Archean gold mineralization synchronous with the final stages of cratonization, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

Research Article| October 01, 1996 Archean gold mineralization synchronous with the final stages of cratonization, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia Adam J. R. Kent; Adam J. R. Kent 1Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Kevin F. Cassidy; Kevin F. Cassidy 2Key Centre for Strategic Mineral Deposits, Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Western Australia, Nedlands 6907, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar C. Mark Fanning C. Mark Fanning 1Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1996) 24 (10): 879–882. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0879:AGMSWT>2.3.CO;2 Article history first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share MailTo Twitter LinkedIn Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Adam J. R. Kent, Kevin F. Cassidy, C. Mark Fanning; Archean gold mineralization synchronous with the final stages of cratonization, Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia. Geology 1996;; 24 (10): 879–882. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1996)024<0879:AGMSWT>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Sm-Nd ages of pegmatite dikes that crosscut gold-bearing structures in the southern Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, provide minimum age constraints of 2640 ± 11 Ma, 2628 ± 10 Ma, and 2620 ± 36 Ma for gold mineralization at the Westonia and Nevoria (Yellowdine Terrane) and Scotia (Norseman Terrane) gold deposits, respectively. Similarly, a post–gold mineralization dike at Westonia has a U-Pb zircon age of 2637 ± 8 Ma. These constraints are consistent with, and provide further support for, suggestions that the majority of gold deposits in the Yilgarn Craton formed during a regionally extensive gold mineralization event at ca. 2630 Ma (i.e., 2630 ± ≈ 10 Ma). In combination with recent geochronological results, these data also provide further evidence that, although mineralization appears to significantly postdate the majority of magmatic and metamorphic activity at higher crustal levels, widespread thermal reworking of the lower-middle crust, involving partial melting, amphibolite to granulite facies metamorphism, and lower crustal granitoid intrusion, occurred concurrently with gold mineralization at ca. 2630 Ma. It is probable that the large-scale hydrothermal fluid flow that produced widespread gold deposition was also part of this tectonothermal event. Models developed for other Archean terranes whereby gold mineralization postdates formation and cratonization of host granite-greenstone terranes, and is therefore unrelated to these processes, are not required to explain the timing of the majority of gold deposits in the Yilgarn Craton. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.