Geological and structural controls on gold mineralization in the Tanami District, Northern Territory |
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| Authors: | Andrew J Tunks David R Cooke |
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| Institution: | (1) CODES ARC Centre of Excellence in Ore Deposits, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, Tasmania, 7001, Australia;(2) Present address: A-Cap Resources Ltd., Suite 5.10, Level 5, 737 Burwood Rd, Hawthorn, Victoria, 3122, Australia |
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| Abstract: | Gold mineralization in the Tanami district is hosted within moderately northwest dipping turbiditic sedimentary and basaltic
volcanic rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Mt. Charles Formation. The gold occurs within a complex sinistral wrench-fault array
and associated veins and alteration haloes. The main mineralized faults have a northerly trend and dip steeply east. Subsidiary
structures trend at 030° and 070° and dip towards the southeast. Paleostress calculations based on fault striation populations
and geometry (strike and dip) of faults indicate that at the time of the mineralizing event, σ
1 was sub-horizontal and SE–NW directed with σ
2 subvertical. Structural studies indicate that the mineralization occurred after the regional folding event and synchronous
with the emplacement of felsic dykes into the mine sequence. Gold veins in the Tanami district are interpreted to be part
of an outer thermal aureole gold system that formed during the emplacement of granitoids in the nearby ∼1,815 to ∼1,799 Ma
Frankenia and/or Coomarie domes. Economic gold mineralization occurred late in the paragenetic history of the district. Gold
is hosted by quartz-carbonate veins within shear zones, and also in the surrounding sericite- quartz- pyrite ± carbonate-altered
wallrocks. Gold-mineralized veins precipitated at depths of 3 to 6 km from high temperature (∼300°C), low salinity (∼5 wt%
NaCl equivalent) fluids with low CO2 contents. Barren quartz, dolomite and calcite veins that occur in pre- and post-mineralization thrust faults formed from
high salinity (∼20 wt% NaCl equivalent), low temperature (∼120–150°C) basinal brines. Pyrite in the gold mineralized veins
and alteration halos has lower δ
34S values (6.8 to 12.5‰) than local diagenetic pyrite (17.8 to 19.2‰) or pyrite in pre-mineralization thrust faults (31.7 to
37.1‰). The mineralizing fluids are inferred to have contained a well-homogenized mixture of magmatic and sedimentary-derived
sulfur.
Editorial handling: D. Huston |
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| Keywords: | Proterozoic Tanami Granite Gold mineralization Thermal aureole |
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