Genesis modelling for the hamersley BIF-hosted iron ores of Western Australia: A critical review

Australian Journal of Earth Sciences

Volumn 58, Issue 5, 2011, Pages 417-451

  Morris, R C ^a   Kneeshaw, M ^b  

^a CSIRO   (Australia)

^b FAusIMM   (Australia)

Author keywords

BIF; Genetic modelling; Hamersley province; Hydrothermal; Hypogene; Iron ore; Iron ore petrography; Martite goethite; Microplaty hematite; Supergene

Indexed keywords

BANDED IRON FORMATION; ENRICHMENT; GOETHITE; HEMATITE; HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION; IRON ORE; METASOMATISM; NUMERICAL MODEL; PETROGRAPHY; SUPERGENE PROCESS;

AUSTRALIA; WESTERN AUSTRALIA;

EID: 79960198846     PISSN: 08120099     EISSN: 14400952     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/08120099.2011.566937     Document Type: Article

References (86)

1. AYRES D. E. 1971. The hematite enrichment ores of Mount Tom Price and Mt Whaleback, Hamersley Iron Province. Australasian Institute of Mining amd Metallurgy Proceedings 238, 47-58.
2. BARLEY M. E., PICKARD A. L., HAGEMAN S. G. & FOLKERT S. I. 1999. Hydrothermal origin for the 2 billion year old Mount Tom Price iron ore deposit, Hamersley Province, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita 34, 784-789.
3. BLOCKLEY J. G. 1969. The stratigraphy of the Mount Tom Price orebody and its implication in the genesis of iron ore. Western Australia Geological Survey Annual Report 1968, 46-49.
4. BOURNE R. & JACKSON D. G. 1979. A generalised account of the Paraburdoo iron orebodies. Australasian Institute of Mining amd Metallurgy Proceedings Conference 1979, pp. 187-201.
5. BROWN M. C., OLIVER N. H. S. & DICKENS, G. R. 2004. The characterisation and paragenesis of veining and fluid flow in the Mount Whaleback iron ore district, eastern Hamersley province, Western Australia. Precambrian Research, 128, 441-474.
6. CANNON W. F. 1976. Hard iron ore of the Marquette range, Michigan. Economic Geology 76, 1012-1028.
7. CAWOOD P. A. & TYLER I. M. 2004. Assembling and reactivating the Proterozoic Capricorn Orogen: lithotectonic elements, orogenies, and significance. Precambrian Research 128, 201-218.
8. CLOUT J. M. F. 2005. Iron formation-hosted iron ores in the Hamersley Province of Western Australia. Publication Series-Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 8/2005, 9-19.
9. CLOUT J. M. F. 2006. Fortescue's Chichester Range advances as Pilbara's new force. Australasian Institute of Mining amd Metallurgy Bulletin, 5 September-October 2006, pp. 14-19.
10. CLOUT J. M. F. & SIMONSON B. M. 2005. Precambrian iron formations and iron formation-hosted iron ore deposits. In: Hedenquist J. W., Thompson J. F. H., Goldfarb R. J. & Richards J. P. eds. Economic geology; one hundredth anniversary volume, 1905-2005, pp. 643-679. Society of Economic Geologists, Littleton, CO, USA.
11. DALSTRA H. J. 2006. Structural controls of bedded iron ore in the Hamersley Province, Western Australia; an example from the Paraburdoo Ranges. Transactions-Institution of Mining and Metallurgy. Section B: Applied Earth Science 115, 139-145.
12. DALSTRA H. & GUEDES S. 2004. Giant hydrothermal deposits with Mg-Fe metasomatism: a comparison of the Carajas, Hamersley, and other iron ores. Economic Geology 99, 1793-1800.
13. DALSTRA H., HARDING T., RIGGS T. & TAYLOR D. 2003. Banded iron formation hosted high-grade hematite deposits, a coherent group? Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, Transactions, Section B: Applied Earth Science 112, 68-72.
14. DALSTRA H. J., HARDING A. E. & TAYLOR D. 2002. Genesis of highgrade hematite orebodies of the Hamersley province-a reply. Economic Geology 97, 179-181.
