Coldwell Complex Research Articles

Mg–Fe Isotopes Link the Geochemical Complexity of the Coldwell Complex, Midcontinent Rift to Metasomatic Processes in the Mantle

Abstract Mafic intrusions in the Coldwell Complex have previously been interpreted as forming from a metasomatized mantle source. To build upon our understanding of this metasomatism, the Mg–Fe isotope compositions of these rocks have been determined, and variations are assessed with respect to the magmatic processes that could have occurred at different stages of their formation. The mineralized Marathon Series (δ26Mg = −0.28‰ to −0.19‰), associated metabasalt (δ26Mg = −0.24‰ to −0.23‰), and the Geordie Lake gabbro (δ26Mg = −0.31‰ to −0.22‰) are characterized by δ26Mg values that are within the range of mantle values, whereas the unmineralized Layered Series (δ26Mg = −0.2‰ to −0.05‰) is heavier than mantle. In contrast, the δ56Fe values of all the Coldwell basaltic–gabbroic rocks (δ56Fe = 0.07 ± 0.08‰) are heavier than mantle but within the range of terrestrial basalts and mafic–ultramafic layered intrusions. We propose that the Mg–Fe isotope compositions of these rocks was not significantly modified by processes such as partial melting or garnet retention/fractionation in the mantle, fractional crystallization, or contamination during ascent through the crust, as the isotope values do not correlate with proxies for these processes (e.g. La/Sm and La/Yb, Gd/Yb, MgO–CaO–TiO2, and Th/Nb and Th/La, respectively). Their isotope compositions are, therefore, proposed to reflect the compositions of their metasomatized mantle sources. We conclude that metasomatism was not caused by a carbonate melt, subduction-altered oceanic crust and sediments, or an evolved silicate melt, as these processes generate light δ26Mg, variably fractionated δ56Fe, and heavy δ56Fe values, respectively, which are not observed in our dataset for the Coldwell Complex. The agent that metasomatized the mantle beneath the Coldwell Complex was likely slab-derived fluids characterized by isotopically heavy δ26Mg and basaltic δ56Fe values. This scenario can account for the lack of Fe isotope fractionation from basaltic values in all of the Coldwell rocks. The variably heavier δ26Mg of the Layered Series (−0.20 ± 0.01‰ to −0.05 ± 0.05‰) relative to the mantle (−0.25 ± 0.07‰) suggests that the magmas for the Coldwell rocks were derived by tapping of an isotopically heterogeneous mantle source that had undergone variable degrees of metasomatism. The distinctive geochemistry of mafic sequences in the Coldwell and numerous mafic dykes located in the northeast shoulder of the Midcontinent Rift suggests the presence of a variably metasomatized mantle source beneath a large area of the rift.

Ferrotorryweiserite, Rh5Fe10S16, a New Mineral Species from the Sisim Placer Zone, Eastern Sayans, Russia, and the Torryweiserite–Ferrotorryweiserite Series

Ferrotorryweiserite, Rh5Fe10S16, occurs as small grains (≤20 µm) among droplet-like inclusions (up to 50 μm in diameter) of platinum-group minerals (PGM), in association with oberthürite or Rh-bearing pentlandite, laurite, and a Pt-Pd-Fe alloy (likely isoferroplatinum and Fe-Pd-enriched platinum), hosted by placer grains of Os-Ir alloy (≤0.5 mm) in the River Ko deposit. The latter is a part of the Sisim placer zone, which is likely derived from ultramafic units of the Lysanskiy layered complex, southern Krasnoyarskiy kray, Russia. The mineral is opaque, gray to brownish gray in reflected light, very weakly bireflectant, not pleochroic to weakly pleochroic (grayish to light brown tints), and weakly anisotropic. The calculated density is 5.93 g·cm–3. Mean results (and ranges) of four WDS analyses are: Ir 18.68 (15.55–21.96), Rh 18.34 (16.32–20.32), Pt 0.64 (0.19–1.14), Ru 0.03 (0.00–0.13), Os 0.07 (0.02–0.17), Fe 14.14 (13.63–14.64), Ni 13.63 (12.58–14.66), Cu 4.97 (3.42–6.41), Co 0.09 (0.07–0.11), S 29.06 (28.48–29.44), and total 99.66 wt.%. They correspond to the following formula calculated for a total of 31 atoms per formula unit: (Rh3.16Ir1.72Pt0.06Ru0.01Os0.01)Σ4.95(Fe4.48Ni4.11Cu1.38Co0.03)Σ10.00S16.05. The results of synchrotron micro-Laue diffraction studies indicate that ferrotorryweiserite is trigonal; its probable space group is R3¯m (#166) based on its Ni-analog, torryweiserite. The unit-cell parameters refined from 177 reflections are a = 7.069 (2) Å, c = 34.286 (11) Å, V = 1484 (1) Å3, and Z = 3. The c:a ratio is 4.8502. The strongest eight peaks in the X-ray diffraction pattern derived from results of micro-Laue diffraction study [d in Å(hkil)(I)] are 2.7950 (202¯5) (100); 5.7143 (0006) (60); 1.7671 (224¯0) (44.4); 3.0486 (202¯1) (39.4); 5.7650 (101¯2) (38.6); 2.5956 (202¯7) (37.8); 3.0058 (112¯6) (36.5); and 1.5029 (42¯ 2¯12) (35.3). Ferrotorryweiserite and the associated PGM crystallized from microvolumes of residual melt at late stages of crystallization of grains of Os- and Ir-dominant alloys occurred in lode zones of chromitites of the Lysanskiy layered complex. In a particular case, the residual melt is disposed peripherally around a core containing a disequilibrium association of magnesian olivine (Fo72.9–75.6) and albite (Ab81.6–86.4), with the development of skeletal crystals of titaniferous augite: Wo40.8–43.2En26.5–29.3Fs20.3–22.6Aeg6.9–9.5 (2.82–3.12 wt.% TiO2). Ferrotorryweiserite represents the Fe-dominant analog of torryweiserite. We also report occurrences of ferrotorryweiserite in the Marathon deposit, Coldwell Complex, Ontario, Canada, and infer the existence of the torryweiserite–ferrotorryweiserite solid solution in other deposits and complexes.

