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Mineralogical and S isotopic features of the supergene profile of the Zapadno-Ozernoe massive sulphide and Au-bearing gossan deposit, South Urals

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

E. V. Belogub ,
C. A. Novoselov ,
B. Spiro  and
B. A. Yakovleva
E. V. Belogub*
Affiliation:
Institute of Mineralogy of Urals Branch of RAS, Miass, 456301, Russia
C. A. Novoselov
Affiliation:
Institute of Mineralogy of Urals Branch of RAS, Miass, 456301, Russia
B. Spiro
Affiliation:
NERC Isotope Geosciences Laboratory, Keyworth, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
B. A. Yakovleva
Affiliation:
Saint-Petersburg State University, Saint-Petersburg, Universitetskaya nab. 7/9, 199034, Russia
*
E-mail: bel@ilmeny.ac.ru
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Abstract

The profile of the supergene zone of the Zapadno-Ozernoe massive sulphide Cu-Zn deposit differs from the classic model (Emmons, 1917) in that it includes a prominent dark sooty subzone rich in secondary sulphides. This subzone is situated above residual pyrite sands, which overlie the massive sulphide body and below quartz-baryte leached sands. It contains a diverse mineral assemblage which consists of secondary sulphides such as galena, sphalerite, metacinnabar, Se-bearing pyrite—dhzarkenite series, tiemannite, native Au, native S and native Se, and unidentified sulphosalts of Ag and Hg. The very light S isotope composition of the secondary sulphides (lowest values δ34S = —17.2‰ (VCDt) in comparison with primary pyrite ∼0‰ and baryte +18.4‰ is indicative of bacterial sulphate reduction. The overlying oxidized part of the supergene column contains minerals of the jarosite-beudantite- segnitite series. The maximum concentrations of Au, up to 150 ppm, occur in the lower part of the profile. The atypical structure, mineral assemblage and S isotope composition of the secondary sulphides in the dark layer of the supergene profile are indicative of particular geochemical conditions due to the existence of a stagnant water body that gave rise to intense bacterial activity, in turn controlled by fluctuations in the redox boundary.

Keywords

supergene zoneoxidation zonegossanweatheringS isotopesSesecondary sulphidesdzharkenitemetacinnabargalenatiemannitebeudantitesegnititejarosite.
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 67 , Issue 2 , April 2003 , pp. 339 - 354
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 2003

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Footnotes

†

Present address: Department of Mineralogy, NaturalHistory Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD,UK

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