The origin of tin deposits in the Mount Wells region,Pine Creek Geosyncline,Northern Territory |
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| Authors: | M Ahmad |
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| Institution: | Department of Mines and Energy , Northern Territory Geological Survey , PO Box 2901, Darwin, NT, 0801, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Tabular steeply dipping cassiterite‐bearing lodes in the Mount Wells region are hosted by lower greenschist fades metasediment of the Pine Creek Geosyncline within the contact aureole of late orogenic granitoids. The latter are predominantly I‐type, but S‐type phases are developed near the sediment‐granitoid contact. Quartz, cassiterite, pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite are the main minerals. Two types of lodes are present: (i) Sn‐quartz lodes containing 5–10 vol% sulphide minerals; and (ii) Sn‐sulphide lodes containing ～ 70 vol% sulphide minerals. At the surface, the former appear as normal quartz veins and the latter as hematite‐quartz breccia resulting from the collapse of original sulphide‐rich lodes as a consequence of volume reduction due to oxidation and leaching. Two stages of quartz veining are recognized in both types of lodes. Cassiterite is present in stage I while stage II is composed of barren quartz with minor pyrite. Late stage III carbonate veinlets are present in Sn‐sulphide lodes. The lode‐wallrock contact is sharp with weak alteration effects confined to the fringe of the lodes. The alteration minerals include sericite, quartz, tourmaline, chlorite, pyrite and minor K‐feldspar. Four types of fluid inclusions are present in vein quartz and cassiterite: Type A (CO2 ± H2O ± CH4); Type B (H2O+～ 20% vapour); Type C (H2O+ < 15% vapour) and Type D (H2O+ < 15% vapour + NaCl). Early ‘primary’ inclusions represented by Types A and B are present in stage I only and have a well‐defined temperature mode at ～300°C and a salinity range of 1–20 wt% eq NaCl. Types C and D inclusions are ‘secondary’ in stage I and primary in stage II and have a temperature mode at 120–160°C and salinities from about 1 to more than 26 wt% eq NaCl. Variable H2O‐CO2 ratios of Type A inclusions and homogenization in CO2 or H2O phase at near identical temperature indicate entrapment at the H2O‐CO2 solvus and define a pressure of ～ 100 MPa. The melting sequence of frozen inclusions suggests that the ore fluids were mainly H2O‐CO2‐CH4‐Na‐Ca‐Cl brines. This is also confirmed by Raman Laser Spectrometry. Oxygen and sulphur isotope data are consistent with a magmatic origin of the ore fluids. The δD values are up to 20%0 higher than those expected for magmatic fluids and probably resulted from interaction of the latter with the carbonaceous strata. This interpretation is supported by δ13C data on the fluid inclusion CO2. Fluid inclusions, stable isotope and mineralogical data are used to approximate the physico‐chemical parameters of the ore fluids which are as follows: T 300°C, m Cl～2, fO2 ～ 10‐35, mSS ～ 0.01, Sn ～ 1 ppm, Cu ～ 1 ppm and pH ～ 5.5. It is suggested that fluids of granitic parentage interacted with the enclosing sediment and picked up CO2, CH4 and possibly Ca. The granitic phases became reduced due to this interaction and developed S‐type characteristics. Tin was probably partitioned into the CH4‐bearing reduced fluids. At some stage the fluid overpressure exceeded the lithostatic lode enforcing failure of the carapace and the intruded rocks by hydraulic fracturing causing CH4 and CO2 loss resulting in the precipitation of the ore minerals. |
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| Keywords: | fluid inclusions mineralogy paragenesis stable isotopes tin deposits |
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