The gold content of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits
Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits contain variable amounts of gold, both in terms of average grade and total gold content, with some VMS deposits hosting world-class gold mines with more than 100 t Au. Previous studies have identified gold-rich VMS as having an average gold grade, expressed in g...
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| Veröffentlicht in: | Mineralium deposita 2011-07, Vol.46 (5-6), p.509-539 |
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| description | Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits contain variable amounts of gold, both in terms of average grade and total gold content, with some VMS deposits hosting world-class gold mines with more than 100 t Au. Previous studies have identified gold-rich VMS as having an average gold grade, expressed in g/t, exceeding the total abundance of base metals, expressed in wt.%. However, statistically meaningful criteria for the identification of truly anomalous deposits have not been established. This paper presents a more extensive analysis of gold grades and tonnages of 513 VMS deposits worldwide, revealing a number of important features in the distribution of the data. A large proportion of deposits are characterized by a relatively low gold grade ( |
| doi_str_mv | 10.1007/s00126-010-0300-0 |
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Previous studies have identified gold-rich VMS as having an average gold grade, expressed in g/t, exceeding the total abundance of base metals, expressed in wt.%. However, statistically meaningful criteria for the identification of truly anomalous deposits have not been established. This paper presents a more extensive analysis of gold grades and tonnages of 513 VMS deposits worldwide, revealing a number of important features in the distribution of the data. A large proportion of deposits are characterized by a relatively low gold grade (<2 g/t), with a gradual decrease in frequency towards maximum gold grades, defining a log-normal distribution. In the analysis presented in this paper, the geometric mean and geometric standard deviation appear to be the simplest metric for identifying subclasses of VMS deposits based on gold grade, especially when comparing deposits within individual belts and districts. The geometric mean gold grade of 513 VMS deposits worldwide is 0.76 g/t; the geometric standard deviation is +2.70 g/t Au. In this analysis, deposits with more than 3.46 g/t Au (geometric mean plus one geometric standard deviation) are considered auriferous. The geometric mean gold content is 4.7 t Au, with a geometric standard deviation of +26.3 t Au. Deposits containing 31 t Au or more (geometric mean plus one geometric standard deviation) are also considered to be anomalous in terms of gold content, irrespective of the gold grade. Deposits with more than 3.46 g/t Au and 31 t Au are considered gold-rich VMS. A large proportion of the total gold hosted in VMS worldwide is found in a relatively small number of such deposits. The identification of these truly anomalous systems helps shed light on the geological parameters that control unusual enrichment of gold in VMS. At the district scale, the gold-rich deposits occupy a stratigraphic position and volcanic setting that commonly differs from other deposits of the district possibly due to a step change in the geodynamic and magmatic evolution of local volcanic complexes. The gold-rich VMS are commonly associated with transitional to calc-alkaline intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks, which may reflect a particularly fertile geodynamic setting and/or timing (e.g., early arc rifting or rifting front). At the deposit scale, uncommon alteration assemblages (e.g., advanced argillic, aluminous, strongly siliceous, or potassium feldspar alteration) and trace element signatures may be recognized (e.g., Au–Ag–As–Sb ± Bi–Hg–Te), suggesting a direct magmatic input in some systems.