Nickel sulfide deposits in Western Australia; a review

Marston, R. J.; Groves, David; Hudson, D. R.; Ross, J. R.

doi:10.2113/gsecongeo.76.6.1330

Cited by 41 publications

(23 citation statements)

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“…An excellent review of these nickel sulfide ores has been presented by Marston et al (1981), and the following details are summarized from their contribution. Geol., vol.…”

Section: Additional Aspects Of Greenstone Belt Metallogenymentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal Deposits in Relation to Plate Tectonics

Sawkins¹

1990

Minerals and Rocks

170

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“…An excellent review of these nickel sulfide ores has been presented by Marston et al (1981), and the following details are summarized from their contribution. Geol., vol.…”

Section: Additional Aspects Of Greenstone Belt Metallogenymentioning

confidence: 99%

Metal Deposits in Relation to Plate Tectonics

Sawkins¹

1990

Minerals and Rocks

170

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“…The petrogenetic affinity of the komatiites (see Nesbitt et al 1979) also does not appear to be critical (cf. Marston et al 1981). Although most important deposits are associated with aluminum-undepleted komatiites (e.g., Kambalda: Lesher et al 1981), some are associated with aluminum-depleted komatiites (e.g., Forrestania: Porter and McKay 1981;Ruth Well: Barley and Bickle 1982;E.…”

Section: Fundamental Featuresmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nesbitt (1971) and Naldrett and Cabri (1976) noted that some deposits contain concentrations of sulfides that are too great to have been dissolved in the overlying host units, and proposed that the sulfides were carried in suspension directly from the mantle. Under the assumption that the olivine in the host units is intratelluric, Ross and Hopkins (1975) and Marston et al (1981) suggested that immiscible sulfides and olivine crystals accumulated (in a subsurface magma chamber) prior to eruption, and that sulfides were erupted as a segregated phase.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Controls on the Formation of Komatiite-Associated Nickel-Copper Sulfide Deposits

Lesher

Groves

1986

Special Publication No. 4 of the Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits

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Nickel-copper sulfide deposits associated with rocks of komatiitic affinity may be divided into two associations on the basis of host rock composition and ore distribution: (1) stratiform, massive-matrix-disseminated sulfides hosted by cumulate komatiite lava flows (lava conduits), or strata-bound, coarse disseminated sulfides hosted by cumulate komatiite bodies near volcanic vents, and (2) strata-bound, finely disseminated sulfides and more restricted massive sulfides hosted by subvolcanic komatiitic dunites (high-level magma chambers). These deposits represent a continuum in environments of emplacement from distal volcanic through proximal and central volcanic to subvolcanic.Field relationships and geochemical data suggest that the sulfides in these deposits are magmatic in origin. Previous models for their formation involve derivation of sulfides directly from the mantle or from low-level magma chambers, but there are several field, physical, and thermodynamic constraints which suggest that this may not be feasible: (1) the spatial concentration of mineralization within certain parts of otherwise virtually barren host units suggests that the latter were not uniformly saturated in sulfide at the time of emplacement; (2) there are physical problems in transporting dense sulfides in low viscosity komatiite magmas, although dispersed sulfide droplets may be supported during rapid ascent; and (3) high temperature komatiitic melts generated by high-degree partial melting, or sequential melting, of mantle source rocks are unlikely to be sulfide-saturated in the source region or to remain sulfide-saturated during adiabatic ascent. These deposits are, however, commonly associated with specific country rocks, particularly sulfidic sediments, and the distribution of the ores appears to be related to the distribution of these rocks. It is most likely that the sulfide ores exsolved from the komatiitic magmas in situ, in response to assimilation of the country rocks during emplacement. The distribution and texture of the mineralization was probably influenced by (1) the mode of emplacement (volcanic vs subvolcanic) and amount of assimilation; (2) the relative volume of magma (lava conduit vs magma chamber) and its capacity to dissolve sulfur; and (3) the timing of sulfide separation and opportunity for segregation. A fundamental aspect of this model is the coincidence of cumulate komatiitic host units (representing dynamic lava conduits and magma chambers) and siliceous, sulfidic, or ferric iron oxide-rich sediments, the former representing a source of heat for assimilation and of ore metals, and the latter a source of sulfur or of components to induce sulfide separation. Mineralized greenstones appear to have formed in deeper water under conditions of greater extension than unmineralized greenstones; rifting environments represent the most favorable tectonic environment for voluminous komatiite eruption/irruption and for accumulation of sulfidic sediments. Variations in the degree of extension along or within the r...

