Characterization of heavy mineral concentrates and detrital gold particles from the Bigorne granite-hosted gold deposit in the Iberian Variscan Belt

The Bigorne gold deposit, located in the Iberian Variscan belt, is a gold-bearing vein system, which crosscuts Variscan granites. The hypogene mineralization corresponds to sheet-veins parallel to the late-Variscan Penacova-Régua-Verín fault.A combined study was undertaken of gold particles from hypogene mineralization and locally derived eluvial material, as well as gold from alluvial deposits in local drainages, to assess possible source(s) of the alluvial gold.The geochemistry and mineralogy of heavy mineral concentrates revealed a similar signature as the hosted granites and hypogene mineralization, which indicates a local source for the surficial materials, with limited contribution from surrounding rocks.Hypogene and detrital gold particles at Bigorne area are entirely primary in origin and correspond essentially a Au-Ag alloy (< 22 wt.% Ag), locally with minor amounts of Cu. The compositional range of Ag and Cu is a consequence of variation in parameters formation of the deposit, such as temperature. Our study highlights the first results on gold detrital particles chemistry for granite-hosted gold deposits in Iberian Variscan belt and has provided a platform for further work to characterize gold from this environment such that it may be used as a generic indicator mineral together with other resistant ore minerals.

Seismic structure of the Cheb Basin from high resolution surveying – data quality assessment and first results

&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;In this study we present data and preliminary results from several shallow high-resolution seismic surveys in the Cheb Basin, CR, a small intracontinental basin in the North-West Bohemian Massif, located at the Western end of the Cenozoic Eger Rift. The area is well known for its intense earthquake activity, with the largest instrumentally recorded magnitude of M&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;span&gt;L&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;=4.6. Macroseismic reports of local seismicity date back to the early 19&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;sup&gt;&lt;span&gt;th&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/sup&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt; century, with magnitudes possibly above 5. Quaternary volcanoes, CO&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;sub&gt;&lt;span&gt;2&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/sub&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span&gt;-rich moffettes, and the swarm-like occurrence of the earthquakes suggest they are being triggered by crustal fluids. In contrast, most focal mechanisms show a dominant strike-slip component, indicative of tectonics. Investigating the role of fluids in triggering those earthquakes is one of the objectives of an ongoing ICDP program.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;span&gt;We expect high-resolution images of the basin structure to provide additional constraints regarding the importance of tectonic faulting. To that end, we surveyed several up to 3-km-long reflection and refraction profiles in the basin center across the putative Po&amp;#269;&amp;#225;tky-Plesn&amp;#225; Fault, and at its edge, across the basin-bounding Mari&amp;#225;nsk&amp;#233; L&amp;#225;zn&amp;#283; Fault. The up to 350-m-thick basin sediments are mostly of Miocene and Quaternary origin, overlying Paleozoic Variscan units and post-Variscan granites. The main reflectors are around 200-400 ms. The data were collected with a 500-m-long split-spread of single geophones at 2 m spacing, and the raw shots are dominated by ground roll. In this presentation, we will show an overview of the field campaigns and present first results.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

Preliminary petrographic study of dolerites related to Sb-Au mineralizations: example of Ribeiro da Serra mine (Dúrico-Beirão mining district, NW Portugal)

&lt;p&gt;In the D&amp;#250;rico-Beir&amp;#227;o mining district, several occurrences of Sb-Au are known, which were exploited since the Roman occupation in Iberia until mid-last century. This region is located in the Central Iberian Zone of the Iberian Massif, part of the Ibero-Armorican Arc. The country rocks in the area consist of folded metasedimentary rocks from Cambrian to Carboniferous surrounded by syn- to post-orogenic Variscan granites. The Ribeiro da Serra Sb-Au mine, intensively exploited in the 19&lt;sup&gt;th&lt;/sup&gt; century, occurs west of the western limb of the Valongo Anticline, a major ante-Stephanian structure with NW-SE trend. This Sb-Au deposit consist mainly of stibnite-bearing quartz veins hosted by slates, quartzites and conglomerates of the Schist-Greywacke Complex in a possible spatial relationship with dolerite dykes. These mafic dykes are emplaced in sub-parallel shear zones to the sinistral Douro Shear Zone and their presence may suggest the existence of mafic/ultramafic bodies at depth, which contributed to the occurrence of Sb-Au deposits.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This study aims to describe the dolerite dykes present through the region (petrographic composition, weathering, distribution, and dimension) considering a possible contribution for the Sb-Au occurrence. Dolerites are greyish-green colored and are intensely weathered. The samples surface shows a few millimeters of brownish supergenic alteration. The petrographic study highlighted an intense chloritization and saussuritization of plagioclase, whose tabular form and twinning are still preserved. The primary igneous texture is better preserved than the primary mineralogy. The texture is ophitic to sub-ophitic although the interstitial mass of the pyroxene is totally altered. &amp;#160;Chlorites occur as fresh, green-colored patches, sometimes with radiated fibrous textures. Frequent polycrystalline quartz lenses and veins occur, also as consequence of the hydrothermal/metamorphic alteration. The opaques, not yet identified, occur in a great modal percentage, and are frequently associated with titanite. They do not seem to have a special concentration related to quartz veins and lenses. Apatite is a frequent accessory phase and appears to be preferentially associated with opaque minerals.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The knowledge of the petrographic characteristics of these dolerite dykes, associated with geochemical data, can be a great contribution to the understanding of the distribution of Sb mineralization and corroborate the hypothesis of non-outcropping mafic/ultramafic bodies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Acknowledgment&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;The work was financial supported within the compass of the ERA-MIN/0005/2018&amp;#8212;AUREOLE project, FEDER through operation POCI-01-0145-FEDER-007690 funded by the Programa Operacional Competitividade Internacionaliza&amp;#231;&amp;#227;o&amp;#8212;COMPETE2020 and by National Funds through FCT within the ICT (reference UIDB/04683/2020).&lt;/p&gt;

