Mineralogical and Oxygen Isotopic Constraints on the Origin of the Contact-Metamorphosed Bedded Manganese Deposit at Nagasawa, Japan

Abstract

The Nagasawa deposit, in Japan, is a Paleozoic to Mesozoic chert-hosted bedded manganese deposit that has undergone intense contact metamorphism due to intrusion of a granitic pluton ca. 59 to 62 Ma in age. The manganese ores occur as stratiform manganese silicates and quartz-dominant veins. A detailed petrographic and mineralogical study of ore samples reveals that Fe-, Co-, Ni-, Cu-, Zn-, As-, Te-, Pb-, and Bi-minerals (including native elements, sulfides, arsenides, and tellurides) are commonly present in both types of ore, and that molybdenite occurs in the veins. These minerals are closely associated with garnet in the pyroxmangite -garnet -amphibole ore that was metamorphosed from the rhodochrosite -quartz -chlorite assemblage commonly observed in unmetamorphosed manganese carbonate ores. The calculated oxygen isotopic temperatures based on mineral pairs obtained from the same hand samples of bedded ore scatter widely and include the temperature range estimated from equilibria among metamorphic minerals. The inconsistency in temperature ranges is ascribed to oxygen isotope disequilibrium among all the analyzed minerals from the bedded ores and suggests that externally derived fluid phases were not important during their formation. In contrast, mineral pairs from the quartz veins give oxygen isotopic temperatures of ~440-570°C that are in excellent agreement with those determined from equilibria among metamorphic minerals. Minor elements characteristic to the Nagasawa deposit, in addition to Mn and Fe, are those that are commonly concentrated in seafloor ferromanganese nodules. The above observations indicate that the minor elements were first scavenged by manganese oxide or hydroxide phases from seawater, pore water in deep-sea sediments, or seafloor hydrothermal fluids, were then released and incorporated in chlorite-and pyrite-bearing assemblages during the diagenetic reconstitution of manganese oxides and hydroxides to manganese carbonates, and were finally recrystallized as the minor sulfide and other minerals during contact metamorphism. The sulfur in the sulfides could have been derived from the replacement reaction of pyrite by pyrrhotite.Keywords: bedded manganese deposits, contact metamorphism, metachert, veins, minor elements, mineralogy, oxygen isotopes, ferromanganese nodules, Nagasawa, Japan. SOMMAIRECo, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Te, Pb, et Bi (y inclus les éléments natifs, les sulfures, arséniures et tellurures) sont présents dans les deux types deminerai, et que la molybdénite se présente dans les veines. Ces minéraux sont étroitement associés au grenat dans des assemblages à pyroxmangite -grenat -amphibole qui se sont formés aux dépens de l'assemblage rhodochrosite -quartzchlorite, répandu dans le minerai analogue non métamorphisé. Les températures d'équilibrage fondées sur les rapports d'isotopes d'oxygène dans des paires de minéraux provenant du même échantillon de minerai stratiforme montrent des écarts importants de chaque côté de la température estimée à partir des assemblages métamorph...

Bi-Se-Te mineralization from Úhorná (Spišsko Gemerské Rudohorie Mts., Słovakia): A preliminary report

“…The anion total is also higher (< 0.62 apfu) than the theoretical value (3 apfu). A similar anion excess (< 0.44 apfu) in hedleyite was reported by Cepedal et al (2006) but Haruna et al (2002) have reported an anion deficit (0.51 apfu).…”

“…The phase compositionally close to hedleyite is characterized by high contents of Sb (0.69 apfu) and Pb (0.16 apfu). The contents of Fe (0.21 apfu) and Cu (0.4) could relate to the surrounding tetrahedrite rather than to any substitution and, likewise, the similar Fe content reported by Haruna et al (2002). Cook et al (2007) proposed that only S, Se, Sb and Pb could enter to the structure of hedleyite and not Cu or Fe.…”

“…Practically no contents of Pb have been published. Haruna et al (2002) and Cepedal et al (2006) reported < 0.05 apfu of Se in hedleyite; neither noted any S. The hedleyite from Uhorná is characterized, in contrast, by high Se contents (< 0.88 apfu) and S (<0.25 apfu). The anion total is also higher (< 0.62 apfu) than the theoretical value (3 apfu).…”