Silver Mineralization in Deep Magmatogenic Systems of Ancient Island Arcs: Ildeus Ultrabasic Massif, Stanovoy Mobile Belt (Russian Far East)

Abstract

The Triassic (232–233 Ma) Ildeus mafic-ultrabasic massif is a fragment of a large mineralized magmatogenic system formed within the Stanovoy mobile belt at the Mesozoic stage of its evolution. Ultrabasic rocks are represented by cumulative plagioclase- and amphibole-bearing dunites, peridotites, websterites, and pyroxenites; basic rocks are gabbro-anorthosites, norites, and two-pyroxene gabbro. Most intrusive rocks of the Ildeus magmatogenic system experienced ultramafic (serpentine, chlorite, talc, carbonates) and acidic (quartz, biotite, potassium feldspar, secondary micas) metasomatism. Geochemical characteristics (calc-alkaline differentiation trend, negative anomalies of highly charged incoherent elements) indicate the subduction nature of the primary magma in the Ildeus system. The ultrabasic rocks are intruded by intermediate-acid intrusions with geochemical characteristics of adakite. Magmatic-stage silver mineralization is represented by microinclusions of cuprous silver, alloys of silver, copper, gold and zinc, acanthite and silver halides in association with pentlandite, chalcopyrite, bornite, and pyrrhotite. These rocks are characterized by microinclusions of native platinum, gold, tungsten, bismuth, lead, PGE alloys, W-Co-Ti, Sb-Pb, Cu-Zn-Sn, minerals of Ag-Cu-Sb-Se-S and Zn-Ni systems -Co-Fe-S, barite, chlorapatite and Bi-Sn-Pb chlorides. At the metasomatic stage, native silver, Au-Ag alloys, silver and copper chlorides, acanthite, silver and lead tellurides coexist with digenite, heathlewoodite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena, native nickel and gold, Cu-Zn alloys, sulfides of the Pb-As- Cu-Fe-S and bismuth chloride. At the magmatic stage, silver minerals crystallized under reducing conditions in the presence of high-temperature aqueous fluids enriched in sulfide sulfur, halogens, and volatile siderophile (W, Pt) and chalcophile (Ag, Bi, Sn, Sb, Pb) metals that entered the primary melt from serpentinites, metamorphosed gabbroids, and metal-bearing pelagic sediments of the subducting oceanic plate. Metasomatic parageneses of silver minerals were formed under oxidized near-surface conditions with the participation of low-temperature water-salt solutions with elevated concentrations of sulfate sulfur, arsenic, and tellurium. A two-stage model is proposed for the formation of silver mineralization in island arc magmatic systems, in which the high-temperature magmatic stage of formation in deep crustal parts is replaced by low-temperature hydrothermal ore formation processes in near-surface conditions.