Insights into B-Mg-Metasomatism at the Ranger U Deposit (NT, Australia) and Comparison with Canadian Unconformity-Related U Deposits

The Ranger deposit (Northern Territory, Australia) is one of the largest uranium deposits in the world. Uranium mineralisation occurs in crystalline basement rocks and is thought to belong to the unconformity-related category. In order to address the sources of magnesium and boron, and the temperature of the fluids related to boron and magnesium metasomatism that occurred shortly before and during the main uranium stage, in situ analyses of chlorite and tourmaline were carried out. The chemical composition of tourmaline shows an elevated X-site vacancy and a low Fetot/(Fetot + Mg) ratio typical of Mg-foitite. Uranium-related chlorite has relatively low Fe content (0.28–0.83 apfu) and high Mg content (3.08–3.84 apfu), with Si/Al = 1.08−1.22 and Mg/(Mg + Fetot) = 0.80−0.93 indicating a composition lying between the clinochlore and Mg-amesite fields. Chlorite composition indicates crystallisation temperature of 101–163 °C. The boron isotopic composition of tourmaline shows a range of δ11B values of ~1–9‰. A model is proposed involving two boron sources that contribute to a mixed isotopic signature: (i) evaporated seawater, which is typically enriched in magnesium and boron (δ11B ~ 40‰), and (ii) boron from the crystalline basement (δ11B ~ −30 to +10‰), which appears to be the dominant source. Collectively, the data indicate similar tourmaline chemistry but significant differences of tourmaline boron isotopic composition and chlorite chemistry between the Ranger deposit and some of the Canadian unconformity-related uranium deposits. However, lithogeochemical exploration approaches based on identification of boron- and magnesium-enriched zones may be usefully applied to uranium exploration in the Northern Territory.

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Presence of continental and Bay of Bengal moisture in rainfall at Kolkata, revealed through simultaneous observation from land and sea during South-West monsoon of 2004

10.5194/esd-2016-63 ◽

2016 ◽

Author(s):

Shaakir Shabir Dar ◽

Prosenjit Ghosh

Keyword(s):

Isotopic Composition ◽

Bay Of Bengal ◽

Indian Subcontinent ◽

Isotopic Signature ◽

Peninsular India ◽

Gangetic Plain ◽

Prevailing Wind Direction ◽

South West Monsoon ◽

Continental Source ◽

Sw Monsoon

Abstract. The backward air mass trajectory analysis (HYSPLIT) during the summer monsoon suggests that the rain which precipitates at Kolkata is generated from a moisture parcel which originates from the Arabian Sea and moves inland over the dry Indian subcontinent or over the Bay of Bengal. We used monthly satellite and ground based measurements of the hydro-meteorological variables together with isotope data from Bangalore, Bay of Bengal and Kolkata and other locations to quantify the contribution of different moisture sources during the SW Monsoon. The vapor mass as it moves under the prevailing wind direction was subjected to isotopic modification due to addition of evaporated moisture from Bay of Bengal and rainout process. This was simulated using Craig and Gordon model and Rayleigh fractionation model respectively. The moisture generated during the process of evaporation from Bay of Bengal surface ocean gets advected towards the continent and precipitates as rainfall or snowfall over the Indo-Gangetic plain. We assumed based on our observation that the initial isotopic composition of vapor originating from the peninsular continental source is similar to our observation recorded at Bangalore station. It is found that the isotopic signature of Bangalore is completely lost albeit the significant contribution of the moisture from Bay of Bengal. To explain the isotopic composition of precipitation at Kolkata during the SW-Monsoon, it was necessary to invoke 75–80 % moisture contribution from the Bay of Bengal whereas the evaporated moisture parcel from the Peninsular India contribute 25 %–35 %.

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The first deep heat flow determination in crystalline basement rocks beneath the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin

Geophysical Journal International ◽

10.1093/gji/ggu065 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 197 (2) ◽

pp. 731-747 ◽

Cited By ~ 19

Author(s):

Jacek Majorowicz ◽

Judith Chan ◽

James Crowell ◽

Will Gosnold ◽

Larry M. Heaman ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heat Flow ◽

Sedimentary Basin ◽

Crystalline Basement ◽

Basement Rocks

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Effect of pCO2 and temperature on the boron isotopic composition of the zooxanthellate coral Acropora sp.

