Title | Mineral systems with IOCG and affiliated deposits: part 2 - geochemical footprints |
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Author | Corriveau, L ;
Montreuil, J F; Blein, O; Ehrig, K; Potter, E G ; Fabris, A;
Clark, J |
Source | Geological Association of Canada, Special Paper 52, 2022 p. 89-124 |
Links | Online - En ligne
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Image |  |
Year | 2022 |
Alt Series | Natural Resources Canada, Contribution Series 20200578 |
Publisher | Geological Association of Canada |
Document | serial |
Lang. | English |
Media | paper; on-line; digital |
Related | NRCan photo(s) in this
publication |
File format | pdf |
Province | Canada; British Columbia; Alberta; Saskatchewan; Manitoba; Ontario; Quebec; New Brunswick; Nova Scotia; Prince Edward Island; Newfoundland and Labrador; Northwest Territories; Yukon; Nunavut |
NTS | 1; 2; 3; 10; 11; 12; 13; 14; 15; 16; 20; 21; 22; 23; 24; 25; 26; 27; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32; 33; 34; 35; 36; 37; 38; 39; 40; 41; 42; 43; 44; 45; 46; 47; 48; 49; 52; 53; 54; 55; 56; 57; 58; 59; 62; 63; 64; 65;
66; 67; 68; 69; 72; 73; 74; 75; 76; 77; 78; 79; 82; 83; 84; 85; 86; 87; 88; 89; 92; 93; 94; 95; 96; 97; 98; 99; 102; 103; 104; 105; 106; 107; 114O; 114P; 115; 116; 117; 120; 340; 560 |
Lat/Long WENS | -180.0000 180.0000 90.0000 -90.0000 |
Subjects | geochemistry; mineralogy; Science and Technology; mineral deposits; minerals; iron; iron oxides; lithogeochemistry; Great Bear Magmatic Zone; Nico Deposit |
Illustrations | location maps; composite sections; graphs; photographs; tables |
Program | Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI-5) Uranium ore systems |
Released | 2022 07 22 |
Abstract | The development of mineral systems with regional-scale iron-oxide and alkali-calcic alteration leads to a wide variety of ore deposits, including iron oxide-apatite (IOA), iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG),
iron oxide Co/Bi/REE/U, skarn and albitite-hosted U and Au-Co±U. The paper illustrates the lithogeochemical footprints of these mineralizing systems using examples from the Great Bear magmatic zone (Canada), the Cloncurry district and the Olympic
Copper-Gold Province (Australia). Plotting metal contents on a diagram that discriminates the iron oxide and alkali-calcic alteration facies (AIOCG plot) highlights the coupling of V, Sc, Ni, ±Pb, ±Zn with Ca and Fe, as Facies 1 (Na) evolves to
Facies 2 (Ca-Fe) and IOA mineralization. The transition to Facies 3 (transitional facies Ca-K-Fe) is marked by enrichment in Co and Au, onset of Cu precipitation and within iron-rich end-members, As, Bi and W precipitate forming Au-Co-Bi ±Cu deposits
(e.g. NICO deposit, Great Bear). Facies 3 (K-Fe) containing biotite can also be rich in Co and As (Ernest Henry, Cloncurry) while Facies 3 with K-feldspar is associated with the precipitation of Ag, Au, Bi, Cu, Mo, REE, ±U and locally Ni. Facies 4
(K-felsite) is largely barren though locally enriched in thorium while K-skarn that forms in carbonate units can host polymetallic mineralization. Facies 5 (K-Fe to Ca-Fe-Mg) is associated with enrichments in Ag, Au, Cd, Cu, Mo, Pb, REE and Zn. The
sequence of alteration facies records the metal pathways and precipitation in the system. The resulting footprints provide mappable criteria in outcrop and drill core for mineral potential assessments and facilitate vectoring to IOCG and affiliated
mineralization, including variants enriched in critical metals. |
Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published) Polymetallic mineral systems with iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) and affiliated critical metal deposits remain significantly under-represented in Canada.
This Part 2 of 3 scientific papers for the Special Paper 52 of the Geological Association of Canada entitled 'Mineral systems with iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) and affiliated deposits' illustrates the geochemical footprints of the fluid flow paths
across systems and the endowments in critical metals (eg Bi, Co, Mo, rare-earth elements, Sb, Sc, Te, U, W), base metals (Cu, Pb, Zn) and precious metals (Ag, Au) of their varied deposit types. Australian and American case examples, including the
Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag deposit, are combined with Canadian examples, including the Au-Co-Bi-Cu NICO deposit of the Great Bear magmatic zone, to best portray the realm of potential commodities to explore for within prospective Canadian settings and
globally. The contribution is an outcome of international collaborations under the Targeted Geoscience Initiative program of NRCan. |
GEOSCAN ID | 327825 |
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