Re-Os isotope and PGE constraints on the timing and origin of gold mineralisation in the Witwatersrand Basin

Chemical Geology

Volumn 276, Issue 1-2, 2010, Pages 88-94

  Schaefer, B F ^a   Pearson, D G ^b   Rogers, N W ^a   Barnicoat, A C ^c,d  

^a OPEN UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^b DURHAM UNIVERSITY   (United Kingdom)

^c UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS   (United Kingdom)

^d GEOSCIENCE AUSTRALIA   (Australia)

Author keywords

Gold; Platinum group elements; Re Os geochronology; Witwatersrand Basin

Indexed keywords

BARBERTON; DATA SUPPORT; GOLD MINERALISATION; GREENSTONE BELTS; HYBRID MODEL; ISOCHRON AGE; ISOTOPE DATA; ISOTOPE SYSTEMS; MINERALISATION; MOBILISATION; NOBLE METALS; PLATINUM GROUP ELEMENTS; RE-OS GEOCHRONOLOGY; TEXTURAL CHARACTERISTIC; U-PB ZIRCON; VOLCANICS; WITWATERSRAND BASIN;

ANALYTICAL GEOCHEMISTRY; GALLIUM; GEOCHRONOLOGY; GOLD; ISOTOPES; LEAD; MINERALOGY; OSMIUM; PLATINUM; PRECIOUS METALS; RHENIUM; SILICATE MINERALS;

GOLD DEPOSITS;

GEOCHEMISTRY; GEOCHRONOLOGY; GOLD; ISOTOPIC FRACTIONATION; MINERALIZATION; ORE DEPOSIT; PLATINUM GROUP ELEMENT; PRECAMBRIAN; RHENIUM-OSMIUM DATING;

SOUTH AFRICA; WITWATERSRAND;

EID: 77955432537     PISSN: 00092541     EISSN: None     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1016/j.chemgeo.2010.06.001     Document Type: Article

References (39)

