Paragenesis and Composition of Tourmaline Types Along the P2 Fault and Mcarthur River Uranium Deposit, Athabasca Basin, Canada

Abstract

Abstract The P2 fault, a 13 km-long steeply dipping reverse fault, is the main structural control of the McArthur River uranium deposit in the eastern Athabasca Basin, northern Saskatchewan, Canada. Three types of tourmaline were observed in the metasedimentary basement rocks along the P2 fault: early oxy-schorl [(Na 0.47 □ 0.37 Ca 0.16 )(Fe 2+ 1.30 Al 0.91 Mg 0.72 Ti 0.07 )Al 6 (Si 5.79 Al 0.21 O 18 )(BO 3 ) 3 OH 3 (O 0.63 OH 0.29 F 0.08 ), where □ = vacancy] of metamorphic-anatectic origin, hydrothermal oxy-dravite [(Na 0.57 Ca 0.23 □ 0.18 K 0.02 )(Mg 1.93 Fe 2+ 0.62 Al 0.29 Ti 0.15 )Al 6 (Si 5.93 Al 0.07 O 18 )(BO 3 ) 3 OH 3 (O 0.57 OH 0.23 F 0.20 )], and magnesio-foitite [(□ 0.77 Na 0.20 Ca 0.02 K 0.01 )(Mg 1.99 Al 0.92 Fe 3+ 0.07 )Al 6 (Si 6 O 18 )(BO 3 ) 3 (OH 3 )(OH 0.71 O 0.25 F 0.04 )]. Oxy-schorl formed in granitic pegmatites, a partial melt product of the metasediments during peak metamorphism. Oxy-dravite formed from hydrothermal fluids after the peak metamorphism but before deposition of the Athabasca sandstones, whereas magnesio-foitite is a product of later, low-temperature hydrothermal activity. Both oxy-schorl and oxy-dravite are coarse-grained (from 500 μm up to 1 cm), whereas magnesio-foitite occurs as radial aggregates of fine, prismatic crystals ( apfu ) and high Al at its Y-site (0.70–1.12 apfu ), suggesting that magnesio-foitite likely replaced pre-existing high-Al phases, such as kaolin and sudoite. The occurrence of magnesio-foitite along the entire P2 fault, in both areas of mineralization and apparently barren areas, suggests chemically similar fluids travelled along the entire P2 fault, but only produced ore in localized areas.