15. DORR J. VAN N. II 1965.Nature and origin of high-grade hematite ores of Minas Gerais, Brazil. Economic Geology 60, 1-46.
16. EVANS D. A. D., SIRCOMBE K. N., WINGATE M. T. D., DOYLE M., MCCARTHY M., PIDGEON R. T. & VAN NIEKERK H. S. 2003. Revised geochronology of magmatism in the western Capricorn Orogen at 1805-1785 Ma: diachroneity of the Pilbara- Yilgarn collision. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 50, 853-864.
17. EWERS W. E. & MORRIS R. C. 1980a. Chemical and mineralogical datafrom the uppermost section of the upper BIF member of the Marra Mamba Iron Formation. CSIRO Institute of Earth Resources, Division of Mineralogy Report No. FP 23.
18. EWERS W. E. & MORRIS R. C. 1980b. Phosphorus in iron ores of the Hamersley Iron Province. Report to sponsors. AMIRA Project No 75/P75. CSIRO Institute of Earth Resources, Division of Mineralogy October 1976-October 1980.
19. EWERS W.E. & MORRIS R.C. 1981. Studies of the Dales Gorge Member of theBrockman Iron Formation. Economic Geology 76, 1929-1953.
20. FLINT D. J. & PRESTON, W. A. 2010. WA Iron Ore overview, Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum and Western Australia Department of State Development.
21. GEE R. D. 1979. Structure and tectonic style of the Western Australian Shield. Tectonophysics 58, 329-369.
22. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA 2009. Iron Ore Deposits of the Pilbara Region-2009 update, Geological Survey of Western Australia 1:500 000 Digital Data package.
23. GILHOME W. R. 1975. Mount Tom Price Iron Orebody. In: Knight C. L. ed. Economic geology of Australia and Papua New Guinea, pp. 892-898. Australasian Institute of Mining amd Metallurgy Monograph 5. Victoria, Australia.
24. GRAHAM J. 1973. Phosphorus in iron ore from Hamersley iron formations. Australasian Institute of Mining & Metallurgy Proceedings 246, 41-42.
25. GRUNER J. W. 1937. Hydrothermal leaching of iron ores of the Lake Superior type-a modified theory. Economic Geology 32, 121-130.
26. HAGEMANN S. H., ROSIE RE C. A., LOBATO L., BAARS F., ZUCCHETTI M. & FIGUEIREDO e SILVA R. C. 2005. Controversy in genetic models for Proterozoic high-grade, banded iron formation (BIF)-related iron deposits-unifying or discrete model(s)? Proceedings of Iron Ore 2005 Conference, September 19-21, 2005, Perth, Western Australia: Special Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Publication Series no. 8/2005, 67-71.
27. HANNON E., KEPERT D A. & CLARK D. 2005. From target generation to two billion tonnes in 18 months-the re-invention of the Chichester range. In: Proceedings of Iron Ore 2005 Conference, 19-21 September 2005, Perth Western Australia: Special Australasian Institute of Mining amd Metallurgy Publication Series No. 8/2005, p. 73-77.
28. HARMSWORTH R. A., KNEESHAW M., MORRIS R. C., ROBINSON C. J. & SHRIVASTAVA P. K. 1990. BIF-derived iron ores of the Hamersley Province. In: Hughes F. E. ed. Economic geology of Australia and Papua New Guinea, pp. 617-664. The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Monograph 14, Victoria, Australia.
29. HORWITZ R. C. 1983. Paleogeographic evolution of the Paraburdoo Hinge Zone: a summary of events. CSIRO Division of Mineralogy Research Review, 1983, 77-79.
30. JAMES H. L., DUTTON C. E., PETTIJOHN F. J. & WIER K. L. 1968. Geology and Ore Deposits of the Iron River-Crystal Falls District, Iron County, Michigan. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 570, 134 pp.
31. KEPERT D. A. 2001. The mapped stratigraphy and structure of the Mining area C region (the Black Monolith). An eclectic synthesis of geological mapping by BHPBIO Exploration 1994-2001. BHPB Internal publication (unpubl.).
