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A hypothesis for base and noble metal deposits

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Zusammenfassung

Die chemischen Ablagerungen im Roten Meer, Salton Sea (Californien) und auf der Cheleken Halbinsel (UDSSR) haben Anreicherungen von Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag und etwas Au. Sole, mit der die Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu Lösungen kommen, hat über 10% Cl und einen Überschuß an chalcophilen Metallen. Kieselsinter, die reich an Au, Ag, Hg und Sb sind, erscheinen an den Austrittsstellen der heißen Lösungen in Californien, West-Nevada und Neu-Seeland. Heiße CO2-H2O-Lösungen, die mit diesem Sb-Hg-Ag-Au-System ausströmen, enthalten weniger als 2% Cl und anstelle von chalcophilen Metallen kommen Sulfide vor. In verschiedenen geothermalen Provinzen gibt es Mischsysteme zwischen diesen Endgliedern.

Zn-Cu und Ag-Au-Konzentrationen treten am Rande des archaischen Komplexes im Wawa Grundschiefergürtel in Ontario, Canada auf. Dies wird interpretiert als ein zunächst vom Meerwasser dominiertes System, in dem Exhalationen reich an unedlen Metallen eindrangen. Während einer folgenden Regionalmetamorphose erfolgt die Konzentration von Edelmetallen aus Lösungen mit geringer Salinität.

Abstract

Chemical deposits in the Red Sea, Salton Sea, and Cheleken Peninsula have concentrations of Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag, and some Au. Brines emanating from these base metal systems have over 10% Cl and have chalcophile metals in excess of sulphide in solution. Siliceous sinters laden with Au, Ag, Hg, and Sb exist around vents and wells in California, western Nevada, and New Zealand. Hot CO2-H2O fluids that exhale from these noble metal systems have less than 2 % Cl and sulphide in excess of chalcophile metals. Some geothermal systems around the world have features intermediate between these two end-members. Cu-Fe and Ag-Au concentrations occur around the margin of an Archean felsic stock in the Wawa greenstone belt in Ontario, Canada. The interpretation is that an initial seawater dominated system concentrated exhalites rich in base metals. This culminated with regional metamorphism and the concentration of precious metal-bearing veins from low salinity fluids.

Résumé

Les dépôts chimiques de la Mer Rouge, du lac de Salton (Californie) et de la presqu'île de Cheleken (URSS), présentent des enrichissements en Cu, Zn, Pb, Ag et, dans une certaine mesure, en Au. Les saumures qui émanent de ces systèmes à Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu renferment plus de 10% Cl et contiennent un excès de métaux chalcophiles par rapport à S. Des dépôts de précipitation siliceux, riches en Au, Ag, Hg, Sb se rencontrent autour d'évents et de sources chaudes en Californie, en W. Nevada et en Nouvelle Zélande. Les fluides chauds (H2O - CO2) qui émanent de ces systèmes à Sb - Hg - Ag - Au renferment moins de 2% Cl et les ions S− − y sont en excès sur les métaux chalcophiles. Divers systèmes géothermaux à travers le monde présentent des caractères intermédiaires entre ces deux types.

Dans le »Greenstone belt« de Wawa (Ontario, Canada), des concentrations en Zn-Cu et en Ag-Au se présentent autour de la bordure d'un massif felsitique archéen. Cette disposition est interprétée comme le résultat: d'abord de l'action d'un système à eau de mer dans lequel les métaux usuels se sont concentrés, ensuite, au cours d'une phase ultérieure de métamorphisme régional, de la concentration des métaux précieux à partir de solutions peu salées.

Краткое содержание

Отложения в результа те химического осажд ения в Красном море, в озере Солтон (Калифорния) и на полуострове Челе кен (СССР) характеризу ются накоплениями меди, ци нка, свинца, серебра и золота. З оли, в которы х находят растворы серебра, свинца, цинка и меди содержат более 10% поваренной соли и изб ыток халкофильных элементов. Кремнисты й туфф, богатый золото м, серебром, ртутью и сур ьмой находят на места х выхода горячих источ ников в Калифорнии, за падной Неваде и Новой Зеланд ии. Горячие, богатые углекислотой водные растворы, содержащие сурьму, ртуть, серебро и золото, имеют менее 2% поваренной соли и вме сто халкофильных эле ментов здесь накопляются су льфиды. В различных геотермальных прови нциях отмечены промежуточные систе мы.

Концентрации цинка-м еди и серебра-золота н аходят в отложениях архейск ого комплекса в поясе зеленого сланца Вава, Онтарио, Канада. Счита ют, что преобладающей ср едой, в которой отлага лись неблагородные метал лы, была морская вода, в которую происх одил выброс эксгаляц ионного материала. Во время по следующего регионал ьного метаморфизма благор одные металлы сконцентрировались в растворах с более ни зкой соленостью.

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  1. Paul A. Studemeister

    Present address: Geology Department, Laurentian University, Ramsey Lake Road, P3E 2C6, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada

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    Studemeister, P.A. A hypothesis for base and noble metal deposits. Geol Rundsch 74, 51–59 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01764569

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