。成矿作用阶段形成的流体包裹体主要有三类：液相水溶液包裹体、富液相气液两相水溶液包裹体和富气相的气液两相水溶液包裹体,其中以前两类为主。三类流体包裹体在矿石中同时出现,说明它们形成于非均一的流体介质条件,矿床形成时流体发生了沸腾作用。成矿流体冰点温度一般为-0.3--2.3℃,相应盐度为0.48%-3.75%NaCleq,平均1.85%NaCleq;冰点峰值温度位于-0.4--1.6℃,相应盐度为0.66%-2.63%NaCleq。流体包裹体均一温度为121-335℃,平均209℃;均一温度峰值为140-240℃,计算得到流体密度为0.73-0.96,成矿深度小于700m。成矿流体的氢、氧同位素变化范围小,δDSMOW,H2O=-98‰--116‰,δ18OSMOW,H2O=-0.55‰-1.65‰;碳同位素δ13CPDB,方解石=2.6‰-4.9‰,δ34SCDT=-4.0‰-3.1‰,平均值为δ34SCDT=-0.45‰,表明成矿流体主要为循环的大气降水,成矿物质主要来自赋矿围岩火山岩及基底岩石。含金石英脉中冰长石、叶片状石英和硫化物集合体的出现,以及气相比例和均一温度变化很大的液相、富液相和富气相的水溶液包裹体的共生,说明流体的沸腾作用是引起成矿流体中矿质发生沉淀富集的主要成矿机制;对于蚀变岩型矿石,其成矿以水岩交代反应为主,成矿作用过程中流体处于近中性pH值环境。     

Volcanic Activity, Hydrothermal Alteration and Epithermal Gold-Silver Mineralization in the Ryuo Mine Area in the Kitami Metallogenic Province, Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract: Characterization of Neogene magmatism in the Ryuo mine area in the Kitami metallogenic province was carried out on the basis of K-Ar data for felsic–to–mafic terrestrial extrusive and intrusive volcanism from Late Miocene to Early Pliocene. The Ryuo epithermal gold-silver deposit occurs primarily in the felsic volcaniclastic rocks of the Ikutahara Formation and in Ryuo Rhyolite. The Ryuo mineralization age of 7. 7 – 8. 1 Ma coincides well with the hydrothermal alteration age (7. 7 Ma) of Ryuo Rhyolite hosting ore veins. It is concluded that the Ryuo mineralization was essentially accompanied by felsic volcanic activity during the sedimentation of the Ikutahara Formation, and was closely related both temporally and spatially to the intrusive activity of Ryuo Rhyolite. Hydrothermal alteration related to the epithermal gold-silver mineralization of the Ryuo deposit is primarily characterized by early regional and vein-related alterations, and late steam-heated alteration. Early regional alteration consists of a smectite halo (smectite+pyrite±quartz±opal–CT±mordenite°Clinoptilolite–heulandite series mineral). Early vein-related alteration is primarily marked by potassic alteration. This alteration halo can be subdivided into a K-feldspar halo (quartz+adular–ia+pyrite±illite±interstratified illite/smectite±smectite), an illite halo (quartz+illite + chlorite + pyrite ± interstratified illite/smec–tite±smectite) and an interstratified illite/smectite halo (quartz + interstratified illite/smectite+pyrite±smectite). Late steam-heated alteration characterized by kaolinite or alunite locally overprints the early K-feldspar halo. The style of the Ryuo gold-silver deposit is a low-sulfidation epithermal type. The gold–silver–bearing quartz vein precipitates during boiling of ore fluid. The origin of the ore fluid might be meteoric water. The temperature and sulfur fugacity conditions during precipitation of electrum and acanthite are estimated to be 206°– 238°C and 10^-13.5 – 10^-11.6 atm, respectively.     

