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    Compositional evolution of the tetrahedrite solid solution in porphyry-epithermal system: A case study of the Baimka Cu-Mo-Au trend, Chukchi Peninsula, Russia
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    Abstract. A detail investigation of ore and gangue minerals was performed on the Doyashiki Kuroko deposits, Hokuroku basin, Japan for the first time. Main ore minerals are sphalerite, galena, pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite‐tennantite and digen‐ite. Small amounts of enargite, wittichenite, electrum, covellite, bornite, marcasite and hematite are also observed. Quartz, barite and gypsum are common gangue minerals. Homogenization temperatures and salinities of fluid inclusions in quartz, sphalerite and barite range from 190 to 240d̀C and 3.0 to 5.5 wt% NaCl equivalent, respectively. The FeS contents of sphalerite and Ag contents of electrum were 0.12 to 0.18 mol %, 39.0 to 39.6 atom %, respectively. The chemical composition of digenite as a primary mineral shows high sulfur contents. These data indicate that ore fluid responsible for digenite and associated ore minerals was characterized by a range of high sulfur fugacity with a moderate formation temperature. This is concordant with the mineral assemblage of bornite‐pyrite and chalcopyrite, which shows high sulfur fugacity conditions. It seems that the mineralization closely associated with acidic volcanism has occurred around 13 Ma of Middle Miocene on the seafloor at the depth of about 1500 m.
    Bornite
    Marcasite
    Tetrahedrite
    Covellite
    Gangue
    Sulfide Minerals
    Chalcocite
    Abstract: Mineral paragenesis of the alteration, ore and gangue minerals of the Lepanto epithermal copper‐gold deposit and the Victoria gold deposit, Mankayan Mineral District, Northern Luzon, Philippines, is discussed. The principal ore minerals of the Lepanto copper‐gold deposit are enargite and luzonite, with significant presence of tennantite‐tetrahedrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, native gold/electrum and gold‐silver tellurides. Pervasive alteration zonations are commonly observed from silicification outward to advanced argillic then to propylitic zone. The ore mineralogy of the Lepanto copper‐gold deposit suggests high f S2 in the early stages of mineralization corresponding to the deposition of the enargite‐luzonite‐pyrite assemblage. Subsequent decrease in the f S2 formed the chalcopyrite‐tennantite‐pyrite assemblage. An increase in the f S2 of the fluids with the formation of the covellite‐digenite‐telluride assemblage caused the deposition of native gold/electrum and gold‐silver tellurides. The principal ore minerals of the Victoria gold deposit are sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite and native gold/electrum. The alteration halos are relatively narrow and in an outward sequence from the ore, silica alteration grades to illitic‐argillic alteration, which in turn grades to propylitic alteration. The Victoria gold mineralization has undergone early stages of silica supersaturation leading to quartz deposition. Vigorous boiling increased the pH of the fluids that led to the deposition of sulfides and carbonates. The consequent decrease in H 2 S precipitated the gold. Gypsum and anhydrite mainly occur as overprints that cut the carbonate‐silica stages. The crosscutting and overprinting relationships of the Victoria quartz‐gold‐base metal veins on the Lepanto copper‐gold veins manifest the late introduction of near neutral pH hydrothermal fluids.
    Bornite
    Tetrahedrite
    Covellite
    Chalcocite
    Hypogene
    Arsenopyrite
    Paragenesis
    The polymetallic Chah-Mesi epithermal vein deposit is located about 2.5 km south of the Meiduk porphyry Cu-(Mo-Au) deposit in the Kerman Cenozoic Magmatic Arc (Kerman Belt), representing the southeastern sector of the Urumieh-Dokhtar Magmatic Belt in Iran. The veins are N-S to NNE-SSW oriented and hosted in volcanic rocks of basaltic, andesitic to dacitic composition and pyroclastics, which were affected by intense local silicification and sericitization in proximity to mineralized veins. Propylitic, argillic, as well as potassic alteration show a more regional distribution; the latter only observed closer to the Meiduk deposit. Mineralization occurs in various types of veins (massive, banded, crustiform) and to minor extent in replacement and breccia bodies. It encompasses several stages: An early higher-sulfidation stage, characterized by pyrite, chalcopyrite, enargite/luzonite and bornite, is followed by the main intermediate-sulfidation state assemblage with pyrite, chalcopyrite, tetrahedrite group minerals and sphalerite. The late Pb-Zn rich stage with sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and pyrite overprints the earlier associations. Gold and silver of up to 7 g/t and 150 g/t, respectively, are associated with the main and late stages of mineralization. The main carriers of these precious metals are Ag-rich gold (electrum) and tetrahedrite; other Ag-bearing sulfosalts like pearceite are rare. The chemical composition of tetrahedrite group minerals ranges from tennantite-(Fe) to tetrahedrite-(Fe) and tetrahedrite-(Zn) exhibiting a positive correlation between Sb and Ag contents. The tetrahedrite group minerals show complex zoning and display an increase of Sb away from the Meiduk deposit. Primary fluid inclusions in sphalerite and quartz from the banded and crustiform veins are low saline aqueous H2O-salt inclusions with only traces of CO2. Homogenization temperatures of two-phase LV inclusions (Th LV→L) have an average of 210 °C in sphalerite and 260 °C in quartz. Salinity values range from 1.2 to 9.9 and 2.1 to 9.2 mass% NaCl equivalent in sphalerite and quartz, respectively with an average of c. 6 mass% NaCl equiv. Low CO2 concentrations in the vapor phase detected by Raman spectroscopy together with previously published stable isotope data indicate fluids of magmatic origin as the main fluid source that were mixed with meteoric water. Mineralization is linked to ascending hydrothermal fluids which evolved from high- to intermediate-sulfidation state due to cooling, dilution with meteoric water and progressing fluid-wallrock interaction. Similar low salinity, but higher CO2-bearing fluids were previously reported from the nearby Meiduk porphyry deposit. Conclusively, Chah-Mesi is classified as an intermediate-sulfidation epithermal deposit that developed in the peripheral parts of the Meiduk porphyry system.
    Tetrahedrite
    Bornite
    Breccia