Primary alteration and geochemical dispersion haloes of Archaean orogenic gold deposits in the Yilgarn Craton: The pre-weathering scenario

Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis

Volumn 1, Issue 3, 2001, Pages 183-200

  Eilu, P ^a   Groves, D I ^b  

^a UNIVERSITY OF TURKU   (Finland)

^b UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

CALCITE; DEPOSITS; DISPERSIONS; ECONOMIC GEOLOGY; GEOCHEMISTRY; METAMORPHIC ROCKS; MICA; ORES; SILICATES; WEATHERING;

ALTERATION INDICES; AMPHIBOLITE FACIES; DIRECTIONAL INFORMATION; GEOCHEMICAL FEATURES; GEOCHEMICAL PARAMETERS; MINERAL ASSEMBLAGE; OROGENIC GOLD DEPOSITS; WESTERN AUSTRALIA;

GOLD DEPOSITS;

EID: 0013027058     PISSN: 14677873     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1144/geochem.1.3.183     Document Type: Article

References (63)

1. AMES, D. E., FRANKLIN, J. M. & FROESE, E. 1991. Zonation of hydrothermal alteration at the San Antonio gold mine, Bisset, Manitoba, Canada. Economic Geology, 86, 600-619.
2. BARNICOAT, A. C., FARE, R. J., GROVES, D. I. & McNAUGHTON, N. J. 1991. Synmetamorphic lode-gold deposits in high-grade Archean settings. Geology, 19, 921-924.
3. BLOEM, E. J. M. 1994. Structural controls, alteration history and genesis of Archaean gold deposits near Southern Cross, Yilgarn Block, Western Australia. PhD Thesis, The University of Western Australia.
4. BLOEM, E. J. M., DALSTRA, H. J., GROVES, D. I. & RIDLEY, J. R. 1994. Metamorphic and structural setting of amphibolite-hosted gold deposits between Southern Cross and Bullfinch, Southern Cross Province, Yilgarn Block, Western Australia. Ore Geology Reviews, 9, 183-208.
5. 2-rich vein fluid and diverse wall rocks: intensive variables, mass transfers, and Au-mineralization at Alleghany, California. Economic Geology, 84, 291-327.
6. BRÜGMANN, G. E., ARNDT, N. T., HOFMANN, A. W. & TOBSCALL, H. J. 1987. Noble metal abundances in komatiite suites from Alexo, Ontario, and Gorgona Island, Colombia. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 51, 2159-2169.
7. BURROWS, D. R. & SPOONER, E. T. C. 1989. Relationships between Archean gold quartz vein-shear zone mineralization and igneous intrusions in the Val d'Or and Timmins areas, Abitibi subprovince, Canada. Economic Geology Monograph, 6, 424-444.
8. CASSIDY, K. F. & BENNETT, M. 1993. Gold mineralisation at the Lady Bountiful mine, Western Australia: an example of a granitoid-hosted Archaean lode gold deposit. Mineralium Deposita, 28, 388-408.
9. CASSIDY, K. F., GROVES, D. I. & McNAUGHTON, N. J. 1998. Late-Archean granitoid-hosted lode-gold deposits, Yilgarn Craron, Western Australia: deposit characteristics, crustal architecture and implications for ore genesis. On Geology Reviews, 13, 65-102.
10. 2 conditions of metasomatism. In: Keays, R. R., Ramsay, W. R. H. & Groves, D. I. (eds) The Geology of Gold Deposits: The Perspective in 1988. Economic Geology Monograph, 6, 445-459.
11. COLVINE, A. C., FYON, J. A., HEATHER, K. B., MARMONT, S., SMITH, P. M. & TROOP, D. G. 1988. Archean lode gold deposits in Ontario, Canada. Ontario Geological Survey Miscellaneous Paper, 139.
12. DA FONSECA, E., LOBATO, L. M. & BAARS, F. J. 1997. The petrochemistry of the auriferous, volcanosedimentary Riacho dos Machados Group, Central-Eastern Brazil: geotectonic implications for shear-hosted gold mineralization. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, 10, 423-443.
13. DATE, J., WATANABE, T. & SAEKI, Y. 1983. Zonal alteration around the Fukazawa kuroko deposits, Akita prefecture, northern Japan. Economic Geology Monograph, 5, 365-386.
