Developing the Orogenic Gold Deposit Model: Insights from R&D for Exploration Success

by Dave Lentz (UNB)

2m

Accretionary ophiolitic sequence (with quartz veins), basement Santorini, Greece

Orogenic Gold first used by Bohlke (1982)

INTRODUCTION
PART I: Review Gold Deposit Settings
Historical Evolution of ideas Description of Orogenic Au Systems Enigmatic aspects of the metamorphogenic model PART II: Geothermal to Hydrothermal Evolution Metamorphic Considerations to Thermal Evolution Fluid Source (and Solubility Implications) PART III: Geodynamic Evolution Accretionary Geodynamics (to collision) Structural-Metamorphic Evolution & Settings Implications for refining the metamorphogenic Orogenic Gold Model

PART I: Review Gold Deposit Settings

Mineralization in forearc to back arc system Accretionary Wedge fore arc settings

Mitchell & Garson (1982)

OROGENIC GOLD: Magmatic to Metamorphic hydrothermal continuum

Groves et al. (1998)

Magmatic-dominated

Metamorphic-dominated

Groves et al. (1998)

Metamorphic dominated Setting

Prehnitepumpellite

Juneau Belt Donlin Creek Ross Mine Kirkland Lake Dome Sigma/Giant-Con Hollinger-McIntyre Red Lake Eastmain/Lynn Lake Musselwhite Lake Lilois

Greenschist

Granulite

Ductile

Amphibolite

Brittle
Ductile-Brittle

tal

Zon

atio

Fluid Egress along Crustal-scale Shear Zone

Advective Heat Transfer

Zone of deposition Low salinities (< 3 wt % NaCl, KCl, etc.) Source Region (or deeper)

Fyfe & Henley (1973) RETROGRESSION

Me

PART II: Geothermal to Hydrothermal Evolution

Fluid movement Ethridge et al. (1983) Fluid Flux >> normal i.e., high F/R stable isotopic depletion P-T changes in fluids evolution of transient permeability

Wood & Walther (1986)

Ethridge et al. (1983)

Fluid Movement
Brittle towards ductile transition Connected Permeability

No Connected Permeability (transient)

Gregory & Backus (1980)

Shallow crust convection possible

METEORIC

METAMORPHIC
Single-pass; pervasive Single-pass, channelized/focused into fractures,faults, etc.

Single-pass; sub-horizontal flow constrained by layering

Wood & Walther (1986)

Channellized flow effects (Ductile zone)

Fractures Fold hinges

Permeable layers

Contacts

Fault and shear zones

Orogenic Gold & Fault-Valve Model

Orogenic gold terminology originally used by Bohlke Fault-valve model as described by Sibson Related to faulting and seismic activity
Quartz veins are fossil remains of earthquakes

Surface

B A a (positive) B

A
Orebody Zone of enrichment depletion or complex dispersion of ore, gangue, and indicator elements
A B

b (negative)

Line of traverse or drill hole

Boyle (1982)

c (complex)

PART III: Geodynamic Evolution

SETTINGS
Precollision

Subduction; syn-arc genesis Subduction Duration KEY

syncollision

subduction; post-arc genesis

Mitchell & Garson (1982)

D1/M1
(early) F1/F2 folds thrusts

D1 (late)
F2 folds thrusts

D2/M2
(early) F3, F4

P-T-t path Considerations (convergent tectonics)

clockwise paths Reflecting burial to exumation
(at various crustal levels)

geothermal gradient evolution (P-T-t)

Mafic grid Spear (1995)

Natures Gold Factory

Kerrich (2000)

Large/Old Accretionary Wedge Precollisional

Early Stage

D1 (early) Evolution
Underplating Uplift Extension Erosion

Later Stage

Structural Flow Pattern

Internal Heating
Radioactivity Mechanical Platt (1987)

Tarney et al. (1991)

(a) (b) (c) (d) (e) (f) (g) (h)

Otago accretio nary prism, regional quartz veins, fluids replenished by subduction Regional quartz vein s, northern New England Up-T , pluton -driven flow, Au stralia, focu sed into metapelites Regional quartz veins; Connecticut Regional quartz veins in hot spot, New Hampshire Individual quartz veins, Connecticut Individual quartz veins, Scotland Average ductile shear zone Amphibolite facies

Regional Channelized

Conduits

(i)

Greenschist facies Regional Minumum for average anticlines

(j)

Regiuonal metamorphism, Scotland (k) Theory (l) Numerical models

Regional dominantly pervasive

Max (m) Min Barrovian metamorphism, New England

log10 (time-integrated flux) (m3 m-2)

Dehydration sequence

Low Geotherm

High Geotherm

Fyfe et al. (1978)

Subduction Zone Metamorphism (low T & high P) Ernst (1990)

OROGENIC GOLD: Crustal Continuum model

Hagemann & Cassidy (2000)

COMPLEX Polyphase deformation

D1/M1 (fold/thrust belt) F1, F2 (10-20 Ma)
20 Ma

Exumation (< 5 Ma)! D2/M2 (open folding) regional to contact metamorphism (10-30 Ma)
10 Ma

m u x

n o i at
30 Ma 400 Ma 40 Ma

100 Ma (?)

Thermochronologic Constraints
Beware: thermochronologic age gaps 2+ events maybe superimposed

D1 D2

UPLIFT PATH

UPLIFT PATH

Bleeker (2001)

Yellowknife Greenstone Belt

Exumation evidence: (Yellowknife Fault Zone) Molasse deposition, plus deformation

Yellowknife Greenstone Belt - Archean

MGS map (North & South Lynn Lake Belts) Burntwood & Sickle groups Paleoproterozoic

Exumation evidence: Molasse deposition, plus deformation

Lynn Lake Greenstone Belt - Paleoproterozoic

Northern NB (after van Staal 2003)

Silurian Weir Fm

Silurian Simpsons Field Fm.