Compositional Variability of Monazite–Cheralite–Huttonite Solid Solutions, Xenotime, and Uraninite in Geochemically Distinct Granites with Special Emphasis to the Strongly Fractionated Peraluminous Li–F–P-Rich Podlesí Granite System (Erzgebirge/Krušné Hory Mts., Central Europe)

A comprehensive study of monazite–cheralite–huttonite solid solutions (s.s.) and xenotime from the highly evolved, strongly peraluminous P–F–Li-rich Podlesí granite stock in the Krušné Hory Mts., Czech Republic, indicates that, with the increasing degree of magmatic and high-T early post-magmatic evolution, the content of the cheralite component in monazite increases and the relative dominance of middle rare earth elements (MREE) in xenotime becomes larger. Considering the overall compositional signatures of these two accessory minerals in the late Variscan granites of the Erzgebirge/Krušné Hory Mts., three types of granites can be distinguished: (i) chemically less evolved F-poor S(I)- and A-type granites contain monazite with a smooth, mostly symmetric chondrite-normalized (CN) rare-earth elements (REE) pattern gradually declining from La to Gd; associated xenotime is Y-rich (˃0.8 apfu Y) with a flat MREE–HREE (heavy rare earth elements) pattern; (ii) fractionated A-type granites typically contain La-depleted monazite with Th accommodated as the huttonite component, combined with usually Y-poor (0.4–0.6 apfu Y) xenotime characterized by a smoothly inclining, Yb–Lu-dominant CN-REE pattern; (iii) fractionated peraluminous Li-mica granites host monazite with a flat, asymmetric (kinked at La and Nd) CN-LREE pattern, with associated xenotime distinctly MREE (Gd–Tb–Dy)-dominant. Monazite and xenotime account for the bulk of the REE budgets in all types of granite. In peraluminous S(I)-type granites, which do not bear thorite, almost all Th is accommodated in monazite–cheralite s.s. In contrast, Th budgets in A-type granites are accounted for by monazite–huttonite s.s. together with thorite. The largest portion of U is accommodated in uraninite, if present.

Red Wood Ants prefer mature Pine Forests in Variscan Granite Environments (Formica rufa-group)

0AbstractWe used presence/absence data of 5,160 red wood ant nests (RWA; Formica polyctena) acquired in a systematic large-scale area-wide survey in two study areas (≈350 ha) in the Oberpfalz, NE Bavaria, Germany to explore for the first time the influence of variable (e.g., forest type, tree age) and quasi-invariant factors (e.g., tectonics, geochemical composition of the bedrock) on nest size, spatial distribution and nest density for Variscan granites. A combination of the forest type (mature pine-dominated forests (≥80–140 years) as main variable factor and the geochemical property of the Variscan granites with their high natural Radon potential and moderate heat production as main quasi-invariant factor could explain the high nest numbers in both study areas. In addition, the spatially clustered distribution patterns of the observed nests suggest a strong interaction between nests and their quasi-invariant environment, especially the directionality of the present-day stress field and the direction of the tectonically formed “Erbendorfer Line”. In general, such a combination of variable and quasi-invariant factors can be addressed as particularly favorable RWA habitats.