Marathonite, Pd25Ge9, and palladogermanide, Pd2Ge, two new platinum-group minerals from the Marathon deposit, Coldwell Complex, Ontario, Canada: Descriptions, crystal-chemical considerations, and genetic implications

ABSTRACTMarathonite, Pd25Ge9, and palladogermanide, Pd2Ge, are two new platinum-group minerals discovered in the Marathon deposit, Coldwell Complex, Ontario, Canada. Marathonite is trigonal, space group P3, with a 7.391(1), c 10.477(2) Å, V 495.6(1) Å3, Z = 1. The six strongest lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 2.436(10)(014,104,120,210), 2.374(29)(023,203,121,211), 2.148(100)(114,030), 1.759(10)(025,205,131,311), 1.3605(13)(233,323,036,306), and 1.2395(14)(144,414,330). Associated minerals include: vysotskite, Au-Ag alloy, isoferroplatinum, Ge-bearing keithconnite, majakite, coldwellite, ferhodsite-series minerals (cuprorhodsite-ferhodsite), kotulskite and mertieite-II, the base-metal sulfides, chalcopyrite, bornite, millerite and Rh-bearing pentlandite, oberthürite and torryweiserite, and silicates including a clinoamphibole and a Fe-rich chlorite-group mineral. Rounded, elongated grains of marathonite are up to 33 × 48 μm. Marathonite is white, but pinkish brown compared to palladogermanide and bornite. No streak or microhardness could be measured. The mineral shows no discernible pleochroism, bireflectance, or anisotropy. The reflectance values (%) in air for the standard COM wavelengths are: 40.8 (470 nm), 44.1 (546 nm), 45.3 (589 nm), and 47.4 (650 nm). The calculated density is 10.933 g/cm3, determined using the empirical formula and the unit-cell parameters from the refined crystal structure. The average result (n = 19) using energy-dispersive spectrometry is: Si 0.11, S 0.39, Cu 2.32, Ge 18.46, Pd 77.83, Pt 1.10, total 100.22 wt.%, corresponding to the empirical formula (based on 34 apfu): (Pd23.82Cu1.19Pt0.18)Σ25.19(Ge8.28S0.40Si0.13)∑8.81 and the simplified formula is Pd25Ge9. The name is for the town of Marathon, Ontario, Canada, after which the Marathon deposit (Coldwell complex) is named.Results from electron backscattered diffraction show that palladogermanide is isostructural with synthetic Pd2Ge. Based on this, palladogermanide is considered to be hexagonal, space group , with a 6.712(1), c 3.408(1) Å, V 133.0(1), Z = 3. The seven strongest lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern calculated for the synthetic analogue [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 2.392(100)(111), 2.211(58)(201), 2.197(43)(210), 1.937(34)(300), 1.846(16)(211), 1.7037(16)(002), and 1.2418(18)(321). Associated minerals are the same as for marathonite. Palladogermanide occurs as an angular, anhedral grain measuring 29 × 35 μm. It is white, but grayish-white when compared to marathonite, bornite, and chalcopyrite. Compared to zvyagintsevite, palladogermanide is a dull gray. No streak or microhardness could be measured. The mineral shows no discernible pleochroism, bireflectance, or anisotropy. The reflectance values (%) in air for the standard COM wavelengths for Ro and Ro' are: 46.8, 53.4 (470 nm), 49.5, 55.4 (546 nm), 50.1, 55.7 (589 nm), and 51.2, 56.5 (650 nm). The calculated density is 10.74 g/cm3, determined using the empirical formula and the unit-cell parameters from synthetic Pd2Ge. The average result (n = 14) using wavelength-dispersive spectrometry is: Si 0.04, Fe 0.14, Cu 0.06, Ge 25.21, Te 0.30, Pd 73.10, Pt 0.95, Pb 0.08, total 99.88 wt.%, corresponding (based on 3 apfu) to: (Pd1.97Pt0.01Fe0.01)Σ1.99(Ge1.00Te0.01)∑1.01 or ideally, Pd2Ge. The name is for its chemistry and relationship to palladosilicide.The crystal structure of marathonite was solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods (R = 7.55, wR2 = 19.96 %). It is based on two basic modules, one ordered and one disordered, that alternate along [001]. The ordered module, ∼7.6 Å in thickness, is based on a simple Pd4Ge3 unit cross-linked by Pd atoms to form a six-membered trigonal ring that in turn gives rise to a layered module containing fully occupied Pd and Ge sites. This alternates along [001] with a highly disordered module, ∼3 Å in thickness, composed of a number of partially occupied Pd and Ge sites. The combination of sites in the ordered and disordered modules give the stoichiometric formula Pd25Ge9.The observed paragenetic sequence is: bornite → marathonite → palladogermanide. Phase equilibria studies in the Pd-Ge system show Pd25Ge9 (marathonite) to be stable over the range of 550–970 °C and that Pd2Ge (palladogermanide) is stable down to 200 °C. Both minerals are observed in an assemblage of clinoamphibole, a Fe-rich, chlorite-group mineral, and fragmented chalcopyrite, suggesting physical or chemical alteration, possibly both. Palladogermanide is also found associated with a magnetite of near end-member composition, potentially indicating a relative increase in fO2. Both minerals are considered to have developed at temperatures of 500–600 °C, under conditions of low fS2 and fO2, given the requirements needed to fractionate, concentrate, and form minerals with Ge-dominant chemistries.

