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Evidence for sulfurization and the origin of some sudbury-type ores

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Abstract

The suggestion that Sudbury-type ores may be formed by the introduction of country rock sulfur into still hot intrusions (i.e., sulfurization) suffers from a reputed lack of field evidence. Permissive evidence for sulfurization includes the epigenetic nature of many Sudbury-type ores and that many Sudbury-type ores crystallized from sulfide melts. Visual evidence exists for sulfurization of a gabbro in Zambia. The lead isotopic composition of ore minerals at Sudbury implies that at least some of the metals were derived from the erruptive. Published sulfur isotopic data from several Sudbury-type ores differ from and do not exhibit a common pattern of isotopic enrichment with respect to sulfides within associated intrusions. Evidently the sulfur was derived from the country rocks. Sudbury-type ores exhibiting magmatic textures commonly occur within more siliceous dikes than the host intrusions. Inorganic reduction of sulfate occurs only above 600° C. Reduction of sulfate with resultant sulfurization of ferrous iron and traces of other metals originally present in the still hot parental intrusive rock would make the rock more siliceous. Above 1100° C the silicate-residue and newly formed sulfides would form immiscible magmas. Therefore, ore magmas within and near mafic intrusives can be epigenetic. The processes by which sulfur is introduced into intrusions are still speculative.

Zusammenfassung

Für die Annahme, daß Erze vom Sudbury-Typus sich durch Zuführung von Nebengesteinsschwefel in noch heiße Intrusionen bilden können (“sulfurization”), fehlt es angeblich an Feldunterlagen. Folgende Tatsachen lassen sich mit einer Schwefelung (“sulfurization”) vereinigen: der epigenetische Charakter vieler Erze vom Sudbury-Typ; auch sind viele Erze von Sudbury-Typus aus sulfidischen Schmelzen kristallisiert. In einem Gabbro in Zambia ist der Beweis für Schwefelung (“sulfurization”) direkt sichtbar. Die Isotopen-Zusammensetzung von Blei in Erzmineralien in Sudbury zeigt, daß mindestens einige der Metalle aus dem Eruptivgestein stammen. Schwefelisotop-Daten, die für mehrere Lagerstätten von Sudbury-Typen veröffentlicht worden sind, haben hinsichtlich der Isotop-Anreicherung keine gemeinsamen Züge. Offensichtlich stammt der Schwefel aus dem Nebengestein. Erze vom Sudbury-Typ mit magmatischem Gefüge finden sich oft in Gängen, die saurer sind als das Wirtsgestein. Anorganische Reduktion von Sulfat findet nur oberhalb 600°C statt. Reduktion von Sulfat und die entstehende Schwefelung (“sulfurization”) von zweiwertigem Eisen und Spuren anderer Metalle, die ursprünglich in dem noch heiß eruptiven Gestein anwesend sind, machen das Gestein noch saurer. Oberhalb 1100°C würden der Silicat-Rest und die neugeformten Sulfide nicht mischbare Magmen bilden. Deshalb können sich sulfidische Schmelzen innerhalb und in der Nähe von “Mafic”-Intrusionen später gebildet haben. Die Prozesse, durch die Schwefel in Intrusionen eingeführt wird, sind noch unbekannt.

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  1. University of Washington, Seattle, Washington, USA

    Eric S. Cheney & Ian M. Lange

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Cheney, E.S., Lange, I.M. Evidence for sulfurization and the origin of some sudbury-type ores. Mineral. Deposita 2, 80–94 (1967). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00206581

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