A new geochemical technique for gold exploration: Alkali element mobility associated with gold mineralization in the West Australian Goldfields

Economic Geology

Volumn 99, Issue 2, 2004, Pages 313-324

  Heath, Christopher J ^a   Campbell, Ian H ^a  

^a AUSTRALIAN NATIONAL UNIVERSITY   (Australia)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

DRILL HOLES; MINERALIZATION;

FLOW OF FLUIDS; GOLD MINES; HYDROTHERMAL SYNTHESIS;

GOLD DEPOSITS;

GEOCHEMICAL METHOD; GOLD; MINERAL EXPLORATION; MINERALIZATION;

AUSTRALASIA; AUSTRALIA; KALGOORLIE; KAMBALDA; WESTERN AUSTRALIA; YILGARN BLOCK;

EID: 3242877814     PISSN: 03610128     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.2113/gsecongeo.99.2.313     Document Type: Article

References (36)

1. Armbrust, G.A., Oyarzun, M.J., and Arias, J., 1977, Rubidium as a guide to ore in Chilean porphyry copper deposits: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, v. 72, p. 1086-1100.
2. Arndt, N.T., and Jenner, G.A., 1986, Crustally contaminated komatiites and basalts from Kambalda, Western Australia: Chemical Geology, v. 56, p. 229-255.
3. Barley, M.E., and McNaughton, N.J., 1988, The tectonic evolution of greenstone belts and setting of Archean gold mineralization in Western Australia: Geochronological constraints on conceptual models: University of Western Australia Geology Department and University Extension Publication, v. 12, p. 23-40.
4. Binns, R.A., Gunthorp, R.J., and Groves, D.I., 1976, Metamorphic patterns and development of greenstone belts in the eastern Yilgarn Block, in Windley, B.F., ed., The early history of the earth: London, John Wiley and Sons, p. 303-316.
5. Campbell, I.H., 2003, Constraints on continental crustal growth models from Nb/U ratios in the 3.5 Ga Barberton and other Archaean basalt-komatiites suites: American Journal of Science, v. 303, p. 319-351.
6. Campbell, I.H., Lesher, C.M., Coad, P., Franklin, J.M., Gorton, M.P., and Thurston, P.C., 1984, Rare-earth element mobility in alteration pipes below massive Cu-Zn-sulfide deposits: Chemical Geology, v. 45, p. 181-202.
7. Claoué-Long, J.C., Compston, W., and Cowden, A.C., 1988, The age of Kambalda greenstones resolved by ion-microprobe: Implications for Archaean dating methods: Earth and Planetary Science Letters, v. 89, p. 239-254.
8. Clark, M.E., Archibald, N.J., and Hodgson, C.J., 1986, The structure and metamorphic setting of the Victory gold mine, Kambalda, Western Australia, in Macdonald, A.J., ed., Gold '86: Willowdale, Ontario, Konsult International, p. 243-254.
9. Clout, J.M.F., Cleghorn, J.H., and Eaton, P.C., 1990, Geology of the Kalgoorlic gold field: Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Monograph 14, p. 411-431.
10. Dilles, J.H., and Einaudi, M.T., 1992, Wall-rock alteration and hydrothermal flow paths about the Ann-Mason porphyry copper deposit, Nevada-a 6km vertical reconstruction: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, v. 87, p. 1963-2001.
11. Ellis, A.J., 1979, Explored geothermal systems, in Barnes, ed., Geochemistry of hydrothermal ore deposits, 2nd ed.: New York, NY, John Wiley and Sons, p. 632-683.
12. Gee, R.D., Baxter, J.L., Wilde, S.A., and Williams, I.R., 1981, Crustal development in the Archean Yilgarn Block, Western Australia: Geological Society of Australia Special Publication 7, p. 43-56.
13. Golding, S.D., Groves, D.I., McNaughton, N.J., Barley, ME., and Rock, N.M.S., 1987, Carbon isotopic composition of carbonates from contrasting alteration styles in supracrustal rocks of the Norseman-Wiluna belt, Yilgarn block, Western Australia: Their significance to the source of Archaean auriferous fluid: University of Western Australia Geology Department and Extension Service Publication, v. 11, p. 215-238.
14. Groves, D.I., 1993, The crustal continuum model for late-Archaean lode-gold deposits of the Yilgarn Block, Western Australia: Mineralium Deposita, v. 28, p. 366-374.
15. Groves, D.I., Goldfarb, R.J., Gebre-Mariam, M., Hagemann, S.G., and 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, v. 13, p. 7-27.
