More Like this

1. Oxidized sulfur-rich arc magmas formed porphyry Cu deposits by 1.88 Ga

   Meng, X. (January 2021, Nature communications)

   null (Ed.)

   Most known porphyry Cu deposits formed in the Phanerozoic and are exclusively associated with moderately oxidized, sulfur-rich, hydrous arc-related magmas derived from partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle metasomatized by slab-derived fluids. Yet, whether similar metallogenic processes also operated in the Precambrian remains obscure. Here we address the issue by investigating the origin, fO2, and S contents of calc-alkaline plutonic rocks associated with the Haib porphyry Cu deposit in the Paleoproterozoic Richtersveld Magmatic Arc (southern Namibia), an interpreted mature island-arc setting. We show that the ca. 1886–1881 Ma ore-forming magmas, originated from a mantle-dominated source with minor crustal contributions, were relatively oxidized (1‒2 log units above the fayalitemagnetite- quartz redox buffer) and sulfur-rich. These results indicate that moderately oxidized, sulfur-rich arc magma associated with porphyry Cu mineralization already existed in the late Paleoproterozoic, probably as a result of recycling of sulfate-rich seawater or sediments from the subducted oceanic lithosphere at that time. 

   more » « less
2. Unusual sulfide-rich magmatic apatite crystals from >2.7 Ga Abitibi Greenstone Belt, Canada

   Meng, X; Mole, DR; Simon, AC; Mao, J; Kontak, DJ; Jugo, PJ; Kleinsasser, J (April 2025, American Mineralogist)

   Sodic volcano-plutonic terranes in the Archean can be well preserved, but why oxidized S-rich sodic magmas and porphyry-type Cu-Au deposits are so rare remains poorly understood. Here we addressed this issue by measuring the S concentration and S6+/ΣS ratio of primary apatite grains in >2.7 Ga felsic volcanic rocks from the well-characterized Neoarchean Abitibi Greenstone Belt of the Superior Province, Canada. Whereas apatite grains in most samples contain low-S concentrations (<0.01 wt%, n = 24), a few apatite samples are S-rich (0.14 ± 0.03 wt%, 1σ) and have low-S6+/ΣS ratios (0.56 ± 0.17; 1σ, n = 4). Samples with S-poor apatite have variable whole-rock La/Yb ratios (generally <30) and zircon 10 000*(Eu/Eu*)/Yb ratios of 11 ± 8 (1σ), which may be products of plume-driven or over-thickened crustal melting. In contrast, the samples with S-rich apatite have elevated La/Yb ratios of 49 ± 15 (1σ), zircon 10 000*(Eu/EuN*)/Yb ratios of 26 ± 7 (1σ), and zircon δ18O values of 5.8 ± 0.1 ‰ (1σ), consistent with a deep, hydrous and homogeneous mantle-like source for the melts dominated by amphibole ± garnet fractionation that is reminiscent of subduction-like process. These are the first reported results documenting the predominant accommodation of relatively reduced S in S-rich apatite grains crystallized from terrestrial silicate melts, possibly reflecting slight oxidation associated with the hydration of Neoarchean mantle and crystal fractionation over the magma evolution. The more common S-poor apatite data suggest that suppressed oxidation of the parental sodic magmas led to weak S emission from Earth’s interior to its evolving surface, explaining the rarity of porphyry-type Cu deposits in >2.7 Ga Archean sodic volcano-plutonic terranes. 

   more » « less
3. Unraveling the Effects of Melt–Mantle Interactions on the Gold Fertility of Magmas

   https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2020.00029  

   Tassara, S. (February 2020, Frontiers in earth sciences)

   null (Ed.)

   The oxidation state of the Earth’s mantle and its partial melting products exert a key control on the behavior and distribution of sulfur and chalcophile and siderophile elements between the mantle and crust, underpinning models of ore deposit formation. Whether the oxidized nature of magmas is inherited from the asthenospheric mantle source or acquired during ascent and differentiation is vigorously debated, limiting our understanding of the mechanisms of extraction of sulfur and metals from the mantle. Here, we focused on the redox-sensitive behavior of sulfur in apatite crystallized from quenched alkaline basaltic melts preserved within a peridotite xenolith from the El Deseado Massif auriferous province in southern Patagonia. We took advantage of this unique setting to elucidate the redox evolution of melts during their ascent through the subcontinental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) and grasp the inner workings of the Earth’s mantle during gold metallogenesis. Our data reveal that an initially reduced silicate melt (1FMQ 􀀀2.2 to 􀀀1.2) was oxidized to 1FMQ between 0 and 1.2 during percolation and interaction with the surrounding peridotite wall-rock (1FMQ 0 to C0.8). This process triggered changes in sulfur speciation and solubility in the silicate melt, boosting the potential of the melt to scavenge ore metals such as gold. We suggest that large redox gradients resulting from the interaction between ascending melts and the surrounding mantle can potentially modify the oxidation state of primitive melts and enhance their metallogenic fertility. Among other factors including an enriched metal source and favorable geodynamic conditions, redox gradients in the mantle may exert a first-order control on the global-scale localization of crustal provinces endowed with gold deposits. 