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“…at Kambalda (Marston et al 1981(Marston et al , p. 1354; and one deposit from Canada: Redstone (Robinson and Hutchinson 1982).…”

Section: Mineralized Rocksmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…apparently unique to the Arabian Shield. Examples of Ni deposits hosted by metasedimentary rocks outside of the Arabian Shield include the nearby presence of ultramafic flows or sills (see, for example, Marston et al 1981). In most of these deposits, Ni enrichment of sedimentary units is thought to occur by processes other than volcanic exhalation, such as metarnorphic remobilization of magmatic ore (Barrett et al 1977;Groves et al 1979).…”

Section: Introduction Anomalous Ni Concentrations In the Late Proteromentioning

confidence: 99%

Formation of volcanic-exhalative nickel-sulfide deposits at a Late Proterozoic spreading ridge in the proto-Arabian Shield

Carten¹,

Tayeb²

1990

Can. J. Earth Sci.

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Field and petrologic studies indicate that the strata-bound nickeliferous sulfide deposits of Jabal Mardah were formed contemporan~ously with sedimentation of an active spreading ridge. Mineralization is distributed discontinuously over a strike length of 10 km within a 20-250 m thick seauence of basaltic turbidites of submarine-canyon to inner-fan-channel facies. These rocks are stratigraphically underlain and ovlrlain by pillow basalts of the Late ~roterozoic Darb Zubaydah ophiolite. Individual deposits (as large as 1.5 Mt at 0.8% Ni) exhibit characteristics that indicate formation by volcanic exhalation, such as (i) soft-sediment deformation, (ii) graben-controlled geometries, and (iii) underlying zones of stockwork mineralization. The assemblage pyrite + polydymite (Ni3S4) + vaesite (NiS2) filled veins and replaced wall rock in the stockwork zone; pyrite + millerite (NiS) + polydymite partially replaced unconsolidated sedimentary particles and directly precipitated in pore spaces. Cu and Zn sulfides are scarce. Hydrothermal alteration that was overprinted by lower greenschist-facies metamorphism is principally albite + chlorite + epidote in deeper portions of the turbidite sequence and albite + chlorite + calcite or quartz + chlorite + calcite in shallower portions. Epiclastic basaltic sediments were deposited intermittently during periods of mineralization. Graben structures controlled the distribution of sediments and the discharge of mineralizing fluids. Thick sedimentary piles acted as chemical sinks for upwelling fluids and prevented significant precipitation of sulfides on the sea floor. Contemporaneous mineralization, sedimentation, and erosion (indicated by basal scour zones) produced a complex pattern of sulfide distribution near points of fluid discharge. These nickeliferous deposits are similar in most physical aspects to ophiolite-related Cu-Zn deposits of Phanerozoic age. The divergence in mineralogy at Jabal Mardah principally resulted from the discharge of lower temperature (less than 200") fluids, lower fo2, and probably higher fco, Les observations sur le terrain et les etudes pktrologiques rkvtlent que la formation des gites de sulfures nickklifbres stratiformes de Jabal Mardah est contemporaine de la skdimentation sur une cr6te d'expansion active. La minkralisation est distribute de manibre discontinue sur une direction de 10 km de longueur, et elle est confinke A une skquence d'une puissance de 20-250 m de turbidites basaltiques de facits variant de canyon sous-marin a chenal d'tventail interne. Ces roches minkraliskes sont stratigraphiquement intercaltes entre des coulkes de basaltes en coussins de I'ophiolite de Darb Zubaydah, d'ige proerozoique tardif. Les particularitks des gites individuels (autant que 1,5 Mt a 0,8% de Ni) suggbrent qu'ils sont du type d'exhalaison volcanique, entre autres (i) la dkformation des skdiments mous, (ii) les gkomktries dues au graben et (iii) les zones sous-jacentes de minkralisation de type stockw work^. Les assemblages de pyrite + polydymite (Ni3S4) + va...

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Nickel sulfide deposits in Western Australia; a review

Cited by 41 publications

References 0 publications

Metal Deposits in Relation to Plate Tectonics

Metal Deposits in Relation to Plate Tectonics

Controls on the Formation of Komatiite-Associated Nickel-Copper Sulfide Deposits

Formation of volcanic-exhalative nickel-sulfide deposits at a Late Proterozoic spreading ridge in the proto-Arabian Shield

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