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Nickel-copper mineralization at Talnotry, Newton Stewart, Scotland

Die nickel-kupfer vererzung von Talnotry, Newton Stewart, Schottland

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Summary

Nickel-copper mineralization occurs near the base of a diorite intrusion close to its contact with hornfelsed Ordovician and Silurian shales and greywackes. The principal ore minerals are nickeline, gersdorffite, pyrrhotine, pentlandite and chalcopyrite with minor amounts of molybdenite, tellurobismutite, gold, sphalerite and argentopentlandite. Pyrite, marcasite, violarite and goethite also occur but are interpreted as later alteration products. Much of the pyrrhotine-rich mineralization at the base of the intrusion is in the form of blebs and interstitial aggregates with amphiboles, plagioclase feldspar, biotite, chlorite and quartz. Chalcopyrite-rich and nickeline-gersdorffite-rich mineralization occurs above this and immediately below unmineralized diorite in the form of patches, lenticular masses and stringers along joints and fractures.

Whole rock and ore analyses and electron microprobe data on the silicates, sulphides and sulpharsenides are presented.

The unmineralized diorite has low SiO2 and high MgO contents compared to typical diorites and relatively high Cr, Ni and Ti trace element values. In the mineralized diorite, platinum-group elements occur in very low concentrations in the pyrrhotineand chalcopyrite-rich assemblages but Pt, Pd and Au show significant enrichment in the nickeline-gersdorffite-rich mineralization.

A magmatic origin for the mineralization is proposed rather than formation by hydrothermal solutions or metasomatism.

Zusammenfassung

Die Nickel-Kupfer Vererzung befindet sich im Kontaktbereich einer Dioritintrusion mit hornfelsdurchdrungenen silurischen und ordovizischen Grauwacken. Die am häufigsten auftretenden Erzmineralien sind Nickelin, Gersdorffit, Pyrrhotin, Pentlandit, und Chalcopyrit mit kleineren Mengen von Molybdenit, Tellurwismuth, Gold, Sphalerit und Argentopentlandit. Weiters treten als spätere Umwandlungsprodukte Pyrit, Markasit, Violarit und Goethit auf. Ein großer Teil der Pyrrhotin-reichen Vererzung am Fuße des eingedrungenen Diorits bildet fleckige, lückenfüllende Aggregate zwischen den Silikatphasen (Amphibol, Plagioklas, Biotit, Chlorit, Quarz). Die Chalcopyrit- und Nickelin-Gersdorffit-reiche Vererzung tritt zwischen dem unvererzten Diorit im Hangenden und der Pyrrhotin-reichen Vererzung im Liegenden als linsige, lappenartige Konzentration und entlang von Fugen und Brücken auf.

Vollgesteins-Analysen sowie ausgewählte Erzanalysen und Mikrosondenergebnisse der Silikate, Sulfide und Sulfarsenide liegen vor.

Im Unterschied zu den typischen Dioriten zeigt der unvererzte Diorit einen niedrigen SiO2 und hohen MgO Gehalt und relativ hohe Cr, Ni und Ti Spurenelementwerte. Die Platingruppenelemente sind in den Pyrrhotin- und Chalcopyrit-reichen Vererzungen nur schwach vertreten, jedoch sind Pt, Pd und An in der Gersdorffit-reichen Vererzung stark angereichert.

Ein magmatischer Ursprung dieser Vererzung, im Gegensatz zu einer metasomatischen Entstehung oder Bildung aus hydrothermalen Lösungen wird vermutet.

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  1. Department of Mineralogy, British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, SW7 5BD, London, UK

    C. J. Stanley,  R. F. Symes & G. C. Jones

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  1. C. J. Stanley
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  2. R. F. Symes
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Stanley, C.J., Symes, R.F. & Jones, G.C. Nickel-copper mineralization at Talnotry, Newton Stewart, Scotland. Mineralogy and Petrology 37, 293–313 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01161822

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