scholarly journals Temporal relationships between plutonism, metamorphism, and gold mineralization in southwestern New Brunswick: U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronological constraints

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
W J Davis ◽  
G Chi ◽  
S Castonguay ◽  
M McLeod
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Gold Mineralization ◽  
Temporal Relationships ◽  
Geochronological Constraints

Chapter 12: Geologic Setting and Gold Mineralization of the Kalgoorlie Gold Camp, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

2020 ◽  
pp. 251-274
Author(s):  
Jordan A. McDivitt ◽  
Steffen G. Hagemann ◽  
Matthew S. Baggott ◽  
Stuart Perazzo
Keyword(s):  
Lava Flow ◽  
Western Australia ◽  
Gold Mineralization ◽  
Fault System ◽  
Yilgarn Craton ◽  
Stratigraphic Sequence ◽  
Geologic Setting ◽  
Multiple Deformation ◽  
Geochronological Constraints ◽  
Golden Mile

Abstract The Kalgoorlie gold camp in the Yilgarn craton of Western Australia comprises the supergiant Golden Mile and the smaller Mt. Charlotte, Mt. Percy, and Hidden Secret deposits. Since the camp’s discovery in 1893, ~1,950 metric tons (t) of Au have been produced from a total estimated endowment of ~2,300 t. The camp is located within Neoarchean rocks of the Kalgoorlie terrane, within the Eastern Goldfields superterrane of the eastern Yilgarn craton. Gold mineralization is distributed along an 8- × 2-km, NNW-trending corridor, which corresponds to the Boulder Lefroy-Golden Mile fault system. The host stratigraphic sequence, dated at ca. 2710 to 2660 Ma, comprises lower ultramafic and mafic lava flow rocks, and upper felsic to intermediate volcaniclastic, epiclastic, and lava flow rocks intruded by highly differentiated dolerite sills such as the ca. 2685 Ma Golden Mile Dolerite. Multiple sets of NNW-trending, steeply dipping porphyry dikes intruded this sequence from ca. 2675 to 2640 Ma. From ca. 2685 to 2640 Ma, rocks of the Kalgoorlie gold camp were subjected to multiple deformation increments and metamorphism. Early D1 deformation from ca. 2685 to 2675 Ma generated the Golden Mile fault and F1 folds. Prolonged sinistral transpression from ca. 2675 to 2655 Ma produced overprinting, NNW-trending sets of D2-D3 folds and faults. The last deformation stage (D4; < ca. 2650 Ma) is recorded by N- to NNE-trending, dextral faults which offset earlier structures. The main mineralization type in the Golden Mile comprises Fimiston lodes: steeply dipping, WNW- to NNW-striking, gold- and telluride-bearing carbonate-quartz veins with banded, colloform, and crustiform textures surrounded by sericite-carbonate-quartz-pyrite-telluride alteration zones. These lodes were emplaced during the earlier stages of regional sinistral transpression (D2) as Riedel shear-type structures. During a later stage of regional sinistral transpression (D3), exceptionally high grade Oroya-type mineralization developed as shallowly plunging ore shoots with “Green Leader” quartz-sericite-carbonate-pyrite-telluride alteration typified by vanadium-bearing muscovite. In the Hidden Secret orebody, ~3 km north-northwest of the Golden Mile, lode mineralization is a silver-rich variety characterized by increased abundance of hessite and petzite and decreased abundance of calaverite. At the adjacent Mt. Charlotte deposit, the gold-, silver-, and telluride-bearing lodes become subordinate to the Mt. Charlotte-type stockwork veins. The stockwork veins occur as planar, 2- to 50-cm thick, auriferous quartz-carbonate-sulfide veins that define steeply NW- to SE-dipping and shallowly N-dipping sets broadly coeval with D4 deformation. Despite extensive research, there is no consensus on critical features of ore formation in the camp. Models suggest either (1) distinct periods of mineralization over a protracted, ca. 2.68 to 2.64 Ga orogenic history; or (2) broadly synchronous formation of the different types of mineralization at ca. 2.64 Ga. The nature of fluids, metal sources, and mineralizing processes remain debated, with both metamorphic and magmatic models proposed. There is strong evidence for multiple gold mineralization events over the course of the ca. 2.68 to 2.64 orogenic window, differing in genesis and contributions from either magmatic or metamorphic ore-forming processes. However, reconciling these models with field relationships and available geochemical and geochronological constraints remains difficult and is the subject of ongoing research.