</description><identifier>ISSN: 0026-4598</identifier><identifier>EISSN: 1432-1866</identifier><identifier>DOI: 10.1007/s00126-010-0300-0</identifier><language>eng</language><publisher>Berlin/Heidelberg: Springer-Verlag</publisher><subject>Earth and Environmental Science ; Earth Sciences ; Geochemistry ; Geology ; Gold ; Magma ; Mineral Resources ; Mineralogy ; Rifting ; Standard deviation ; Sulfides ; Trace elements ; Volcanic rocks ; Volcanology</subject><ispartof>Mineralium deposita, 2011-07, Vol.46 (5-6), p.509-539</ispartof><rights>Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2010 2010</rights><rights>Springer-Verlag 2011</rights><lds50>peer_reviewed</lds50><woscitedreferencessubscribed>false</woscitedreferencessubscribed><citedby>FETCH-LOGICAL-a338t-464716136e6304e9b688b424d592677028c4f5800b9aafd5c1c865c99de745663</citedby><cites>FETCH-LOGICAL-a338t-464716136e6304e9b688b424d592677028c4f5800b9aafd5c1c865c99de745663</cites></display><links><openurl>$$Topenurl_article</openurl><openurlfulltext>$$Topenurlfull_article</openurlfulltext><thumbnail>$$Tsyndetics_thumb_exl</thumbnail><linktopdf>$$Uhttps://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s00126-010-0300-0$$EPDF$$P50$$Gspringer$$H</linktopdf><linktohtml>$$Uhttps://link.springer.com/10.1007/s00126-010-0300-0$$EHTML$$P50$$Gspringer$$H</linktohtml><link.rule.ids>314,776,780,27901,27902,41464,42533,51294</link.rule.ids></links><search><creatorcontrib>Mercier-Langevin, Patrick</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Hannington, Mark D.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Dubé, Benoît</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Bécu, Valérie</creatorcontrib><title>The gold content of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits</title><title>Mineralium deposita</title><addtitle>Miner Deposita</addtitle><description>Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits contain variable amounts of gold, both in terms of average grade and total gold content, with some VMS deposits hosting world-class gold mines with more than 100 t Au. Previous studies have identified gold-rich VMS as having an average gold grade, expressed in g/t, exceeding the total abundance of base metals, expressed in wt.%. However, statistically meaningful criteria for the identification of truly anomalous deposits have not been established. This paper presents a more extensive analysis of gold grades and tonnages of 513 VMS deposits worldwide, revealing a number of important features in the distribution of the data. A large proportion of deposits are characterized by a relatively low gold grade (<2 g/t), with a gradual decrease in frequency towards maximum gold grades, defining a log-normal distribution. In the analysis presented in this paper, the geometric mean and geometric standard deviation appear to be the simplest metric for identifying subclasses of VMS deposits based on gold grade, especially when comparing deposits within individual belts and districts. The geometric mean gold grade of 513 VMS deposits worldwide is 0.76 g/t; the geometric standard deviation is +2.70 g/t Au. In this analysis, deposits with more than 3.46 g/t Au (geometric mean plus one geometric standard deviation) are considered auriferous. The geometric mean gold content is 4.7 t Au, with a geometric standard deviation of +26.3 t Au. Deposits containing 31 t Au or more (geometric mean plus one geometric standard deviation) are also considered to be anomalous in terms of gold content, irrespective of the gold grade. Deposits with more than 3.46 g/t Au and 31 t Au are considered gold-rich VMS. A large proportion of the total gold hosted in VMS worldwide is found in a relatively small number of such deposits. The identification of these truly anomalous systems helps shed light on the geological parameters that control unusual enrichment of gold in VMS. At the district scale, the gold-rich deposits occupy a stratigraphic position and volcanic setting that commonly differs from other deposits of the district possibly due to a step change in the geodynamic and magmatic evolution of local volcanic complexes. The gold-rich VMS are commonly associated with transitional to calc-alkaline intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks, which may reflect a particularly fertile geodynamic setting and/or timing (e.g., early arc rifting or rifting front). At the deposit scale, uncommon alteration assemblages (e.g., advanced argillic, aluminous, strongly siliceous, or potassium feldspar alteration) and trace element signatures may be recognized (e.g., Au–Ag–As–Sb ± Bi–Hg–Te), suggesting a direct magmatic input in some systems.