Arsenopyrite and sphalerite as T-P indicators in sulfide ores from northern Sweden

Abstract

The compositions of arsenopyrite and sphalerite from five Swedish metamorphosed Cu, Zn-sulfide deposits are related to T and P, according to the methods described by Kretschmar and Scott (1976) and Scott (1973). The As/S ratio of arsenopyrite indicates an equilibrium temperature around 400°C for all the deposits studied, whereas the sphalerite barometer shows pressures between 5 and 7 kb. The mineral assemblages of the bedrocks indicate a similar temperature but a lower pressure. A constant fs2 is probably only effective over distances of millimetres or a few centimetres in the samples studied. The fs2 has always been lower in the surrounding rocks than in the ores as indicated by a higher As/S in arsenopyrite, more FeS in sphalerites and the absence of pyrite.