Variable modes of formation for tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite-diorite (TTG)-related porphyry-type Cu ± Au deposits in the Neoarchean southern Abitibi subprovince (Canada): Evidence from petrochronology and oxybarometry

Most known porphyry Cu ± Au deposits are associated with moderately oxidized and sulfur-rich, calc-alkaline to mildly alkalic arc-related magmas in the Phanerozoic. In contrast, sodium-enriched tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite-diorite (TTG) magmas predominant in the Archean are hypothesized to be unoxidized and sulfur-poor, which together preclude porphyry Cu deposit formation. Here, we test this hypothesis by interrogating the causative magmas for the ~2.7 Ga TTG-related Côté Gold, St-Jude, and Clifford porphyry-type Cu ± Au deposit settings in the Neoarchean southern Abitibi subprovince. New and previously published geochronological results constrain the age of emplacement of the causative magmas at ~2.74 Ga, ~2.70 Ga, and ~2.69 Ga, respectively. The dioritic and trondhjemitic magmas associated with Côté Gold and St-Jude evolved along a plagioclase-dominated fractionation trend, in contrast to amphibole-dominated fractionation for tonalitic magma at Clifford. Analyses of zircon grains from the Côté Gold, St-Jude, and Clifford igneous rocks yielded εHf(t) ± SD values of 4.5 ± 0.3, 4.2 ± 0.6, and 4.3 ± 0.4, and δ18O ± SD values of 5.40 ± 0.11 ‰, 3.91 ± 0.13 ‰, and 4.83 ± 0.12 ‰, respectively. These isotopic signatures indicate that although these magmas are mantle-sourced with minimal crustal contamination, for the St-Jude and Clifford settings the magmas or their sources may have undergone variable alteration by heated seawater or meteoric fluids. Primary barometric minerals (i.e., zircon, amphibole, apatite, and magnetite-ilmenite) that survived variable alteration and metamorphism (up to greenschist facies) were used for estimating fO2 of the causative magmas. Estimation of magmatic fO2 values, reported relative to the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer as ΔFMQ, using zircon geochemistry indicate that the fO2 values of the St-Jude, Côté Gold, and Clifford magmas increase from ΔFMQ -0.3 ± 0.6, ΔFMQ +0.8 ± 0.4, to ΔFMQ +1.2 ± 0.4, respectively. In contrast, amphibole chemistry yielded systematically higher fO2 values of ΔFMQ +1.6 ± 0.3 and ΔFMQ +2.6 ± 0.1 for Côté Gold and Clifford, respectively, which are consistent with previous studies that indicate amphibole may overestimate the fO2 of intrusive rocks by up to one log unit. Micro X-ray absorption near edge structure (μ-XANES) spectrometric determination of sulfur (i.e., S6+/ΣS) in primary apatite yielded ≥ΔFMQ -0.3 and ΔFMQ +1.4–1.8 for the St-Jude and Clifford, respectively. The magnetite-ilmenite mineral pairs from the Clifford tonalite yielded ΔFMQ +3.3 ± 1.3 at equilibrium temperatures of 634 ± 21 °C, recording the redox state of the late stage of magma crystallization. Electron probe microanalyses revealed that apatite grains from Clifford are enriched in S (up to 0.1 wt. %) relative to those of Côté Gold and St-Jude (below the detection limit), which is attributed to either relatively oxidized or sulfur-rich features of the Clifford tonalite. We interpret these results to indicate the deposits at Côté Gold and Clifford formed from mildly (~ΔFMQ +0.8 ± 0.4) to moderately (~ΔFMQ +1.5) oxidized magmas where voluminous early sulfide saturation was probably limited, whereas the St-Jude deposit represents a rare case whereby the ingress of externally derived hydrothermal fluids facilitated metal fertility in a relatively reduced magma chamber (~ΔFMQ +0). Furthermore, we conclude that variable modes of formation for these deposits and, in addition, the apparent rarity of porphyry-type Cu-Au deposits in the Archean may be attributed to either local restriction of favorable metallogenic conditions, and/or preservation, or an exploration bias.

Olivine-Hosted Melt Inclusions: A Microscopic Perspective on a Complex Magmatic World

Inclusions of basaltic melt trapped inside of olivine phenocrysts during igneous crystallization provide a rich, crystal-scale record of magmatic processes ranging from mantle melting to ascent, eruption, and quenching of magma during volcanic eruptions. Melt inclusions are particularly valuable for retaining information on volatiles such as H2O and CO2 that are normally lost by vesiculation and degassing as magma ascends and erupts. However, the record preserved in melt inclusions can be variably obscured by postentrapment processes, and thus melt inclusion research requires careful evaluation of the effects of such processes. Here we review processes by which melt inclusions are trapped and modified after trapping, describe new opportunities for studying the rates of magmatic and volcanic processes over a range of timescales using the kinetics of post-trapping processes, and describe recent developments in the use of volatile contents of melt inclusions to improve our understanding of how volcanoes work. ▪ Inclusions of silicate melt (magma) trapped inside of crystals formed by magma crystallization provide a rich, detailed record of what happens beneath volcanoes. ▪ These inclusions record information ranging from how magma forms deep inside Earth to its final hours as it ascends to the surface and erupts. ▪ The melt inclusion record, however, is complex and hazy because of many processes that modify the inclusions after they become trapped in crystals. ▪ Melt inclusions provide a primary archive of dissolved gases in magma, which are the key ingredients that make volcanoes erupt explosively. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Volume 49 is May 2021. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/page/journal/pubdates for revised estimates.