Geochronological Constraints Using 40Ar/39Ar Dating on the Mineralization of the Hishikari Epithermal Gold Deposit, Japan

Abstract. Ages for thirty adularia samples collected from various veins were in the Hishikari gold deposit determined by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating to constrain the timing of adularia‐quartz vein formation and to determine the temporal change in temperature of hydrothermal fluid. Plateau ages were obtained from all adularia samples, and significant excess ⁴⁰Ar is not recognized from inverse isochrones. The duration of mineralization within individual veins was determined by adularia ages from the early and late stages of mineralization within the same vein. The durations of mineralization in the Daisen‐1, Daisen‐3, Hosen‐2 and Keisen‐3 veins in the Honko‐Sanjin zone were 7,000, 140,000, 160,000 and 170,000 years, respectively. The durations of mineralization in the Seisen‐2 and Yusen‐1–2 veins in the Yamada zones were 360,000 and 320,000 years, respectively. Mineralization lasted for a relatively longer period in individual veins at the Yamada zone. Mineralization ages from the Honko‐Sanjin zone range from 1.04 to 0.75 Ma, and most mineralization ages are concentrated in a short period from 1.01 to 0.88 Ma. In contrast, mineralization ages for the Yamada zone range from 1.21 to 0.64 Ma. These results indicate that fracturing and subsequent vein formation lasted for a longer period in the Yamada zone (about 570,000 years) compared with those events in the Honko‐Sanjin zone (about 290,000 years). The homogenization temperatures of liquid‐rich fluid inclusions in columnar adularia used for age determination were determined to be 223°C on average, and most of these temperatures range from 180 to 258d?C. No significant temporal change in homogenization temperature is recognized in this study. However, adularia in the Keisen veins indicated higher homogenization temperatures compared with elsewhere in the deposit, suggesting that the principal ascent of mineralizing hydrothermal fluid was via the Keisen veins.     

西藏洞中拉铅锌矿床成矿流体研究

洞中拉铅锌矿床是念青唐古拉山地区扎雪-亚贵拉多金属成矿带内新发现的矿床。通过对洞中拉矿床各矿化阶段石英和方解石中的流体包裹体均一温度、压力、深度、盐度、密度和流体包裹体成分等诸多方面的初步研究表明,洞中拉铅锌矿床成矿流体属中低温(106.80℃～296.70℃)、低等盐度(0.88～5.86wt%NaCleq)、中低等密度流体(0.83～0.95g/cm3)、属Cl-SO42-K+-Na+型水化学类型,成矿环境为低压(26.47～67.03MPa)浅成环境(0.96～2.44km)。流体包裹体气相成分以H2O为主,次为CO2;液相组分中,阳离子以Na+和K+为主,阴离子以SO24-和Cl-为主。流体包裹体H和O同位素,流体包裹体成分N2-Ar-He图解和离子比值研究表明,成矿流体可能主要来源于大气降水。     

新疆萨热阔布金矿床流体包裹体研究及矿床成因

新疆萨热阔布金矿床位于阿尔泰造山带南缘克兰火山-沉积盆地内,矿体呈脉状产于康布铁堡组上亚组地层中(D1k2).不同成矿阶段石英脉中广泛发育流体包裹体,可划分为H2O-CO2包裹体(C型)、纯CO2包裹体(PC型)、水溶液包裹体(W型)及含子矿物多相包裹体(S型)四类.测温结果显示,成矿早阶段主要发育C型和PC型包裹体,均一温度范围为271～446℃,流体盐度介于5.9％ ～ 8.4％ NaCleqv之间;中阶段主要发育C、PC、W和S型包裹体,均一温度低于早阶段,为236～374℃,流体盐度介于4.8％～15.0％ NaCleqv之间;晚阶段主要发育W型包裹体,均一温度范围为139～264℃,流体盐度介于1.1％ ～6.9％ NaCleqv之间.对成矿压力和深度的估算表明,成矿压力为90～330 MPa,成矿深度为9～12 km.综上所述,萨热阔布金矿成矿流体具有富CO2、中低盐度的变质流体特征,流体沸腾导致了成矿物质的沉淀.结合矿床地质特征,萨热阔布金矿床属于造山型金矿床.     

