Cardiff University | Prifysgol Caerdydd ORCA
Online Research @ Cardiff 
WelshClear Cookie - decide language by browser settings

New age constraints on metamorphism, metasomatism and gold mineralisation at Plutonic Gold Mine, Marymia Inlier, Western Australia

Gazley, M. F., Vry, J. K., Millet, Marc-Alban ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2710-5374, Handler, M. R., du Plessis, E. and Baker, J. A. 2016. New age constraints on metamorphism, metasomatism and gold mineralisation at Plutonic Gold Mine, Marymia Inlier, Western Australia. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences 63 (4) , pp. 413-426. 10.1080/08120099.2016.1212924

[thumbnail of Gazley et al - Plutonic Geochron paper.pdf]
Preview
PDF - Accepted Post-Print Version
Download (1MB) | Preview

Abstract

The Plutonic Well Greenstone Belt (PWGB) is located in the Marymia Inlier between the Yilgarn and Pilbara cratons in Western Australia, and hosts a series of major Au deposits. The main episode of Au mineralisation in the PWGB was previously interpreted to have either accompanied, or shortly followed, peak metamorphism in the late Archean at ca 2650 Ma with a later, minor, event associated with the Capricorn Orogeny. Here we present new Pb isotope model ages for sulfides and Rb–Sr ages for mica, as well as a new 207Pb–206Pb age for titanite for samples from the Plutonic Gold Mine (Plutonic) at the southern end of the PWGB. The majority of the sulfides record Proterozoic Pb isotope model ages (2300–2100 Ma), constraining a significant Au mineralising event at Plutonic that occurred >300 Myr later than previously thought. A Rb–Sr age of 2296 ± 99 Ma from muscovite in an Au-bearing sample records resetting or closure of the Rb–Sr system in muscovite at about the same time. A younger Rb–Sr age of 1779 ± 46 Ma from biotite from the same sample may record further cooling, or resetting during a late-stage episode of metasomatism in the PWGB. This could have been associated with the 1820–1770 Ma Capricorn Orogeny, or a late-stage hydrothermal event potentially constrained by a new 207Pb–206Pb age of 1725 ± 26 Ma for titanite in a chlorite–carbonate vein. This titanite age correlates with a pre-existing age for a metasomatic event dated at 1719 ± 14 Ma by U–Pb ages of zircon overgrowths in a sample from the Marymia Deposit. Based on the Pb-isotope data presented here, Au mineralising events in the PWGB are inferred to have occurred at ca 2630, 2300–2100 Ma, during the Glenburgh and Capricorn orogenies, and 1730–1660 Ma. The 2300–2100 Ma event, which appears to have been significant based on the amount of sulfide of this age, correlates with the inferred age for rifting of the Marymia Inlier from the northern margin of the Yilgarn Craton. The texturally-later visible Au may have been deposited during the Glenburgh and Capricorn orogenies.

Item Type: Article
Date Type: Publication
Status: Published
Schools: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Uncontrolled Keywords: Proterozoic gold mineralisation, greenstone-hosted gold, geochronology, Pb isotope model ages, Capricorn Orogeny
Publisher: Taylor and Francis
ISSN: 0812-0099
Date of First Compliant Deposit: 14 September 2016
Date of Acceptance: 4 July 2016
Last Modified: 07 Nov 2023 05:34
URI: https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/94520

Citation Data

Cited 6 times in Scopus. View in Scopus. Powered By Scopus® Data

Actions (repository staff only)

Edit Item Edit Item

Downloads

Downloads per month over past year

View more statistics