Ferenc Molnár

Multi-stage hydrothermal processes involved in “low-sulfide” Cu(–Ni)–PGE mineralization in the footwall of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (Canada): Amy Lake PGE zone, East Range

The Amy Lake PGE zone is a “low-sulfide-type” Cu-(Ni-)PGE mineralization in the East Range footwall of the 1.85xa0Ga Sudbury Igneous Complex occurring in a 100-m-wide Sudbury Breccia belt that coincides with an impact-related major fracture zone (Bay Fault zone). Detailed hydrothermal alteration mapping, fluid inclusion, trace element, and stable isotope studies revealed a complex alteration and mineralization history in a multi-source, multi-stage Sudbury-related hydrothermal system. The two major stages of syn-Sudbury hydrothermal activity are characterized by similarly high-salinity, high-temperature fluids that are (1) locally derived from footwall granophyre bodies, and typified with high Ni/Cu and PGE/S ratios and high REE contents (magmatic–hydrothermal stage), and (2) a more voluminous Cu–Ni–PGE-rich fluid flux probably originated from the Sudbury Igneous Complex/footwall contact (hydrothermal stage). The second hydrothermal flux was introduced by brittle fractures in the area and resulted in a complex zonation of alteration assemblages and mineralization governed by local footwall composition. The Sudbury-related hydrothermal event was overprinted by shear-related epidote veining and calcite–chlorite replacement, both regionally present in the Sudbury structure. Based on analogies, the most important factors involved in the formation of hydrothermal low-sulfide mineralization are proposed to be (1) accumulation of PGE-enriched fluids, (2) large-scale brittle structures as conduits to these fluids, and (3) adequate host rock composition as a chemical trap resulting in sulfide and PGM precipitation. In environments meeting these criteria, hydrothermal PGE mineralization is known to have formed not only in the Sudbury footwall but also from mafic–ultramafic intrusions associated with primary magmatic PGE from several locations around the world.

Association of gold with uraninite and pyrobitumen in the metavolcanic rock hosted hydrothermal Au-U mineralisation at Rompas, Peräpohja Schist Belt, northern Finland

The Peräpohja Schist Belt comprises a supracrustal sequence of quartzites, mafic volcanics and volcaniclastics, carbonate rocks, black shales, mica schists and greywackes which were deposited from ca. 2.44 to ~1.91xa0Ga, during the rifting of the Archaean basement in the eastern part of the Fennoscandian shield. Metamorphism and multiple folding of the basin fill took place during the Svecofennian orogeny (1.9–1.8xa0Ga) followed by intrusions of late-orogenic (1.84–1.80xa0Ga) and post-orogenic granitoids (1.79–1.76xa0Ga). The Rompas Au-U mineralisation is hosted by deformed calcsilicate veins in mafic volcanic rocks and locally contains very high grade (>10,000xa0g/t Au) gold pockets with strict spatial association of gold minerals to uraninite and pyrobitumen. Chemical ages from the unaltered domains in the structure of uraninite indicate a 1.95–1.90xa0Ga age for the deposition of the primary, high temperature (e.g. U/Thu2009<u2009100 in uraninite) hydrothermal uranium mineralisation. These data are in agreement with the results of previous U-Pb dating of uraninite by SIMS. Textural evidence suggests that metamorphic recrystallisation of the uraninite-bearing quartz-dolomite veins into calcsilicate mineral assemblages during the Svecofennian orogeny (1.9–1.8xa0Ga) was followed by a hydrocarbon-bearing fluid flow event and radiolytic polymerisation of hydrocarbons around grains of uraninite. Gold precipitated during a subsequent hydrothermal process in the fractures of uraninite, as well as in the cracks and on the botryoidal surfaces of uraninite-pyrobitumen nodules. Remobilisation and redeposition of uranium by these hydrothermal events produced secondary uraninite grains with chemical ages between 1.85 and 1.65xa0Ga. Native gold is associated with galena, altaite, hunchunite, nickeline and rare cobaltite, Pb-bearing maldonite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, molybdenite and titanite. Raman spectra show disordered structure of undeformed pyrobitumen nodules in contrast with the well-ordered graphite in calcsilicate veins. Mean random reflectance data for pyrobitumen indicate 270–340xa0°C maximum temperature of thermal maturation—this temperature range is also considered as the temperature of gold deposition. Results of multiple sulphur isotope analyses of organic material-, pyrite- and acid-volatile-bound sulphur show distinct ranges of δ34S values for SORG and SCRS in uraninite-pyrobitumen (from −6.99 to −3.55‰ and from −10.02 to −4.41‰, respectively) and uraninite-pyrobitumen-native gold mineral associations (from +1.36 to +6.87‰ and from +0.42 to +9.7‰, respectively). Δ33S data indicate local occurrence of nonmass-dependent sulphur isotope fractionation owing to interaction of fluids with organic material. Concentration of lead in uraninite is depleted along the gold mineral filled fractures whereas the uranogenic lead isotope contents of galena, altaite and hunchuite deposited in the same fractures are extremely high, suggesting that the dominant source of lead for the crystallisation of these minerals was the radiogenic lead content of uraninite. Taking into account this source of radiogenic lead, the calculated Pb-Pb model ages for the lead minerals are between 1.75 and 1.70xa0Ga. Sulphur and tellurium removal from the fluid by reaction with radiogenic lead released by uraninite appears to be an important mechanism in the strongly localised deposition of gold minerals. Scavenging of sulphur by pyrobitumen nodules from gold transporting fluids was an additional process triggering precipitation of gold. Carbon particles and organic functional groups in pyrobitumen probably acted as nucleation and adsorption centres for gold minerals.