14. DAVIES, J. F., WHITEHEAD, R. E. S., HUANG, J. & NAWARATNE, S. 1990. A comparison of progressive hydrothermal carbonate alteration in Archean metabasalts and metaperidotites. Mineralium Deposita, 25, 65-72.
15. DUROCHER, M. E. 1983. The nature of hydrothermal alteration associated with the Madsen and Stratt-Olsen gold deposits, Red Lake area. Ontario Geological Survey Miscellaneous Report, 110, 123-140.
16. EILU, P. & MIKUCKI, E. J. 1996. Geochemical and isotopic dispersion haloes in Archean lode-gold systems: assessment of alteration indices for use in district-scale and mine-scale exploration. Minerals and Energy Research Institute of Western Australia Report, 176.
17. EILU, P. & MIKUCKI, E. J. 1998. Alteration and primary geochemical dispersion associated with the Bulletin lode-gold deposit, Wiluna, Western Australia. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 63, 73-103.
18. EILU, P., GROVES, D. I., MIKUCKI, E. J., MCNAUGHTON, N. J. & RIDLEY, J. R. 1995. Alteration indices and pathfinder elements in wallrock alteration zones around Archaean lode-gold deposits. In: Pasava, J., Kribek, B. & Zak, K. (eds) Mineral Deposits: From Their Origin to Their Environmental Impacts. Proceedings of the Third Biennial SGA Meeting, Prague, 28-31 August 1995. Balkema, Rotterdam, 113-116.
19. EILU, P., MIKUCKI, E. J. & GROVES, D. I. 1998. Wallrock Alteration and Primary Geochemical Dispersion in Lode-Gold Exploration. Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits, Short Course Notes.
20. EILU, P., MATHISON, C. I., GROVES, D. I. & ALLARDYCE, W. 1999. Atlas of Alteration Assemblages, Styles and Zoning in Orogenic Lode-Gold Deposits in a Variety of Host Rock and Metamorphic Settings. Geology and Geophysics Department (Centre for Strategic Mineral Deposits) & UWA Extension, The University of Western Australia, Publication 30, 50.
21. EILU, P., MIKUCKI, E. J. & DUGDALE, A. L. 2001. Primary geochemical dispersion related to the Bronzewing lode-gold deposit, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 36, 13-31.
22. GEBRE-MARIAM, M., GROVES, D. I., MCNAUGHTON, N. J., MIKUCKI, E. J. & VEARNCOMBE, J. R. 1993. Archaean Au-Ag mineralisation at Racetrack, near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia: a high crustal-level expression of the Archaean composite lode-gold system. Mineralium Deposita, 28, 375-387.
23. GEBRE-MARIAM, M., HAGEMANN, S. G. & GROVES, D. I. 1995. A classification for epigenetic Archaean lode-gold deposits. Mineralium Deposita, 30, 408-410.
24. GOLDFARB, R. J., MILLER, M. L., LEACH, D. L. & SNEE, L. W. 1997. Gold deposits in metamorphic rocks of Alaska. In: Goldfarb, R. J. & Miller, M. L. (eds) Mineral Deposits of Alaska. Economic Geology Monograph, 9, 151-190.
25. GOLDFARB, R. J., PHILLIPS, G. N. & NOCKLEBERG, W. J. 1998. Tectonic setting of synorogenic gold deposits of the Pacific Rim. Ore Geology Reviews, 13, 185-218.
26. GLUKHAN, I. V. & SERYKH, V. I. 1996. The mean chemical compositions (regional clarkes) of igneous rocks of Central Kazakhstan. In: Shatov, Q., Seltmann, R., Kremenetsky, A., Lehmann, B., Popov, C. & Erlomov, P. (eds) Granite-Related On Deposits of Central Kazakhstan and Adjacent Areas. Glagol, St. Petersburg, 269-286.
27. GOVETT, G. J. S. 1983. Rock Geochemistry in Mineral Exploration. Handbook of Exploration Geochemistry, volume 3. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
28. GRESENS, R. L. 1967. Composition - volume relationships of metasomatism. Chemical Geology, 2, 47-65.
