Lead- and sulfur-isotope ratios from the Great Slave Lake area, Canada

1968 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 1269-1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. K. Robertson ◽  
G. L. Cumming

Lead- and sulfur-isotope ratios have been determined for some galenas and iron sulfides from two regions around Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. For the ore deposits, sulfur-isotope ratios are close to the meteoritic value or slightly positive. Lead-isotope ratios fall into two groups, one derived from a source with Th/U = 4.3 and μ = 9–11, and the other from a source with Th/U = 3.5 and μ = 9.0. The ratios fall on an anomalous lead line, which indicates one event of great antiquity (approximately 4000 m.y.), and another about 2800 m.y. ago.Other sulfide samples from areas around Great Slave Lake, primarily outside the ancient (2800 m.y.) Slave Province, indicate events at 2800 m.y. and 1550 m.y., the latter date probably representing the time of the last major tectonic event in the Slave Province. Sulfur-isotope ratios for these samples vary from +1‰ to −13‰ relative to the meteoritic value, suggesting that these leads may have been remobilized by thermal metamorphism, and recombined with crustal sulfur enriched in 32S.

1965 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 361-384 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. R. Kanasewich ◽  
R. M. Farquhar

Lead isotope ratios indicate that very old galenas in Archean volcanics and sediments in the vicinity of Timmins, Ontario; Noranda and Val d'Or, Quebec, have had additions of younger lead of the type found near Cobalt, Ontario. The mixture of leads of two distinct ages has produced isotopic ratios which are linearly related. The greatest degree of mixing has occurred in areas such as Kirkland Lake which are close to the boundary between Archean rocks and the Bruce–Cobalt Series. Most of the lead appears to have been derived from a subsialic source region. From the relationship of the anomalous lead line and the single-stage growth curve commonly accepted for ordinary leads it is found that lead sulfide mineralization occurred 3 250 ± 150 million years (m.y.) ago in Archean rocks of Ontario and Quebec. The leads associated with mines along the northeastern edge of the Cobalt basin were separated from their uranium and thorium source region 2 300 ± 150 m.y. ago. Leads from Chibougamau, Quebec, appear to be related in age to the Cobalt leads. This study of 50 lead isotope ratios is a clear illustration of the claim that single-stage lead models must not be applied indiscriminately to isolated analyses of galena. It also produces evidence for the existence of crustal rocks in North America prior to 3 200 m.y. ago.


1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 894-907 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Andrew ◽  
Colin I. Godwin

Whole-rock and galena lead-isotope analyses have been obtained from the Sicker Group Paleozoic island-arc volcanic package and from a Jurassic island-arc represented by the Bonanza Group volcanics and Island Intrusions. Galena lead-isotope analyses from the volcanogenic ore deposits at the Buttle Lake mining camp in the Sicker Group provide estimates of the initial lead ratios for the Sicker Group. Lead-isotope signatures are uniform within each of the major orebodies, but the Myra orebody is less radiogenic than the older H–W orebody. This has major significance in terms of ore genesis for these important deposits.There are significant differences in isotopic composition between the Sicker Group and Devonian island-arc type rocks in the Shasta district, California, which rules out direct correlations between the rock units of these two areas. Relatively high initial values of 207Pb/204Pb (> 15.56) and 208Pb/204Pb (> 38.00) suggest that large quantities of crustal lead must have been involved in the formation of the Sicker Group volcanic rocks. Thus it is proposed that the trench related to the Paleozoic island arc had a substantial input of continental detritus and may have lain near a continent.The Jurassic island arc is characterized by low 207Pb/204Pb ratios (< 15.59), suggesting a more primitive arc environment than for the Paleozoic arc. Bonanza Group volcanic rocks contain lead that is less radiogenic than lead in the Island Intrusions. Present and initial lead-isotope ratios of both the Bonanza Group volcanics and Island intrusions follow the same trend, supporting the hypothesis that they are comagmatic. Lead isotopes from a galena vein within the Island Copper porphyry deposit plot with the initial ratios for Bonanza Group volcanics and Island Intrusions. This confirms the hypothesis that this mineralization is related to the Jurassic island-arc volcanic event.Initial lead-isotope ratios for the Jurassic rock suite form a linear array on both 207Pb/204Pb versus 206Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb versus 206Pb/204Pb plots. If interpreted as due to isotopic mixing, the more radiogenic end member has a composition that is lower in 207Pb/204Pb and higher in 206Pb/204Pb than typical upper continental crust. Assimilation of Sicker Group material during the emplacement of the Jurassic arc can explain the mixing trend.


