Mesothermal gold veins and metamorphic devolatilization in the northwestern Alps: The temporal link

Research Article| July 01, 1999 Mesothermal gold veins and metamorphic devolatilization in the northwestern Alps: The temporal link Thomas Pettke; Thomas Pettke 1Isotopengeologie, Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Larryn W. Diamond; Larryn W. Diamond 1Isotopengeologie, Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Igor M. Villa Igor M. Villa 1Isotopengeologie, Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Thomas Pettke 1Isotopengeologie, Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Larryn W. Diamond 1Isotopengeologie, Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Igor M. Villa 1Isotopengeologie, Mineralogisch-Petrographisches Institut, Universität Bern, CH-3012 Bern, Switzerland Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1999) 27 (7): 641–644. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1999)027<0641:MGVAMD>2.3.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Email Permissions Search Site Citation Thomas Pettke, Larryn W. Diamond, Igor M. Villa; Mesothermal gold veins and metamorphic devolatilization in the northwestern Alps: The temporal link. Geology 1999;; 27 (7): 641–644. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1999)027<0641:MGVAMD>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 A long-standing debate surrounds the source of hydrothermal fluids that form gold lodes late in the metamorphic history of orogenic belts. 40Ar/39Ar dating of hydrothermal muscovite shows that gold lodes in the northwestern Alps formed from 31.6 to 10.6 Ma. The deposits young progressively along the orogen, parallel to field gradients showing decreasing age of peak metamorphism, increasing metamorphic grade, and increasing extent of exhumation of the host rocks. These correlations suggest that the ore-bearing fluid was produced by a 20 m.y. history of prograde metamorphic devolatilization of calc-schists at depth. The age trend of mineralization reflects continuous ascent of fluid and vein formation in retrograding rocks during extreme differential uplift and denudation of the Alpine orogenic wedge. The intimate correlations between collisional orogenesis, metamorphism, and gold mineralization in the Alps suggest that similar genetic scenarios may apply to late orogenic gold lodes elsewhere. 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.