Coral Reefs ◽

10.1007/s00338-004-0399-5 ◽

2004 ◽

Cited By ~ 17

Author(s):

St�phanie Reynaud ◽

N.Gary Hemming ◽

Anne Juillet-Leclerc ◽

Jean-Pierre Gattuso

Keyword(s):

Isotopic Composition ◽

Zooxanthellate Coral ◽

Boron Isotopic Composition

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Pb-Nd-Sr Isotope Geochemistry of Metapelites from the Iberian Pyrite Belt and Its Relevance to Provenance Analysis and Mineral Exploration Surveys

Economic Geology ◽

10.5382/econgeo.4869 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Filipa Luz ◽

António Mateus ◽

Ezequiel Ferreira ◽

Colombo G. Tassinari ◽

Jorge Figueiras

Keyword(s):

Isotope Geochemistry ◽

Mineral Exploration ◽

Hanging Wall ◽

Massive Sulfide ◽

Iberian Pyrite Belt ◽

Isotopic Signature ◽

Sr Isotope ◽

Provenance Analysis ◽

Basement Rocks ◽

World Class

Abstract The boundary in the Iberian Pyrite Belt is a world-class metallogenic district developed at the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary the Iberian Variscides that currently has seven active mines: Neves Corvo (Cu-Zn-Sn) and Aljustrel (Cu-Zn) in Portugal, and Riotinto (Cu), Las Cruces (Cu), Aguas Teñidas (Cu-Zn-Pb), Sotiel-Coronada (Cu-Zn-Pb), and La Magdalena (Cu-Zn-Pb) in Spain. The Iberian Pyrite Belt massive sulfide ores are usually hosted in the lower sections of the volcano-sedimentary complex (late Famennian to late Visean), but they also occur in the uppermost levels of the phyllite-quartzite group at the Neves Corvo deposit, stratigraphically below the volcano-sedimentary complex. A Pb-Nd-Sr isotope dataset was obtained for 98 Iberian Pyrite Belt metapelite samples (from Givetian to upper Visean), representing several phyllite-quartzite group and volcano-sedimentary complex sections that include the footwall and hanging-wall domains of ore horizons at the Neves Corvo, Aljustrel, and Lousal mines. The combination of whole-rock Nd and Sr isotopes with Th/Sc ratios shows that the siliciclastic components of Iberian Pyrite Belt metapelites are derived from older quartz-feldspathic basement rocks (–11 ≤ εNdinitial(i) ≤ –8 and (87Sr/86Sr)i up to 0.727). The younger volcano-sedimentary complex metapelites (upper Tournaisian) often comprise volcanic-derived constituents with a juvenile isotopic signature, shifting the εNdi up to +0.2. The Pb isotope data confirm that the phyllite-quartzite group and volcano-sedimentary complex successions are crustal reservoirs for metals found in the deposits. In Neves Corvo, where there is more significant Sn- and Cu-rich mineralization, the higher (206Pb/204Pb)i and (207Pb/204Pb)i values displayed by phyllite-quartzite group and lower volcano-sedimentary complex metapelites (up to 15.66 and 18.33, respectively) suggest additional contributions to the metal budget from a deeper and more radiogenic source. The proximity to Iberian Pyrite Belt massive sulfide ore systems hosted in metapelite successions is observed when (207Pb/204Pb)i >15.60 and Fe2O3/TiO2 or (Cu+Zn+Pb)/Sc >10. These are important criteria that should be considered in geochemical exploration surveys designed for the Iberian Pyrite Belt.

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An Optimized Snowmelt Lysimeter System for Monitoring Melt Rates and Collecting Samples for Stable Water Isotope Analysis

Journal of Hydrology and Hydromechanics ◽

10.2478/johh-2018-0007 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 67 (1) ◽

pp. 20-31 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

Andrea Rücker ◽

Massimiliano Zappa ◽

Stefan Boss ◽

Jana von Freyberg

Keyword(s):

Isotopic Composition ◽

Isotope Analysis ◽

Ground Level ◽

Isotopic Signature ◽

Small Scale ◽

Spatial And Temporal Variability ◽

Environmental Tracers ◽

Hydrograph Separation ◽

Stable Water Isotopes ◽

Restricted Volume

Abstract The contribution of snow meltwater to catchment streamflow can be quantified through hydrograph separation analyses for which stable water isotopes (18O, 2H) are used as environmental tracers. For this, the spatial and temporal variability of the isotopic composition of meltwater needs to be captured by the sampling method. This study compares an optimized snowmelt lysimeter system and an unheated precipitation collector with focus on their ability to capture snowmelt rates and the isotopic composition of snowmelt. The snowmelt lysimeter system consists of three individual unenclosed lysimeters at ground level with a surface of 0.14 m2 each. The unheated precipitation collector consists of a 30 cm-long, extended funnel with its orifice at 2.3 m above ground. Daily snowmelt samples were collected with both systems during two snowfall-snowmelt periods in 2016. The snowmelt lysimeter system provided more accurate measurements of natural melt rates and allowed for capturing the small-scale variability of snowmelt process at the plot scale, such as lateral meltwater flow from the surrounding snowpack. Because of the restricted volume of the extended funnel, daily melt rates from the unheated precipitation collector were up to 43% smaller compared to the snowmelt lysimeter system. Overall, both snowmelt collection methods captured the general temporal evolution of the isotopic signature in snowmelt.