Oberthürite, Rh3(Ni,Fe)32S32 and torryweiserite, Rh5Ni10S16, two new platinum-group minerals from the Marathon deposit, Coldwell Complex, Ontario, Canada: Descriptions, crystal-chemical considerations, and comments on the geochemistry of rhodium

ABSTRACTOberthürite, Rh3(Ni,Fe)32S32, and torryweiserite, Rh5Ni10S16, are two new platinum-group minerals discovered in a heavy-mineral concentrate from the Marathon deposit, Coldwell Complex, Ontario, Canada. Oberthürite is cubic, space group , with a 10.066(5) Å, V 1019.9(1) Å3, Z = 1. The six strongest lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 3.06(100)(311), 2.929(18)(222), 1.9518(39)(115,333), 1.7921(74)(440), 1.3184(15)(137,355) and 1.0312(30)(448). Associated minerals include: vysotskite, Au-Ag alloy, isoferroplatinum, Ge-bearing keithconnite, majakite, coldwellite, ferhodsite-series minerals (cuprorhodsite–ferhodsite), kotulskite, and mertieite-II, and the base-metal sulfides, chalcopyrite, bornite, millerite, and Rh-bearing pentlandite. Grains of oberthürite are up to 100 × 100 μm and the mineral commonly develops in larger composites with coldwellite, isoferroplatinum, zvyagintsevite, Rh-bearing pentlandite, and torryweiserite. The mineral is creamy brown compared to coldwellite and bornite, white when compared to torryweiserite, and gray when compared chalcopyrite and millerite. No streak or microhardness could be measured. The mineral shows no discernible pleochroism, bireflectance, or anisotropy. The reflectance values (%) in air for the standard COM wavelengths are: 36.2 (470 nm), 39.1 (546 nm), 40.5 (589 nm), and 42.3 (650 nm). The calculated density is 5.195 g/cm3, determined using the empirical formula and the unit-cell parameter from the refined crystal structure. The average result (n = 11) using energy-dispersive spectrometry is: Rh 10.22, Ni 38.83, Fe 16.54, Co 4.12, Cu 0.23 S 32.36, total 100.30 wt.%, which corresponds to (Rh2Ni0.67Fe0.33)Σ3.00(Ni19.30Fe9.09Co2.22Rh1.16Cu0.12)∑31.89S32.11, based on 67 apfu and crystallochemical considerations, or ideally, Rh3Ni32S32. The name is for Dr. Thomas Oberthür, a well-known researcher on alluvial platinum-group minerals, notably those found in deposits related to the Great Dyke (Zimbabwe) and the Bushveld complex (Republic of South Africa).Torryweiserite is rhombohedral, space group , with a 7.060(1), c 34.271(7) Å, V 1479.3(1), Z = 3. The six strongest lines of the X-ray powder-diffraction pattern [d in Å (I)(hkl)] are: 3.080(33)(021), 3.029(58)(116,0110), 1.9329(30)(036,1115,1210), 1.7797(100)(220,0216), 1.2512(49)(0416), and 1.0226(35)(060,2416,0232). Associated minerals are the same as for oberthürite. The mineral is slightly bluish compared to oberthürite, gray when compared to chalcopyrite, zvyagintsevite, and keithconnite, and pale creamy brown when compared to bornite and coldwellite. No streak or microhardness could be measured. The mineral shows no discernible pleochroism, bireflectance, or anisotropy. The reflectance values (%) in air for the standard COM wavelengths are: 34.7 (470 nm), 34.4 (546 nm), 33.8 (589 nm), and 33.8 (650 nm). The calculated density is 5.555 g/cm3, determined using the empirical formula and the unit-cell parameters from the refined crystal structure. The average result (n = 10) using wavelength-dispersive spectrometry is: Rh 28.02, Pt 2.56, Ir 1.98, Ru 0.10, Os 0.10, Ni 17.09, Fe 9.76, Cu 7.38, Co 1.77 S 30.97, total 99.73 wt.%, which corresponds to (Rh4.50Pt0.22Ir0.17Ni0.08Ru0.02Os0.01)∑5.00(Ni4.73Fe2.89Cu1.92Co0.50)Σ10.04S15.96, based on 31 apfu and crystallochemical considerations, or ideally Rh5Ni10S16. The name is for Dr. Thorolf (‘Torry') W. Weiser, a well-known researcher on platinum-group minerals, notably those found in deposits related to the Great Dyke (Zimbabwe) and the Bushveld complex (Republic of South Africa).Both minerals have crystal structures similar to those of pentlandite and related minerals: oberthürite has two metal sites that are split relative to that in pentlandite, and torryweiserite has a layered structure, comparable, but distinct, to that developed along [111] in pentlandite. Oberthürite and torryweiserite are thought to develop at ∼ 500 °C under conditions of moderate fS2, through ordering of Rh-Ni-S nanoparticles in precursor Rh-bearing pentlandite during cooling. The paragenetic sequence of the associated Rh-bearing minerals is: Rh-bearing pentlandite → oberthürite → torryweiserite → ferhodsite-series minerals, reflecting a relative increase in Rh concentration with time. The final step, involving the formation of rhodsite-series minerals, was driven via by the oxidation of Fe2+ → Fe3+ and subsequent preferential removal of Fe3+, similar to the process involved in the conversion of pentlandite to violarite. Summary comments are made on the occurrence and distribution of Rh, minerals known to have Rh-dominant chemistries, the potential existence of both Rh3+ and Rh2+, and the crystallochemical factors influencing accommodation of Rh in minerals.

Relationships among the Geordie Lake Cu-Pd deposit, alkaline basalt, and syenites in the Coldwell Complex, Midcontinent Rift, Canada

ABSTRACT The Geordie Lake Cu-Pd deposit is associated with troctolite at the base of the Geordie Lake intrusion, located near the center of the Coldwell Complex (1106.5 + 1.2 Ma). It is the only platinum group element deposit in the Midcontinent Rift associated with alkaline rocks. This study focuses on the long-standing questions regarding genetic relationships among the Geordie Lake gabbros, the Wolfcamp basalt, and the various syenites that make up the east-central portion of the Coldwell Complex. Primitive mantle-normalized trace-element patterns for the Geordie Lake intrusion are nearly flat from Th to Ce and show negative Sr, Eu, and Zr anomalies. Characteristic ratios for the Geordie Lake gabbro and troctolite include Th/Nb (0.12), La/Nb (1.1), La/Lu (150), La/Sm (6.9), Zr/Sm (18), and Gd/Yb (2.8). Trace-element patterns that are useful for determining petrogenesis for gabbros are similar to the Wolfcamp basalt and augite syenite with some key exceptions, notably the middle rare earth element and Zr abundances. Affects due to metasomatism or crustal contamination in Wolfcamp basalt and Geordie Lake gabbros and syenites are negligible. Results of Rayleigh fractionation modeling show (1) the Geordie Lake intrusion and Wolfcamp basalt are very similar but not directly related by crystallization, (2) the gabbros and basalt are not related to the syenites, (3) the lower augite syenite can be related to the upper augite syenite and amphibole quartz syenite by fractionation of a hypothetical crystal cumulate composed of orthoclase (78%), clinopyroxene (15%), olivine (1%), and titanomagnetite (6%). We conclude that the Geordie Lake intrusion, Wolfcamp basalt, and saturated syenites in the Coldwell were derived by separate partial melting events in a common mantle source. The origin of the sulfide mineralization is enigmatic because it exhibits characteristics of both magmatic and hydrothermal processes. The sulfide assemblage changes from disseminated bornite and chalcopyrite in the basal zone to pyrrhotite plus chalcopyrite in the upper zones. Sulfides occur as coarse blebs interstitial to fresh or partly altered silicates, or as very fine grains intergrown with clusters of biotite and actinolite. Primitive mantle-normalized platinum group element patterns exhibit a W-shape for Pd-Pt-Rh-Ir-Ni, indicating a relative depletion of Pt and Ir. The Cu/Pd ratios in the mineralized zones are within the range of mantle values (1000–10,000), Pd/Pt is 14–19, Pd/Rh is 91 + 37, and Pd/Ir >16,000. The Pd/Pt, Pd/Rh, and Pd/Ir are considerably higher than in the Wolfcamp basalt (<1, 17, and 75, respectively). If the sulfides are magmatic in origin, then either the Geordie Lake magma was, unlike the Wolfcamp basalt magma, depleted in Pt, Rh, and Ir, or these elements were selectively removed from the sulfide assemblage. Alternatively, Pd was enriched by late-stage hydrothermal processes. Additional work is recommended to constrain petrogenesis of the sulfides by detailed base-metal and TABS (Te, As, Bi, Sb, and Sn) element analysis.

