Daniel Layton-Matthews

Till geochemical signatures of magmatic Ni–Cu deposits, Thompson Nickel Belt, Manitoba, Canada

ABSTRACT Sampling around the Ni–Cu deposits in the northern Thompson Nickel Belt (TNB), central Canada, was conducted to document Ni–Cu mineralization signatures in till. Samples used in this study include archived material collected in 1996 and new samples collected in 2005 and 2006. During the Late Wisconsinan, the Laurentide Ice Sheet flowed southwestward and subsequently westward across the TNB striating outcrops and transporting metal-rich till. Exploration along the belt and in the surrounding terranes should consider both the older SW and younger westward ice flow events when interpreting and following up till geochemical results. Till geochemistry of the <0.063 mm fraction is a useful tool for Ni–Cu exploration in the region and the following pathfinder elements are most useful: Ni, Cu, Pd, Pt, Co, As, Cd, Ag, Sb, Bi, Se, S, and Te. This multi-element signature is similar to those identified in till for other Ni–Cu-Platinum Group Element (PGE) deposits. Pd:Pt ratios of >3 offer further discrimination of significant till geochemical anomalies. Using the deposit signatures in till as a guide, five anomalous till samples outside the belt represent new exploration targets because they contain significant elevated concentrations of, in various combinations, Pt, Pd, Cu, Cr, Mo, Sb, Bi and Fe.

Glacial dispersal of gahnite from the Izok Lake Zn-Cu-Pb-Ag VMS deposit, northern Canada

The Izok Lake Zn–Cu–Pb–Ag volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposit in the Arctic region of Canada is one of the largest undeveloped Zn–Cu VMS resources in North America. In 2009, the Geological Survey of Canada initiated a detailed glacial dispersal study of the deposit focused on documenting its associated indicator mineral and till geochemical signatures. Glacial dispersal from the deposit is fan-shaped and was formed by an older SW ice flow and younger NW ice flow phases. Till samples contain chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, and pyrite up to 1.3 km down-ice and gahnite at least 40 km down-ice. Gahnite (ZnAl2O4) is an ideal indicator mineral in till because of its visually distinctive bluish green colour combined with its high specific gravity (4–4.6) for recovery using density-based separation methods, moderate hardness (physical durability during glacial transport), chemical stability in oxidizing surficial environments (resistance to post-glacial weathering), and its occurrence in highly metamorphosed VMS deposits such as Izok Lake. Most gahnite grains in till down-ice are 0.25–0.5 mm in size. Coarser gahnite (0.5–2.0 mm) occurs only in till proximal to the deposit (<3 km down-ice) and thus is an indicator of proximity to a gahnite-bearing bedrock source. Ore (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag) and pathfinder element (As, Cd, Bi, Hg, In, Sb, Sb, Tl) contents in the <0.063 mm fraction of till reflect glacial dispersal up to a maximum of 6 km down-ice. A 15–20 km till indicator mineral sample spacing is sufficient to detect a gahnite glacial dispersal train such as that from the Izok Lake VMS deposit.

Non-hydrothermal origin of apatite in SEDEX mineralization and host rocks of the Howard’s Pass district, Yukon, Canada

Abstract The Howard’s Pass district (HPD) comprises 14 Zn-Pb sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) deposits and is located within the Selwyn basin, Yukon, Canada. Although the HPD is renowned for its large accumulation of base-metal sulfides, in places the Late Ordovician to Early Silurian host rocks also contain abundant carbonate-bearing fluorapatite (CBFA). This mineral is present stratigraphically below, within, and above the SEDEX deposits and occurs as fine-grained layers that are interbedded with cherty carbonaceous mudstone. Electron probe microanalysis and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometric analysis reveal that mineral compositions and rare earth element-yttrium (REE-Y) systematics, respectively, are remarkably similar throughout the stratigraphic succession. North American Shale Composite (NASC)-normalized La/Sm and La/Yb ratios indicate that the original REE compositions in CBFA have undergone only minor compositional modification subsequent to deposition. Uniformly negative Ce anomalies indicate that the mineral formed in analogous manner to modern and ancient sedimentary phosphorites under suboxic bottom-water conditions. Europium anomalies are mostly absent, indicating that reduced, slightly acidic high-temperature hydrothermal fluids were not a major source of REE-Y to CBFA. The chemical homogeneity of the mineral irrespective of its stratigraphic position indicates that a common process was responsible for its deposition within the sedimentary rocks of the HPD. On the basis of the similarity of the REE patterns to modern and ancient phosphorites, and the absence of positive Eu anomalies, we conclude that the CBFA is of hydrogenous origin, and not hydrothermal as suggested by previous workers. As such, phosphorite formation in the HPD is casually related to SEDEX Zn-Pb deposit formation.

