Abstract
Palynological analyses of both host rock and orebody samples from three separate mining properties have yielded significant information on ages as well as paleotemperature and paleodepositional regimes. The structural setting of the southernmost, a silver deposit in north-central Mexico is complex; palynological dating of pollen, spores, and dinoflagellates show that rocks of Upper Cretaceous age are thrust over the Mid Cretaceous orebody, both of which are thrust over Upper Jurassic rocks. The second is a gold property from the overthrust belt of southwestern Montana containing a Paleocene rather than a Precambrian palynoassemblage resulting in an unexpected and therefore controversial age. The third is a gold property from sedimentary rocks in the Tintinna trench in south-central Yukon containing a typical Mid Eocene assemblage. Of significance in all three sites are paleotemperature data that indicate at least 270°C, and probably well above 300°C. Such high temperatures carbonized the palynomorphs and required the development of a new processing technique, referred to here as the “extended Schulze's technique”. This application of palynology is gaining interest among mining geologists and engineers to help distinguish hypo- and supergene orebodies, as well as to reconstruct depositional patterns.
Published Version
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