Petrogenesis of andalusite–kyanite–sillimanite veins and host rocks, Sanandaj-Sirjan metamorphic belt, Hamadan, Iran

Quartz‐rich veins in metapelitic schists of the Sanandaj‐Sirjan belt, Hamadan region, Iran, commonly contain two Al₂SiO₅ polymorphs, and, more rarely, three coexisting Al₂SiO₅ polymorphs. In most andalusite and sillimanite schists, the types of polymorphs in veins correlate with Al₂SiO₅ polymorph(s) in the host rocks, although vein polymorphs are texturally and compositionally distinct from those in adjacent host rocks; e.g. vein andalusite is enriched in Fe₂O₃ relative to host rock andalusite. Low‐grade rocks contain andalusite + quartz veins, medium‐grade rocks contain andalusite + sillimanite + quartz ± plagioclase veins, and high‐grade rocks contain sillimanite + quartz + plagioclase veins/leucosomes. Although most andalusite and sillimanite‐bearing veins occur in host rocks that also contain Al₂SiO₅, kyanite‐quartz veins crosscut rocks that lack Al₂SiO₅ (e.g. staurolite schist, granite). A quartz vein containing andalusite + kyanite + sillimanite + staurolite + muscovite occurs in andalusite–sillimanite host rocks. Textural relationships in this vein indicate the crystallization sequence andalusite to kyanite to sillimanite. This crystallization sequence conflicts with the observation that kyanite‐quartz veins post‐date andalusite–sillimanite veins and at least one intrusive phase of a granite that produced a low‐pressure–high‐temperature contact aureole; these relationships imply a sequence of andalusite to sillimanite to kyanite. Varying crystallization sequences for rocks in a largely coherent metamorphic belt can be explained by P–T paths of different rocks passing near (slightly above, slightly below) the Al₂SiO₅ triple point, and by overprinting of multiple metamorphic events in a terrane that evolved from a continental arc to a collisional orogen.     

江西省武功山地区浒坑钨矿床的Re-Os年龄及其地质意义

浒坑钨矿床是位于江西省中部武功山成矿带的大型石英脉型黑钨矿床。为了确定该矿床的成矿时代,笔者选取了浒坑含钨石英脉中与黑钨矿共生的辉钼矿进行了高精度Re-Os同位素定年,并获得5个辉钼矿样品的Re-Os等时线年龄和模式加权平均年龄分别为150.2±2.2Ma和149.82±0.92Ma。测年数据表明浒坑钨矿床的成矿时代为150Ma左右,是华南地区中生代大规模成岩成矿作用高峰期的产物。辉钼矿含铼较低,表明成矿物质可能来自壳源,与形成浒坑花岗岩体的燕山期重熔S型花岗岩岩浆活动有关。该矿床形成于燕山期岩石圈伸展减薄环境。     

Syntectonic Mobility of Supergene Nickel Ores of New Caledonia (Southwest Pacific). Evidence from Garnierite Veins and Faulted Regolith

Supergene nickel deposits of New Caledonia that have been formed in the Neogene by weathering of obducted ultramafic rocks are controlled by fracture development. The relationship of tropical weathering and tectonic structures, faults and tension gashes, have been investigated in order to determine whether fractures play a passive role only, as previously thought; or alternatively, if brittle tectonics was acting together with alteration. Observation of time‐relationship, textures, and mineralogy of various fracture fills and fault gouges shows that active faulting has played a prominent role not only in facilitating drainage and providing room for synkinematic crystallization of supergene nickel silicate, but also in mobilizing already formed sparse nickel ore, producing the very high grade ore nicknamed “green gold”.     

Intrinsic sample methods for mineral exploration and resource assessment

We report on an objective methodology, referred to as intrinsic sample methodology, for the delineation of exploration target areas or resource areas for assessment. Important features of the methodology include (1) identification of recognition criteria for critical genetic factors, (2) synthesis of new variables from enhanced geodata, (3) estimation of logit probability models, and (4) cutting of estimated logit probabilities to delineate exploration targets or resource areas. The methodology is demonstrated on the Walker Lake quadrangle of Nevada and California.     