Formation of the enigmatic Matoush uranium deposit in the Paleoprotozoic Otish Basin, Quebec, Canada

The Matoush uranium deposit is situated in the Paleoproterozoic Otish Basin, northern Quebec, Canada, and is hosted by the Indicator Formation sandstones. Its sheet-like ore bodies are closely associated with the steeply dipping Matoush Fracture, which hosts mafic dykes and minor quartz–feldspar–tourmaline pegmatites. Regional diagenesis, involving oxidizing basinal fluids (δ2H ∼−15‰, δ18O ∼8‰), produced mostly illite and possibly leached U from accessory phases in the Indicator Formation sandstones. The bimodal Matoush dyke intruded the Indicator Formation along the Matoush Fracture, and the related metasomatism produced Cr-rich dravite and muscovite in both the dyke and the proximal sandstones. Uraninite formed when U6+ in the basinal brine was reduced to U4+ in contact with the mafic dyke and by Fe2+ in Cr–dravite and Cr–muscovite, and precipitated together with eskolaite and hematite. Because of its unique characteristics, the Matoush deposit cannot be easily classified within the generally accepted classification of uranium deposits. Two of its main characteristics (unusual reduction mechanism, structural control) do not correspond to the sandstone-hosted group of deposits (unconformity type, tabular, roll front), in spite of uranium being derived from the Otish Group sandstones.

Geochemical and mineralogical controls on metal(loid) mobility in the oxide zone of the Prairie Creek Deposit, NWT

Prairie Creek is an unmined high grade Zn-Pb-Ag deposit in the southern Mackenzie Mountains of the Northwest Territories, located in a 320 km2 enclave surrounded by the Nahanni National Park reserve. The upper portion of the quartz-carbonate-sulphide vein mineralization has undergone extensive oxidation, forming high grade zones, rich in smithsonite (ZnCO3) and cerussite (PbCO3). This weathered zone represents a significant resource and a potential component of mine waste material. This study is focused on characterizing the geochemical and mineralogical controls on metal(loid) mobility under mine waste conditions, with particular attention to the metal carbonates as a potential source of trace elements to the environment. Analyses were conducted using a combination of microanalytical techniques (electron microprobe, scanning electron microscopy with automated mineralogy, laser-ablation inductively-coupled mass spectrometry, and synchrotron-based element mapping, micro-X-ray diffraction and micro-X-ray absorbance). The elements of interest included Zn, Pb, Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Sb and Se. Results include the identification of minor phases previously unknown at Prairie Creek, including cinnabar (HgS), acanthite (Ag2S), metal arsenates, and Pb-Sb-oxide. Anglesite (PbSO4) may also be present in greater proportions than recognized by previous work, composing up to 39 weight percent of some samples. Smithsonite is the major host for Zn but this mineral also contains elevated concentrations of Pb, Cd and Cu, while cerussite hosts Zn, Cu and Cd, with concentrations ranging from 6 ppm to upwards of 5.3 weight percent in the two minerals. Variable concentrations of As, Sb, Hg, Ag, and Se are also present in smithsonite and cerussite (listed in approximately decreasing order with concentrations ranging from <0.02 to 17 000 ppm). A significant proportion of the trace metal(loid)s may be hosted by other secondary minerals associated with mineralization. Processing will remove significant mineral hosts for these elements from the final tailings, although some may remain depending on whether the smithsonite fraction is left as tailings. Significant Hg and Ag could remain in tailings from cinnabar and acanthite that is trapped within smithsonite grains, which were found to act as a host for up to 53% of the Hg and 79% of the Ag contained in some samples. In a mine waste setting, near-neutral pH will encourage retention of trace metal(loid)s in solids. Regardless, oxidation, dissolution and mobilization is expected to continue in the long term, which may be slowed by saturated conditions, or accelerated by localized flow paths and acidification of isolated, sulphide-rich pore spaces. Supplementary material: Additional description of sampling and analytical methdologies are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.3589562

Metavolcanic host rocks, mineralization, and gossans of the Shaib al Tair and Rabathan volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits of the Wadi Bidah Mineral District, Saudi Arabia

ABSTRACT The Wadi Bidah Mineral District of Saudi Arabia contains more than 16 small outcropping stratabound volcanogenic Cu–Zn–(Pb) ± Au-bearing massive sulphide deposits and associated zones of hydrothermal alteration. Here, we use major and trace element analyses of massive sulphides, gossans, and hydrothermally altered and least altered metamorphosed host rock (schist) from two of the deposits (Shaib al Tair and Rabathan) to interpret the geochemical and petrological evolution of the host rocks and gossanization of the mineralization. Tectonic interpretations utilize high-field-strength elements, including the rare earth elements (REE), because they are relatively immobile during hydrothermal alteration, low-grade metamorphism, and supergene weathering and therefore are useful in constraining the source, composition, and physicochemical parameters of the primary igneous rocks, the mineralizing hydrothermal fluid and subsequent supergene weathering processes. Positive Eu anomalies in some of the massive sulphide samples are consistent with a high temperature (>250°C) hydrothermal origin, consistent with the Cu contents (up to 2 wt.%) of the massive sulphides. The REE profiles of the gossans are topologically similar to nearby hydrothermally altered felsic schists (light REE (LREE)-enriched to concave-up REE profiles, with or without positive Eu anomalies) suggesting that the REE experienced little fractionation during metamorphism or supergene weathering. Hydrothermally altered rocks (now schists) close to the massive sulphide deposits have high base metals and Ba contents and have concave-up REE patterns, in contrast to the least altered host rocks, consistent with greater mobility of the middle REE compared to the light and heavy REE during hydrothermal alteration. The gossans are interpreted to represent relict massive sulphides that have undergone supergene weathering; ‘chert’ beds within these massive sulphide deposits may be leached wall-rock gossans that experienced silicification and Pb–Ba–Fe enrichment from acidic groundwaters generated during gossan formation.