</description><subject>Earth and Environmental Science</subject><subject>Earth Sciences</subject><subject>Geochemistry</subject><subject>Geology</subject><subject>Gold</subject><subject>Magma</subject><subject>Mineral Resources</subject><subject>Mineralogy</subject><subject>Rifting</subject><subject>Standard deviation</subject><subject>Sulfides</subject><subject>Trace elements</subject><subject>Volcanic rocks</subject><subject>Volcanology</subject><issn>0026-4598</issn><issn>1432-1866</issn><fulltext>true</fulltext><rsrctype>article</rsrctype><creationdate>2011</creationdate><recordtype>article</recordtype><sourceid>BENPR</sourceid><recordid>eNp1kEtLAzEUhYMoWKs_wF1wP3rznGQpxRcU3NR1SDN36pTppCbTgv_elBFcuTlncc85Fz5CbhncM4D6IQMwritgUIGAImdkxqTgFTNan5MZQLlKZc0lucp5CwCWSZgRu_pEuol9Q0McRhxGGlt6jH3wQ9zg0AW68zl3R6T50Lddg7TBfczdmK_JRev7jDe_Picfz0-rxWu1fH95WzwuKy-EGSupZc00Exq1AIl2rY1ZSy4bZbmua-AmyFYZgLX1vm1UYMFoFaxtsJZKazEnd9PuPsWvA-bRbeMhDeWlM7VRijMwJcSmUEgx54St26du59O3Y-BOgNwEyBVA7gSoyJzwqZNLdthg-hv-v_QD9XFmQQ</recordid><startdate>20110701</startdate><enddate>20110701</enddate><creator>Mercier-Langevin, Patrick</creator><creator>Hannington, Mark D.</creator><creator>Dubé, Benoît</creator><creator>Bécu, Valérie</creator><general>Springer-Verlag</general><general>Springer Nature B.V</general><scope>AAYXX</scope><scope>CITATION</scope><scope>3V.</scope><scope>7XB</scope><scope>88I</scope><scope>8FK</scope><scope>ABUWG</scope><scope>AEUYN</scope><scope>AFKRA</scope><scope>ATCPS</scope><scope>AZQEC</scope><scope>BENPR</scope><scope>BHPHI</scope><scope>BKSAR</scope><scope>CCPQU</scope><scope>DWQXO</scope><scope>F1W</scope><scope>GNUQQ</scope><scope>H96</scope><scope>HCIFZ</scope><scope>L.G</scope><scope>M2P</scope><scope>PATMY</scope><scope>PCBAR</scope><scope>PQEST</scope><scope>PQQKQ</scope><scope>PQUKI</scope><scope>PYCSY</scope><scope>Q9U</scope></search><sort><creationdate>20110701</creationdate><title>The gold content of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits</title><author>Mercier-Langevin, Patrick ; Hannington, Mark D. ; Dubé, Benoît ; Bécu, Valérie</author></sort><facets><frbrtype>5</frbrtype><frbrgroupid>cdi_FETCH-LOGICAL-a338t-464716136e6304e9b688b424d592677028c4f5800b9aafd5c1c865c99de745663</frbrgroupid><rsrctype>articles</rsrctype><prefilter>articles</prefilter><language>eng</language><creationdate>2011</creationdate><topic>Earth and Environmental Science</topic><topic>Earth Sciences</topic><topic>Geochemistry</topic><topic>Geology</topic><topic>Gold</topic><topic>Magma</topic><topic>Mineral Resources</topic><topic>Mineralogy</topic><topic>Rifting</topic><topic>Standard deviation</topic><topic>Sulfides</topic><topic>Trace elements</topic><topic>Volcanic rocks</topic><topic>Volcanology</topic><toplevel>peer_reviewed</toplevel><toplevel>online_resources</toplevel><creatorcontrib>Mercier-Langevin, Patrick</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Hannington, Mark D.</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Dubé, Benoît</creatorcontrib><creatorcontrib>Bécu, Valérie</creatorcontrib><collection>CrossRef</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Corporate)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (purchase pre-March 2016)</collection><collection>Science Database (Alumni Edition)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Alumni) (purchase pre-March 2016)</collection><collection>ProQuest Central (Alumni)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Sustainability</collection><collection>ProQuest Central UK/Ireland</collection><collection>ProQuest Agriculture & Environmental Science Database</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Essentials</collection><collection>ProQuest Central</collection><collection>ProQuest Natural Science Collection</collection><collection>Earth, Atmospheric & Aquatic Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest One Community College</collection><collection>ProQuest Central</collection><collection>ASFA: Aquatic Sciences and Fisheries Abstracts</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Student</collection><collection>Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) 2: Ocean Technology, Policy & Non-Living Resources</collection><collection>SciTech Premium Collection</collection><collection>Aquatic Science & Fisheries Abstracts (ASFA) Professional</collection><collection>ProQuest Science Journals</collection><collection>Environmental Science Database</collection><collection>Earth, Atmospheric & Aquatic Science Database</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic Eastern Edition (DO NOT USE)</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic</collection><collection>ProQuest One Academic UKI Edition</collection><collection>Environmental Science Collection</collection><collection>ProQuest Central Basic</collection><jtitle>Mineralium deposita</jtitle></facets><delivery><delcategory>Remote Search Resource</delcategory><fulltext>fulltext</fulltext></delivery><addata><au>Mercier-Langevin, Patrick</au><au>Hannington, Mark D.