The genesis of sediment-hosted,exhalative zinc + lead deposits

Large sediment-hosted lead+zinc deposits like Mount Isa, McArthur River, Navan, Rammelsberg and Sullivan form a distinctive group characterised by stratiform, syngenetic sulphide ores that formed in local basins on the sea floor as a result of protracted hydrothermal activity accompanying continental rifting. Generally there is a development of a sedimentary pre-ore phase mineralization often featuring manganese followed by zinc±lead, iron and chert. Lower main phase zinc+lead lenses are usually almost devoid of copper but Cu tenors increase toward the middle or top of the ore sequences. Hanging wall trace element haloes are common. These characteristics are accounted for by deriving the ore solutions from subsurface convective circulation of modified highly saline seawater. The circulation is initiated during rifting and driven by a high geothermal gradient. As a result of continued extensional strain and cooling of the rock column the brittle-to-ductile transition zone is depressed and the circulation penetrates to greater depth with time. Of the ore metals the downward-penetrating convection fluids first leach and transport zinc and lead, but with increasing temperature are later able to leach and transport some copper. Unless convective circulation ceases the metal sequence generally reverses as the cooling phase sets in. The minimum distance separating major coeval orebodies of this type is 18 km which is a function of the size of the convective systems.