Abstract
The study of the mineralogical and geochemical features of ores and their textural and structural relationships at the Nikolaevsky base-metal skarn deposit allowed us to establish the succession of mineral assemblages and to ascertain the complex distribution of elements in minerals, ores, and orebodies resulting from nonuniform development of metasomatic zones in the single ore-metasomatic process. The vertical mineralogical and geochemical zoning of the deposit is expressed in the replacement of economic Pb-Zn mineralization at the lower levels of the skarn orebodies with Ag-Pb-Zn mineralization at the upper levels of the major Vostok-1 orebody located at the contact of limestone and felsic volcanics and the block orebodies at the lower level of felsic volcanic rocks. Au-bearing vein Pb-Ag-Sb mineralization occurs in the near-surface zone of the deposit. Three mineralogical types of ores have been identified: sulfide-hedenbergite, quartz-carbonate-sulfide, and sulfide. The zonal distribution of these types within orebodies is combined with variations in mineralogy and in the distribution of major and minor elements. The statistical processing (the Geokhimiya-1 program) of 96 chemical analyses of monomineralic galena and sphalerite samples taken from skarn showed that an intimate Pb ↔ Bi assemblage is characteristic of the lower levels, whereas a Ag Bi assemblage is typical of the upper levels. The elemental assemblages correspond to definite mineral assemblages, determining the mineralogical and geochemical zoning of the deposit.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call