Magmatic nickel sulfide mineralization in Zimbabwe: Review of deposits and development of exploration criteria for prospectivity analysis

Markwitz, V., Maier, Wolfgang D. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8654-6658, Gonzalez-Alvarez, I., McCuaig, T. C. and Porwal, A. 2010. Magmatic nickel sulfide mineralization in Zimbabwe: Review of deposits and development of exploration criteria for prospectivity analysis. Ore Geology Reviews 38 (3) , pp. 139-155. 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2010.07.004

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Abstract

Significant magmatic nickel sulfide deposits in Zimbabwe occur in Archean greenstone belts and Archean to Proterozoic mafic–ultramafic intrusions, such as Madziwa and the Great Dyke. Here, we review exploration criteria for magmatic nickel sulfide deposits, taking into account nickel sulfide mineral systems in general, Zimbabwe's cratonic evolution and the geological setting of the deposits. We propose that the essential ingredients for nickel sulfide mineral systems in Zimbabwe are (i) proximity to greenstone belts, craton margins and orogenic belts; (ii) large mafic–ultramafic intrusions and their feeders; (iii) crustal contamination of basic–ultrabasic magma with sulfidic crustal lithologies; and (iv) the vicinity to major fault zones that allowed fertile magma to ascend into the upper crust. We suggest that there is potential for new nickel sulfide discoveries, both within and outside the greenstone belts; including the Karoo flood basalt province, the Mashonaland dolerites, and the Limpopo, Magondi and Zambezi orogenic belts.

Item Type:	Article
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Earth and Environmental Sciences
Subjects:	Q Science > QE Geology
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Zimbabwe craton; Nickel sulfide deposits; Archean greenstone belts; Mineral systems; Targeting criteria
Publisher:	Elsevier
ISSN:	0169-1368
Last Modified:	25 Oct 2022 08:59
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/56716

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