‘Invisible gold’ in bismuth chalcogenides

Gold concentrations have been determined by LA-ICPMS in bismuth chalcogenides (tellurides and sulfosalts, minerals with modular structures; chalcogen X = Te, Se, and S) from 27 occurrences. Deposit types include epithermal, skarn, intrusion-related and orogenic gold. The samples comprised minerals of the tetradymite group, aleksite series, bismuth sulfosalts (cosalite, lillianite, hodrushite, bismuthinite, and aikinite), and accompanying altaite. Gold concentrations in phases of the tetradymite group range from <0.1 to 2527 ppm. Phases in which Bi > X tend to contain lower gold concentrations than Bi₂X₃ minerals (tellurobismuthite and tetradymite). Cosalite and lillianite contain Au concentrations ranging up to 574 and 3115 ppm, respectively. Bismuthinite derivatives have lower Au concentrations: <2 ppm in bismuthinite and up to 542 ppm in aikinite. In our samples, Au concentrations in altaite range from <0.2 to 1662 ppm.Smoother parts of the LA-ICPMS profiles suggest lattice-bound gold, whereas irregularities on the profiles are best explained by the presence of gold particles (?1 μm in diameter). Plotting Au vs. Ag for the entire dataset gives a wedge-shaped distribution, suggesting that Ag underpins Au uptake in both bismuth tellurides and sulfosalts. In the tellurides, correlation trends suggest statistical substitution of Ag(Au), together with Pb, into the octahedral site in the layers. In sulfosalts, Au follows coupled substitutions in which M¹⁺ (Ag, Cu) enters the structure. In tellurides, the presence of van der Waals gaps at chalcogen-chalcogen contacts provides for p-type semi-conductive properties critical for gold scavenging from fluids. Such weak bonds may also act as sites for nucleation of Au (nano)particles. In sulfosalts, contacts between different species that replace one another are also highly predictable to act as traps for (nano)particulate gold.Invisible gold in Bi-chalcogenides is useful to (i) identify trends of orefield zonation, (ii) discriminate between ‘melt’ and ‘fluid-driven’ scavenging, and (iii) interpret replacement and remobilisation processes. Bismuth chalcogenides have the potential to be significant Au carriers in sulfide-poor Au systems, e.g., intrusion-related gold, with impact on the overall Au budget if mean Au concentrations are high enough and the minerals are sufficiently abundant.     

西北冰洋冰筏碎屑指示的MIS 5以来冰盖和洋流的演化历史

通过西北冰洋楚科奇边缘地区4个柱状沉积物组成的岩芯断面,分析MIS 5以来粗颗粒（>250 μm）冰筏碎屑（IRD）的岩矿组成,确定西北冰洋不同时期IRD的来源和搬运模式,进而重建MIS 5以来欧亚冰盖和北美冰盖的消长以及北冰洋海盆中表层洋流的演化历史。研究结果显示MIS 5.5和MIS 5.1期间,波弗特环流的影响范围大于MIS 1期,而在MIS 5.4~5.2期间,波弗特环流的影响范围小于现代;MIS 4期间,岩芯中发现了大量来源于欧亚冰盖或东西伯利亚海冰盖的冰川浊积物,冰盖可能扩张到了楚科奇边缘地区南部;在同一时期,在楚科奇边缘地区南部的岩芯中IRD几乎全部为铁锰结核,可能受到了欧亚冰盖或东西伯利亚海冰盖的影响,但铁锰结核与欧亚冰盖的关系仍需进一步研究;MIS 3期间,波弗特环流的影响范围和强度略弱于现代;在末次冰盛期,研究区受到以劳伦冰盖为主要来源的冰川浊积物输入;在末次冰消期,研究区发生了一次来源于北美劳伦冰盖的冰融水排泄事件;在MIS 1期,西北冰洋主要受到波弗特环流的控制,将来源于加拿大北极富含碎屑碳酸岩的IRD带入北冰洋海盆。