Fluid sources for the La Guitarra epithermal deposit (Temascaltepec district, Mexico): Volatile and helium isotope analyses in fluid inclusions

The La Guitarra deposit (Temascaltepec district, South-Central Mexico), belongs to the low/intermediate sulfidation epithermal type, has a polymetallic character although it is currently being mined for Ag and Au. The mineralization shows a polyphasic character and formed through several stages and sub-stages (named I, IIA, IIB, IIC, IID, and III). The previous structural, mineralogical, fluid inclusion and stable isotope studies were used to constrain the selection of samples for volatile and helium isotope analyses portrayed in this study. The N₂/Ar overall range obtained from analytical runs on fluid inclusion volatiles, by means of Quadrupole Mass Spectrometry (QMS), is 0 to 2526, and it ranges 0 to 2526 for stage I, 0 to 1264 for stage IIA, 0 to 1369 for stage IIB, 11 to 2401 for stage IIC, 19 to 324 for stage IID, and 0 to 2526 for stage III. These values, combined with the CO₂/CH₄ ratios, and N₂-He-Ar and N₂-CH₄-Ar relationships, suggest the occurrence of fluids from magmatic, crustal, and shallow meteoric sources in the forming epithermal vein deposit. The helium isotope analyses, obtained by means of Noble Gas Mass Spectrometry, display R/Ra average values between 0.5 and 2, pointing to the occurrence of mantle-derived helium that was relatively diluted or “contaminated” by crustal helium. These volatile analyses, when correlated with the stable isotope data from previous works and He isotope data, show the same distribution of data concerning sources for mineralizing fluids, especially those corresponding to magmatic and crustal sources. Thus, the overall geochemical data from mineralizing fluids are revealed as intrinsically consistent when compared to each other.The three main sources for mineralizing fluids (magmatic, and both deep and shallow meteoric fluids) are accountable at any scale, from stages of mineralization down to specific mineral associations. The volatile and helium isotope data obtained in this paper suggest that the precious metal-bearing mineral associations formed after hydrothermal pulses of predominantly oxidized magmatic fluids, and thus it is likely that precious metals were carried by fluids with such origin. Minerals from base-metal sulfide associations record both crustal and magmatic sources for mineralizing fluids, thus suggesting that base metals could be derived from deep leaching of crustal rocks. At the La Guitarra epithermal deposit there is no evidence for an evolution of mineralizing fluids towards any dominant source. Rather than that, volatile analyses in fluid inclusions suggest that this deposit formed as a pulsing hydrothermal system where each pulse or set of pulses accounts for different compositions of mineralizing fluids.The positive correlation between the relative content of magmatic fluids (high N₂/Ar ratios) and H₂S suggests that the necessary sulfur to carry mostly gold as bisulfide complexes came essentially from magmatic sources. Chlorine necessary to carry silver and base metals was found to be abundant in inclusion fluids and although there is no evidence about its source, it is plausible that it may come from magmatic sources as well.     

Constraints of stable isotopes on the origin of alunite from advanced argillic alteration systems in Bulgaria

Voluminous areas of advanced argillic alteration (AAA) constitute major exploration targets for surficial Cu–Au epithermal and potentially underlying porphyry-type deposits. In Bulgaria, more than 30 alunite occurrences are recognised, few of them being associated with a mineralised system. A mineralogical study combined with a stable isotopic (O, H, S) study has been carried out on nine alunite occurrences of advanced argillic zones hosted by volcanic rocks of Late Cretaceous age in the Srednogorie belt and of Oligocene age in the Rhodopes belt. This work was realised in order to constrain the origin of alunite and to define criteria to discriminate alunite from ore deposits and alunite from large barren alteration systems.Mineralogy of the nine occurrences consists of alunite + quartz + minor alumino-phospho-sulphates, associated with more or less kaolinite, dickite, pyrophyllite, diaspore and zunyite, depending on formation temperature. Alunite generally occurs as tabular crystals but is also present as fine-crystalline pseudocubic phases at Boukovo and Sarnitsa, in Eastern Rhodopes. In the advanced argillic alterations associated with economic ore, the presence of zunyite in the deeper parts indicates acid–fluorine–sulphate hydrothermal systems, whereas it is absent in uneconomic and barren advanced argillic alteration. All occurrences are formed at temperatures between 200 and 300 °C.(H, O, S) isotopic signatures of alunite combined with mineralogical features from all the studied occurrences, whatever their type, show characteristics of magmatic-hydrothermal systems. Sulphur data indicate essentially a magmatic origin for sulphur. Oxygen and hydrogen data suggest that hydrothermal fluids result from a mixing between magmatic fluids and an external component, which is identified as seawater-derived fluids or meteoric water in the vicinity of a sea. In most of the alunite occurrences, magmatic fluids are dominant and H₂S/SO₄ ratios are estimated to be higher than 2. Two exceptions exist in the Rhodopes. At Boukovo and Sarnitsa, where the estimated formation temperatures of alunite are the lowest, the external fluids are dominant and H₂S/SO₄ratios are estimated to be lower than or close to 1.At this stage of the work, the mineralogical and isotopic criteria do not enable a clear distinction between economic and uneconomic systems. However, some features are common in the economic ore deposits: the presence of zunyite in the deeper part of the system, the relatively high temperatures suggested by the zunyite + pyrophyllite + alunite + diaspore assemblages, the (O, H, S) signature of alunite, which is characteristic of dominant magmatic–hydrothermal acid–sulphate–fluorine systems.     

