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Regional-scale hydrothermal alteration in the Central Blake River Group, western Abitibi subprovince, Canada: implications for VMS prospectivity

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Abstract.

The Late Archean Blake River Group is a thick succession of predominantly mafic volcanic rocks within the southern zone of the Abitibi greenstone belt. It contains a number of silicic volcanic centers of different size, including the large Noranda volcanic complex, which is host to 17 past-producing volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits. The Noranda complex consists of a 7- to 9-km-thick succession of bimodal mafic and felsic volcanic rocks erupted during five major cycles of volcanism. Massive sulfide formation coincided with a period of intense magmatic activity (cycle III) and the formation of the Noranda cauldron. Hydrothermal alteration in these rocks is interpreted to reflect large-scale hydrothermal fluid flow associated with rapid crustal extension and rifting of the volcanic complex. The alteration includes abundant albite, chlorite, epidote and quartz (silicification), which exhibit broad stratigraphic and structural control and correlate with previously mapped whole-rock oxygen isotope zonation. The Mine Sequence volcanic rocks are characterized by abundant iron-rich chlorite (Fe/Fe+Mg >0.5), hydrothermal amphibole (ferroactinolite) and coarse-grained epidote of clinozoisite composition (<10 wt% Fe2O3). Volcanic rocks of the pre-cauldron sequences, which contain only subeconomic stringer mineralization, are characterized by less abundant chlorite and mainly fine-grained epidote (>10 wt% Fe2O3) lacking the clinozoisite solid solution. Alteration in the Mine Sequence volcanic rocks persists along strike well beyond the limits of the main ore deposits (as far as several tens of kilometers) and can be readily distinguished from greenschist facies metamorphic assemblages at a regional scale. The lack of similar alteration in the pre-cauldron sequences is consistent with limited 18O-depletion and suggests that the early history of the volcanic complex did not support large-scale, high-temperature fluid flow in these rocks. Comparisons with a much smaller, barren volcanic complex in nearby Ben Nevis township reveal important differences in the alteration mineralogy between volcanoes of different size, with implications for area selection during regional-scale mineral exploration. The Ben Nevis Complex consists of a 3- to 4-km-thick succession of mafic, intermediate and felsic volcanic rocks centered on a small subvolcanic intrusion. Alteration of the volcanic rocks comprises mainly low-temperature assemblages of prehnite, pumpellyite, magnesium-rich chlorite (Fe/Fe+Mg <0.5), iron-rich epidote (>10 wt% Fe2O3) and calcite. Actinolite ± magnetite alteration occurs proximal to the intrusive core of the complex, but the limited extent of this alteration indicates only local high-temperature fluid circulation adjacent to the intrusion. A distal zone of carbonate alteration is located 4–6 km from the center of the volcano. Although iron-bearing carbonates are present locally within this zone, the absence of siderite argues against a high-temperature origin for this alteration. These observations do not offer positive encouragement for the existence of a fossil geothermal system of sufficient size or intensity to have produced a large massive sulfide deposit.

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Acknowledgements.

This study was funded by the Canadian Mining Industry Research Organization (CAMIRO Project 94E07 on Use of Regional-Scale Alteration Zones and Subvolcanic Intrusions in the Exploration for Volcanic-Associated Massive Sulphide Deposits). A suite of more than 500 samples from the Noranda camp was provided for this study from the original Cathles (1993) project. We also thank the Ontario Geological Survey for providing an extensive sample suite from the Clifford–Ben Nevis area, together with whole-rock analytical data from L. Jensen and E.C. Grunsky. Kendra Shaw and Julie Blonde assisted with whole-rock XRD. Microprobe analyses were conducted in the laboratories of the Geological Survey of Canada with the help of John Stirling. An earlier version of this paper was substantially improved by helpful comments from R.A. Koski, J.C. Alt, and R.J. Goldfarb. This is GSC Contribution no. 2000218.

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  1. Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, K1A 0E8, Canada

    Mark D. Hannington & Ingrid M. Kjarsgaard

  2. Department of Earth Sciences, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada

    Frank Santaguida

  3. Department of Geology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA, Ithaca, New York, 14853, USA

    Larry M. Cathles

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  1. Mark D. Hannington
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Correspondence to Mark D. Hannington.

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Hannington, M.D., Santaguida, F., Kjarsgaard, I.M. et al. Regional-scale hydrothermal alteration in the Central Blake River Group, western Abitibi subprovince, Canada: implications for VMS prospectivity. Miner Deposita 38, 393–422 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-002-0298-z

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