A review of volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) mineralization in the Archaean Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia: Tectonic, stratigraphic and geochemical associations

Hollis, Steven P.; Yeats, C.J.; Wyche, Stephen; Barnes, Stephen J.; Ivanic, Tim J.; Belford, Sue; Davidson, Garry J.; Roache, Anthony; Wingate, Michael T.D.

doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2014.11.002

Cited by 49 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 80 publications

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“…Much of our understanding of these older deposits, such as mineralisation styles, hydrothermal fluids, alteration halos, host rock successions and distribution, comes from work done on these VMS deposits. The Yilgarn Craton is similar in age and Au-endowment to the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, but it contains only two significant VMS camps (Teutonic BoreÀJaguarÀBentley and Golden Grove) and only a handful of resources and prospects (Yeats 2007;Hollis et al 2014;Huston et al 2014). A variety of explanations for these differences have been proposed (Vearncombe 2010;Huston et al 2014), ranging from differences in tectonic setting, intensity of plume-related volcanism and geodynamic history, to differences in VMS exploration experience, outcrop exposure, weathering and alteration patterns, to exploration bias for gold, and poorer understanding of stratigraphic sequences and geochronology.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new period of volcanogenic massive sulfide formation in the Yilgarn: a volcanological study of theca2.76 Ga Hollandaire VMS deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

Hayman

Hull

Fernand

et al. 2015

Australian Journal of Earth Sciences

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The Archean Hollandaire volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit is a felsicÀsiliciclastic VMS deposit located in the Murchison Domain of the Youanmi Terrane, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. It is hosted in a succession of turbidites, mudstones and coherent rhyodacite sills, has been metamorphosed to upper greenschist/lower amphibolite facies and includes a pervasive S1 deformational fabric. The coherent rhyodacitic sills are interpreted as syndepositional based on geochemical similarities with wellknown VMS-associated felsic rocks and similar foliations to the metasediments. We offer several explanations for the absence of textural evidence (e.g. breccias) for syn-depositional origins: (1) the subaqueous sediments were dehydrated by long-lived magmatism such that no pore-water remained to drive quench fragmentation, (2) pore-space occlusion by burial, and/or (3) alteration overprinting and obscuring of primary breccias at contact margins. Mineralisation occurs by sub-seafloor replacement of original host rocks in two ore bodies, Hollandaire Main (»125 £ >500 m and »8 m thick) and Hollandaire West (»100 £ 470 m and »5 m thick), and occurs in three main textural styles, massive sulfides, which are exclusively hosted in turbidites and mudstones, and stringer and disseminated sulfides, which are also hosted in coherent rhyodacite. Most sulfides have textures consistent with remobilisation and recrystallisation. Hydrothermal metamorphism has altered the hangingwall and footwall to similar degrees, with significant gains in Mg, Mn and K and losses in Na, Ca and Sr. Garnet and staurolite porphyryoblasts also exhibit a footprint around mineralisation, extending up to 30 m both above and below the ore zone. High precision thermal ionisation mass spectrometry of zircons extracted from the coherent rhyodacite yield an age of 2759.5 § 0.9 Ma, which along with geochemical comparisons, places the succession within the 2760À2735 Ma Greensleeves Formation of the Polelle Group of the Murchison Supergroup. Geochemical and geochronological evidence link the coherent rhyodacite sills to the Peter Well Granodiorite pluton »2 km to the W, which acted as the heat engine driving hydrothermal circulation during VMS mineralisation. This study highlights the importance of both: detailed physical volcanological studies from which an accurate assessment of timing relationships, particularly the possibility of intrusions dismembering ore horizons, can be made; and identifying synvolcanic plutons and other similar suites, for VMS exploration targets in the Youanmi Terrane and worldwide.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A new period of volcanogenic massive sulfide formation in the Yilgarn: a volcanological study of theca2.76 Ga Hollandaire VMS deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

Hayman

Hull

Fernand

et al. 2015

Australian Journal of Earth Sciences

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“…The geology of the Yilgarn Craton with respect to VHMS mineralization has recently been reviewed by Hollis et al (2015). Here we focus on the stratigraphy of the western half of the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane -the Kalgoorlie and Kurnalpi terranes (Fig.…”

Section: Regional Geologymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…3a). The felsic rocks are significantly enriched in the high field strength elements (HFSE) and heavy rare earth elements (HREE) (Brown et al, 2002;Barley et al, 2008;Hollis et al, 2015), diagnostic of shallow crustal melting (Lesher et al, 1986;Piercey et al, 2001;Hart et al, 2004).…”

Section: The Geology Of the Kalgoorlie Terrane Is Broadly Divisible Imentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although renewed exploration activity during the past decade has identified several new resources (e.g. Bentley, Just Desserts, Hollandaire), only a handful of deposits have been brought into production (Hollis et al, 2015;Fig. 1).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Interpreted as an Archaean paleo-rift zone that was reactivated several times, the Cue Zone of the northern Youanmi Terrane (Huston et al, 2014;Fig. 2a) is associated with at least three episodes of VHMS mineralization (reviewed in Hollis et al, 2015): (i) an initial stage, dated from ca. 2980 Ma to ca.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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2.7 Ga plume associated VMS mineralisation in the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane: insights from the Ag-Zn-(Au) Nimbus deposit

