Weathering, element distribution and geochemical dispersion at Mt Keith, Western Australia: Implication for nickel sulphide exploration

Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis

Volumn 1, Issue 4, 2001, Pages 391-407

  Brand, N W ^a   Butt, C R M ^b  

^a Anglo Amer (Explor) Australia P   (Australia)

^b CSIRO   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

COPPER; IRON OXIDES; MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS; NICKEL SULFATES; ORES; PRECIPITATION (CHEMICAL); ROCKS; SEDIMENTOLOGY; SERPENTINE; SILICA; SILICATES; SULFIDE MINERALS; WEATHERING;

CHALCOPHILE ELEMENTS; ELEMENT DISTRIBUTION; MAGNESIUM CONCENTRATIONS; OXIDATION POTENTIALS; SEDIMENTARY STRUCTURE; STRONG CORRELATION; SULPHIDE DEPOSITS; WESTERN AUSTRALIA;

SULFUR COMPOUNDS;

EID: 0039740041     PISSN: 14677873     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1144/geochem.1.4.391     Document Type: Article

References (33)

1. ANAND, R. R. 1998. Distribution, classification, and evolution of ferruginous materials over greenstones on the Yilgarn Craton - implications for mineral exploration. In: Eggleton, R. A. (ed.) The State of the Regolith. Geological Society of Australia, Special Publication, 20, 175-193.
2. BARNES, S. J. & BRAND, N. W. 1996. Lithogeochemical exploration for komatiite-hosted nickel sulphide deposits: application of whole-rock Cr and Ni:Cr ratios. Geological Association of Canada-Mineralogical Association of Canada, Program with Abstracts, 21.
3. BAVINTON, O.A. 1981. The nature of sulfidic metasediments at Kambalda and their broad relationships with associated ultramafic rocks and nickel ores. Economic Geology, 76, 1606-1628.
4. BETTENAY, E. & CHURCHWARD, H. M. 1974. Morphology and stratigraphic relationships of the Wiluna Hardpan in arid Western Australia. Journal of the Geological Society of Australia, 21, 73-80.
5. BIRD, M. I. & CHIVAS, A. R. 1993. Geomorphic and palaeomagnetic implications of an oxygen-isotope chronology for Australian deeply weathered profiles. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 40, 345-358.
6. BRAND, N. W. 1997. Chemical and mineralogical characteristics of weathered komatiitic rocks, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia: Discrimination of nickel sulphide bearing and barren komatiites. PhD Thesis, University of Western Australia.
7. BRAND, N. W. 1999. Element ratios in nickel sulphide exploration: vectoring towards ore environments. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 67, 145-165.
8. BRAND, N. W. & BUTT, C. R. M. 1995. The Mount Keith MKD5 nickel sulphide deposit. In: Butt, C. R. M., Anand, R. R. & Smith, R. E. (eds) Regolith Geology and Exploration Geochemistry in The Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. 17th International Geochemical Exploration Symposium Excursion, 3, 53-65.
9. BRAND, N. W. & BUTT, C. R. M. 1998. Regolith Geology of the MKD5 Nickel Sulphide Deposit, Western Australia. In: Taylor, G. & Pain, C. F. (eds) New Approaches To An Old Continent. Proceedings of Regolith '98. CRCLEME, Perth, 335-341.
10. BRAND, N. W., BUTT, C. R. M. & GRAY, D. J. 1997. Weathering of ultramafic rocks in the Yilgarn Craton. In: Cassidy, K. F., Whitaker, A. J. & Lin, S. F. (compilers) An International Conference on Crustal Evolution, Metallogeny and Exploration of the Yilgarn Craton - An Update. AGSO Extended Abstract Volume Record, 1997/4, 203-205.
11. BROOKINS, D. G. 1988. Eh-pH Diagrams for Geochemistry. Springer, Berlin.
12. BULL, A. J. & MAZZUCCHELLI, R. H. 1975. Application of discriminant analysis to the geochemical evaluation of gossans. In: Elliott, I. L. & Fletcher, W. K. (eds) Geochemical Exploration 1974. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 219-226.
13. BURT, D. R. L. & SHEPPY, N. R. 1975. Mount Keith nickel sulphide deposit. In: Knight, C. L. (ed.) Economic Geology of Australia and Papua New Guinea, 1. Metals. Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Melbourne, Monograph 5, 159-168.