Geochemical Signature and Magnetic Fabric of Capinha Massif (Fundão, Central Portugal): Genesis, Emplacement and Relation with W–Sn Mineralizations

The Fundão–Serra da Estrela–Capinha (FSEC) region is characterized by peraluminous to metaluminous Variscan granites intrusive in a complex and thick metasedimentary sequence. This work seeks to characterize the Capinha granite (CG), understand its spatial and genetic relationship with the host Peroviseu–Seia (PS), Belmonte–Covilhã (BC) and Fáguas granites, and evaluate its metallogenic potential. To achieve these goals, a multidisciplinary approach was undertaken, including field work and identification of the petrography and microstructures, whole rock geochemistry and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility. Four distinct and independent differentiation trends were identified in the granites, namely, PS, BC, Fráguas and CG. The PS and BC played a role as host rocks for the W and Sn mineralizations. The Fráguas granite is anomalous in Sn and spatially related to the Sn–Li mineralizations, while the CG is anomalous in W and spatially related to W–Sn mineralizations. The post-tectonic CG is a peraluminous ilmenite-type whose ascent and emplacement were tectonically controlled. The Capinha magma used the intersection between the 25° N and 155° N strike–slip crustal scale faults for passive ascent and emplacement during the late-Variscan extensional phases. The magnetic fabric was drawn using an asymmetric tongue-shaped laccolith for CG. CG experienced two brittle deformation stages that marked the maximum compressive rotation from NE–SW to NNW–SSE.

The chemical evolution from older (323–318 Ma) towards younger highly evolved tin granites (315–314 Ma)—sources and metal enrichment in Variscan granites of the Western Erzgebirge (Central European Variscides, Germany)

&lt;p&gt;The sources and critical enrichment processes for granite related tin ores are still not well understood. The Erzgebirge represents one of the classical regions for tin mineralization. We investigated the four largest plutons from the Western Erzgebirge (Germany) for the geochemistry of bulk rocks and autocrystic zircons and relate this information to their intrusion ages. The source rocks of the Variscan granites were identified as high-grade metamorphic rocks based on the comparison of Hf-O isotope data on zircons, the abundance of xenocrystic zircon ages as well as Nd and Hf model ages. Among these rocks, restite is the most likely candidate for later Variscan melts.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In contrast to previously published suggestions (Romer and Kroner, 2015; Wolf et al., 2018), we can exclude a substantial role of intense sedimentary weathering as an important control factor for later Sn and W enrichment in granite related ores of the Western Erzgebirge due to the remarkable homogeneous Hf and low O isotopes in granitic zircons that are extremely distinct to all pre-Devonian basement rocks of Saxothuringia. We document a source enrichment from meta-sedimentary rocks (575 Ma) towards metamorphic rocks (340 Ma) were restites from granulite-facies melts are enriched 6&amp;#8211;7 times in Sn compared to UCC (upper continental crust). These rocks are also enriched in K, but depleted in Na and Ca, contain abundant muscovite, and are fertile for later melting. Further enrichment of Sn and W occurred during multiple melt production of the older igneous granites (323&amp;#8211;318 Ma) leading finally to a general enrichment of Sn (15 times compared to UCC) in the tin granites (315-314 Ma). Multiple melt production did not lead to a very strong enrichment of ore metals in the granites but is probably very important for a general enrichment of Sn and W in the thick granite-rich crust of the Erzgebirge. Efficient leaching by hydrothermal fluids led to a very strong enrichment (up to several orders) of Sn and W in the greisen ore bodies.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;References:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Romer, R.L.; Kroner, U. Sediment and weathering control on the distribution of Paleozoic magmatic tin-tungsten mineralization. Mineral. Depos. 2015, 50, 327&amp;#8211;338, doi:10.1007/s00126-014-0540-5.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Wolf, M.; Romer, R.L.; Franz, L.; Lopez-Moro, F.J. Tin in granitic melts: The role of melting temperature and protolith composition. Lithos 2018, 310&amp;#8211;311, 20&amp;#8211;30.&lt;/p&gt;

Magnetic mineralogy of Variscan granites from northern Portugal: an approach to their petrogenesis and metallogenic potential

Northern Portugal is characterized by the occurrence of numerous W hydrothermal deposits spatially associated with granites. The primary goal of this work is to establish a relationship between the magnetic behavior of thegranites and the redox conditions during magma genesis, as this can influence the occurrence of mineralizations, namely of W (Mo). To this end, the magnetic mineralogy of the granites of the Lamas de Olo Pluton, a posttectonic pluton in northern Portugal, with associated W (Mo) occurrences was characterized and compared with the magnetic mineralogy of other post-tectonic Variscan plutons. This pluton is composed of different biotite granites: Lamas de Olo, Alto dos Cabeços and Barragem. To better characterize its magnetic behavior, differentanalytical techniques that complement previous magnetic susceptibility studies were performed. The magnetic mineralogy of Lamas de Olo Pluton was then compared with other post-tectonic Variscan plutons such as the Vila Pouca de Aguiar, Peneda-Gerês and Lavadores-Madalena plutons. The presence of magnetite in some of these granites is important because it points to melt-oxidized conditions not commonly found in Iberian Variscan granites. Our study shows that granite areas where magnetite and/or magnetite/ilmenite coexist are important targets for W (Mo) mineralizations. The results indicate that a few plutons have granites with a complex redox history which leads to the formation of magnetite and ilmenite.