Fluid Inclusion Microthermometry and Implications for the Mechanisms of Ore-Grade Gold Mineralization in Epithermal System, Lalab Orebody, Sibutad, Zamboanga del Norte, Philippines

The Sibutad gold deposit has gold associated in quartz veins. The most important of these is the Lalab orebody, which contains ore‐grade gold, predominantly, in milky quartz veins and veinlets. Here, alteration quartz and fine‐grained crystalline clear and milky quartz were formed from hydrothermal fluids in three stages, namely stages I, II and III. Fluid inclusion microthermometry was carried out on stage I milky quartz, stage II fine‐grained alteration quartz and stage III milky quartz ± barite veins and veinlets. Homogenization temperatures (T_H) are >248°C in stage I, 214–232°C in stage II and 186–239°C in stage III. These fluid inclusions have salinity between 1 and 2 wt% NaCl equivalent. In terms of gold assay, stage I drill‐core samples have gold grades 0.53–0.76 g/ton Au, stage II samples have 1.12–3.70 g/ton Au and stage III samples have 9.06–23.88 g/ton Au. This correlation suggests that gold was precipitated from the stage II and III fluids.     

河南省栾川县石窑沟钼矿床地质特征和流体包裹体研究

为探讨石窑沟钼矿床的矿床成因,本文开展了系统的地质及成矿流体特征研究。根据矿脉穿切关系,将热液成矿过程分为早、中、晚3个阶段,其矿物组合分别为石英-钾长石-黄铁矿-辉钼矿、石英-多金属硫化物和石英-方解石±黄铁矿。研究发现,成矿早、中阶段产出的石英中有水溶液包裹体、纯CO2包裹体、H2O-CO2类包裹体和含子晶多相包裹体,而成矿晚阶段产出的石英中仅有水溶液包裹体;对不同阶段包裹体的显微测温和激光拉曼测试结果显示,成矿早阶段成矿流体以高温、高盐度、高氧化性、富CO2为特征;中阶段流体发生沸腾,导致CO2逃逸,还原性增强,成矿物质沉淀;晚阶段流体以低温、低盐度、贫CO2为特征。流体沸腾可能是引起辉钼矿沉淀的重要原因。     

相山铀矿田邹家山矿床成矿流体特征

通过流体包裹体的岩相学研究、显微测温和激光拉曼探针测试,探讨了邹家山铀矿床成矿流体特征、演化及矿质沉淀方式。研究结果表明,该矿床的成矿流体为中低温热液,碳氢化合物对铀的富集具有不可忽视的作用,流体持续的沸腾作用是矿质沉淀的主要因素。     

Gas Measurement of Fluid Inclusions from the Hishikari Epithermal Gold Deposit, Southern Kyushu, Japan, Using Laser Raman Microprobe

Abstract. Laser Raman microprobe analysis was performed on the fluid inclusions from the Honko-Sanjin zone in the Hishikari epithermal gold deposit, southern Kyushu, Japan. Gas concentrations of fluid inclusions through the zone were below detection limits (e.g., 5 mmole/kg H₂O for CO₂), with an exception at shallow portion in which the CO₂/N₂ mole ratio was determined to be 5.3. Boiling of hydrothermal solutions probably separated gases from ore fluids at the deep portion of the deposit, and migration of gases to shallow portion resulted in CO₂-rich steam-heated water and related acid alteration.     

Victoria Carbonate-Base Metal Gold Deposit and Its Significance in the Mankayan Mineral District, Luzon, Philippines

Abstract. The Victoria gold deposit is a low-sulfidation style epithermal carbonate-base metal gold deposit discovered in 1995 in the Mankayan mineral district, northern Luzon, Philippines. It occurs just south of a high-sulfidation copper-gold orebody (Lepanto enargite deposit) and a porphyry copper-gold orebody (Far Southeast (FSE) deposit). Radiometric dating of the Victoria mineralization yields ages from 1.6 to 1.1 Ma, similar to ages of the Lepanto enargite deposit. Mineralogical, geochemical, fluid inclusion and sulfur isotope studies suggest that the Victoria deposit is not directly related to the late stage of hydrothermal activity that produced the FSE porphyry copper-gold and the Lepanto enargite deposits. The hydrothermal fluids from which Victoria was formed appear to have been derived from the south, and not from the FSE intrusive center to the northeast. This would suggest a regional south to north hydrothermal gradient, consistent with the similar flow within the FSE porphyry-Lepanto enargite system. On a district scale, structures similar to those of the Victoria deposit in trend and nature would be highly prospective, especially if they occur north of identified plutons and volcanic centers.     

