Mineral Phase Relationships in Stratiform Iron Deposits in the Michipicoten Iron - Formations

1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Sugaki
1982 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1670-1679 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex C. Brown

Small iron-formations in Grenville metasediments have been examined as possible lateral stratigraphic equivalents of stratiform zinc deposits located along the western margin of the Mount Laurier Basin in the Maniwaki–Gracefleld area, Quebec. Similarities in carbonate and amphibolite units hosting the iron and zinc deposits tend to confirm this concept. Sphalerite sparsely disseminated along a dolomitic bed adjacent to the iron-formations, and the iron-formations themselves, are interpreted as the distal extremities of the massive sphalerite lenses found in the proximity of thick amphibolitic strata close to the (fault-bounded?) basin margin. A submarine exhalative model generating proximal zinc and distal iron deposits is proposed to explain this metal zoning. Originally the iron-formations probably consisted of sedimentary siderite that has been transformed under intense metamorphism to the present magnetite–graphite assemblage.


2017 ◽  
Vol 112 (7) ◽  
pp. 1629-1651 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yanpei Dai ◽  
Yudi Zhu ◽  
Lianchang Zhang ◽  
Mingtian Zhu

Abstract The Anshan-Benxi area in the North China craton has numerous occurrences of Algoma-type banded iron formations (BIFs) with subordinate high-grade magnetite ores. These ores provide insight into iron metallogenesis and early evolution of the North China craton. In this paper, we present Sm-Nd-Fe-O isotope, mineralogical, and structural data for four BIF-type iron deposits to place constraints on their depositional ages and formation mechanism. Previous SIMS and LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating results indicated a Mesoarchean age (ca. 3.10 Ga) for the Dagushan BIF and a Neoarchean age (ca. 2.55 Ga) for other regional BIFs (Dai et al., 2012, 2013, 2014). This is confirmed by Sm-Nd isochron ages of these BIFs, high-grade magnetite ores, and host metavolcanics, which yield two regression lines and match apparent ages of 3149 ± 85 Ma (MSWD = 1.2) for Dagushan, and 2671 ± 120 Ma (MSWD = 3.0) for the other three deposits. Our new chronological data thus suggest Meso- and Neoarchean BIF deposition and potentially significant BIF-type iron deposits at depth. The regional high-grade magnetite ores are all hosted in the BIFs that occur in the same orientation and have transitional boundaries between them. They also show similar Sm-Nd isotope compositions and magnetite rare earth elements + yttrium (REY) profiles, indicating that the Anshan-Benxi BIFs were most likely the source beds. The high-grade magnetite ores contain abundant pyrite and actinolite, with systematically lower δ56Fe values (0.67–0.40‰) when compared to the BIFs (1.88–0.64‰), suggesting a hydrothermal origin. In the field, some high-grade orebodies with schistose textures are adjacent to undeformed granitic plutons. This geologic relationship implies that the high-grade magnetite ores were formed earlier and probably did not result from magmatic hydrothermal fluids. Therefore we suggest that the Anshan-Benxi high-grade magnetite ores were most likely produced by infiltration of metamorphic fluids into primary BIFs, based on the following: (1) magnetite δ18O values within the high-grade magnetite ores (+2.5 to −0.6‰) are significantly lower than those in the BIFs (9.2–2.6‰); (2) magnetite (avg 0.39 ppm) and pyrite (avg 0.098 ppm) in the high-grade magnetite ores have much lower REY abundances than magnetite in the BIFs (avg 14.6 ppm); (3) skeletal quartz in the high-grade magnetite ores shows systematically higher FeOtolal contents (1.36–0.56 wt %) than those in laminated chert bands (0.06–0.00 wt %); and (4) hydrothermal zircons within the Nanfen BIF yield a U-Pb age of 2480 Ma, which is comparable to ca. 2.48 Ga regional metamorphism (Zhu et al., 2015). Furthermore, microstructural textures indicate a maximum regional deformation temperature of up to 500°C, which is lower than the plastic flow temperature (>600°C) of magnetite. Finite strain measurements and electron backscatter diffraction analyses suggest a general flattening deformation and similar crystallographic preferred orientation for all magnetite crystals. These structural features reveal that magnetite in the high-grade magnetite ores never experienced a separate tectonic event. Our microscopic studies also show that microfractures at the interfaces of BIF bands contain fragmented quartz crystals and are filled with abundant metamorphic minerals (e.g., actinolite and chlorite). Considering that the Anshan-Benxi high-grade magnetite ores are commonly adjacent to weak structural planes (e.g., faults), we propose that macro- and microscopic fractures probably provided channels for metamorphic fluids. Recent zircon U-Pb geochronology has indicated widespread BIF formation at ca. 2.55 Ga in the North China craton, corresponding to a pronounced peak in BIF deposition of other Precambrian cratons. It is thus implied that a global geologic event triggered the extensive occurrence of BIFs. We correlate the Neoarchean tectonic evolution of the North China craton with the 2.7 to 2.5 Ga Kenorland supercontinent. Significantly, planar distribution signatures of the North China craton BIFs indicate ca. 2.5 Ga cratonization through the amalgamation of at least seven microblocks that were welded by several Neoarchean greenstone belts. Hf-Nd isotope studies have highlighted the Archean episodic crustal evolution of the North China craton, and the Meso- and Neoarchean BIF deposition could have benefitted from these geologic processes. The Anshan-Benxi high-grade magnetite ores that formed at ca. 2.48 Ga were closely related to important metamorphic events during the North China cratonization process.


Author(s):  
William F. Chambers ◽  
Arthur A. Chodos ◽  
Roland C. Hagan

TASK8 was designed as an electron microprobe control program with maximum flexibility and versatility, lending itself to a wide variety of applications. While using TASKS in the microprobe laboratory of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, we decided to incorporate the capability of using subroutines which perform specific end-member calculations for nearly any type of mineral phase that might be analyzed in the laboratory. This procedure minimizes the need for post-processing of the data to perform such calculations as element ratios or end-member or formula proportions. It also allows real time assessment of each data point.The use of unique “mineral codes” to specify the list of elements to be measured and the type of calculation to perform on the results was first used in the microprobe laboratory at the California Institute of Technology to optimize the analysis of mineral phases. This approach was used to create a series of subroutines in TASK8 which are called by a three letter code.


Author(s):  
Robert Klinck ◽  
Ben Bradshaw ◽  
Ruby Sandy ◽  
Silas Nabinacaboo ◽  
Mannie Mameanskum ◽  
...  

The Naskapi Nation of Kawawachikamach is an Aboriginal community located in northern Quebec near the Labrador Border. Given the region’s rich iron deposits, the Naskapi Nation has considerable experience with major mineral development, first in the 1950s to the 1980s, and again in the past decade as companies implement plans for further extraction. This has raised concerns regarding a range of environmental and socio-economic impacts that may be caused by renewed development. These concerns have led to an interest among the Naskapi to develop a means to track community well-being over time using indicators of their own design. Exemplifying community-engaged research, this paper describes the beginning development of such a tool in fall 2012—the creation of a baseline of community well-being against which mining-induced change can be identified. Its development owes much to the remarkable and sustained contribution of many key members of the Naskapi Nation. If on-going surveying is completed based on the chosen indicators, the Nation will be better positioned to recognize shifts in its well-being and to communicate these shifts to its partners. In addition, long-term monitoring will allow the Naskapi Nation to contribute to more universal understanding of the impacts of mining for Indigenous peoples.


2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-278 ◽  
Author(s):  
CARLOS ALBERTO ROSIÈRE ◽  
FARID CHEMALE JR

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