14. BUTT, C. R. M. 1981. The nature and origin of the lateritic weathering mantle, with particular reference to Western Australia. In: Doyle, H. A., Glover, J. E. & Groves, D. I. (eds) Geophysical Prospecting in Deeply Weathered Terrains. Geological Department and Extension Service, University of Western Australia 6, 11-29.
15. BUTT, C. R. M. 1992. Mt. Keith disseminated Ni sulphide deposit, Western Australia: Ni, Cu, Pt and Pd in the regolith. In: Butt, C. R. M. & Zeegers, H. (eds) Regolith Exploration Geochemistry in Tropical and Subtropical Terrains. Handbook of Exploration Geochemistry, 4. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 324-328.
16. BUTT, C. R. M. & NICKEL, E. H. 1981. Mineralogy and geochemistry of the weathering of the disseminated nickel sulfide deposit at Mt Keith, Western Australia. Economic Geology, 76, 1736-1751.
17. BUTT, C. R. M. & SHEPPY, N. R. 1975. Geochemical exploration problems in Western Australia exemplified by the Mt Keith area. In: Elliott, I. L. & Fletcher, W. K. (eds) Geochemical exploration 1974. Developments in Economic Geology, I. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 391-415.
18. CANTRILL, R. K. & ROBINSON, B. W. 1992. Large area WDS X-ray mapping in the electron microprobe. Journal of Computer-Assisted Microscopy, 4, 259-262.
19. GRAY, D. J., SCHORIN, K. H. & BUTT, C. R. M. 1996. Mineral associations of platinum and palladium in lateritic regolith, Ora Banda Sill, Western Australia. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 57, 245-255.
20. HILL, R. E. T., BARNES, S. J., GOLE, M. J. & DOWLING, S. E. 1995. The volcanology of komatiites as deduced from field relationships in the Norseman-Wiluna greenstone belt, Western Australia. Lithos, 34, 159-188.
21. KERN, A. M. & COMMANDER, D. P. 1993. Cainozoic stratigraphy in the Roe palaeodrainage of the Kalgoorlie region, Western Australia. Geological Survey of Western Australia Professional Papers Report, 34, 85-95.
22. LAWRANCE, L. M. 1996. Geochemical responses within lateritic profiles over barren and mineralised ultramafic rocks: implications for nickel exploration in the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia. In: Grimsey, E. J. & Neuss, I. (eds) Nickel '96. Conference Proceedings Kalgoorlie, 27-29 November 1996, Australian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Publication Series No., 6/96, 167-171.
23. MABBUTT, J. A., LITCHFIELD, W. H., SPECK, N. H., SOFOULIS, J., WILCOX, D. G., ARNOLD, J. M., BROOKFIELD, M. & WRIGHT, R. I. 1963. General report on the Lands of the Wiluna-Meekatharra Area, Western Australia, 1958. CSIRO Land Research Series, 7.
24. MANN, A. W. 1984. Mobility of gold and silver in lateritic weathering profiles: some observations from Western Australia. Economic Geology, 79, 38-49.
25. MAZZUCCHELLI, R. H. 1972. Secondary geochemical dispersion patterns associated with the nickel sulphide deposits at Kambalda, Western Australia. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 1, 103-116.
26. MCFARLANE, M. J. 1976. Laterite and Landscapes. Academic Press, London.
27. MÖSSER, C. & ZEEGERS, H. 1988. The mineralogy and geochemistry of two copper-rich weathering profiles in Burkina Faso, West Africa. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 30, 145-166.
28. OLLIER, C. D. 1984. Weathering. Geomorphology Texts, 2. Longman, London.
29. ROBINSON, B. W. & GRAHAM, J. 1992. Advances in electron microprobe trace-element analysis. Journal of Computer-Assisted Microscopy, 4, 263-265.
30. SINGH, B. & GILKES, R. J. 1991. Concentration of iron oxides from soil clays by 5 NaOH treatment: the complete removal of sodatite and kaolin. Clay Minerals, 26, 463-472.
31. TRAVIS, G. A., KEAYS, R. R. & DAVISON, R. M. 1976. Palladium and iridium in the evaluation of nickel gossans in Western Australia. Economic Geology, 71, 1229-1243.
32. THORNBER, M. R. 1975. Supergene alteration of sulphides, II. A chemical study of the Kambalda nickel deposits. Chemical Geology, 15, 117-144.
33. WILMSHURST, J. R. 1975. The weathering products of nickeliferous sulphides and their associated rocks in Western Australia. In: Elliott, I. L. & Fletcher, W. K. (eds) Geochemical exploration 1974. Developments in Economic Geology, I. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 417-436.