Geochemistry and U/Pb geochronology of the Williams Brook area, Tobique-Chaleur zone, New Brunswick: stratigraphic and geotectonic setting of gold mineralization

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dennis Sánchez-Mora ◽  
Christopher R.M. McFarlane ◽  
James A Walker ◽  
David R. Lentz
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Gold Mineralization ◽  
Tectonic Setting ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Crustal Contamination ◽  
Volcanic Belt ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Lower Percentage ◽  
Oblique Convergence ◽  
Felsic Volcanic

Gold mineralization at Williams Brook in northern New Brunswick is hosted within the Siluro-Devonian, bimodal, volcano-sedimentary rocks of the Tobique-Chaleur Zone (Wapske Formation). Gold mineralization occurs in two styles: 1) as disseminations (refractory gold) in rhyolite, and 2) in cross-cutting quartz veins (free gold). Dating of the felsic volcanic host rocks by in situ LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb geochronology returned ages of 422 ± 3, 409 ± 2, 408 ± 3, 405 ± 2, 401 ± 9 Ma. Zr/Y of subvolcanic felsic intrusion (<8 for syn-mineralization and >8 for post-mineralization) suggests evolution from transitional to more alkalic affinities. Two mineralizing events are recognized; the first is a disseminated mineralization style formed at ~422–416 Ma and the second consists of quartz vein-hosted gold emplaced at 410–408 Ma. Felsic rocks from Williams Brook and elsewhere in the Tobique Group (i.e. Wapske, Costigan Mountain, and Benjamin formations), and the Coastal Volcanic Belt have similar Th/Nb ratios of ~0.1 to 1, reflecting similar levels of crustal contamination, and similar Nb and Y content, suggesting A-type affinities. These data indicate a similar environment of formation. Regionally, mafic rocks show similar within-plate continental signatures and an E-MORB mantle source that formed from partial melts of 10–30%. Mafic volcanic rocks from Williams Brook have a more alkaline affinity (based on Ti/V), and derivation from lower percentage partial melting (~5%). The chemical and temporal variations in the Williams Brook rocks suggest that they were erupted in an evolving transpressional tectonic setting during the oblique convergence of Gondwana and Laurentia.

Geochronological constraints on the timing of magmatism, deformation, and gold mineralization in the Red Lake greenstone belt, northwestern Ontario

1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (7) ◽  
pp. 1302-1320 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Corfu ◽  
A. J. Andrews
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Gold Mineralization ◽  
Time Frame ◽  
Time Interval ◽  
Major Activity ◽  
Red Lake ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Volcanic Sequence ◽  
Two Phases ◽  
Geochronological Constraints

The paper presents U–Pb ages on zircon, baddeleyite, titanite, rutile, and monazite from volcanic and plutonic rocks of the Red Lake greenstone belt in the northern Superior Province. The purpose of the study was to refine a previously outlined time frame for the volcanic evolution of the belt, define the time of major plutonism and deformation, and constrain the age of formation of gold deposits.Volcanism spanned at least 270 Ma between 3000 and 2730 Ma. New ages of 2989 ± 3 and 2894 ± 2 Ma for units of a lower volcanic sequence and [Formula: see text] and 2744 ± 1 Ma for units of an upper volcanic sequence corroborate and refine the previously established relationships. Local gabbroic and felsic intrusions cutting through the lower sequence yield ages of 2870 ± 15 and [Formula: see text], respectively.Volcanism was succeeded by major plutonism, deformation, alteration, and metamorphism between about 2730 and 2700 Ma. These processes were interrelated and progressed as a relatively continuous sequence of events accentuated by major activity during two phases at about 2720–2715 and 2705–2700 Ma. Early plutonism recorded at 2731 ± 3 Ma in the northern batholith complex was succeeded in the eastern part of the belt by a major tectonic – plutonic phase that includes intrusion of the McKenzie Stock at 2720 ± 2 Ma, the Dome Stock at 2718 ± 1 Ma, alteration and deformation of the Abino dyke at [Formula: see text], and emplacement of a late tectonic dyke at 2714 ± 4 Ma. A subsequent phase is recorded at 2701 ± 1.5 Ma in the Wilmar dyke. Major deformation and metamorphism in the western part of the belt is constrained by an age of 2729 ± 1.5 Ma for the deformed Red Crest Stock and a titanite age of 2705 ± 8 Ma for an undeformed crosscutting mafic dyke at Rowan Lake. Peak activity was probably coeval with emplacement of the adjacent batholithic phases at 2717 Ma. In the central part of the belt the deformation is constrained by ages of 2718 ± 1 Ma for the Dome Stock and 2699 ± 4 Ma for titanite of a crosscutting, undeformed diorite dyke and probably peaked during intrusion of the main phase of the Killala–Baird batholith at 2704 ± 1.5 Ma.Gold mineralization, which is spatially related to zones of intense shear deformation and alteration, is constrained within the time interval of 2720–2700 Ma by U–Pb ages on several felsic to mafic intrusive rocks that both pre- and post-date deformation and mineralization in different sections of the belt. These data indicate that mineralization occurred significantly later than the termination of volcanism.

