New constraints on fluid sources in orogenic gold deposits,Victoria, Australia |
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Authors: | Email author" target="_blank">Bin?FuEmail author Mark?A?Kendrick Alison?M?Fairmaid David?Phillips Christopher?J?L?Wilson Terrence?P?Mernagh |
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Institution: | (1) School of Earth Sciences, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, VIC, 3010, Australia;(2) Onshore Energy and Minerals Division, Geoscience Australia, PO Box 378, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia |
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Abstract: | Fluid inclusion microthermometry, Raman spectroscopy and noble gas plus halogen geochemistry, complemented by published stable
isotope data, have been used to assess the origin of gold-rich fluids in the Lachlan Fold Belt of central Victoria, south-eastern
Australia. Victorian gold deposits vary from large turbidite-hosted ‘orogenic’ lode and disseminated-stockwork gold-only deposits,
formed close to the metamorphic peak, to smaller polymetallic gold deposits, temporally associated with later post-orogenic
granite intrusions. Despite the differences in relative timing, metal association and the size of these deposits, fluid inclusion
microthermometry indicates that all deposits are genetically associated with similar low-salinity aqueous, CO2-bearing fluids. The majority of these fluid inclusions also have similar 40Ar/36Ar values of less than 1500 and 36Ar concentrations of 2.6–58 ppb (by mass) that are equal to or much greater than air-saturation levels (1.3–2.7 ppb). Limited
amounts of nitrogen-rich fluids are present at a local scale and have the highest measured 40Ar/36Ar values of up to 5,700, suggesting an external or distinct source compared to the aqueous fluids. The predominance of low-salinity
aqueous–carbonic fluids with low 40Ar/36Ar values, in both ‘orogenic’ and ‘intrusion-related’ gold deposits, is attributed to fluid production from common basement
volcano-sedimentary sequences and fluid interaction with sedimentary cover rocks (turbidites). Aqueous fluid inclusions in
the Stawell–Magdala deposit of western Victoria (including those associated with N2) preserve mantle-like Br/Cl and I/Cl values. In contrast, fluid inclusions in deposits in the eastern structural zones, which
contain more abundant shales, have elevated molar I/Cl ratios with maximum values of 5,170 × 10−6 in the Melbourne Zone. Br/I ratios in this zone range from 0.5 to 3.0 that are characteristic of fluid interaction with organic-rich
sediments. The maximum I/Cl and characteristic Br/I ratios provide evidence for organic Br and I released during metamorphism
of the shales. Therefore, the regional data provide strong evidence for the involvement of sedimentary components in gold
mineralisation, but are consistent with deeper metamorphic fluid sources from basement volcano-sedimentary rocks. The overlying
sediments are probably involved in gold mineralisation via fluid–rock interaction. |
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