Fluids as primary carriers of sulphur and copper in magmatic assimilation
OPEN ACCESS
Loading...
Author / Producer
Date
2021-11-16
Publication Type
Journal Article
ETH Bibliography
yes
Citations
Altmetric
OPEN ACCESS
Data
Rights / License
Abstract
Magmas readily react with their wall-rocks forming metamorphic contact aureoles. Sulphur and possibly metal mobilization within these contact aureoles is essential in the formation of economic magmatic sulphide deposits. We performed heating and partial melting experiments on a black shale sample from the Paleoproterozoic Virginia Formation, which is the main source of sulphur for the world-class Cu-Ni sulphide deposits of the 1.1 Ga Duluth Complex, Minnesota. These experiments show that an autochthonous devolatilization fluid effectively mobilizes carbon, sulphur, and copper in the black shale within subsolidus conditions (≤ 700 °C). Further mobilization occurs when the black shale melts and droplets of Cu-rich sulphide melt and pyrrhotite form at ∼1000 °C. The sulphide droplets attach to bubbles of devolatilization fluid, which promotes buoyancy-driven transportation in silicate melt. Our study shows that devolatilization fluids can supply large proportions of sulphur and copper in mafic–ultramafic layered intrusion-hosted Cu-Ni sulphide deposits.
Permanent link
Publication status
published
External links
Editor
Book title
Journal / series
Volume
12 (1)
Pages / Article No.
6609
Publisher
Nature
Event
Edition / version
Methods
Software
Geographic location
Date collected
Date created
Subject
Organisational unit
03592 - Schmidt, Max / Schmidt, Max