Formation of the Tharsis Massive Sulfide Deposit, Iberian Pyrite Belt: Geological, Lithogeochemical, and Stable Isotope Evidence for Deposition in a Brine Pool

Metamorphosed Pb–Zn–(Ag) ores of the Keketale VMS deposit, NW China: Evidence from ore textures, fluid inclusions, geochronology and pyrite compositions

“…The δ 34 S values, characterized by two clusters of −23.2 to −15% and ±0%, are interpreted as the results of leaching from underlying volcanic rocks or bacterial reduction of seawater sulfate, with some contribution of mantle material (Wan et al, 2010a). Compared with the typical VMS deposit in the world, e.g., the Iberian pyrite belt (Tornos et al, 2008), the first-stage ores in Keketale have the similar tectonic settings, ore geology and δ 34 S values, implying the banded and massive ores of early stage are related to sea-floor volcanic-hydrothermal activity.…”

“…These include the Iberian pyrite belts in Europe (Barrie et al, 2002;Tornos et al, 2008), the Kuroko deposit in Japan (Ishikawa et al, 1962), the VMS deposits in Australia (Huston et al, 2001;Large et al, 2001), the Red Dog VMS District in USA (Kelley et al, 2004), the active modern seafloor hydrothermal deposit in the East Pacific Rise at 21°N (Haymon and Kastner, 1981) and the Au-rich polymetallic sulfides of Lau basin in the SW Pacific (Herzig et al,Fig. 1.…”

Biogeochemical Cycling of Silver in Acidic, Weathering Environments

“…More recently in mining history, gossans were used as indicators for targeting the primary ore bodies below the surface [37][38][39][40][41]. The San Telmo, San Miguel and Tharsis mines (near Huelva, Spain) once held important economic metals reserves including Ag and Au ( Figure 1A) [42]. Mining activity has displaced large quantities of earth and these sites continue to be subjected to physical and biogeochemical weathering.…”

Hydrodynamic modeling of magmatic–hydrothermal activity at submarine arc volcanoes, with implications for ore formation

“…Such negatively buoyant brines have been invoked to explain the sheet-like aspect ratio of some of the largest VMS deposits such as Rosebery in Western Tasmania and the giant massive sulfide ore bodies in the Iberian Pyrite Belt (e.g., Sato, 1972;Potter and Brown, 1977;Turner and Campbell, 1987;Solomon et al, 2004b), as a result of transient containment of ore fluids in brine pools (Solomon et al, 2002;Tornos et al, 2008). Our model results indicate that such a scenario is hydrologically possible as a natural consequence of magmatic fluid dynamics, without any external (e.g., evaporite-derived) salt.…”