Carbonation reactions and coupled element and isotope redistribution during shallow crustal gold mineralisation, New Zealand

Hydrothermal alteration zones rich in carbonate are excellent vectors for orogenic gold-bearing veins, but the extent of element mobility is difficult to establish. Whole rock and in situ mineral analysis was performed to better understand the element and isotope (Sr, Nd, C) redistribution around Miocene quartz-carbonate-sulphide-gold-bearing veins in meta-turbidite (greyschist) and meta-basite (greenschist) in the Otago Schist in New Zealand. The new data provide insight into the fluid-rock interaction within a lithologically, chemically and isotopically heterogeneous upper few kilometres (