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Using Gravity and Magnetic Data for Insights into the Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Terrane, Southeast Missouri: Implications for Iron Oxide Deposits

Pure and Applied Geophysics volume 176, pages 297–314 (2019)Cite this article

Abstract

Gravity and magnetic data in conjunction with available drill hole data were used to decipher the nature of the volcanic lithologies and their relationship to iron oxide ore deposits within the northwest portion of the Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Terrane in southeast Missouri. Analyses of the data included creating a deep-seated gravity anomaly map by removing the gravitational effect of the Paleozoic sedimentary units, residual gravity and magnetic anomaly maps, and two and one-half dimensional gravity and magnetic models. The residual gravity and magnetic anomaly maps highlighted a series of short-wavelength maxima and minima anomalies that could be interpreted to be granitic within collapsed caldera systems surrounded later by ring intrusions. The gravity and magnetic models illustrate that the sources of the anomalies are situated mainly within the upper 5 km of the crust and help to constrain the location of suspected calderas. The iron oxide deposits, some of which contain significant quantities of REE minerals, are rarely associated with both residual gravity and magnetic maxima but may be on the edge of these maxima and/or occur over gravity minima. The REE-rich Pea Ridge deposit is located over a gravity minimum where modeling shows the main ore body extending down to 1.5 km with a low-density region extending to 5 km below the ore body. The cause of this low-density body is unknown but may be associated with the formation of the ore deposit. Potential iron oxide deposits may occur to the south and southwest of Pea Ridge based on our analysis while to the northeast of the Pea Ridge deposit an anomaly pattern similar to that over Pea Ridge was found.

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Acknowledgements

We would to thank Anne McCafferty of the USGS for inviting us to be involved in the USGS project on Setting and Origin of Iron Oxide–Copper–Cobalt–Gold–Rare Earth Element (Fe–Cu–Co–Au–REE) Deposits of southeast Missouri, and also providing useful insights and discussions on the Pea Ridge deposit. The Society of Economic Geologists through a student research grant to B.I., the graduate school of Missouri State University and the USGS provided funds for the acquisition of the gravity data. Cheryl Seeger and Molly Starkey of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources provided useful discussions of the Proterozoic geology of the study area and the drill hole data. Two anonymous reviewers provided comments that greatly enhanced the paper.

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  1. Department of Geography, Geology and Planning, Missouri State University Springfield, Springfield, MO, 65897, USA

    Brandon Todd Ives & Kevin Mickus

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  1. Brandon Todd Ives
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Ives, B.T., Mickus, K. Using Gravity and Magnetic Data for Insights into the Mesoproterozoic St. Francois Terrane, Southeast Missouri: Implications for Iron Oxide Deposits. Pure Appl. Geophys. 176, 297–314 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00024-018-1967-x

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Keywords

  • Gravity
  • magnetics
  • iron ore deposits
  • Mesoproterozoic
  • Missouri