   more » « less
4. Contrasting magma chemistry in the Candelaria IOCG district caused by changing tectonic regimes

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-61489-2  

   Romero, R; Barra, F; Reich, M; Ojeda, A; Tapia, M J; del_Real, I; Simon, A (December 2024, Scientific Reports)

   Iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits are a vital source of copper and critical elements for emerging clean technologies. Andean-type IOCG deposits form in continental arcs undergoing extension, and they have a temporal relationship with magmatism although they do not exhibit a close spatial relation with the causative intrusions. The processes required to form IOCG deposits and their potential connections to iron oxide–apatite (IOA)-type mineralization remain poorly constrained, as well as the characteristics of magmatism linked to both deposit types. Here we combine zircon U–Pb geochronology with zircon trace element geochemistry of intrusive rocks associated with the Candelaria deposit, one of the world’s largest IOCG deposits, to unravel distinctive signatures diagnostic of magmatic fertility. Our results reveal a marked transition in the geochemistry of intrusions in the Candelaria district, characterized by changes in the redox state, water content and temperature of magmas over time. The oldest magmatic stage (~ 128–125 Ma), prior to the formation of the Candelaria deposit, was characterized by zircon Eu/Eu* ratios of 0.20–0.42, and redox conditions of ΔFMQ − 0.4 to + 1.0. The earliest magmatic stage related to the formation of Fe-rich mineralization at Candelaria (118–115 Ma) exhibits low zircon Eu/Eu* ratios (0.09–0.18), low oxygen fugacity values (ΔFMQ ~− 1.8 to + 0.2) and relatively high crystallization temperatures. In contrast, the youngest stage at ~ 111–108 Ma shows higher zircon Eu/Eu* (~ 0.37–0.69), higher oxygen fugacity values (ΔFMQ ~  + 0.4 to + 1.3) and a decrease in crystallization temperatures, conditions that are favorable for the transport and precipitation of sulfur and chalcophile elements. We conclude that Candelaria was formed through two distinct ore-forming stages: the first associated with a reduced, high temperature, water-poor magma developed under a low tectonic stress, followed by a more oxidized, water-rich, and low temperature magmatic event related to a compressional regime. The first event led to Fe-rich and S-poor IOA-type mineralization, while the second event with geochemical signatures similar to those of porphyry copper systems, generated the Cu- and S-rich mineralization. This late stage overprinted preexisting IOA mineralization resulting in the formation of the giant Candelaria IOCG deposit. 

   more » « less
5. Genesis of the Questa Mo Porphyry Deposit and Nearby Polymetallic Mineralization, New Mexico, USA

   https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5011  

   Gaynor, Sean P.; Rosera, Joshua M.; Coleman, Drew S. (March 2023, Economic Geology)

   Abstract The Oligocene Latir magmatic center in northern New Mexico is an exceptionally well-exposed volcanoplutonic complex that hosts a variety of magmatic-hydrothermal deposits, ranging from relatively deep, F-rich porphyry Mo mineralization to shallower epithermal deposits. We present new whole-rock chemical and isotopic data for plutonic rocks from the Latir magmatic center, including extensive sampling of drill core samples of intrusive rocks from the Questa porphyry Mo deposit. These data document temporal chemical trends of porphyry-related mineralization that occurred after caldera-forming magmatism and during postcaldera batholith assembly. Silicic magmas were generated multiple times throughout the history of the Latir magmatic center, but few are associated with the formation of a mineral deposit. Whole-rock trace element ratios and Sr, Nd, and Pb isotope compositions vary throughout the protracted history of silicic magmatism. The caldera-forming ignimbrite and early phase of postcaldera intrusions are unmineralized, more enriched in high field strength elements, and generally contain less radiogenic Sr and Pb and more radiogenic Nd than later intrusions. The Questa porphyry Mo deposit formed immediately after the most isotopically primitive phase of the batholith was assembled, ruling out simple reworking of juvenile mantle-derived crust as the source for mineralizing magmas. Rhyolite dikes associated with polymetallic sulfide deposits intruded ~800 k.y. after Mo mineralization, and Nd isotope data indicate that these dikes are associated with different batches of magma and are unrelated to the Mo-mineralizing intrusions at the Questa mine. Together, these data indicate that the source of magmas changed significantly throughout the 10-m.y. history of the magmatic center. We assess multiple genetic models for porphyry-related magmatism against this data set, favoring models with discrete periods of magma genesis from a deep hybridized zone in the lower crust giving rise to the punctuated periods of mineralization. These observations suggest that the formation of mineral deposits within a central magmatic locus is likely the result of the piecemeal assembly of individual hydrothermal-magmatic systems, and that distal and younger polymetallic mineralization commonly observed near known porphyry deposits represents decoupled processes. 

   more » « less