Development of fluid conduits in the auriferous shear zones of the Hutti Gold Mine, India: evidence for spatially and temporally heterogeneous fluid flow

The gold mineralization of the Hutti Mine is hosted by nine parallel, N–S trending, steeply dipping, 2–10 m wide shear zones, that transect Archaean amphibolites. The shear zones were formed after peak metamorphism during retrograde ductile D₂ shearing in the lower amphibolite facies. They were reactivated in the lower to mid greenschist facies by brittle–ductile D₃ shearing and intense quartz veining. The development of a S₂–S₃ crenulation cleavage facilitates the discrimination between the two deformation events and contemporaneous alteration and gold mineralization. Ductile D₂ shearing is associated with a pervasively developed distal chlorite–sericite alteration assemblage in the outer parts of the shear zones and the proximal biotite–plagioclase alteration in the center of the shear zones. D₃ is characterized by development of the inner chlorite-K-feldspar alteration, which forms a centimeter-scale alteration halo surrounding the laminated quartz veins and replaces earlier biotite along S₃. The average size of the laminated vein systems is 30–50 m along strike as well as down-dip and 2–6 m in width.Mass balance calculations suggest strong metasomatic changes for the proximal biotite–plagioclase alteration yielding mass and volume increase of ca. 16% and 12%, respectively. The calculated mass and volume changes of the distal chlorite–sericite alteration (ca. 11%, ca. 8%) are lower. The decrease in δ¹⁸O values of the whole rock from around 7.5‰ for the host rocks to 6–7‰ for the distal chlorite–sericite and the proximal biotite–plagioclase alteration and around 5‰ for the inner chlorite-K-feldspar alteration suggests hydrothermal alteration during two-stage deformation and fluid flow.The ductile D₂ deformation in the lower amphibolite facies has provided grain scale porosities by microfracturing. The pervasive, steady-state fluid flow resulted in a disseminated style of gold–sulfide mineralization and a penetrative alteration of the host rocks. Alternating ductile and brittle D₃ deformation during lower to mid greenschist facies conditions followed the fault-valve process. Ductile creep in the shear zones resulted in a low permeability environment leading to fluid pressure build-up. Strongly episodic fluid advection and mass transfer was controlled by repeated seismic fracturing during the formation of laminated quartz(-gold) veins. The limitation of quartz veins to the extent of earlier shear zones indicate the importance of pre-existing anisotropies for fault-valve action and economic gold mineralization.     

Estimation of undiscovered deposits in quantitative mineral resource assessments—examples from Venezuela and Puerto Rico

Quantitative mineral resource assessments used by the United States Geological Survey are based on deposit models. These assessments consist of three parts: (1) selecting appropriate deposit models and delineating on maps areas permissive for each type of deposit; (2) constructing a grade-tonnage model for each deposit model; and (3) estimating the number of undiscovered deposits of each type. In this article, I focus on the estimation of undiscovered deposits using two methods: the deposit density method and the target counting method.In the deposit density method, estimates are made by analogy with well-explored areas that are geologically similar to the study area and that contain a known density of deposits per unit area. The deposit density method is useful for regions where there is little or no data. This method was used to estimate undiscovered low-sulfide gold-quartz vein deposits in Venezuela.Estimates can also be made by counting targets such as mineral occurrences, geophysical or geochemical anomalies, or exploration plays and by assigning to each target a probability that it represents an undiscovered deposit that is a member of the grade-tonnage distribution. This method is useful in areas where detailed geological, geophysical, geochemical, and mineral occurrence data exist. Using this method, porphyry copper-gold deposits were estimated in Puerto Rico.     

罗布泊地区红柳沙包纹层沙粒度特征与环境指示意义

通过对罗布泊西南缘一个红柳沙包的132个清晰沉积纹层沙物质特征分析表明:所有沉积纹层沙物质均以细砂为主,占42.54～91.82%,其中1871-1874年纹层砂粒最细,1903-1910年纹层砂粒最粗;沙物质粒径分布在0.044～0.283mm之间,平均值0.095mm,中值粒径0.083mm;所有纹层沙物质的分选性都很好,分选系数分布在0.04～0.06之间,平均值0.05;偏态值分布在0.14～0.35之间,平均值0.19;峰态值分布在1.03～1.17之间,平均值1.13;沙物质粒度分维值分布在1.39～2.88之间,平均值2.80。除沙层厚度外,粒级组成、粒度特征参数、粒级分布曲线以及粒度累计概率曲线等也有较明确的环境指示意义。     

