Skarn development from limestone adjacent to the Glenrock Granodiorite, Marulan Batholith, New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

Skarns are developed over two temperature‐time intervals in calcite limestone adjacent to the southern extension of the Glenrock Granodiorite, a pluton of the Marulan Batholith, Southern Highlands, New South Wales. The initial volumetrically‐dominant prograde phase of skarn formation produced a suite comprising bimetasomatic skarn, including pyroxene endoskarn, potassic endoskarn and wollastonite‐bearing exoskarn, together with mineralogically‐zoned vein skarn, massive garnet‐pyroxene skarn and calcite‐vesuvianite skarn. Retrograde replacement is manifested by the development of hydrous silicate minerals, carbonate and cross‐cutting sulphide veinlets. A genetic model is proposed to account for the development of bimetasomatic skarn in the deposit. Exoskarn geochemistry indicates addition of many components relative to an essentially pure limestone precursor, including Si, Al, Fe, Zr, Zn, S, Mn and Cu, negligible transfer of K, Na and Rb and loss of CO2. Strontium and Ca loss from the parent limestone is i...