Hollis

Mole

Gillespie

et al. 2016

Applied Earth Science

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Economic volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) deposits of the Archaean Yilgarn Craton of Western Australia are restricted to zones of juvenile crust as revealed through regional Nd, Pb and Hf isotopic variations and the geochemistry of felsic volcanic rocks. Interpreted as Archaean paleo-rift zones, one of these runs N-S through the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane (broadly coincident with the Kurnalpi Terrane) and is associated with the high grade ca. 2690 Ma Teutonic Bore, Jaguar and Bentley deposits, plus sub-economic VHMS mineralization further south. To date, only small historic Cu occurrences (e.g. Anaconda) and barren pyritic lenses have been recognised in the older >2.7 Ga plume-dominated lower stratigraphy of the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane. The Nimbus Ag-Zn-(Au) deposit (12.1 Mt at 52 g/t Ag, 0.9% Zn and 0.2g/t Au) is located approximately 10 km east of Kalgoorlie, near the margin of the Kurnalpi Terrane. Its origin has been contentious for a number of years, with previous models favouring seafloor/sub-seafloor VHMS mineralization or a high sulfidation fault-hosted system. We present a detailed account of the deposit, its host stratigraphy and associated hydrothermal alteration, plus two new SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages, Pb isotope (galena), and O isotope (zircon) constraints. Compared to other VHMS occurrences in the Yilgarn Craton, the Nimbus deposit is unusual in terms of its tectono-stratigraphic position, the geochemistry of its host sequence (i.e. FI-affinity felsic volcanic rocks, ocean-plateau-like low-Th basalts), mineralogy (e.g. abundance of Ag-Sb-Pb-As bearing sulfosalts, high Hg, low Cu) and quartz-carbonate-sericite dominated alteration assemblages. Classification of Nimbus as a shallow water and low temperature VHMS deposit with epithermal characteristics (i.e. a hybrid bimodal-felsic deposit) is consistent with its position near the margin of the Kurnalpi paleo-rift zone and radiogenic  (238 U/ 204 Pb) values. The recognition that the Nimbus deposit is associated with c. 2705 Ma plume magmatism opens new areas for VHMS exploration in the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane over a strike length exceeding 500 km. greenstone belts (e.g. Mt.

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New insights into the petrogenesis of rhyolites and evolution of volcanic‐hosted massive sulphide mineralization from shallow borehole core, Betul Belt, Central India

2022

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Shallow borehole drilling has been conducted at the Sarni area of Betul Belt, Central India to understand the subsurface geology and nature of mineralization. The predominant lithounits are ferruginous quartzites, felsic volcanic rocks, and with minor intrusions of amphibolites. The encountered felsic volcanic rocks are rhyolites varying from pink (rich in K-feldspar) to grey (rich in Na-feldspar and amphiboles). The rhyolitic rocks have undergone intense hydrothermal alteration.The alteration zones are defined by the presence of biotite-chlorite-garnet-gahnite; biotite-sericite-chlorite-anthophyllite and anthophyllite-actinolite-tremolite-carbonate mineral assemblages. Sulphide pits, highly leached zones with occasional bluish tinges, limonitic patches are present in the felsic volcanic rocks, followed by semi-massive to disseminated sulphide mineralization indicative of Kuroku-type Zn-Cu-Pb volcanic-hosted Massive Sulphide (VHMS) mineralization. Scanning electron microscope and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy studies documented sphalerite, pyrite, chalcophyrite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, and minor Au-Ag phases. The Sarni rhyolites exhibit chalcopyrite disease in sphalerite, replacement, and overgrowth ore-textures. The high HFSE, low Zr/Y ratio, pronounced negative Eu anomalies characterize the felsic volcanic rocks as FIIIb type with high zircon saturation temperatures of 856-931 C. These rhyolites are formed at a back-arc rift setting in an ensialic island-arc tectonic regime. The synvolcanic structures facilitated the magma ascent to the surface. The hydrothermal circulation due to adequate heat flow in the back-arc rift environment, in an episodic multicyclic process provided sufficient time for accumulation of sulphides from the seafloor, which was later deposited to form a VHMS mineralization. We also report tungsten (W) mineralization in the quartz veins of these felsic volcanic rocks. It is suggested that the felsic magma has interacted with metasedimentary sequences and assimilated W-ore bearing fluids, and during remobilization in the later stages of tectonic activity enabled the deposition of tungsten in these quartz veins.

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A review of volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) mineralization in the Archaean Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia: Tectonic, stratigraphic and geochemical associations

Cited by 49 publications

References 80 publications

A new period of volcanogenic massive sulfide formation in the Yilgarn: a volcanological study of theca2.76 Ga Hollandaire VMS deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

A new period of volcanogenic massive sulfide formation in the Yilgarn: a volcanological study of theca2.76 Ga Hollandaire VMS deposit, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

2.7 Ga plume associated VMS mineralisation in the Eastern Goldfields Superterrane: insights from the Ag-Zn-(Au) Nimbus deposit

New insights into the petrogenesis of rhyolites and evolution of volcanic‐hosted massive sulphide mineralization from shallow borehole core, Betul Belt, Central India

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