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Petrology and geochronology of Paleoproterozoic intrusive rocks, Kiggavik uranium camp, Nunavut

Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences ◽

10.1139/cjes-2014-0153 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 52 (7) ◽

pp. 495-518 ◽

Cited By ~ 13

Author(s):

J.M.J. Scott ◽

T.D. Peterson ◽

W.J. Davis ◽

C.W. Jefferson ◽

B.L. Cousens

Keyword(s):

Granitic Rocks ◽

Uranium Deposits ◽

Zircon Age ◽

Core Samples ◽

Thelon Basin ◽

Intrusive Rocks ◽

Uranium Exploration ◽

Melt Infiltration ◽

Granitic Intrusions ◽

Baker Lake

We investigated the age and petrology of Paleoproterozoic granitic intrusions in the area of the Kiggavik uranium exploration camp, near the southeast margin of the Aberdeen subbasin of the Thelon Basin. A subset of these intrusions (e.g., the Lone Gull stock) is spatially associated with and mineralized by basement hosted, unconformity-related uranium deposits. Surface (outcrop) samples have field relations, textures, and compositions consistent with Hudson Suite granitoids and mixtures of monzogranite with minette. We obtained U–Pb (zircon) ages ranging from ca. 1818 to 1840 Ma, within the known range of the Hudson Suite and cogenetic minettes of the Baker Lake Group (1.80–1.84 Ga). Core samples of granitic rocks adjacent to mineralized zones are more complex and indicate an influence from the younger Nueltin Granite (Kivalliq Igneous Suite, ca. 1.77–1.73 Ga). One sample from the Lone Gull stock contains two zircon populations in texturally distinctive domains, one at 1806 ± 41 Ma and the other at 1748 ± 9.4 Ma. A porphyritic hypabyssal syenite below the Bong deposit yielded a U–Pb zircon age of 1837.8 ± 7.7 Ma and a U–Pb titanite age of 1758.5 ± 44 Ma. We recognize a Kivalliq-age overprint in the form of metasomatism and partial remelting or melt infiltration in the drill core samples, which is not evident at the surface and is consistent with the presence of a Nueltin Granite intrusive complex at depth. The geochemistry and primary igneous textures of the Bong syenite, including its euhedral zircons, resemble those of lava flows near the base of the Baker Lake Group, and we recognize a mixed magma (i.e., Martell Syenite) continuum between intrusive Hudson granitoids and minette with extrusive equivalents in the lower felsic minette member of the Christopher Island Formation.

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Geological environment of the Cigar Lake uranium deposit

Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences ◽

10.1139/e93-054 ◽

1993 ◽

Vol 30 (4) ◽

pp. 653-673 ◽

Cited By ~ 26

Author(s):

P. Bruneton

Keyword(s):

Uranium Deposit ◽

Transitional Zone ◽

Uranium Deposits ◽

Athabasca Basin ◽

Structural Framework ◽

Basement Rocks ◽

Metamorphic Basement ◽

Basement Ridge ◽

Archean Basement ◽

East West

The Cigar Lake uranium deposit occurs within the Athabasca Basin of northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Like other major uranium deposits of the basin, it is located at the unconformity separating Helikian sandstones of the Athabasca Group from Aphebian metasediments and plutonic rocks of the Wollaston Group. The Athabasca Group was deposited in an intra-continental sedimentary basin that was filled by fluviatile terrestrial quartz sandstones and conglomerates. The group appears undeformed and its actual maximum thickness is about 1500 m. On the eastern side of the basin, the detrital units correspond to the Manitou Falls Formations where most of the uranium deposits are located. The Lower Pelitic unit of the Wollaston Group, which lies directly on the Archean basement, is considered to be the most favourable horizon for uranium mineralization. During the Hudsonian orogeny (1800–1900 Ma), the group underwent polyphase deformation and upper amphibolite facies metamorphism. The Hudsonian orogeny was followed by a long period of erosion and weathering and the development of a paleoweathering profile.On the Waterbury Lake property, the Manitou Falls Formation is 250–500 m thick and corresponds to units MFd, MFc, and MFb. The conglomeratic MFb unit hosts the Cigar Lake deposit. However, the basal conglomerate is absent at the deposit, wedging out against an east–west, 20 m high, pre-Athabasca basement ridge, on top of which is located the orebody.Two major lithostructural domains are present in the metamorphic basement of the property: (1) a southern area composed mainly of pelitic metasediments (Wollaston Domain) and (2) a northern area with large lensoid granitic domes (Mudjatik Domain). The Cigar Lake east–west pelitic basin, which contains the deposit, is located in the transitional zone between the two domains. The metamorphic basement rocks in the basin consist mainly of graphitic metapelitic gneisses and calcsilicate gneisses, which are inferred to be part of the Lower Pelitic unit. Graphite- and pyrite-rich "augen gneisses," an unusual facies within the graphitic metapelitic gneisses, occur primarily below the Cigar Lake orebody.The mineralogy and geochemistry of the graphitic metapelitic gneisses suggest that they were originally shales. The abundance of magnesium in the intercalated carbonates layers indicates an evaporitic origin.The structural framework is dominated by large northeast–southwest lineaments and wide east–west mylonitic corridors. These mylonites, which contain the augen gneisses, are considered to be the most favourable features for the concentration of uranium mineralization.Despite the presence of the orebody, large areas of the Waterbury Lake property remain totally unexplored and open for new discoveries.