河北中山沟金矿含金石英脉中锆石U-Pb年代学及Hf同位素研究

热液石英脉型金矿石中锆石可以来自围岩,也可以由热液活动形成.因此,对其研究有助于揭示成岩成矿信息.中山沟金矿位于河北省张家口—宣化(张宣)地区,主要呈石英脉型产于水泉沟岩体西段,是张宣幔枝构造核部的典型金矿床之一.本文在矿区地质特征基础上,主要开展含金石英脉内锆石形态学特征、LA-ICP-MS U-Pb同位素测年以及H...     

Mass transfer and preferred orientation development during extensional microcracking in slate-belt folds, Elura Mine, Australia

Microstructures in slate belt rocks at the Elura Mine, near Cobar, south-eastern Australia, indicate that volume loss by syntectonic dissolution is coupled with mass accretion by reprecipitation of the dissolved material in dilational sites. The mass accretion is sustained primarily by repetitive tensile microfracturing at high pore-fluid pressures. Oriented growth in the inter- and intragranular microcracks is locally host-controlled, creating lattice- and shape-preferred orientations. The grain-scale crack-seal features throughout the rock reflect rhythmic fluid pressure fluctuations; a balance is achieved between the fracture-induced permeability (and consequent flushing rates), and the rate of fluid build-up in a relatively sealed environment.
Instability in the balancing factors can lead to localization and intensification of tensile failure (and hence, tension vein formation) in the grain aggregate. Growth of veins by crack-seal also reflects a steady state, but with more localized fluctuations of fluid flow on the aggregate scale. Still larger imbalances between flushing and fluid accumulation (i.e. pressure variations) induce breccia veining. The larger pressure gradients over greater distances, associated with dilation localization (from pervasive microfracturing to spaced breccia domains), allow fluid channelling with an increased potential for chemical fluid/rock disequilibrium. Therefore, large breccia vein systems tend to be sites of extensive fluid/rock interaction and replacement, as spectacularly illustrated by the syntectonic sulphide orebodies at Elura. The huge amounts of silicate, carbonate and sulphide accumulated during folding at Elura illustrate the large scale of source and sink couples possible in solute mass transfer.     

贵州锦丰(烂泥沟)金矿床含砷黄铁矿和脉石英及其包裹体的稀土元素特征

贵州锦丰(烂泥沟)金矿是滇黔桂“金三角“目前已探明的最大的卡林型金矿床.含砷黄铁矿是该矿床最主要的载金矿物,脉石英是最显著的热液蚀变作用产物.含砷黄铁矿、脉石英及其包裹体具有相同的稀土元素特征,表现为轻重稀土分馏明显(LREE/HREE:7.95～31.77,(La/Yb)N:8.97～40.49);轻稀土有一定的分异((La/Sm)n:3.20～5.29),曲线右倾程度大;重稀土分异不明显((Gd/Yb)n:1.41～3.35),曲线平坦;负铕异常明显(δEu 0.59～0.71);微弱的铈负异常(δCe 0.97～0.98).代表成矿流体特征的脉石英包裹体稀土配分型式及特征值与区域上不同时代的幔源基性-超基性岩差别较大,而与矿床围岩、矿石、含砷黄铁矿及其包裹体稀土配分型式及特征值十分相似,具上部地壳普通沉积岩的特点,反映成矿流体主要不是来源于地幔,而是以壳源为主.Eu负异常反映了偏酸性(富CO2)、还原性的成矿环境;微弱的Ce负异常表明成矿流体来源于以沉积水和热脱水为主的盆地流体.     