29. GROVES, D. I. 1993. The crustal continuum model for late-Archaean lode-gold deposits of the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita, 28, 366-374.
30. GROVES, D. I., GOLDFARB, R. J., GEBRE-MARIAM, M., HAGEMANN, S. & ROBERT, F. 1998. Orogenic gold deposits: A proposed classification in the context of their crustal distribution and relationship to other gold deposit types. Ore Geology Reviews, 13, 1-28.
31. HAGEMANN, S. G. 1992. The Wiluna lode-gold deposits, Western Australia: A case study of a high crustal level Archaean lode-gold system. PhD Thesis, The University of Western Australia.
32. HAGEMANN, S. G., GROVES, D. I., RIDLEY, J. R. & VEARNCOMBE, J. R. 1992. The Archean lode-gold deposits at Wiluna, Western Australia: high-level brittle-style mineralization in a strike-slip regime. Economic Geology, 87, 1022-1053.
33. HAMLYN, P. R., KEAYS, R. R., CAMERON, W. E., CRAWFORD, A. J. & WALDRON, H. M. 1985. Precious metals in magnesian low-Ti lavas: implications for metallogenesis and sulfur saturation in primary magmas. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 49, 1797-1811.
34. KELLY, P. 1998. The controls and genesis of the Hill 50, Boomer and Hesperus Archaean gold deposits, Mt Magnet - with emphasis on structure and alteration. PhD Thesis, The University of Western Australia.
35. KERRICH, R. 1983. Geochemistry of Gold Deposits in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Special Volume, 27, 30.
36. KERRICH, R. & CASSIDY, K. 1994. Temporal relationships of lode gold mineralization accretion, magmatism, metamorphism and deformation -Archean to present: a review. Ore Geology Reviews, 9, 263-310.
37. KISHIDA, A. & KERRICH, R. 1987. Hydrothermal alteration zoning and gold concentration at the Kerr-Addison Archean lode gold deposit, Kirkland Lake, Ontario. Economic Geology, 82, 649-690.
38. KNIGHT, J. T., RIDLEY, J. R. & GROVES, D. I. 2000. The Archaean amphibolite facies Coolgardie goldfield, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia: nature, controls, and gold field-scale patterns of hydrothermal wall-rock alteration. Economic Geology, 95, 49-84.
39. KONTAK, D. J. & SMITH, P. K. 1993. A metaturbidite-hosted lode gold deposit: the Beaver Dam deposit, Nova Scotia. I. Vein paragenesis and mineral chemistry. Canadian Mineralogist, 31, 471-522.
40. LAHTINEN, R. & LESTINEN, P. 1996. Background variation of ore-related elements and regional-scale mineralization indications in Palaeoproterozoic bedrock in the Tampere-Hämeenlinna area, southern Finland. Geological Survey of Finland Bulletin, 390.
41. LESHER, C. M., GIBSON, H. L. & CAMPBELL, I. H. 1986. Composition-volume changes during alteration of andesite at Buttercup Hill, Noranda District, Quebec. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 50, 2693-2705.
42. MACLEAN, W. H. & BARRETT, T. J. 1993. Lithogeochemical techniques using immobile elements. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 48, 109-133.
43. MACLEAN, W. H. & KRANIDIOTIS, P. 1987. Immobile elements as monitors of mass transfer in hydrothermal alteration: Phelps Dodge massive sulphide deposit, Matagami, Quebec. Economic Geology, 82, 951-962.
44. McCUAIG, T. C. & KERRICH, R. 1998. P-T-t-deformarion-fluid characteristics of lode gold deposits: evidence from alteration systematics. Ore Geology Reviews, 12, 381-453.
45. MAZZUCCHELLI, R. H. & JAMES, C. H. 1980. Yilgarn gold deposits, Eastern Goldfields Province, W.A. In: Butt, C. R. M. & Smith, R. E. (eds) Conceptual Models in Exploration Geochemistry, 4. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 12, 190-195.