Iron isotope fractionation during sulfide liquid evolution in Cu–PGE mineralization of the Eastern Gabbro, Coldwell Complex, Canada

In spite of the fact that metal stable isotopes are not expected to exhibit large equilibrium fractionations at magmatic temperatures, Fe isotope compositions of base-metal sulfides are increasingly being used to characterize the processes that generate and modify Ni–Cu–platinum-group element (PGE) deposits. In the Eastern Gabbro of the Coldwell Complex, Canada, the δ56Fe values (relative to IRMM-014) of pyrrhotite (−1.48‰ to −0.16‰) are consistently negative and exhibit no correlation with style of mineralization, whereas δ56Fe values of chalcopyrite (−0.65‰ to 1.11‰) are largely positive (except for the W Horizon) and decreases in samples from Footwall Zone, through the Main Zone ≈ Four Dams ≈ Sally, to the W Horizon. Source heterogeneity, sulfide segregation, variations in R factor, crustal contamination, hydrothermal fluids, and redox reactions have been ruled out as having had a significant effect on the Fe isotope composition of both pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite. Rather, the positive correlation between δ56FeCcp and the pyrrhotite/chalcopyrite ratio of the mineralized zones indicates that the large range in δ56FeCcp is likely due to variations in the amount of monosulfide solid solution (MSS) that crystallized before intermediate solid solution (ISS). Monosulfide solid solution favors 54Fe, thus the δ56Fe of the residual Cu-rich liquid would be higher than the initial sulfide liquid and variable depending on how much MSS crystallized before ISS. Subsequent to the solidification of MSS, it exsolved pyrrhotite with minor pentlandite, with troilite exsolving from pyrrhotite at lower temperatures. The large range in δ56FePo is likely due to the partitioning of 54Fe and 56Fe among these phases and the variability in the proportion of the phases in the samples. These conclusions have important implications for the applicability of Fe isotopes in base-metal sulfides to characterizing magmatic Ni–Cu–PGE systems as the Fe isotope composition of two of the most dominant base-metal sulfides in these systems, pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite, are not controlled by mineralizing processes, but rather subsolidus processes.

A New Model for the Coldwell Complex and Associated Dykes of the Midcontinent Rift, Canada

AbstractMafic intrusions on the NE shoulder of the Midcontinent Rift (Keweenawan LIP), including Cu–PGE mineralized gabbros within the Coldwell Complex (CC), and rift parallel or radial dykes outside the CC are correlated based on characteristic trace element patterns. In the Coldwell Complex, mafic rocks are subdivided into four groups: (1) early metabasalt; (2) Marathon Series; (3) Layered Series; (4) Geordie–Wolfcamp Series. The Marathon Series are correlated with the rift radial Abitibi dykes (1140 Ma), and the Geordie–Wolfcamp Series with the rift parallel Pukaskwa and Copper Island dykes. U–Pb ages determined for five gabbros from the Layered and Marathon Series are between 1107·7 and 1106·0 Ma. Radiogenic isotope ratios show near chondritic (CHUR) εNd(1106 Ma) and 87Sr/86Sri values that range from –0·38 to +1·13 and 0·702537 to 0·703944, respectively. Distinctive geochemical properties of the Marathon Series and Abitibi dykes, such as Ba/La (14–37), Th/Nb (0·06–0·12), La/Sm (3·8–7·7), Sr/Nd (21–96) and Zr/Sm (9–19), are very different from those of the Geordie–Wolfcamp Series and a subset of Copper Island and Pukaskwa dykes with Ba/La (8·7–11), Th/Nb (0·12–0·13), La/Sm (6·7–7·9), Sr/Nd (5–7·8) and Zr/Sm (18–24). Each unit exhibits covariation between incompatible element ratios such as Zr/Sm and Nb/La or Gd/Yb, Sr/Nd and Ba/La, and Nb/Y and Zr/Y, which are consistent with mixing relationship between two or more mantle domains. These characteristics are unlike those of intrusions on the NW shoulder of the MCR, but resemble those of mafic rocks occurring in the East Kenya Rift. The results imply that an unusual and long-lived mantle source was present in the NE MCR for at least 34 Myr (spanning the 1140 Ma Abitibi dykes and the 1106 Ma Marathon series) and indicate potential for Cu–PGE mineralization in an area much larger than was previously recognized.