Geology and Alteration-Mineralization Characteristics of the Cibaliung Epithermal Gold Deposit, Banten, Indonesia

Abstract. The Cibaliung gold project is located at the central portion of the Neogene Sunda‐Banda magmatic arc. Gold‐silver mineralization in the area is hosted in a thick sequence of sub‐aqueous basaltic andesite volcanics with intercalated sediments intruded by sub‐volcanic andesite to diorite plugs and dykes, and subsequently cut by a cluster of diatreme breccias. These host rocks are unconformably overlain by dacitic tuffs, younger sediments and basalt flows. The gold prospects in Cibaliung occur within a NW‐trending structural corridor that is 3.5 km wide by at least 6 km long. It is fault‐bounded and is considered to be a graben. Two aligned NNW‐trending sub‐vertical shoots, Cikoneng and Cibitung, host the currently defined resource within the steeply dipping vein system with a minimum strike length of 1,300 m. As of July 2001, exploration has defined an inferred + indicated mineral resource of approximately 1.3 million tonnes at 10.42 g/t gold and 60.7 g/t silver at a 3 g/t Au cut‐off. This equates to approximately 435,000 ounces of gold and 2.54 million ounces of silver. Gold‐silver mineralization occurs as quartz veins characteristic of the low‐sulphidation epithermal adularia‐sericite type. Progressive dilation with a general increase in gold grade has produced multi‐stage veining and brecciation that grades from early to late stages as: pre‐mineral fluidized breccia, quartz vein stockwork, massive vein, crustiform vein, colloform‐crustiform vein with progressive increase in chloritic clay bands, clay‐quartz milled matrix breccias with a progressive increase in clay content, and synto post‐mineral fault gouge with vein clasts. Wall rock alteration is characterized by pro‐grade chlorite+adularia flooding that is locally overprinted by a low temperature argillic alteration (smectite, illite and mixed layered clays). Generally, the argillic alteration becomes weak with depth. The major mineral constituents of the veins are quartz, adularia and clay. In the early gold‐poor hydrothermal stages, quartz and adularia dominate with minor calcite and clay (smectite, poorly crystalline chlorite, interlayered chlorite‐smectite and illite‐smectite). In the later gold‐rich hydrothermal stages, clay with variable amounts of carbonate increases whereas the abundance of quartz and adularia decreases. Gold occurs mainly as electrum while silver occurs as argentite‐aguilarite‐naumannite and electrum, and rarely as native silver, sulphosalts and tellurides. Sulphides generally comprise <1 vol % of the vein, with pyrite as the most common species. Together with pyrite, traces of very fine‐grained base metal sulphides dominated by chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena are in most cases intimately associated with electrum and silver minerals. Partial supergene oxidation generally extends down to about 200 m below the surface at Cikoneng and further down to more than 300 m at Cibitung. The hydrothermal system responsible for the gold‐silver mineralization in the area may be related to rhyolitic magmatism focused on a volcanic intrusive center during back arc rifting that formed a graben or pull‐apart basin. The dominant mechanism for the higher grade gold deposition is fluid mixing of up welling metal‐bearing hydrothermal solutions with relatively near surface cool, oxygenated condensate and/or steam‐heated meteoric fluids, as opposed to retrograde boiling. The strongly focused dilational structural environment is thought to have been the mechanism for focusing fluid flows, both up welling and descending, forming pipe‐like mineralized bodies in the rhomboidal dilation zones. It is interpreted that mineralization took place under low temperature conditions (<150–220d?C) at a minimum depth of around 200–250 m below the palaeo‐water table.     

Hydrothermal Alteration Related to Silver Mineralization at the Iwami Silver Deposit,Shimane Prefecture,Japan