scholarly journals U-Pb, Ar-Ar, and Re-Os Geochronological Constraints on Multiple Magmatic–Hydrothermal Episodes at the Lake George Mine, Central New Brunswick

Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 566 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carlin Lentz ◽  
Kathleen Thorne ◽  
Christopher R. M. McFarlane ◽  
Douglas A. Archibald
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Weighted Mean ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Quartz Veins ◽  
Icp Ms ◽  
Step Heating ◽  
Geochronological Constraints ◽  
Lake George

The Lake George antimony mine was at one time North America’s largest producer of antimony. Despite being widely known for the antimony mineralization, the deposit also hosts a range of styles of mineralization such as multiple generations of W-Mo bearing quartz veins as well as a system of As-Au bearing quartz–carbonate veins. In situ U-Pb zircon geochronology, using LA ICP-MS, of the Lake George granodiorite yielded a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 419.6 ± 3.0 Ma. Step heating of phlogopite separated from the lamprophyre dykes produced a 40Ar/39Ar plateau segment date of 419.4 ± 1.4 Ma. Single molybdenite crystal analysis for Re-Os geochronology was conducted on two W-Mo-bearing quartz veins, which cross-cut altered granodiorite and altered metasedimentary rocks and yielded two dates of 415.7 ± 1.7 Ma and 416.1 ± 1.7 Ma respectively. 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of muscovite from alteration associated with Au-bearing quartz–carbonate veins yielded one representative plateau segment date of 414.1 ± 1.3 Ma. The dates produced in this study revealed that the different magmatic–hydrothermal events at the Lake George mine occurred over approximately a 10-million-year period at the end of the Silurian and the start of the Devonian following the termination of the Acadian orogeny.

Geochronological constraints on late Archean magmatism deformation and gold–quartz vein mineralization in the northwestern Anialik River greenstone belt and igneous complex, Slave Province, N.W.T.

1994 ◽  
Vol 31 (8) ◽  
pp. 1365-1383 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. P. G. Abraham ◽  
D. W. Davis ◽  
S. L. Kamo ◽  
E. T. C. Spooner
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Gold Mineralization ◽  
Shear Zones ◽  
Temporal Variations ◽  
Crustal Material ◽  
The West ◽  
Igneous Complex ◽  
Slave Province ◽  
Minimum Age ◽  
Geochronological Constraints

Three phases of the Anialik River igneous complex (ARIC) give U–Pb zircon ages in the range −2705–2683 Ma, and three units from the adjacent northwestern Anialik River greenstone belt (ARGB) give ca. 2678 Ma ages. Titanite from unsheared ARIC rocks crystallized during localized metamorphism and deuteric alteration between 2693 and 2683 Ma. Hydrothermal titanite in wall rocks to gold-mineralized shear zones crystallized during early shear zone development (2670 ± 1 Ma) and was subsequently locally altered to rutile, with gold occurring within the rutile-bearing assemblage. Unaltered second-generation hydrothermal titanite, overgrowing the rutile assemblage, crystallized during later brittle–ductile movement (2656 ± 2 Ma) and provides a minimum age for gold mineralization. Relatively high 207Pb/204Pb ratios of Pb in gold-associated galena suggest that it was partly derived from significantly older crustal material, possibly underlying the igneous complex and greenstone belt. This interpretation is consistent with other evidence for the existence of > 3.0 Ga crustal rocks to the west of the study area. A late crosscutting granite gives an age of [Formula: see text] and is therefore part of the Pan-Slave tectono-thermal event. These results, and other data for the Slave Province, indicate temporal variations in the development and deformation of predeformational greenstone belts. The new ages show that regional deformation and metamorphism in the northwestern Slave Province followed shortly after major magmatism, and that gold mineralization might have occurred during the late Archean accretion of the greenstone belt and igneous complex to an older crustal domain to the west.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document