Abstract

Authigenic gold occurs in Devono-Carboniferous red beds in northern Britain. Red beds exhibit concentrations of gold and pathfinder elements for gold mineralization including tellurium and mercury, at redox boundaries. Detailed studies of samples from Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, Firth of Clyde, show particles of native gold up to 10 µm size, typically with less than 15 wt% silver. Their context indicates that the gold was concentrated during diagenesis, in rocks that had not experienced regional temperatures above 100°C. These occurrences add to other evidence of a role for red beds in the genesis of gold mineralization.

Highlights

  • Authigenic gold occurs in Devono-Carboniferous red beds in northern Britain

  • This study reports the low-temperature occurrence of native gold in Devono-Carboniferous red beds in Scotland

  • Examination of samples from reduction features in DevonoCarboniferous red beds in northern Britain shows that they exhibit concentrations of gold

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Summary

Introduction

Authigenic gold occurs in Devono-Carboniferous red beds in northern Britain. Red beds exhibit concentrations of gold and pathfinder elements for gold mineralization including tellurium and mercury, at redox boundaries. Detailed studies of samples from Millport, Isle of Cumbrae, Firth of Clyde, show particles of native gold up to 10 μm size, typically with less than 15 wt% silver. Their context indicates that the gold was concentrated during diagenesis, in rocks that had not experienced regional temperatures above 100°C. These occurrences add to other evidence of a role for red beds in the genesis of gold mineralization. This study reports the low-temperature occurrence of native gold in Devono-Carboniferous red beds in Scotland

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