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The Kohuamuri siliceous sinter as a vector for epithermal mineralisation, Coromandel Volcanic Zone, New Zealand

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Abstract

The Kohuamuri siliceous sinter is the largest known fossil hot-spring system in the Hauraki Goldfield, a 200 × 40 km volcanic terrain with at least 50 adularia-illite epithermal deposits formed 16.3–5.6 Ma within the Coromandel Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. The sinter is associated with rhyolite and ignimbrite of the Whitianga Caldera (Miocene–Pliocene) and consists of two deposits, the Kohuamuri deposit itself, a large in situ outcrop (47,000 m2) and its associated sinter boulder field (4500 m2), and the Kaitoke deposit 900 m to the southwest, comprising boulders in a landslide situated on a normal fault. The well-preserved macroscopic and microscopic textures at Kohuamuri are similar to actively forming and ancient hot-spring deposits elsewhere, derived from deep circulating, magmatically heated, near-neutral pH alkali chloride fluids oversaturated in amorphous silica and that discharge at the Earth’s surface at ≤100 °C. Lithofacies, petrography, mineralogy, as well as trace element concentrations of the Kohuamuri/Kaitoke deposits were used to locate likely palaeo-thermal conduits from the deep reservoir and to reconstruct the palaeoenvironmental setting of the siliceous sinter as an aid to assessing the economic potential of the ancient geothermal system. Both deposits contain the high-temperature (>75 °C) geyserite lithofacies, with the Kohuamuri deposit also exhibiting textures affiliated with cooler middle and distal sinter apron areas, as well as geothermally influenced marsh facies. Trace element analysis of sinter lithofacies revealed concentrations and zonations of Au, Ag, base metals (Pb, Cu, Zn) and pathfinder elements (As, Sb) associated with epithermal deposits, elevated in the proximal vent area, and providing evidence of possible Au and Ag ore mineralisation at depth. The methodology used in this study could be utilised globally to identify and assess as yet unidentified epithermal deposits.

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Acknowledgments

AH’s research was funded by the Institute of Mining and Metallurgy New Zealand Branch—Education Endowment Trust Scholarship, Newmont Waihi Gold and The University of Auckland Geology Centennial Award. KAC and PRLB received financial support for reconnaissance field work from the Royal Society of New Zealand’s Marsden Fund. During manuscript preparation, AH, KAC, and JVR were funded by the Ministry for Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE), onshore minerals project, ‘Mineral exploration models to drive discovery and reduce exploration risk’. Technical assistance was provided by Ben Durrant, Dr Michel Nieuwoudt, John Wilmshurst, Patrick Conor, John Robertson and Louise Cotterall. The manuscript was improved by reviews from R.L. Brathwaite and S.F. Simmons.

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  1. Geology, School of Environment, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand

    Ayrton Hamilton, Kathleen Campbell & Julie Rowland

  2. Institute of Earth Sciences and Engineering, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand

    Patrick Browne

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  1. Ayrton Hamilton
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  2. Kathleen Campbell
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Correspondence to Kathleen Campbell.

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Editorial handling: H. Frimmel

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Supplementary Table 1. Trace elemental concentrations in 24 sinter samples of the Kohuamuri and Kaitoke sinter deposits; in ppm except Fe (in %). (XLSX 48 kb)

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Hamilton, A., Campbell, K., Rowland, J. et al. The Kohuamuri siliceous sinter as a vector for epithermal mineralisation, Coromandel Volcanic Zone, New Zealand. Miner Deposita 52, 181–196 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-016-0658-8

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