High-Precision Zircon SIMS Zr Isotope Analysis

Zirconium isotope is a very promising tracer to investigate magmatic processes such as magma crystallization and differentiation, and to tackle the secular evolution of continental crust. With zircon being its...

Окислительно-восстановительный фон в земной коре Сихотэ-Алиньского орогенного пояса при кристаллизации магматитов мел-палеогенового возраста: связь с геодинамикой

A new mechanism for the formation of ilmenite and magnetite series of granitoids in the Sikhote-Alin orogenic belt is proposed. The existing distribution zones of these magmatites are associated with the regional redox background, where magma crystallization occurs. The paper shows the relationship between the redox background in the lithosphere of the region and subduction processes in the Cretaceous-Paleogene time. The proposed mechanism of formation of the ilmenite and magnetite zones of Sikhote-Alin also explains the differences in redox conditions during the crystallization of Mesozoic magmatites in the orogens of the Eastern and Western Pacific coasts.

High-resolution LA-ICP-MS trace-element mapping of magmatic biotite: A new approach for studying syn- to post-magmatic evolution

ABSTRACT Biotite grains from 22 felsic intrusions in New Brunswick were mapped in situ using a laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS). We investigated the extent to which biotite can retain its magmatic zoning patterns and, where zoning does exist, how it can be used to elucidate early to late stage, syn-magmatic to post-crystallization processes. Although the major element and halogen contents of the examined biotite phenocrysts are homogeneous, two-thirds of the grains display trace-element zoning for Ba, Rb, and Cs. The results also indicated that zoning is better retained in larger grains (i.e., > 500 × 500 μm) with minimal alteration and mineral inclusions. An exceptionally well-zoned Li-rich siderophyllite from the Pleasant Ridge topaz granite in southwestern New Brunswick shows Ti, Ta, Sn, W, Cs, Rb, and V (without Li or Ba) zoning. Cesium values increase from 200 to 1400 ppm from core to rim. Conversely, Sn and W values decrease toward the rim (50 to 10 and 100 to 10 ppm, respectively). Tantalum and Ti values show fewer variations but drop abruptly close to the rim of the grain (100 to 20 and 2000 to 500 ppm, respectively). These observations may indicate crystallization of mineral phases with high partition coefficients for these highly incompatible elements (except Ti) (e.g., cassiterite and rutile) followed by fractionation of a fluid phase at a later stage of magma crystallization. The preservation of zoning may indicate rapid cooling post-crystallization of the parent magma.

The first discovery of oxyborates in the rocks of the Norilsk-1 intrusion (northwest of the Siberian platform)

We found five boron minerals in the taxitic gabbrodolerites near the upper contact of the Norilsk-1 ore-bearing intrusion. These are kotoite Mg3(BO3)2, suanite Mg2B2O5, warwickite (Mg,Ti,Fe,Cr,Al)2O(BO3), ludwigite (Mg)2Fe3+O2(BO3), and azoproite (Mg,Fe2+)2(Fe3+,Ti,Mg)O2(BO3). This is the first discovery of oxyborate minerals in the Norilsk province. They form monomineral and polymineral inclusions in olivine grains from the recrystallized areas of the taxitic intrusive rocks. Boron minerals arose at the late stage of the magma crystallization or just after that as a result of the interaction of the rock with the boron-bearing fluid containing in the ore-bearing magma. Presence of the micro inclusions of the oxyborates as well as higher boron content in rocks can be used as a criterion for searching of the Pt-Cu-Ni-bearing intrusions in the Norilsk province.

The LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon age of rhyolite from the Dong Trau formation and its geological significances

Zircons separated from an rhyolite sample in the Dong Trau formation, in the southern of Hà Tĩnh province were dated to determine the protolith age for the complex. Sixteen LA-ICP-MS U-Pb zircon analyses give concordant ages concentrated at 256 Ma (weighted mean). These results indicate the protolith age of the rhyolite (primary magma crystallization age). The value of this age are close to the analytical results pf the whole rock by Rb-Sr method and biotite Rb-Sr method. Therefore the crystallization age of the rhyolite from the Đồng Trầu formation corresponded period late Permian to early Triassic.