The Origin of the Proterozoic Bidjovagge Gold-Copper Deposit, Finnmark, Northern Norway, as Deduced from Rare Earth Element and Nd Isotopic Evidences on Calcites

Abstract: The Bidjovagge gold-copper deposit, northern Norway occurs in the lower Proterozoic Kautokeino greenstone belt, and consists of ten ore bodies in albite felsite, graphite schist and meta-diabase sills, along with a series of syenodiorite dykes. Calcite is one of the most important gangue minerals occurring within the ore veins. The early primary calcite samples from A, C and D ore bodies (copper–rich) show almost flat chondrite-normalised REE curves, and slightly positive Eu anomalies. A Sm-Nd isotope age of 1858 ± 72 Ma (2ρ) has been given based on fifteen primary calcite samples. The Sm-Nd age of calcite is in well agreement with previously published U-Pb davidite age of 1885 ±18 Ma (2ρ) and Sm-Nd davidite age of 1886 ± 88 Ma (2ρ). All these isotopic age data indicate that the gold-copper mineralisation may occur during or slightly after the peak of the Svecokarelian orogeny. Two late primary calcite samples from C and D ore bodies have flat chondrite-normalised LREE curves, positive HREE curves, and negative Eu anomalies. In contrast, most of the early primary calcite samples from B ore body (gold–rich) show an overall negative chondrite-normalised REE slope and negative Eu anomalies. Sm-Nd data on seven primary calcite samples from the B ore body are relatively scattered, and gave an isochrone age of 1809 ± 150 Ma (2ρ), identical to the age of the calcite samples from A, C and D ore bodies. Two late primary calcite samples from the B ore body have almost flat chondrite-normalised REE slope and negative Eu anomalies. REE patterns and eNd (T) values of calcites suggest that the ore fluids for the calcites from the A, C and D ore bodies derived their metals from mafic igneous rocks (diabase sills). For the secondary calcites from the C ore body, their relative high initial Nd (T) values at 1858 Ma imply that much more radiogenic Nd-component were incorporated during calcite crystallisation when another ore fluid emplaced. Combined Nd isotope data and REE geochemical features suggest that the isotopically more evolved source such as albite felsite and syn-genetic high level syenodiorite dykes were probably metal source for these calcites in the B ore body. Three samples of secondary calcite from the B ore body, which obviously deviated from 1809 Ma isochron are easily explained as products of post-ore hydrothermal events.