32. KERR T. L., O'SULLIVAN A. P., PODMORE D. C., TURNER R. & WATERS P. 1994. Geophysics and iron ore exploration: Examples from the Jimblebar and Shay Gap-Yarrie regions, Western Australia. Geophysical Signatures of Western Australia Mineral Deposits, Geology and Geophysics Department (Key Centre) & UWA Extension, The University of Western Australia, Publication No 26, 1994, pp. 355-367.
33. KNEESHAW M. 2008. Guide to the Geology of the Hamersley and North East Pilbara Iron Ore Provinces (the Blue Book). BHPB Internal publication (unpubl.).
34. KNEESHAW M. & KEPERT D. A. 2002. Genesis of high-grade hematite orebodies of the Hamersley province, Western Australia-A discussion. Economic Geology 97, 173.
35. KNEESHAW M., KEPERT D. A., TEHNAS I. J. & PUDOVSKIS M. A. 2003. From Mount Goldsworthy to Area C; reflections on forty years of iron ore exploration in the Pilbara. Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, Transactions, Section B: Applied Earth Science 112, 38-55.
36. KRAPEZ B. 1999. Stratigraphic record of an Atlantic-type global tectonic cycle in the Palaeoproterozoic Ashburton Province of Western Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 46, 71-87.
37. KRAPEZ B. & MCNAUGHTON N. J. 1999. SHRIMP zircon U-Pb age and tectonic significance of the Palaeoproterozoic Boolaloo Granodiorite in the Ashburton Province, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 46, 283-287.
38. LASCELLES D. 2002. A new look at old rocks; and alternative model for the origin of in situ iron ore deposits derived from banded iron-formation. Publication Series-Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 7/2002, 107-126.
39. LASCELLES D. 2008. Banded Iron Formation to High-Grade Iron Ore- The Fallacy of Supergene Enrichment. Pacrim Conference, Queensland.
40. LI Z. X., POWELL C. McA. & BOWMAN R. 1993. Timing and genesis of Hamersley iron-ore deposits. Exploration Geophysics 24, 631-636.
41. LIPPLE S. L. 1995. 1993 mapping report, Wheelarra Hill-East Jimblebar, ML 266SA (internal BHPIO report).
42. MACLEOD W. N. 1966. The geology and iron deposits ofthe Hamersley Range area, Western Australia. Western Australian Geological Survey Bulletin 117, 170 pp.
43. MARTIN D. McB. 2006. Giant iron-ore deposits of the Hamersley province related to the breakup of Paleoproterozoic Australia: New insights from in situ SHRIMP dating of baddeleyite from mafic intrusions: Comment. Geology 34, e96. doi: 10.1130/G22464.1
44. MARTIN D. McB. & MORRIS P. A. 2010. Tectonic setting and regional implications of ca 2.2 Ga mafic magmatism in the Southern Hamersley Province, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 57, 907-927.
45. MARTIN D. McB., LI Z X., NEMCHIN A. A. & POWELL C. McA. 1998. A pre-2.2 Ga age for giant hematite ores of the Hamersley Province, Australia? Economic Geology 93, 1084-1090.
46. MCCONCHIE D. 1987. The geology and geochemistry of the Joffre and Whaleback Shale Members of the Brockman Iron Formation, Western Australia. In: P. W. U. Appel & G. L. LaBerge eds. Precambrian Iron-Formations, pp. 541-597. Theophrastus, Athens.
47. MORRIS R.C. 1980.Atextural andmineralogical studyof therelationship of ironore tobanded iron-formationin theHamersleyIronProvince ofWestern Australia. Economic Geology 75, 184-209.
48. MORRIS R. C. 1985. Genesis of iron ore in banded iron-formation by supergene and supergene-metamorphic processes-a conceptual model. In: Wolf K. H. ed. Handbook of strata-bound and stratiform ore deposits, 13, 73-235. Elsevier, Amsterdam.