1967 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-269 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. G. Ostic ◽  
R. D. Russell ◽  
R. L. Stanton

This paper pursues the study of an apparent correlation between lead isotope abundance characteristics and features of the deposits in which the lead is discovered. New and precise analyses have been carried out on 55 galena samples, mostly From Australasian ore deposits classified as stratiform. To help clarify the interpretation, certain vein leads related to those which are stratiform have been included, as has one analysis of volcanic cotunnite.New evidence is offered that all leads began their isotopic evolution in a unique primary system which has very restricted spatial variation in the ratios U/Pb and Th/Pb. Leads from certain stratiform deposits approach more closely in isotopic composition the products of the primary system than do vein leads, many of which involve extensive crustal histories thai further modify the isotope ratios. The analyses presented here have sufficient precision to permit a close examination of the differences in isotope ratios between stratiform leads and the products of a simplified model for the primary system. The differences are significant and important.Novel aspects of the experimental technique are discussed.


Author(s):  
John Parnell ◽  
Ian Swainbank

ABSTRACTThe lead isotope compositions of 61 galenas from central and southern Scotland vary markedly between different regions. Most galenas from the southern Grampian Highlands yield isotope ratios (206Pb/204Pb 17·77 ± 0·25, 207Pb/204Pb 15·47 ± 0·05, 208Pb/204Pb 37·63 ± 0·26) less radiogenic than those from Midland Valley galenas (18·22 ± 0·12, 15·55 ± 0·05, 38·13 ± 0·14) whilst galena lead from the Southern Uplands (18·28 ± 0·12, 15·56 ± 0·03, 38·21 ± 0·18) is more radiogenic than that from the southern Midland Valley (18·12 ± 0·06, 15·52 ± 0·02, 38·06 ±0·10). The change in isotopie composition across the Highland Boundary fault reflects the presence or absence of Dalradian rocks which included a magmatic component of lead. Galenas from the Dalradian sequence in Islay, where igneous rocks are lacking, have a composition (18·14±0·04, 15·51±0·01, 37·90±0·02) more like Midland Valley galenas. In the Southern Uplands, galenas yield lead isotope ratios similar to those of feldspars from Caledonian granite (18·30 ± 0·14, 15·57 ± 0·04, 37·96 ± 0·15) analysed by Blaxland et al. (1979). The similar ratios reflect the incorporation of Lower Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks into the granite magma, rather than a granitic source for the mineralisation. The granites were then thermal-structural foci for later mineralising fluids which leached metals from the surrounding rocks. Within the Midland Valley, galenas hosted in Lower Devonian-Lower Carboniferous lavas are notably more radiogenic (18·31 ±0·12, 15·58 ± 0·06, 38·20 ± 0·16) than sediment-hosted galenas (18·14 ± 0·07, 15·52 ± 0·02, 38·08 ± 0·10). The Devonian lavas at least may have inherited lead from subducted (? Lower Palaeozoic) rock incorporated in the primary magma.


2008 ◽  
Vol 393 (2-3) ◽  
pp. 291-298 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard J.S. Tsuji ◽  
Bruce C. Wainman ◽  
Ian D. Martin ◽  
Celine Sutherland ◽  
Jean-Philippe Weber ◽  
...  

2000 ◽  
pp. 45-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Takao MARUYAMA ◽  
Tsuyoshi OHIZUMI ◽  
Yutaka TANEOKA ◽  
Naoki MINAMI ◽  
Norio FUKUZAKI ◽  
...  

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