1. Armstrong R.A., Compston W., Retief E.A., Williams I.S., Welke H.J. Zircon ion microprobe studies bearing on the age and evolution of the Witwatersrand triad. Precambrian Research 1991, 53:243-266. 10.1016/0301-9268(91)90074-K.
2. Barnicoat A.C., et al. Hydrothermal gold mineralization in the Witwatersrand Basin. Nature 1997, 386:820-823.
3. Brenan J.M., Cherniak D., Rose L. Diffusion of osmium in pyrrhotite and pyrite: implications for closure of the Re-Os isotopic system. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 2000, 180:399-413.
4. Cohen A.S., Waters F.G. Separation of osmium from geological materials by solvent extraction for analysis by thermal ionisation mass spectrometry. Anal. Chim. Acta 1996, 332:269-275.
5. Cohen A.S., Coe A.L., Bartlett J.M., Hawkesworth C.J. Precise Re-Os ages of organic-rich mudrocks and the Os isotope composition of Jurassic seawater. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 1999, 167:159-173.
6. Du Toit A.L. The Geology of South Africa 1939, Oliver and Boyd Ltd, Edinburgh, 539 pp.
7. Frimmel H.E., Gartz V.H. Witwatersrand gold particle chemistry matches model of metamorphosed, hydrothermally altered placer deposits. Miner. Deposita 1997, 32:523-530.
8. Frimmel H.E., Le Roux A.P., Knight J., Minter W.E.L. A case study of post mineralisation alteration of the Witwatersrand Basal Reef gold placer. Econ. Geol. 1993, 88:249-265.
9. Frimmel H.E., Groves D.I., Kirk J., Ruiz J., Chesley J., Minter W.E.L. The formation and preservation of the Witwatersrand gold fields, the world's largest gold province. Economic Geology 100th Anniversary Volume 2005, 769-797.
10. Graton L.C. Hydrothermal origin of the Witwatersrand gold deposits. Part I. Testimony of the conglomerates. Economic Geology 1930, 25(suppl. 3):1-185.
11. Hallbauer D.K. The mineralogy and geochemistry of Witwatersrand pyrite, gold, uranium and carbonaceous matter. Mineral Deposits of southern Africa 1986, 731-752. Geological Society of South Africa, Johannesburg. C.R. Anhaeusser, S. Maske (Eds.).
12. Hart S.R., Kinloch E.D. Osmium isotope systematics in Witwatersrand and Bushveld ore deposits. Econ. Geol. 1989, 84:1651-1655.
13. Hegner E., Kroner A., Hofmann A.W. Age and isotope geochemistry of the archean Pongola and Usushwana suites in Swaziland, southern-Africa - a case for crustal contamination of mantle-derived magma. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 1984, 70:267-279.
14. Jolley S.J., Freeman S.R., Barnicoat A.C., Phillips G.M., Knipe R.J., Pather A., Fox N.P.C., Strydom D., Birch M.T.G., Henderson I.H.C., Rowland T.W. Structural controls on Witwatersrand gold mineralisation:. J. Struct. Geol. 2004, 26:1067-1086. 10.1016/j.jsg.2003.11.011.
15. Kirk J., Ruiz J., Chesley J., Titley S., Walshe J. A detrital model for the origin of gold and sulfides in the Witwatersrand Basin based on Re-Os isotopes. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2001, 65(13):2149-2159.
16. Kirk J., Ruiz J., Chesley J., Walshe J., England G. A major archean, gold- and crust-forming event in the Kaapvaal Craton, South Africa. Science 2002, 297:1856-1858.
17. Kucha H., Przybylowicz W. Noble metals in organic matter and clay-organic matrices, Kupferschiefer, Poland. Econ. Geol. 1999, 94:1137-1162.
18. Lowe D.R. Geological evolution of the Barberton Greenstone Belt and vicinity. Geol. Soc. Amer., Spec. Pap 1999, 287-312. D.R. Lowe, G.R. Byerly (Eds.).
19. Ludwig K.R. Isoplot/Ex. Berkeley Geochronology Centre. Spec. Rep. 2000, 91-445:47.
20. Marsh J.S., Bowen M.P., Rogers N.W., Bowen T.B. Petrogenesis of Late Archaean flood-type basic lavas from the Klipsrivierberg Group, Ventersdorp Supergroup, South Africa. Journal of Petrology 1992, 33(4):817-847.
21. Meier D.L., Heinrich C.A., Watts M.A. Mafic dikes displacing Witwatersrand gold reefs: evidence against metamorphic-hydrothermal ore formation. Geology 2009, 37(7):607-610.
22. Meisel T., Walker R.J., Irving A.J., Lorand J.P. Osmium isotopic composition of mantle xenoliths: a global perspective. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 2001, 65:1311-1323.
23. Minter W.E.L. Detrital gold, uranium and pyrite concentrations related to sedimentology in the Precambrian Vaal Reef placer, Witwatersrand, South Africa. Econ. Geol. 1976, 71:157-176.
24. Minter W.E.L. Irrefutable detrital origin of Witwatersrand gold and evidence of eolian signatures. Econ. Geol. 1999, 94:665-671.
25. Parnell J. Petrographic evidence for emplacement of carbon into Witwatersrand conglomerates under high fluid pressure. J. Sed. Res. 1999, 69:164-170.
26. Pearson D.G., Woodland S.J. Solvent extraction/anion exchange separation and determination of PGEs (Os, Ir, Pt, Pd, Ru) and Re-Os isotopes in geological materials by isotope dilution ICP-MS. Chem. Geol. 2000, 165:87-107.
27. Phillips G.N. Metamorphism of the Witwatersrand gold fields: conditions during peak metamorphism. J. Metamorph. Geol. 1987, 5:307-322.
28. Phillips G.N., Myers R.E. The Witwatersrand goldfields: Part II. An origin for Witwatersrand gold during metamorphism and associated alteration. Economic Geology Monograph 1989, 6:598-608.
29. Phillips G.N., Myers R.E., Palmer J.A. Problems with the placer model for Witwatersrand gold. Geology 1987, 15(11):1027-1030.
30. Phillips G.N., Myers R.E., Law J.D.M., Bailey A.C., Cadle A.B., Beneke S.D., Giusti L. The Witwatersrand gold fields; Part I, Postdepositional history, synsedimentary processes, and gold distribution. Economic Geology Monograph 1989, 6:585-597.
31. Rasmussen B., Fletcher I.R., Muhling J.R., Mueller A.G., Hall G.C. Bushveld-aged fluid flow, peak metamorphism, and gold mobilization in the Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa: constraints from in situ SHRIMP U-Pb dating of monazite and xenotime. Geology 2007, 35:931-934. 10.1130/G23588A.
32. Robb L.J., Meyer F.M. The Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa: geological framework and mineralization processes. Ore Geology Reviews 1995, 10:67-94.
33. Robb L.J., Davis D.W., Kamo S.L. U-Pb ages on single detrital zircon grains from the southern Witwatersrand Basin, South Africa. Constraints on the age of sedimentation and on the evolution of granites adjacent to the basin. Journal of Geology 1990, 98:311-328.
34. Schaefer B.F., Burgess J. Re-Os isotopic age constraints on deposition in the Neoproterozoic Amadeus basin: implications for the "Snowball Earth". J. Geol. Soc. Lond. 2003, 160:825-828.
35. Selby D., Creaser R.A. Re-Os geochronology of organic rich sediments: an evaluation of organic matter analysis methods. Chem. Geol. 2003, 200:225-240.
36. Selby D., Creaser R.A. Direct radiometric dating of hydrocarbon deposits using Rhenium-Osmium isotopes. Science 2005, 308:1293-1295.
37. 187Os geochronometer for hydrocarbon maturation and migration: a test case from the Polaris MVT deposit. Canada Earth and Planetary Science Letters 2005, 235(1-2):1-15.
38. Smoliar M.I., Walker R.J., Morgan J.W. Re-Os ages of Group IIA, IIIA, IVA and IVB iron meteorites. Science 1996, 271:1099-1102.
39. Walker R.J., Shirey S.B., Hanson G.N., Rajamani V., Horan M.F. Re-Os, Rb-Sr and O isotopic systematics of the Archean Kolar schist belt, Karnataka, India. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 1989, 53(11):3005-3013.