Albite vein formation during exhumation of high-pressure terranes: a case study from alpine Corsica

The formation of late‐stage veins can yield valuable information about the movement and composition of fluids during uplift and exhumation of high‐pressure terranes. Albite veins are especially suited to this purpose because they are ubiquitously associated with the greenschist facies overprint in high‐pressure rocks. Albite veins in retrogressed metabasic rocks from high‐pressure ophiolitic units of Alpine Corsica (France) are nearly monomineralic, and have distinct alteration haloes composed of actinolite + epidote + chlorite + albite. Estimated P–T conditions of albite vein formation are 478 ± 31 °C and 0.37 ± 0.14 GPa. The P–T estimates and petrographic constraints indicate that the albite veins formed after the regional greenschist facies retrogression, in response to continued decompression and exhumation of the terrane. Stable isotope geochemistry of the albite veins, their associated alteration haloes and unaltered hostrocks indicates that the vein‐forming fluid was derived from the ophiolite units and probably from the metabasalts within each ophiolite slice. That the vein‐forming fluid was locally derived means that a viable source of fluid to form the veins was retained in the rocks during high‐pressure metamorphism, indicating that the rocks did not completely dehydrate. This conclusion is supported by the observation of abundant lawsonite at the highest metamorphic grades. Fluids were liberated during retrogression via decompression dehydration reactions such as those that break down hydrous high‐pressure minerals like lawsonite. Albite precipitation into veins is sensitive to the solubility and speciation of Al, which is more pressure sensitive than other factors which might influence albite vein formation such as silica saturation or Na:K fluid ratios. Hydraulic fracturing in response to fluid generation during decompression was probably the main mechanism of vein formation. The associated pressure decrease with fracturing and fluid decompression may also have been sufficient to change the solubility of Al and drive albite precipitation in fracture systems.     

新疆准噶尔地区富硫型与贫硫型浅成低温热液金矿床成矿流体与碳、硫、铅同位素

对新疆准噶尔地区浅成低温热液型金矿床中富硫型的阔尔真阔腊金矿、贫硫型的石英滩金矿进行了流依包裹体的均一温度、爆裂温度、包裹体气液相成分、H、O 同位素、矿体围岩及脉石英包裹体 C 同位素、矿体中黄铁矿等 S、Ph 同位素等系统地进行了研究,综合研究表明,本区该类型金矿成矿流体一般温度低、盐度低,来源主要为循环的大气水、矿石中黄铁矿的 S、Pb 同位素均为深源,暗示金的深部来源:矿体石英包裹体中 CO_2的δ~(13)C 为低于-10‰的有机碳,反映了本区年轻的富含有机质的沉积地层参与了金的成矿。此外,本文首次提出了富硫型阔尔真阔腊金矿床成矿流体中有侵入岩浆热液参与,深部有多金属成矿远景;贫硫型石英滩金矿没有侵入岩浆热液的参与,成矿仅与火山古热液活动有关,其成矿较单一。此外,阔尔真阔腊金矿中低温流体活动较强,金矿化也较强:石英滩金矿低温流体活动相对较弱,金矿化也较弱,也体现了该类型金矿床低温流体活动的越强烈,金矿化越强的规律。     

羌塘盆地最大规模沥青脉的发现及其意义

在羌塘盆地已经发现了190余处油气显示。近年笔者在盆地北部晚侏罗世地层中发现了迄今最大规模的沥青脉。研究结果表明，该沥青脉产出于上侏罗统索瓦组地层之中，地层下部系与沥青脉的形成有一定关系的中株罗统夏里组局部含油气显示的盐丘。沥青族组分(％)为：饱和烃5．72、芳烃18．46、沥青质52.37、非烃23．45，说明核沥青脉经过了运移、氮化的过程。同时，沥青脉产出于复背斜范围内，利于油气聚集成藏。这一发现对于羌塘盆地的油气地质的作用具有现实意义。