49. MORRIS R. C. 1986. A review of geological research on the iron ores of the Hamersley Iron Province. Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy-13th CMMI Congress, May 1986. 2, 191-200.
50. MORRIS R. C. 1987. Iron Ores Derived by Enrichment of Banded Iron- Formation. In: Hein J. R. ed. Siliceous sedimentary rock-hosted ores and petroleum, pp. 231-267. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company, New York.
51. MORRIS R. C. 1991. The Marra Mamba Iron Formation of the Hamersley Group of Western Australia. CSIRO Exploration Geoscience Report No. 158R. 230 pp.
52. MORRIS R. C. 1993. Genetic modelling for banded iron-formation of the Hamersley Group, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia. Precambrian Research 60, 243-286.
53. MORRIS R. C. 1998. BIF-hosted iron ore deposits-Hamersley style. AGSO Journal of Australian Geology and Geophysics 17, 207-211.
54. MORRIS R. C. 2002. Genesis of high-grade orebodies of the Hamersley Province, Western Australia-a discussion. Economic Geology 97, 177-178.
55. MORRIS R. C. 2003. Iron ore genesis and post-ore metasomatism at Mount Tom Price. Transactions of Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (Applied Earth Sciences) 112, B56-B67.
56. MORRIS R. C. 2011. Microplaty hematite of the high-grade iron ores- its nature and genesis. Conference Proceedings, Iron Ore 2011, Perth Westen Australia.
57. MORRIS R. C. & FLETCHER A. B. 1987. Increased solubility of quartz following ferrous-ferric reactions. Nature 330, 558-561.
58. MORRIS R. C., SEET L. H. & JENKINS K. W. 1989. Shales associated with iron ores in the Hamersley Group of WA. CSIRO Exploration Geoscience Report 62R, 224 pp.
59. MORRIS R. C., THORNBER M. R. & EWERS W. E. 1980. Deep-seated iron ores from banded iron-formation. Nature 288, 250-252.
60. MULLER S. G., KRAPEZ B., BARLEY M. & FLETCHER I. R. 2005. Giant iron-ore deposits of the Hamersley Province related to the breakup of Paleoproterozoic Australia: New insights from in situ SHRIMP dating of baddeleyite from mafic intrusions. Geology 33, 577-580.
61. OCCHIPINTI S. A., SHEPPARD S., TYLER I. M. & NELSON D. R. 1999. Deformation and metamorphism during the c. 2000 Ma Glenburgh Orogeny and c. 1800 Ma Capricorn Orogeny. Geological Society of Australia Abstracts 56, 26-29.
62. OCCHIPINTI S. A., SHEPPARD S., PASSCHIER C., TYLER I. M. & NELSON D. R. 2004. Palaeoproterozoic crustal accretion and collision in the southern Capricorn Orogen: the Glenburgh Orogeny. Precambrian Research 128, 237-255.
63. OHMOTO H. 2003. Non-redox transformations of magnetite- hematite in hydrothermal systems. Economic Geology 98, 157-161.
64. PIRAJNO F., OCCHIPINTI S. A. & SWAGER C. P. 1998. Geology and tectonic evolution of the Paleaoproterozoic Bryah, Padbury and Yerrida basins (formerly Glengarry Basin), Western Australia. Precambrian Research 9, 119-140.
65. POWELL C. M., OLIVER N. H. S., LI Z. X., MARTIN D. M. B. & RONASZECKI J. 1999. Synorogenic hydrothermal origin for giant Hamersley iron ore bodies. Geology 27, 175-178.
66. RAMANAIDOU E. R & MORRIS R. C. 2010. Comparison of supergene mimetic and supergene lateritic iron ore deposits. Transactions of Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (Applied Earth Sciences) 119, B35-B39.
67. RASMUSSEN B., FLETCHER I. R., MUHLING J. R., THORNE W. S. & BROADBENT G. 2007. Prolonged history of episodic fluid flow in giant hematite ore bodies: evidence from in situ U-Pb geochronology of hydrothermal xenotime. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 258, 249-259.
68. RUCKMICK J. C. 1963. The iron ores of Cerro Bolivar, Venezuela. Economic Geology 58, 218-236.
69. SHEPPARD S. 2004. Unravelling the complexity of the Gascoyne Complex. Geological Survey of Western Australia, Record 2004/ 5, 26-28.