46. MIKUCKI, E. J. & HEINRICH, C. A. 1993. Vein- and mine-scale wall-rock alteration and gold mineralisation in the Archaean Mount Charlotte deposit, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia. Australian Geological Survey Organisation, Record 1993/54, 135-140.
47. MIKUCKI, E. J. & RIDLEY, J. R. 1993. The hydrothermal fluid of Archaean lode-gold deposits at different metamorphic grades: compositional constraints from ore and wallrock alteration assemblages. Mineralium Deposita, 28, 461-481.
48. NURMI, P., LESTINEN, P. & NISKAVAARA, H. 1991. Geochemical characteristics of mesothermal gold deposits in the Fennoscandian Shield, and a comparison with selected Canadian and Australian deposits. Geological Survey of Finland Bulletin, 351.
49. PERRING, C. S., GROVES, D. I. & SHELLABEAR, J. N. 1990. Ore geochemistry. In: Ho, S. E., Groves, D. I. & Bennett, J. M. (eds) Gold Deposits of the Archaean Yilgarn Block, Western Australia: Nature, Genesis and Exploration Guides. Geology Department (Key Centre) & University Extension, The University of Western Australia Publication, 20, 93-101.
50. PETERS, S. G., GOLDING, S. D. & DOWLING, K. 1990. Melange- and sediment-hosted gold-bearing quartz veins, Hodkinson gold field, Queensland, Australia. Economic Geology, 85, 312-327.
51. PHILLIPS, G. N. 1986. Geology and alteration in the Golden Mile, Kalgoorlie. Economic Geology, 81, 779-808.
52. PHILLIPS, G. N. & HUGHES, M. J. 1996. The geology and gold deposits of the Victorian gold province. Ore Geology Reviews, 11, 255-302.
53. RASILAINEN, K. 1996. Geochemical alteration of gold occurrences in the late Archean Hattu schist belt, Ilomantsi, eastern Finland. Geological Survey of Finland Bulletin, 388.
54. RIDLEY, J. R., MIKUCKI, E. J. & GROVES, D. I. 1996. Archean lode-gold deposits: fluid flow and chemical evolution in vertically extensive hydrothermal systems. Ore Geology Reviews, 10, 279-293.
55. SINCLAIR, A. J. 1991. A fundamental approach to threshold estimation in exploration geochemistry: probability plots revisited. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 41, 1-22.
56. SKWARNECKI, M. S. 1990. The regional setting and genesis of Archaean gold mineralization at Harbour Lights, Leonora, Western Australia. PhD Thesis, The University of Western Australia.
57. SMITH, T. J. & KESLER, S. E. 1985. Relation of fluid inclusion geochemistry to wallrock alteration and lithogeochemical zonation at the Hollinger-McIntyre gold deposit, Timmins, Ontario, Canada. Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Bulletin, 78, 35-46.
58. TAYLOR, S. R. 1968. Geochemistry of andesites. In: Ahrens, L. H. (ed.) Origin and Distribution of the Elements. Pergamon Press, Oxford, 559-583.
59. TILLING, R. I., GOTTFRIED, D. & ROWE, J. J. 1973. Gold abundance in igneous rocks: bearing on gold mineralization. Economic Geology, 68, 168-186.
60. WEDEPOHL, K. H. 1969. Handbook of Geochemistry, Volume 1. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
61. WHITE, D. E. 1967. Mercury and base-metal deposits with associated thermal and mineral waters. In: Barnes, H. L. (ed.) Geochemistry of Hydrothermal Ore Deposits. Holt, Rinehart and Winston Inc., New York, 573-631.
62. WITT, W. K. 1993. Lithological and structural control on gold mineralization in the Archaean Menzies-Kambalda region, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 40, 65-86.
63. YANG, S. X. & BLUM, N. 1999. A fossil hydrothermal system or a source-bed in the Madiyi Formation near the Xiangxi Au-Sb-W deposit, NW Hunan, PR China? Chemical Geology, 155, 151-169.