</au><au>Dubé, Benoît</au><au>Bécu, Valérie</au><format>journal</format><genre>article</genre><ristype>JOUR</ristype><atitle>The gold content of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits</atitle><jtitle>Mineralium deposita</jtitle><stitle>Miner Deposita</stitle><date>2011-07-01</date><risdate>2011</risdate><volume>46</volume><issue>5-6</issue><spage>509</spage><epage>539</epage><pages>509-539</pages><issn>0026-4598</issn><eissn>1432-1866</eissn><abstract>Volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits contain variable amounts of gold, both in terms of average grade and total gold content, with some VMS deposits hosting world-class gold mines with more than 100 t Au. Previous studies have identified gold-rich VMS as having an average gold grade, expressed in g/t, exceeding the total abundance of base metals, expressed in wt.%. However, statistically meaningful criteria for the identification of truly anomalous deposits have not been established. This paper presents a more extensive analysis of gold grades and tonnages of 513 VMS deposits worldwide, revealing a number of important features in the distribution of the data. A large proportion of deposits are characterized by a relatively low gold grade (<2 g/t), with a gradual decrease in frequency towards maximum gold grades, defining a log-normal distribution. In the analysis presented in this paper, the geometric mean and geometric standard deviation appear to be the simplest metric for identifying subclasses of VMS deposits based on gold grade, especially when comparing deposits within individual belts and districts. The geometric mean gold grade of 513 VMS deposits worldwide is 0.76 g/t; the geometric standard deviation is +2.70 g/t Au. In this analysis, deposits with more than 3.46 g/t Au (geometric mean plus one geometric standard deviation) are considered auriferous. The geometric mean gold content is 4.7 t Au, with a geometric standard deviation of +26.3 t Au. Deposits containing 31 t Au or more (geometric mean plus one geometric standard deviation) are also considered to be anomalous in terms of gold content, irrespective of the gold grade. Deposits with more than 3.46 g/t Au and 31 t Au are considered gold-rich VMS. A large proportion of the total gold hosted in VMS worldwide is found in a relatively small number of such deposits. The identification of these truly anomalous systems helps shed light on the geological parameters that control unusual enrichment of gold in VMS. At the district scale, the gold-rich deposits occupy a stratigraphic position and volcanic setting that commonly differs from other deposits of the district possibly due to a step change in the geodynamic and magmatic evolution of local volcanic complexes. The gold-rich VMS are commonly associated with transitional to calc-alkaline intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks, which may reflect a particularly fertile geodynamic setting and/or timing (e.g., early arc rifting or rifting front). At the deposit scale, uncommon alteration assemblages (e.g., advanced argillic, aluminous, strongly siliceous, or potassium feldspar alteration) and trace element signatures may be recognized (e.g., Au–Ag–As–Sb ± Bi–Hg–Te), suggesting a direct magmatic input in some systems.</abstract><cop>Berlin/Heidelberg</cop><pub>Springer-Verlag</pub><doi>10.1007/s00126-010-0300-0</doi><tpages>31</tpages></addata></record> |
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| subjects | Earth and Environmental Science Earth Sciences Geochemistry Geology Gold Magma Mineral Resources Mineralogy Rifting Standard deviation Sulfides Trace elements Volcanic rocks Volcanology |
| title | The gold content of volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits |
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