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Metal Sources in the Proterozoic Vazante-Paracatu Sediment-Hosted Zn District, Brazil: Constraints from Pb Isotope Compositions of Meta-Siliciclastic Units

The Canadian Mineralogist ◽

10.3749/canmin.2000055 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Neil A Fernandes ◽

Gema R. Olivo ◽

Daniel Layton-Matthews ◽

Alexandre Voinot ◽

Donald Chipley ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Continental Crust ◽

Isotopic Signature ◽

Pb Isotope ◽

Metal Sources ◽

Upper Continental Crust ◽

Basement Rocks ◽

Siliciclastic Rocks ◽

Brasiliano Orogeny ◽

Isotope System ◽

Parallel Arrays

ABSTRACT Different types of sediment-hosted whole-rock Pb isotope (206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, 208Pb/204Pb) compositions were determined from phyllites, carbonaceous phyllites (>1% TOC), and meta-litharenites belonging to the Serra do Garrote Formation, which is part of the Proterozoic Vazante Group, Brazil. Results were integrated with lithogeochemistry in order to identify the Pb isotopic signature of Zn enrichment (up to 0.24 wt.% Zn) associated with meta-siliciclastic-hosted sulfide mineralization that formed prior to the Brasiliano Orogeny (850 to 550 Ma) in order to (1) understand the nature of siliciclastic sediment sources, (2) identify possible metal sources in pre-orogenic meta-siliciclastic-hosted Zn mineralization, and (3) evaluate the genetic links between the Zn enrichment in the relatively reduced phyllite package, and different styles of syn-orogenic Zn ± Pb mineralization (hypogene Zn-silicate and Zn-Pb sulfide) in overlying dolomitic carbonates throughout the Vazante-Paracatu Zn District, Brazil. The whole-rock 206Pb/204Pb and 207Pb/204Pb isotope ratios of meta-siliciclastic rocks plot as positively sloping, sub-parallel arrays with radiogenic, upper continental crust compositions, which could represent a detrital contribution from at least two upper continental crust sources. However, the 206Pb/204Pb versus 207Pb/204Pb isotope system does not distinguish between Zn-enriched samples and un-mineralized samples. In the whole-rock 206Pb/204Pb–208Pb/204Pb plot, Zn-enriched samples form a flat trend of lower 208Pb/204Pb values (38.3 to 39.5) compared to the Zn-poor ones that follow common upper crustal trends. Zinc-enriched samples have low whole-rock Th/U values (<4) and higher whole-rock U concentrations compared to unmineralized samples. These support the hypothesis that U (± Pb) was added by pre-orogenic metalliferous fluids, which were in turn derived from underlying Paleoproterozoic and Archean basement rocks. Due to U addition, the original whole-rock thorogenic and uranogenic Pb isotope systems were decoupled in mineralized samples. Pre-orogenic metalliferous fluids have similar present-day first-order characteristics, including: (1) relatively high U/Pb and (2) low Th/U values, when compared to galena in the major carbonate-hosted Zn ± Pb deposits (Vazante, Morro Agudo, Ambrosia, Fagundes) in the Vazante Group. These results support the hypothesis that Zn-rich layers and veins in mineralized carbonaceous phyllites could be linked to the same origins as carbonate-hosted mineral deposits throughout the Vazante Basin, but further data are warranted. We suggest that the tectonic evolution of the Vazante Basin saw multiple phases of Zn-rich mineralization over protracted time periods from around 1200 to 550 Ma.

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