Sulfur- and lead-isotope signatures of orogenic gold mineralisation associated with the Hill End Trough, Lachlan Orogen, New South Wales, Australia

Abstract

The Hill End Trough (HET) is a deformed middle Silurian to Early Devonian sediment-dominated rift within the northeastern Lachlan Orogen. The HET hosts the Hill End, Hargraves, Napoleon Reefs, Stuart Town and Windeyer low-sulfide orogenic gold deposits. Adjacent to the HET are the Bodangora and Gulgong gold deposits. In this study we present 91 new sulfur- and 18 new lead-isotope analyses and collate a further 25 sulfur- and 32 lead-isotopes analyses from unpublished sources for these deposits. Larger gold deposits in the HET have near 0 δ34S‰ values indicating that sulfur in these systems was sourced from a magmatic reservoir. The dominant lead isotope signature for HET-hosted deposits reflects a crustal source however some mantle-derived lead has been introduced into the HET. Sulfur- and lead-isotopic results suggest that gold was sourced from mantle-derived magmatic units beneath the HET. The study supports earlier studies at Hill End by concluding that the majority of orogenic gold mineralisation in and adjacent to the HET formed during the Early Carboniferous period.