Gallium in the Carlin-type gold deposits
Gallium and aluminum are dispersed elements and are associated with each other because of their similar geochemical characteristics. The somewhat larger size of the Ga ion suggests that it may concentrate in residual melts and hydrothermal solutions. Ga and Al are also presumed to have different mobilities at a pH range of 3.4-4.1 and in alkaline solutions. Very little precise and accurate data exist on the concentration of Ga in hydrothermally altered rocks. In order to understand the behavior of Ga during hydrothermal processes and to explore the possibility of utilizing Ga as a guide to mineral deposits, unmineralized and mineralized rocks from four Carlin-type gold deposits were studied. Ga was analyzed by a newly developed precise and accurate method by electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry. The Carlin-type gold deposits studied include Carlin and Alligator Ridge deposits of Nevada, Mercur deposit of Utah, and north Moccasin deposits of Montana. In all the mineralized areas there is more Ga in hydrothermally altered (mineralized) rocks than in unaltered (unmineralized) rocks. The enrichment factors for Ga differ from deposit to deposit. The highest enrichment of Ga is found in the north Moccasin deposits, where the average values in unmineralized and mineralized rocks are about 2 ppm and 10 ppm respectively. The oxidized mineralized rocks of the Carlin-type gold deposits have higher contents of Ga than carbonaceous rocks, while siliceous rocks contain the lowest Ga concentrations.
- Research Organization:
- Eastern Washington Univ. Cheney (USA)
- OSTI ID:
- 6420567
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8510489-
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
58 GEOSCIENCES
GOLD ORES
GALLIUM COMPOUNDS
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
MONTANA
NEVADA
UTAH
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
EXPLORATION
GALLIUM IONS
GEOCHEMISTRY
HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION
MINERALIZATION
SPECTROPHOTOMETRY
CHARGED PARTICLES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMISTRY
ENERGY SYSTEMS
FEDERAL REGION IX
FEDERAL REGION VIII
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
IONS
NORTH AMERICA
ORES
SPECTROSCOPY
USA
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