Tourmalinites from the Eastern Sierras Pampeanas, Argentina

In the eastern Sierras Pampeanas, Central Argentina, tourmalinites and coticules are found in close association with stratabound scheelite deposits in metamorphic terranes. In Sierra Grande (Agua de Ramón and Ambul districts) and Sierra de Altautina, tourmalinites are associated with stratabound scheelite deposits related to orthoamphibolites. In the Pampa del Tamboreo area, tourmalinites are located in biotite schists stratigraphically related to acid to intermediate metavolcanic rocks and scheelite-bearing quartzites.The mineral chemistry and boron isotopic compositions of tourmalinite-hosted and vein-hosted tourmalines are investigated. Overall, the tourmalines belong to the dravite-schorl series and are generally aluminous; Fe/(Fe+Mg) ranges from 0.33 to 0.85, Al/(Al+Fe+Mg) from 0.66 to 0.76 and the amount of X-site vacancy (0.12–0.48) indicates significant foitite components. Their boron isotopic compositions (δ¹¹B) are from −24.0‰ to−15.0‰.Similar mineral chemistries and boron isotopic values for tourmaline in tourmalinites related to stratabound scheelite mineralisation and in tungsten-bearing quartz veins suggest a common source for the boron and probably the tungsten. The field, chemical and isotopic relationships are consistent with tungsten and boron in quartz-vein deposits being remobilised from stratabound scheelite and tourmalinite, dominantly by liquid-state transfer associated with regional shear zones. Tungsten and boron in the original sedimentary sequence (now meta-exhalites) are ascribed to volcanogenic exhalations.