Abstract
The Palaeozoic western Lachlan Orogen in Victoria (SE Australia), the Buller Terrane (western South Island, New Zealand) and the Meguma Terrane (Nova Scotia, Canada) are remarkably similar in regard to their geological age and history, structural make-up, and the setting and formation of orogenic lode-and disseminated-style gold deposits within these fold belts. A comprehensive review of the principal characteristics of orogenic gold deposits in each of the three historically important gold provinces illustrates the many similarities, but it also reveals several major geological, structural, tectonic, geochemical, and geochronological differences that may account for the disparity in contained gold and overall endowment between the three fold belts. Aspects that stand out as potentially playing a critical role in the generation of a Phanerozoic world-class orogenic gold province include (1) the presence of a hydrated, oceanic-character substrate that can provide a fertile ‘source’ rock for both fluids and metals, (2) asthenospheric thermal input to trigger and sustain crustal devolatilisation and melting, (3) the existence of a number of near-vertical, deep-seated faults, (4) substantial transcurrent movement, and (5) evolution of an accretionary-subduction system that promotes development of an extensive fore-arc system with prolonged fluid generation and circulation. Quantification of these controlling factors provide a significantly improved understanding of the processes that control the genesis of orogenic gold deposits, and also have the potential to enable discrimination between more and less gold-favourable orogens, and parts of orogens.
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