Detour Lake mine - gold in upper greenschist-lower amphibolite terrane

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6454192

Marmont, S

The Detour Lake mine, Abitibi belt, Superior Province, Canada, shows many similarities and some significant disimilarities with other gold deposits in the belt. The deposit is in tholeiitic basalts, granodioritic feldspar porphyries, massive felsic units and an amphibole-carbonate-mica schist. The structural footwall of the orebody consists of well layered, pelitic metasediments. Alteration is extensive and comprises carbonatization, biotitization, sericitization, introduction of potassic feldspars, silicification and sulfidation. The relationships between penetrative tectonic fabrics, veins, intrusions and primary flow features suggest that many intermittent stages of ductile and brittle deformation, representative of a simple shear system with an overall dextral motion took place. These features are shared by numerous other gold deposits in the Abitibi belt. However, unlike the deposits in the core of the belt, which are found in lower greenschist facies, the rocks of the Detour Lake mine constitute an upper greenschist-lower amphibolite assemblage. This higher grade of metamorphism represents either the thermal aureole of a granitic body or a deeper level in the crust. In addition, gold is commonly submicroscopic with preference for chalcopyrite, and occurs in veins or in their immediate wall rock. The structural history of the auriferous veins demonstrates that gold was deposited late in the hydrothermal processes, post-dates folding and is synchronous with or later than the felsic intrusions.

• Research Organization: Ontario Geological Survey, Toronto (Canada)
• OSTI ID: 6454192
• Report Number(s): CONF-8510489-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580300* -- Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics-- (-1989)
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM SILICATES
AMPHIBOLE
AMPHIBOLITES
BASALT
BIOTITE
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM SILICATES
CANADA
CHLORITE MINERALS
EPIDOTES
GARNETS
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
GEOLOGY
GOLD ORES
HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION
IGNEOUS ROCKS
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON SILICATES
METAMORPHIC ROCKS
METAMORPHISM
MICA
MINERALIZATION
MINERALOGY
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PETROGENESIS
PETROLOGY
ROCK-FLUID INTERACTIONS
ROCKS
SCHISTS
SILICATE MINERALS
SILICATES
SILICON COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
VOLCANIC ROCKS