The Iwami epithermal silver deposit consists of Ag-Cu veins in a dacitic intrusive body at the deep portion of the Eikyu area, and veinlets with disseminated Ag mineralization in dacitic tuff breccia at a shallow portion of the Fukuishi area. Hydrothermal alteration associated with the silver mineralization is characterized by intense potassium metasomatism with oxidizing conditions. An illite zone occurs around the pathways of uprising fluids in both the Eikyu and Fukuishi areas. It grades laterally into the illite/smectite zone, which is surrounded by a broad smectite zone. Because of boiling, abundant adularia associated with silver mineralization overlaps on the altered tuff breccia in the Fukuishi area. The alteration zoning suggests that the western Eikyu area and the eastern Fukuishi area belong to a single hydrothermal system. The data of fluid inclusion microthermometry indicate that the temperatures range 220–270°C, and salinities range 5–7 wt percent NaCl equivalent for the silver mineralization at the upper portion in the Eikyu area and the lower portion in the Fukuishi area. Radiometric ages for volcanic rocks in the area range from 2.19 to 1.64 Ma, and the dacitic intrusion formed at approximately 1.6 Ma. The silver-dominant mineralizing hydrothermal fluids system was active around 1.44 to 1.07 Ma, which formed the Eikyu Ag-Cu veins at depth, and the Fukuishi Ag ores at the shallower portion.     

甘肃李坝金矿围岩蚀变与金成矿关系

西秦岭地区是目前国内造山型和卡林型金矿找矿的热点地区之一,已发现的甘肃李坝造山型金矿为超大型规模。以李坝金矿6号矿带为例,系统地研究了其蚀变矿物组合、近矿围岩蚀变分带及相应的金矿化特征,总结了矿床(带)的蚀变分带模式。该模式具典型的中心式环带结构,可分为3个蚀变带,由中心向外依次为黄铁绢英岩化带、绢云母化带和绿泥石化带。蚀变矿物组合分别为黄铁矿+绢云母+石英±毒砂±白云母±电气石±方解石、绢云母+绿泥石+石英+黄铁矿±黑云母及绿泥石+黑云母±绢云母±黄铁矿;与这3个蚀变带相对应的是金的富集带、矿化带和无矿带。蚀变岩石物质组分迁移分析表明,围岩蚀变及其分带是热水流体/岩石反应时岩石化学组分发生迁移的结果,矿化伴随着蚀变发生,且金矿化与黄铁矿化和浸染状硅化关系最为密切。     

甘肃阳山金矿构造-流体-金成矿作用关系

[摘 要] 基于对甘肃省文县阳山金矿床的构造变形分析、石英组构分析及流体包裹体研究,探讨了阳山金矿床的形成过程和热液成矿机制,认为自三叠纪以来,该区先后经历了韧性、韧-脆性及两期脆性等多期构造变形演化过程,并伴随多次岩浆热液活动。流体包裹体显微测温结果显示本区的均一温度主要集中在265～290℃,215～240℃和165～190℃等三个区间,流体组份体系接近于NaCl-H₂O-CO₂体系,成矿流体密度估计在0.98～1.02g/cm³之间,成矿压力估计为89.6 MPa,流体包裹体盐度估计在0.7%～9.4% NaCl之间激光拉曼显示其主要成分为H₂O和CO₂,据不同类型包裹体共生组合及流体演化特征,认为不同流体的混合是导致大量金沉淀的主要原因。     

A Fluid Inclusion Study on Columnar Adularia from the Hishikari Low-sulfidation Epithermal Gold Deposit, Japan

Abstract: In the Hishikari low-sulfidation epithermal gold deposit, Japan, columnar adularia crystals commonly precipitated directly on to the fracture surface of wall rock, and then electrum precipitated on the columnar adularia with fine-grained adularia and quartz. To reveal the characteristics of mineralizing fluids and the elevation of paleo-water tables at the earliest stage of mineralization in the Honko-Sanjin zone of the Hishikari deposit, the fluid inclusions in the columnar adularia in gold-bearing quartz–adularia veins were studied.
Coexistence of vapor-rich and liquid-rich two–phase primary fluid inclusions indicates the deposition of columnar adularia from boiling fluids. The precipitation temperatures range from 175 to 215C, and generally increase with depth. The temperatures of final melting point of ice range from –1.2 to –0.1C with an average of –0.5C, corresponding to salinity ranging from 0.2 to 2.1 wt% NaCl equivalent with an average of 0.9 wt% NaCl (eq.). Concentrations of non-condensable gases such as CO₂ were under the detection limit of a laser Raman microprobe spectrometer. From the precipitation temperature of columnar adularia in the Hosen–2 vein and the boiling point – depth curve for a 0.9 wt% NaCl (eq.) fluid, paleo-water table was estimated to be at an elevation of about +170 m. The elevation of the paleo-water tables for other veins was estimated to range from +140 to +215 m.