Trace Element and Sulfur Isotope Signatures of Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) Mineralization: A Case Study from the Sunnhordland Area in SW Norway
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https://hdl.handle.net/10037/33371Date
2024-04-07Type
Journal articleTidsskriftartikkel
Peer reviewed
Author
Strmic Palinkas, Sabina; Fjellet, Trond; Stubseid, Håvard Hallås; Liu, Xuan; Spangenberg, Jorge E.; Čobić, Andrea; Pedersen, Rolf B.Abstract
The Sunnhordland area in SW Norway hosts more than 100 known mineral occurrences,
mostly of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) and orogeny Au types. The VMS mineralization
is hosted by plutonic, volcanic and sedimentary lithologies of the Lower Ordovician ophiolitic
complexes. This study presents new trace element and δ
34S data from VMS deposits hosted by
gabbro and basalt of the Lykling Ophiolite Complex and organic-rich sediments of the Langevåg
Group. The Alsvågen gabbro-hosted VMS mineralization exhibits a significant Cu content (1.2 to
>10 wt.%), with chalcopyrite and cubanite being the main Cu-bearing minerals. The enrichment of
pyrite in Co, Se, and Te and the high Se/As and Se/Tl ratios indicate elevated formation temperatures,
while the high Se/S ratio indicates a contribution of magmatic volatiles. The δ
34S values of the sulfide
phases also support a substantial influx of magmatic sulfur. Chalcopyrite from the Alsvågen VMS
mineralization shows significant enrichment in Se, Ag, Zn, Cd and In, while pyrrhotite concentrates
Ni and Co. The Lindøya basalt-hosted VMS mineralization consists mainly of pyrite and pyrrhotite.
Pyrite is enriched in As, Mn, Pb, Sb, V, and Tl. The δ
34S values of sulfides and the Se/S ratio in pyrite
suggest that sulfur was predominantly sourced from the host basalt. The Litlabø sediment-hosted
VMS mineralization is also dominated by pyrite and pyrrhotite. Pyrite is enriched in As, Mn, Pb, Sb,
V and Tl. The δ
34S values, which range from −19.7 to −15.7 ‰ VCDT, point to the bacterial reduction
of marine sulfate as the main source of sulfur. Trace element characteristics of pyrite, especially the
Tl, Sb, Se, As, Co and Ni concentrations, together with their mutual ratios, provide a solid basis for
distinguishing gabbro-hosted VMS mineralization from basalt- and sediment-hosted types of VMS
mineralization in the study area. The distinctive trace element features of pyrite, in conjunction with
its sulfur isotope signature, have been identified as a robust tool for the discrimination of gabbro-,
basalt- and sediment-hosted VMS mineralization.
Publisher
MDPICitation
Strmic Palinkas S, Fjellet T, Stubseid HH, Liu X, Spangenberg JE, Čobić A, Pedersen R.B.. Trace Element and Sulfur Isotope Signatures of Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) Mineralization: A Case Study from the Sunnhordland Area in SW Norway. Minerals. 2024;14(4)Metadata
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