Textural and stable isotope studies of the Big Mike cupriferous volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit, Pershing County, Nevada

Economic Geology
By: , and 

Links

Abstract

The massive ore contains two major generations of pyrite, a fine and a coarse grained, both of which show a striking variety of textures involving quartz. Framboidal pyrite in the argillite host rock has delta 34 S values of approximately -24 per mil indicating the presence of a euxinic environment. The delta 34 S values of fine-grained pyrite in the massive ore range from degrees 6.4 to + or -2.0 per mil; those of coarse-grained pyrite range from -3.5 to + or -5.5 per mil. A significant portion of the isotopically light sulfur for the early, fine-grained hydrothermal pyrite in the massive lens was probably derived from framboidal biogenic pyrite in interflow sediments of the underlying greenstone pillow lavas. Microcrystalline quartz in massive ore, hanging-wall jasper, footwall hydrothermal chert and coarse quartz from hanging-wall and footwall stringer zones have delta 18 O values between 15.6 and 19.6 per mil; one sample of vein hematite has a value of 4.4 per mil. The combined sulfur and oxygen isotope and textural data indicate that much of the material in the massive lens originally precipitated as fine-grained pyrite or as a precursor iron sulfide along with some silica from a hydrothermal plume similar to those recently observed at the East Pacific Rise spreading center at lat 21 degrees N. The primary material underwent recrystallization, mineralization, and late-stage quartz deposition in the presence of later fluids which had distinctly different sulfur isotope compositions.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Textural and stable isotope studies of the Big Mike cupriferous volcanogenic massive sulfide deposit, Pershing County, Nevada
Series title Economic Geology
DOI 10.2113/gsecongeo.79.1.124
Volume 79
Issue 1
Year Published 1984
Language English
Publisher Society of Economic Geologists
Description 17 p.
First page 124
Last page 140
Google Analytic Metrics Metrics page
Additional publication details