16. Groves, D.I., Phillips, G.N., Ho, S.E., Henderson, C.A., Clark, ME., and Woad, G.M., 1984, Controls on distribution of Archaean hydrothermal gold deposits in Western Australia, in Foster, R. P., ed., Gold '82: Rotterdam, Balkema, p. 689-712.
17. 39Ar and U-Pb age constraints on the timing of gold mineralization in the Kalgoorlie gold field, Western Australia: ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, v. 90, p. 845-859.
18. Kerrich, R., 1983, Geochemistry of gold deposits in the Abitibi greenstone belt: Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Special Paper, v. 27, 75 p.
19. Lesher, C.M., and Arndt, N.T., 1995, REE and Nd isotope geochemistry, petrogenesis, and volcanic evolution of contaminated komatiites at Kambalda, Western Australia: Lithos, v. 34, p. 127-157.
20. Melzer, S., 1999, Experimentally determined K-Rb-Cs exchange coefficients between micas, amphiboles and aqueous chloride solution [abs.]: EOS Supplement, v. 80, no. 17, 1999, p. s361.
21. Mikucki, E.J., and 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, v. 28, p. 469-481.
22. Myers, J.S., 1992, Tectonic evolution of the Yilgarn craton, Western Australia, in Glover J E, and Ho S, eds., The Archaean: Terrains, processes and metallogeny: Perth, University of Western Australia Geology Department and Extension Service Publication 22, p. 265-273.
23. Myers, J.S., 1993, Precambrian history of the West Australian craton and adjacent orogens: Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, v. 21, p. 453-485.
24. Myers, J.S., 1997, Preface: Archaean geology of the Eastern Goldfields of Western Australia: Regional overview: Precambrian Research, v. 83, p. 1-10.
25. Norman, M.D., Griffin, W.L., Pearson, N.J., Garcia, M.O., and O'Reily, S.Y., 1998, Quantitative analysis of trace element abundances in glasses and minerals: A comparison of laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry, proton microprobe and electron microprobe data: Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry, v. 13, p. 477-482.
26. Pearce, N.J.G., Perkins, W.T., Westgate, J.A., Gorton, M.P., Jackson, S.E., Neal, C.R., and Cherney, S.P., 1997, A compilation of new and published major and trace element data for NIST SRM 610 and NIST SRM 612 glass reference materials: Geostandards Newsletter, v. 21, p. 115-144.
27. Phillips, O.M., 1991, Flow and reactions in permeable rocks: Cambridge, Cambridge University Press, 285 p.
28. Redman, B.A., and Keays, R.R., 1985, Archean basic volcanism in the Eastern Goldfields province, Yilgarn block, Western Australia: Precambrian Research, v. 30, p. 113-152.
29. Roddick, J.C., 1984, Emplacement and metamorphism of Archaean mafic volcanics at Kambalda, Western Australia: Geochemical and isotopic constraints: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, v. 48, p. 1305-1318.
30. Solomon, M., Groves, D.I., and Jaques, A.L., 1994, The geology and origin of Australia's mineral deposits: Oxford Monographs on Geology and Geophysics 24, 951 p.
31. Sun, S.S., and McDonough, W.F., 1989, Chemical and isotopic systematics of oceanic basalts: Implications for mantle composition processes: Geological Society Special Publication 42, p. 313-345.
32. Swager, C.P., 1997, Tectono-stratigraphy of Late Archaean greenstone terranes in the southern Eastern Goldfields, Western Australia: Precambrian Research, v. 83, p. 11-42.
33. Wager, C.P., Griffin, T.J., Witt, W.K., Wyche, S., Ahmat, A.L., Hunter, W.M., and McGoldrick, P.J., 1995, Geology of the Archaean Kalgoorlie terrane: An explanatory note: Perth, Geological Survey of Western Australia Report 48, 26 p.
34. Travis, G.A., Woodall, R., and Bartram, G.D., 1971, The geology of the Kalgoorlic gold field: Sydney, Geological Society of Australia Special Publication 3, p. 175-190.
35. Walker, G.S., Cudahy, T.J., and Ramanaidou, E.R., 1998, Field mineral spectrometry for enhanced control of gold production in the Fimiston superpit, Western Australia. Stage 2: Alteration mineralogy: Perth, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Minerals Communication DMR-936, 49 p.
36. Xu, Y., 1999, The stable isotope and trace element geochemistry of the Victory gold deposit, Western Australia: Unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Canberra, ACT, The Australian National University, 145 p.