Southern NB (after McLeod et al. 1994)

Oak Bay conglomerates

Sawyer Brook FaultTaylor Brook Fault

Mascarene Basin development basal Oak Bay Fm

Deformed Molasse
Low T, high P deformation (accretionary) D1 (F1, F2) with M1 (Sanbagawa-type) followed by rapid exumation & erosion Polymictic conglomerates with quartz cobbles common & local paleoplacer (fault-controlled valleys) then reburial (paleosurface marker) Moderate P-T (Barrovian-type) Late low P-high T (Abakuma/Buchan-type)

Becareful: petrographic evidence of exumation

may be lacking because of no retrogression; many misinterpret P-T-t paths and thermochronologic history by forgetting basic geologic constraints

Piezothermal Arrays

When do you get the water out?

Stuwe (1998)

P-T Path Considerations

Spear (1995)

Subducting Slab Accretionary Wedge Fluids

Kodiak, Alaska

Vrolijk & Myers (1990)

Subducting Slab Accretionary Wedge Geotherms

Kodiak, Alaska

Subduction refrigeration

Vrolijk & Myers (1990)

Subducting Slab Accretionary Wedge Geotherms

cold/old

Inverted geotherm f(slab T, t, rate) = subduction refrigeration

Peacock (1987)

Subducting Slab Accretionary Wedge Geotherms

WEDGE
Decollement

WEDGE

SLAB

SLAB

Peacock (1987)

Thrust-Related Reversed Geotherms

England & Thompson (1986)

Inverted geotherms : thermal re-equilibration process

low thermal conductivity static model no thermal heat advection Thermal rebound to a normal gradient (> 25 Ma) LATE HEATING & LATE DEHYDRATION & LOW T FLUIDS

LATE D2

England & Thompson (1986)

Prehnitepumpellite

Greenschist

Ductile

Amphibolite

Brittle OROGENIC GOLD Crustal Continuum Model

Granulite

Shear Zone PT (t)

2 3 4

240C 340C 400C 480C 400C Amphibolite Greenschist Greenschist

Syn D1

340C

Cool Slab/Wedge fluids

Exumation rate ?

Inverted Geothermal Gradient

Paleosurface evolution

Fyfe & Henley (1973)

Me

tal

Zon

atio

Fluid Egress along Crustal-scale Shear Zone

Late D2

Accretionary Wedge-Arc interaction

Hagemann & Cassidy (2000)

Evolution to anomalous high T gradient

Rapid heat input

(magmatic heat advection)

is key to driving rapid fluid expulsion (late collisional D2) Abukuma type (high T-low P) metamorphic gradient preserved

Conclusions
Cold-Old slabs refrigerate the base of the accretionary structures & allow low-T hydration, then late dehydration as subcreted material is uplifted & heated by various mechanisms The core of the wedges are hotter due to radioactive and frictional heating so the Inverted or Reversed geotherms typify Accretionary Wedge Systems Low-T metamorphic dehydration reactions during subaccretion of hydrated crust produces isotopically light metamorphic volatiles (i.e. no need for meteoric fluids) that egress through the pile &, if focused, may produce gold veins

Conclusions
During early to late stage collision, late low T, isotopically light fluids are released at depth as a normal geothermal gradient is established, which helps explain the late lower T retrograde shear zones & silica abundances Low temperature gold complexes (e.g. bisulphide) can dominate the fluid system (no need for chloride complexes) Oxidized to reduced fluids with S, Sb, As, Hg, etc. like active accretionary systems, with CO2, CH4, etc. at moderate pHs, but low salinities (< SW) as they are dominated by dehydration reactions.

 Funding from NSERC Discovery grants Funding from NB DNR-Minerals Funding from Manitoba Geological Survey Funding from Yukon Geology Program Funding from NSERC-CRD
- with Freewest, Stratabound, First Narrows, Eagle Plains, Northern Freegold CIM Distinguished Lecture program is supported by;
Canadian Mining and Metallurgical Foundation

Acknowledgements

Exumation evidence: Molasse deposition, plus deformation

Red Lake - Archean

Exumation evidence: Molasse deposition, plus deformation

Sioux Lookout - Archean

microlithon

microlithon

Microlithon-septum Fabric development

(pressure solution)

foliation

Geochemical & Isotopic changes = MASS TRANSFER

Lentz (1999)

Geochemical & Isotopic changes = MASS TRANSFER

Lentz (1999)

Lentz (1999)

Accretionary ophiolitic sequence (with quartz veins), basement Santorini, Greece

Greenstone Qtz veins boudinaged veins pressure solution melange

S1/2

S1/2

Mafic spilite

Silica Solubility Considerations

Silica Solubility Considerations

prograde solubility fluids moving down geothermal gradients always saturated in silica/qtz = mass flux problem problems of self sealing

Bebout & Barton (1989)

Normal Metamorphic Gradient

England & Thompson (1986)

Stable Isotope Systematics

Ridley & Diamond (2000)

Altered Basalt

18O = 14
18Ofluid = 8 (200oC)
18Ofluid = 14 (500oC)

Shale

18O = 20
18Ofluid= 14 (200oC)
18Ofluid = 20 (500oC)

Implications for gold solubility bisulfide complexing