Genesis of the low sulfide-high-grade PGE mineralization in the W Horizon, Coldwell Complex, Canada: quantitative modeling for PGE reef-style mineralization in syn-magmatic sills

The W Horizon is a thin continuous zone of low sulfide-high-grade platinum group element (PGE) mineralization in the Two Duck Lake gabbro at the Marathon Cu-PGE deposit, Coldwell Complex, Canada, that resembles reef-type PGE deposits found in much larger intrusions. The Marathon deposit was previously shown to have grown by accretion of syn-magmatic, sulfide-bearing sill-like intrusions that formed each of the W Horizon, Main Zone, and Lower Zone mineralization. Each zone can be distinguished by features such as sulfide mineral or platinum group mineral assemblages, or by Cu/Pd, Pd/Se, and Pd/Au values. For example, the W Horizon is defined by the presence of bornite, very high PGE values, low Cu/Pd ( 95% of the original sulfide liquid. In some samples, metal and S abundances indicate that PGE were transported as TABS-PGE phases. This work describes an example of thin PGE-rich sill-like injections that could be of importance to PGE exploration elsewhere.

Cu isotope systematics of conduit-type Cu–PGE mineralization in the Eastern Gabbro, Coldwell Complex, Canada

Chalcopyrite from the Cu–PGE sulfide deposits in the Eastern Gabbro, Coldwell Complex, Canada, exhibit a > 2‰ variation in δ65Cu. In the Marathon deposit, the δ65Cu of chalcopyrite increases from the lower Footwall Zone (− 1.49 to − 0.75‰), to the Main Zone (− 1.04 to 0.08‰), to the upper W Horizon (− 0.35 to 1.07‰). In the northern deposits, chalcopyrite at Four Dams and Sally have δ65Cu that range from − 0.08 to 0.47‰ and − 0.59 to − 0.05‰, respectively. Notably, samples from the Marathon deposit with lower chalcopyrite δ65Cu values tend to have higher S/Se and Cu/Pd ratios. Integrated geological and geochemical evidence suggests that secondary hydrothermal alteration and redox processes are unlikely to have been the primary causes of the observed Cu isotope variation. Numerical modeling of δ65Cu–Cu/Pd–S/Se of mineralization in the Eastern Gabbro illustrates three key aspects of Cu isotope behavior in magmatic Ni–Cu–PGE systems. First, R factors less than ~ 10,000 can exhibit significant control on the δ65Cu of sulfides. Second, sulfide liquid–silicate melt fractionation factors for Cu (Δ65Cusul–sil) greater than − 0.5‰ are applicable to Ni–Cu–PGE systems. Third, sulfide segregation exhibits no measurable control on the δ65Cu of sulfides at degrees of fractionation typical of Ni–Cu–PGE systems (< 0.3%). In the Marathon deposit, the range of δ65Cu–S/Se–Cu/Pd is attributed to the addition of Archean sedimentary Cu to a pool of sulfide liquid located at depth, followed by progressive dilution of the contaminated δ65Cu–S/Se signature and decrease in Cu/Pd ratio by influxes of uncontaminated pulses of magma (i.e., increasing R factor), some of which had Cu isotope compositions heavier than the mantle. Variably contaminated and enriched, with respect to Pd, sulfides from this pool were entrained by magma pulses and emplaced to form the Marathon deposit. This contribution demonstrates that Cu isotopes can fractionate at high temperatures and, when combined with other geochemical proxies, can be valuable in characterizing magmatic–post-magmatic processes in Ni–Cu–PGE sulfide deposits and for identifying PGE-rich sulfide deposits.