70. SHEPPARD S., OCCHIPINTI S. A. & TYLER I. M. 2004. A 2005-1970 Ma Andean-type batholith in the Southern Gascoyne Complex, Western Australia. Precambrian Research 128, 257-277.
71. SOKOLOV G. A. & GRIGOR'EV V. M. 1977. Deposits of iron. In: Smirnov V. I. ed. Ore deposits of the USSR. Pittman, London, 1, 7-113.
72. TAYLOR D., DALSTRA H. J. & HARDING A. E. 2002. Genesis of highgrade hematite orebodies of the Hamersley Province Western Australia-a reply. Economic Geology 97, 179-181.
73. TAYLOR D., DALSTRA H. J., HARDING A. E., BROADBENT G. C. & BARLEY M. E. 2001. Genesis of high-grade hematite orebodies of the Hamersley Province Western Australia. Economic Geology 96, 837-873.
74. THORNBER M. R. & MORRIS R. C. 1983. The formation of iron ore from banded iron-formation by an electrochemical weathering process. CSIRO Division of Mineralogy Research Review 1983, 84-85.
75. THORNBER M. R., MORRIS R. C. & COUPER R. G. 1983. An electrochemical cell that allows optical microscope examination of a mineral surface while it is reacting. CSIRO Division of Mineralogy Research Review, 1983, 223-225.
76. THORNE W. S., HAGEMANN S. G. & BARLEY M. 2004. Petrographic and geochemical evidence for hydrothermal evolution of the North Deposit, Mt. Tom Price, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita 39, 766-783.
77. THORNE W. S., HAGEMANN S. G. & BARLEY M. 2005. Hydrothermal alteration zonation and fluid chemistry of the Southern ridge and North deposits at Mount Tom Price: Proceedings of Iron Ore 2005 Conference, September 19-21, 2005, Perth, Western Australia: Special Australasian Institute of Mining amd Metallurgy Publication Series no. 8/2005, pp. 151-158.
78. THORNE W. S., HAGEMANN S. G., WEBB A. & CLOUT J. 2008. Banded iron formation-related iron ore deposits of the Hamersley province, Western Australia. Reviews in Economic Geology 15, 197-221.
79. THORNE W., HAGEMANN S., VENNEMANN T. & OLIVER N. 2009. Oxygen isotope compositions of iron oxides from high-grade BIF-hosted iron ore deposits of the central Hamersley Province, Western Australia; constraints on the evolution of hydrothermal fluids. Economic Geology 104, 1019-1035.
80. TRENDALL A. F. 1975. Geology of Western Australian iron ore. In: Knight C. L. ed. Economic geology of Australia and Papua New Guinea, pp. 883-892. The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy Monograph 5, Victoria, Australia.
81. TRENDALL A. F. 1995. The Woongarra rhyolite: a giant lavalike felsic sheet in the Hamersley Basin of Western Australia. Geological Survey of Western Australia, Report 42, Department of Minerals and Energy, Perth.
82. TRENDALL A. F. & BLOCKLEY J. B. 1970. The iron formations of the Precambrian Hamersley Group, Western Australian with special reference to the associated crocidolite. Geological Survey of Western Australia, Bulletin 119, Perth.
83. TYLER I. M. 1991. The geology of the Sylvania Inlier and the southeast Hamersley Basin. Geological Survey of Western Australia, Bulletin 138, Perth.
84. TYLER I. M. & THORNE A. M. 1990. The northern margin of the Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia-an example of an Early Proterozoic collision zone. Journal of Structural Geology 12, 685-701.
85. WADMP (Western Australia Department of Mines and Petroleum) 2010. Compiled from industry-supplied data stored in DMP's Mines and Mineral Deposits database (MINEDEX).
86. WEBB A. D., DICKENS G. R. & OLIVER N. H. S. 2004. Carbonate alteration of the Upper Mount McRae Shale beneath the martite-microplaty hematite ore deposit at Mount Whaleback, Western Australia. Mineralium Deposita 39, 632-645.