Origin of fluids in iron oxide-copper-gold deposits: constraints from δ 37Cl, 87Sr/86Sri and Cl/Br

Authors: Chiaradia, Massimo1; Banks, Dave2; Cliff, Robert3; Marschik, Robert4; Haller, Antoine5

Source: Mineralium Deposita, Volume 41, Number 6, September 2006 , pp. 565-573(9)

Publisher: Springer

Key:
Free Content - Free Content
New Content - New Content
Subscribed Content - Subscribed Content
Free Trial Content - Free Trial Content

Abstract:

The origin of the hypersaline fluids (magmatic or basinal brine?), associated with iron oxide (Cu-U-Au-REE) deposits, is controversial. We report the first chlorine and strontium isotope data combined with Cl/Br ratios of fluid inclusions from selected iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits (Candelaria, Raúl-Condestable, Sossego), a deposit considered to represent a magmatic end member of the IOCG class of deposit (Gameleira), and a magnetite-apatite deposit (El Romeral) from South America. Our data indicate mixing of a high δ 37Cl magmatic fluid with near 0‰ δ 37Cl basinal brines in the Candelaria, Raúl-Condestable, and Sossego IOCG deposits and leaching of a few weight percent of evaporites by magmatic-hydrothermal (?) fluids at Gameleira and El Romeral. The Sr isotopic composition of the inclusion fluids of Candelaria, Raúl-Condestable, and El Romeral confirms the presence of a non-magmatic fluid component in these deposits. The heavy chlorine isotope signatures of fluids from the IOCG deposits (Candelaria, Raúl-Condestable, Sossego), reflecting the magmatic-hydrothermal component of these fluids, contrast with the near 0‰ δ 37Cl values of porphyry copper fluids known from the literature. The heavy chlorine isotope compositions of fluids of the investigated IOCG deposits may indicate a prevailing mantle Cl component in contrast to porphyry copper fluids, an argument also supported by Os isotopes, or could result from differential Cl isotope fractionation processes (e.g. phase separation) in fluids of IOCG and porphyry Cu deposits.

Keywords: Chlorine isotopes; Strontium isotopes; Iron oxide-copper-gold deposits; Chile; Peru; Brazil

Document Type: Research article

DOI: 10.1007/s00126-006-0082-6

Affiliations: 1: Email: Massimo.Chiaradia@terre.unige.ch 2: Email: D.Banks@earth.leeds.ac.uk 3: Email: B.Cliff@earth.leeds.ac.uk 4: Email: marschik@lmu.de 5: Email: Antoine.Dehaller@terre.unige.ch

The full text electronic article is available for purchase. You will be able to download the full text electronic article after payment.

$47.00 plus tax      Refund Policy

 

OR

Back to top

Key:
Free Content - Free Content
New Content - New Content
Subscribed Content - Subscribed Content
Free Trial Content - Free Trial Content
Share this item with others: These icons link to social bookmarking sites where readers can share and discover new web pages.
Page Help Click here for Page Help
Shopping cart
Tools
Sign in






Need to register?
Sign up here
Text size: A | A | A | A