Evidence for a concealed Midcontinent Rift-related northeast Iowa intrusive complex

Large amplitude aeromagnetic and gravity anomalies over a ~9500 km2 area of northeast Iowa and southeast Minnesota have been interpreted to reflect the northeast Iowa intrusive complex (NEIIC), a buried intrusive igneous complex composed of mafic/ultramafic rocks in the Yavapai Province (1.8–1.7 Ga). Hundreds of meters of Paleozoic sedimentary cover and a paucity of basement drilling have prevented detailed studies of the NEIIC. Long considered, but not proven, to be related to the ~1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift System (MRS), the NEIIC is comparable in areal extent to the richly mineralized Duluth Complex and is similarly located near the margin of the MRS. New geochronological and geophysical data together support an MRS affinity for the NEIIC. A dike swarm imaged in aeromagnetic data is cut by intrusions of the NEIIC, and a new apatite U-Pb date of ~1170 Ma on one of the dikes thus represents a maximum age for the NEIIC. A minimum age constraint is suggested by (1) large-volume magmatism associated with the MRS that was the last such event to affect the region; and (2) the presence of reversely magnetized dikes, similar in character to MRS-related dikes elsewhere, that cut several intrusions of the NEIIC. The NEIIC is largely characterized by the presence of multiple zoned intrusions, many of which contain large volumes of mafic-ultramafic rocks and have strong geophysical similarities to alkaline intrusive complexes elsewhere, including the MRS-related Coldwell Complex of Ontario. The largest of the zoned intrusions are ~40 km in diameter and are interpreted to have thicknesses of many kilometers. Suspected faults, alignments of intrusions, and intrusive margins tend to be aligned along northwest and northeast trends that match the trends of the Belle Plaine fault zone and Fayette structural zone, both previously interpreted as pre-MRS, possibly lithospheric-scale discontinuities that may have controlled NEIIC emplacement. These interpretations collectively imply notable potential for the NEIIC to host several different types of undiscovered base metal and critical mineral deposits.

Oxide mineralogy and trace element chemistry as an index to magma evolution and Marathon-type mineralization in the Eastern Gabbro of the alkaline Coldwell Complex, Canada

The Eastern Gabbro of the alkaline Coldwell Complex, Canada, represents a Ni-poor conduit-type system that comprises two rock series, the Layered Series and Marathon Series, which intruded into a metabasalt package. Based on distinct variations in magnetite compatible (e.g., Ni, Cr) and incompatible (e.g., Sn, Nb) elements in Fe–Ti oxide intergrowths, the metabasalts, Layered Series, and Marathon Series must have crystallized from magmas that originated from compositionally distinct sources. Of these rock units, the metabasalts crystallized from a more primitive melt than the Layered Series as Fe–Ti oxides in the former have higher concentrations of magnetite-compatible elements. Unlike the metabasalts and Layered Series, the Marathon Series crystallized from multiple, compositionally distinct magmas as Fe–Ti oxides in this series exhibit large variations in both magnetite compatible and incompatible elements. Accordingly, the various rock types of the Marathon Series cannot be related by fractional crystallization of a single batch of magma. Rather, the magmas from which the rock types crystallized had to have interacted to variable degrees with a late input of more primitive melt. The degree of this magma interaction was likely controlled by the geometry of the conduit and the location of emplacement given that Fe–Ti oxides in the oxide-rich rocks occur in pod-like bodies and exhibit no compositional evidence for magma mixing. Mirrored variations in magnetite compatible and incompatible elements in Fe–Ti oxides in the Footwall Zone, Main Zone, and W Horizon of the Marathon Cu–PGE deposit indicate that these zones could not have formed from a single, evolving magma, but rather multiple batches of compositionally distinct magmas. Fe–Ti oxides exhibit no compositional difference between those hosted by barren and mineralized rock. This is likely because sulfide liquated at depth in all of the magmas from which the Marathon Series crystallized. The composition of Fe–Ti oxides in the Eastern Gabbro fall outside of the compositional fields for Ni–Cu mineralization defined by Dupuis and Beaudoin (Mineral Deposita 46:319–335, 2011) and Ward et al. (J Geochem Explor 188:172–184, 2018) demonstrating that their discrimination diagrams can distinguish between Ni-rich and Ni-poor systems that contain disseminated and massive sulfides.

Effects of fluid-induced oxidation on the composition of Fe–Ti oxides in the Eastern Gabbro, Coldwell Complex, Canada: implications for the application of Fe–Ti oxides to petrogenesis and mineral exploration

