Carbonate-Hosted Nonsulfide Pb-Zn Deposits of the Quesnel Lake District, British Columbia, Canada

Paradis, Suzanne; Simandl, George J.; Keevil, Halley A.; Raudsepp, Mati

doi:10.2113/econgeo.111.1.179

Cited by 10 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…A further earlier event characterized by weathering-related processes is also recognized. The proposed succession is consistent with those paragenetic sequences drawn for non-sulfide Pb-Zn ± Cu deposits worldwide [19,30,[66][67][68].…”

Section: Paragenetic Sequencesupporting

confidence: 85%

“…Conversely, the gray to white calamine occurrences are recognizable by their milky chalky appearance although locally transparent to translucent. Textural relationships indicate that the emplacement of the white calamine occurred after the development of the red calamine, in agreement with all the established chronologic reconstitutions for calamine deposits worldwide [6,19,30,64,65]. Structural constraints indicate that the emplacement of calamine ore is structurally controlled as most of the orebodies are distributed along the major ENE-trending faults.…”

Section: Mineralogy and Geochemistrysupporting

confidence: 78%

“…In this respect, carbon and oxygen isotope compositions of the Pb-Zn ± Cu-bearing carbonates provide useful information on the fluid characteristics responsible for precipitation of non-sulfide minerals and indirectly constrain the climatic environment that prevailed at the time of deposition (e.g., [19] and references therein). The obtained δ 13 C and δ 18 O values of smithsonite, cerussite, azurite, malachite, and late-stage calcite from the two investigated districts form distinct clusters whose overall isotopic signatures plot in the supergene compositional fields of cerussite, smithsonite, azurite-malachite, and late-stage calcite as defined by [59,62] (Figures 9 and 10).…”

Section: Origin Of the Supergene Mineralizing Fluid(s)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The development of this lowtemperature paragenesis implies the complete oxidation of sulfide minerals, including oxidation of pyrite to oxyhydroxides, sphalerite to smithsonite-1, galena to anglesite-1 and cerussite-1, and chalcopyrite to malachite and azurite. The oxidation involves mainly a series of reactions similar to those described by [19,62,[117][118][119] Smithsonite was generally produced during early oxidation of sphalerite, when Zn-bearing solutions reacted with the host carbonates or with carbonate-bearing fluids [17,108,120] at pH values between 6.2 and 8.1 and under high partial pressures of CO 2 (P CO2(g) ). Oxidation of galena occurred either as direct replacement of galena by anglesite, or as subsequent replacement of galena and anglesite by cerussite.…”

Section: Main Stage Of Sulfide Oxidationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ore-forming process involved a series of reactions between downward-percolating meteoric waters, metal solubility, and reactive host rocks contemporaneously with tectonic uplift and/or water table depression [3,14,15]. The released metals could be trapped locally, directly above the sulfide protolith, or they may be transported and precipitated far away from the sulfide protore [3,[16][17][18][19]. More importantly, recent investigations demonstrated the ability of bacteria and archaea as well to influence metal solubilization, mobilization, and subsequent formation of carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn ± Cu ± Au deposits and their supergene counterparts (e.g., [20][21][22][23][24][25]).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Origin of the Moroccan Touissit-Bou Beker and Jbel Bou Dahar Supergene Non-Sulfide Biomineralization and Its Relevance to Microbiological Activity, Late Miocene Uplift and Climate Changes

et al. 2021

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Through integration of Pb-Zn ± Cu non-sulfide mineralogy, texture, and stable isotope (C, O, S) geochemistry, the world-class Touissit- Bou Beker and Jbel Bou Dahar Mississippi Valley-type districts of the Moroccan Atlasic system have been investigated in order to gain insights into the origin and processes that contributed to the formation of the base metal non-sulfide mineralization. In both districts, direct replacement (“red calamine”) and wallrock replacement (“white calamine”) ores are observed. Based on the mineral assemblages, ore textures, and crosscutting relations, three distinct mineralizing stages are recognized. The earliest, pre-non-sulfide gossanous stage was a prerequisite for the following supergene stages and constituted the driving force that ultimately promoted the leaching of most base metals such as Zn and Cu and alkalis from their rock sources. The following two stages, referred to as the main supergene “red calamine” and late “white calamine” ore stages, generated the bulk of mineable “calamine” ores in the Touissit-Bou Beker and Jbel Bou Dahar districts. Stable isotope compositions (d13CV-PDB, d18OV-SMOW, d34SCDT) support a three-stage model whereby metals were released by supergene acidic fluids and then precipitated by bacteria and archaea-mediated metal-rich meteoric fluids due to a decrease in temperature and/or increase of fO2. Oxygen isotope thermometry indicates decreasing precipitation temperatures with advancing paragenetic sequence from 33° to 18 °C, with wet to semi-arid to arid climatic conditions. The close spatial relationships between coexisting sulfide and non-sulfide mineralization along with stable isotope constraints suggest that the oxidation of sulfides occurred concurrently after the main stage of the Alpine orogeny between 15 Ma and the present. More importantly, the current data show for the first time the involvement of biologically controlled activity as the major driving process that triggered both oxidation and deposition of supergene mineralization at Jbel Bou Dahar and Touissit-Bou Beker districts. Conclusions drawn from this study therefore have implications for supergene Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) -derived non-sulfide deposits worldwide and account for the prominent role of biological processes in the genesis of this category of ore deposits.

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