Paleotemperatures and paleofluids recorded in fluid inclusions from calcite veins from the northern flank of the Ponta Grossa dyke swarm: Implications for hydrocarbon generation and migration in the Paraná Basin

The Paraná Basin, southern Brazil, has an atypical thermal and fluid history due to the occurrence of an episodic continental flood volcanism during the Early Cretaceous. So far, there are few data about the influence of this volcanic event on the paleotemperatures and paleofluids of the Paraná Basin sedimentary rocks. The Teresina Formation in the northern flank of the Ponta Grossa dyke swarm hosts high concentration of subsurface igneous rock bodies (sills and dykes), besides its covering by a hundreds meter thick volcanic rock cap. In this study, we used fluid inclusion analysis performed in horizontal and vertical calcite veins from the Teresina Formation and from a Late Cretaceous basic dyke to estimate paleotemperatures and to characterize the composition of diagenetic paleofluids. Homogenization temperatures of requilibrated fluid inclusions show that the Teresina Formation reached temperatures above 200 °C. Horizontal parallel bedding calcite veins from the Teresina Formation record low to high salinity (2–26 wt.% NaCl eq.) aqueous paleofluids. The prevalence of high salinity fluid inclusions associated with light hydrocarbon fluid inclusions indicates deep buried fluids. Fluid inclusions in vertical calcite vein from basic dyke comprise only low salinity aqueous fluids (0–3 wt.% eq.NaCl) interpreted as dominated by meteoric water. The recorded paleotemperatures are attributed to the heating by the Paraná volcanic event during the Early Cretaceous, with the thermal effect of the volcanic rock cap surpassing the effect of nearby sills and dykes. Estimated paleotemperatures higher than 200 °C would allow the generation of light liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons. Overpressured compartments in the Teresina Formation allowed the expulsion of buried pore fluids (high salinity aqueous fluids and hydrocarbons) to fracture systems, where they mixed with meteoric water. The input of meteoric water through fracture systems connected with the surface favored hydrocarbons degradation in the early stages of source rock maturation during the Early Cretaceous.     

Andalusite-bearing veins at Vedrette di Ries (eastern Alps, Italy): fluid phase composition based on fluid inclusions

Abstract Andalusite-bearing veins formed during contact metamorphism in the aureole of the Vedrette di Ries tonalite. In the veins, quartz crystals that are completely armoured by andalusite or that occur in strain shadow areas contain three generations of fluid inclusions: low-salinity H₂O-CO₂-CH₄ mixtures with CH₄/(CO₂+ CH₄) ± 0.35 (type A); low-salinity aqueous fluids (type B); H₂O-free, CO₂-CH₄ fluids with the same carbonic speciation as A (type C). Carbonic types A and C typically have a dark appearance, which is attributed to graphite coatings on inclusion walls. Microstructural analysis of the host quartz and calculated densities indicate that type A inclusions were likely trapped during vein formation. These inclusions underwent strain-assisted re-equilibration during cooling that resulted in density increases without change of composition. After the rocks had cooled below about 350 ° C, type C inclusions appear to have formed from one of the immiscible fractions after unmixing of the H₂O-CO₂-CH₄ fluid mixtures. Aqueous type B inclusions, apparently trapped between 225 and 350 ° C, could represent an independent fluid, or could be the H₂O-rich fraction of unmixed type A fluids. Taking account of the uncertainties, the composition and density of the complex type A inclusion fluids are in good agreement with the properties of primary fluids calculated from the petrological data. The fluid inclusion data support the model of vein formation by hydrofracturing as a result of dehydration of graphitic metapelites. These new results also demonstrate the importance of considering strain in the interpretation of metamorphic fluid inclusions.     

青藏高原北部发现印支运动的新证据——来自同构造花岗细晶岩脉的响应

在青藏高原北部昆仑山口-甘德断裂与巴颜喀拉山中央断裂之间发育延伸超过100 km的呈雁列排列的花岗细晶岩脉带,这些花岗细晶岩脉走向多为北西向(118°),少量呈南北向(2°)。通过对其宏、微观特征分析研究,并结合在这两组花岗细晶岩脉中分别采获的224.7±0.64 Ma(南北向)与220.5±1.1 Ma(北西向)的锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb同位素年龄数据,指出这些花岗细晶岩脉是印支运动的产物,是早印支期可可西里-巴颜喀拉地块向东昆仑地块斜向俯冲过程中,岩浆沿着昆仑山口-甘德北西向冲掩断层下盘(南盘)形成的北西向与南北向两组"X"型共轭剪节理贯入形成的同构造花岗细晶岩脉。两组"X"型共轭剪节理的展布方向揭示了印支运动的主压应力方向,即NNW-SSE向;北西向雁列排列的节理反映其受右行走滑作用控制的特点;花岗细晶岩脉形成的最早时间(224.7±0.64 Ma)代表了这次俯冲走滑事件的时间,也即昆仑山口-甘德断裂的形成时间。