Mineralium Deposita

, Volume 50, Issue 3, pp 373–390 | Cite as

Metabasalts as sources of metals in orogenic gold deposits

  • Iain K. Pitcairn
  • Dave Craw
  • Damon A. H. Teagle
Article
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Abstract

Although metabasaltic rocks have been suggested to be important source rocks for orogenic gold deposits, the mobility of Au and related elements (As, Sb, Se, and Hg) from these rocks during alteration and metamorphism is poorly constrained. We investigate the effects of increasing metamorphic grade on the concentrations of Au and related elements in a suite of metabasaltic rocks from the Otago and Alpine Schists, New Zealand. The metabasaltic rocks in the Otago and Alpine Schists are of MORB and WPB affinity and are interpreted to be fragments accreted from subducting oceanic crust. Gold concentrations are systematically lower in the higher metamorphic grade rocks. Average Au concentrations vary little between sub-greenschist (0.9 ± 0.5 ppb) and upper greenschist facies (1.0 ± 0.5 ppb), but decrease significantly in amphibolite facies samples (0.21 ± 0.07 ppb). The amount of Au depleted from metabasaltic rocks during metamorphism is on a similar scale to that removed from metasedimentary rocks in Otago. Arsenic concentrations increase with metamorphic grade with the metabasaltic rocks acting as a sink rather than a source of this element. The concentrations of Sb and Hg decrease between sub-greenschist and amphibolite facies but concentration in amphibolite facies rocks are similar to those in unaltered MORB protoliths and therefore unaltered oceanic crust cannot be a net source of Sb and Hg in a metamorphic environment. The concentrations of Au, As, Sb, and Hg in oceanic basalts that have become integrated into the metamorphic environment may be heavily influenced by the degree of seafloor alteration that occurred prior to metamorphism. We suggest that metasedimentary rocks are much more suitable source rocks for fluids and metals in orogenic gold deposits than metabasaltic rocks as they show mobility during metamorphism of all elements commonly enriched in this style of deposit.

Keywords

Source Rock Oceanic Crust Metasedimentary Rock Metamorphic Grade Greenschist Facies 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Notes

Acknowledgments

Samples were initially collected as part of PhD research for which IKP acknowledges receipt of NERC studentship NER/S/A/2000/03626. Whole-rock analyses performed at the NOC were supported by Nuffield Foundation Grant NAL/00392/G and other funds to DAHT. The Challenger Division for Seafloor Processes (NOC) assisted with the analyses of Hg, As, Sb, and Se. IKP also acknowledges Vetenskapsrådet personal research grant (1420701) and funding from Stockholm University. Stockholm University acknowledges funding from Wallenberg Foundation for upgrading the Philips ESEM. The University of Otago provided partial support for fieldwork. The manuscript benefitted from insightful reviews by Andy Tomkins, Rich Goldfarb, and Georges Beaudoin.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Iain K. Pitcairn
    • 1
  • Dave Craw
    • 2
  • Damon A. H. Teagle
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of Geological SciencesStockholm UniversityStockholmSweden
  2. 2.Geology DepartmentUniversity of OtagoDunedinNew Zealand
  3. 3.National Oceanography Centre SouthamptonUniversity of SouthamptonSouthamptonUK

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