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Textural, mineralogical and stable isotope studies of hydrothermal alteration in the main sulfide zone of the Great Dyke, Zimbabwe and the precious metals zone of the Sonju Lake Intrusion, Minnesota, USA

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Abstract

Stratigraphic offsets in the peak concentrations of platinum-group elements (PGE) and base-metal sulfides in the main sulfide zone of the Great Dyke and the precious metals zone of the Sonju Lake Intrusion have, in part, been attributed to the interaction between magmatic PGE-bearing base-metal sulfide assemblages and hydrothermal fluids. In this paper, we provide mineralogical and textural evidence that indicates alteration of base-metal sulfides and mobilization of metals and S during hydrothermal alteration in both mineralized intrusions. Stable isotopic data suggest that the fluids involved in the alteration were of magmatic origin in the Great Dyke but that a meteoric water component was involved in the alteration of the Sonju Lake Intrusion. The strong spatial association of platinum-group minerals, principally Pt and Pd sulfides, arsenides, and tellurides, with base-metal sulfide assemblages in the main sulfide zone of the Great Dyke is consistent with residual enrichment of Pt and Pd during hydrothermal alteration. However, such an interpretation is more tenuous for the precious metals zone of the Sonju Lake Intrusion where important Pt and Pd arsenides and antimonides occur as inclusions within individual plagioclase crystals and within alteration assemblages that are free of base-metal sulfides. Our observations suggest that Pt and Pd tellurides, antimonides, and arsenides may form during both magmatic crystallization and subsolidus hydrothermal alteration. Experimental studies of magmatic crystallization and hydrothermal transport/deposition in systems involving arsenides, tellurides, antimonides, and base metal sulfides are needed to better understand the relative importance of magmatic and hydrothermal processes in controlling the distribution of PGE in mineralized layered intrusions of this type.

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Acknowledgments

We are indebted to G.L. Holland and R. Brown of BHP-Hartley Platinum Mine and P. Vanderspuy, H. Wilhelmij and H. O’Keeffe of Zimplats for their continuous support of our field work in Zimbabwe. Paula Shafer and Joyashish Thakurta are thanked for their assistance in isotope analysis. Careful reviews by Andy Kerr and Edward Pattison are appreciated. Partial financial support for this work was provided through grants from the NSF of China (40534020), the Ministry of Education of China (Project 111-B07011) and the NSF of the United States (EAR-0335131).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, 47405, USA

    Chusi Li & Edward M. Ripley

  2. China University of Geosciences, Beijing, 100083, China

    Chusi Li

  3. Federal Institute for Geosciences and Natural Resources (BGR), Stilleweg 2, 30655, Hannover, Germany

    Thomas Oberthür

  4. Minnesota Geological Survey, St. Paul, MN, 55114, USA

    James D. Miller Jr

  5. Department of Geological Sciences, University of Minnesota, Duluth, MN, 55812, USA

    James D. Miller Jr & Gregory D. Joslin

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  1. Chusi Li
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  2. Edward M. Ripley
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  3. Thomas Oberthür
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  4. James D. Miller Jr
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  5. Gregory D. Joslin
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Correspondence to Chusi Li.

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Editorial handling: P. Lightfoot

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Li, C., Ripley, E.M., Oberthür, T. et al. Textural, mineralogical and stable isotope studies of hydrothermal alteration in the main sulfide zone of the Great Dyke, Zimbabwe and the precious metals zone of the Sonju Lake Intrusion, Minnesota, USA. Miner Deposita 43, 97–110 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-007-0159-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-007-0159-x

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