Isotopic composition (δ13C and δ18O) and genesis of carbonates from the famennian manganiferous formation of Pai-Khoi

Abstract

The results of isotope-geochemical studies of carbonates of different mineral types from manganese and host rocks of the Famennian manganiferous formation of Pai-Khoi are reported. Kutnahorite ores are characterized by δ13C values from–6.6 to 1.3‰ and δ18O from 20.0 to 27.4‰. Rhodonite–rhodochrosite rocks of the Silovayakha ore occurrence have δ13C from–5.2 to–2.9 and δ18O from 25.4 to 24.3‰. Mineralogically similar rocks of the Nadeiyakha ore occurrence show the lighter carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions: δ13C from–16.4 to–13.1 and δ18O from 24.8 to 22.5‰. Similar isotopic compositions were also obtained for rhodochrosite–kutnahorite rocks of this ore occurrence: δ13C from–13.0 to–10.4‰ and δ18O from 24.6 to 21.7‰. Siderorodochrosite ores differ in the lighter oxygen and carbon isotopic compositions: δ18O from 18.7 to 17.6‰ and δ13C from–10.2 to–9.3‰, respectively. In terms of the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions, host rocks in general correspond to marine sedimentary carbonates. Geological-mineralogical and isotope data indicate that the formation of the manganese carbonates was related to the hydrothermal ore-bearing fluids with the light isotopic composition of oxygen and carbon dissolved in CO2. The isotopic features indicate an authigenic formation of manganese carbonates under different isotopegeochemical conditions.