Magnetite (mag)–ilmenite (ilm) intergrowths are more common than mag–ulvospinel (usp) intergrowths in mafic–ultramafic Ni–Cu–PGE systems, yet the former has no known solid solution. The most accepted model for the formation of mag–ilm intergrowths in terrestrial environments is fluid-induced oxidation of mag–usp assemblages by oxygen in water. In this study, we re-examine this model in light of the fact that crustal fluids have very low pO2 and that mag–ilm intergrowths commonly occur in rocks that show little or no evidence of hydrothermal alteration. We also characterize the chemical changes that occurred during the formation of mag–ilm intergrowths and how they affect the use of Fe–Ti oxide chemistry for petrogenesis and mineral exploration. In the Eastern Gabbro, Coldwell Complex, a continuum of Fe–Ti oxide intergrowths occur ranging from cloth (mag–usp) to trellis (mag–ilm) types. Trellis-textured intergrowths have higher bulk Fe3+:Fe2+ ratios and are predominantly enriched not only in some multivalent (Ge, Mo, W, Sn) elements, but also in Cu and Ga, consistent with their formation via oxidation by a metal-rich fluid. These compositional changes are significant relative to typical elemental abundances in Fe–Ti oxides and could potentially lead to erroneous interpretations regarding primary magmatic processes if they are not taken into consideration. The irregular distribution of the intergrowths throughout the Eastern Gabbro suggests that different rock series and mineralized zones experienced variable degrees of fluid-induced oxidation. It is proposed that C in CO2 rather than O2 in water could potentially be an important oxidizing agent in mafic systems: $$ 9{\mathrm{Fe}}_2^{2+}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_4+0.75{\mathrm{CO}}_2+1.5{\mathrm{H}}_2\mathrm{O}\leftrightharpoons 9{\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}\mathrm{Ti}{\mathrm{O}}_3+3{\mathrm{Fe}}_2^{3+}{\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}{\mathrm{O}}_4+0.75\mathrm{C}{\mathrm{H}}_4 $$ The applicability of this model is supported by the common occurrence of CO2 and CH4 in fluid inclusions in mafic rocks.

On the Mechanisms for Low-Sulfide, High-Platinum Group Element and High-Sulfide, Low-Platinum Group Element Mineralization in the Eastern Gabbro, Coldwell Complex, Canada: Evidence from Textural Associations, S/Se Values, and Platinum Group Element Concentrations of Base Metal Sulfides

Abstract The Eastern Gabbro, Coldwell Complex, hosts several geochemically and mineralogically distinct Cu-platinum group element (PGE) deposits, including the high-grade W Horizon (&amp;gt;100 ppm Pd-Pt-Au over 2 m). Several magmatic and/or hydrothermal models have previously been proposed to explain the range of enrichment in PGEs observed in the Marathon deposit, but no work has integrated textural and compositional variations in sulfides to elucidate which of these models is most suitable. Additionally, comparatively little work has been done to characterize the genesis of Cu-PGE mineralization that occurs to the northwest of the Marathon deposit in the Eastern Gabbro. Through integration of base metal sulfide (BMS) mineralogy, texture, and trace element chemistry, a wide range of magmatic and postmagmatic processes have been characterized that contributed to the formation of these deposits. In all zones of mineralization in the Eastern Gabbro, chalcophile elements were remobilized from primary chalcopyrite by hydrothermal fluids and precipitated as secondary chalcopyrite, which occurs as a replacement of pyrrhotite and as intergrowths with hydrous silicates. BMSs in the mineralized zones in the Marathon deposit (Footwall zone, Main zone, and W Horizon) experienced higher R factors than those deposits located northwest of the Marathon deposit (Four Dams, Area 41, and Redstone), with BMSs in the W Horizon having experienced the highest R factors. The silicate melts from which the Footwall zone crystallized likely experienced some degree of sulfide segregation at depth, albeit to a much lesser degree than the northern deposits. Additionally, the melts from which the mineralized zones in the Marathon deposit crystallized were likely contaminated by high-S/Se Archean sedimentary rocks, whereas the northern deposits were likely contaminated by low-S/Se igneous and/or metamorphic rocks. BMSs in a chalcopyrite-rich pod located within the vicinity of the Coldwell Complex experienced both high R factors and high degrees of contamination (cf. W Horizon and Footwall zone, respectively). This study illustrates the complexity of processes that generate and modify mineralization in conduit-type Ni-Cu-PGE systems.

Significance of the metasomatized lithospheric mantle in the formation of early basalts and Cu – platinum group element sulfide mineralization in the Coldwell Complex, Midcontinent Rift, Canada

A diverse suite of tholeiitic to alkaline basalt and gabbroic intrusions located in the Coldwell Complex on the northern margin of the Midcontinent Rift exhibit unusual trace element signatures that show enriched large ion lithophile elements and light rare earth elements with negative Nb and Zr anomalies. These features are not typical of magmas derived by partial melting within or above a rising mantle plume, as might be expected in an early Midcontinent Rift magmatic event. In this paper, we provide a detailed geochemical study of a 500 m thick sequence of metabasalt that represents the earliest stage of magmatism in the Coldwell Complex. We show that contamination or crystallization processes or subsequent metasomatism cannot explain the trace element variations. Instead, we propose partial melting in a metasomatized Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle source to explain the decoupled behavior of large ion lithophile elements from light rare earth elements and heavy rare earth elements and rare earth elements from high field strength elements and the enriched Nd isotope signature of metabasalt. Similar features occur in unit 5b of the Mamainse Point Volcanic Group located at the northern margin of the Rift. An objective of this paper is to relate Two Duck Lake gabbro, host rock for low-sulfur, high precious metal sulfide mineralization at the Marathon deposit, to the metabasalt sequence. The excellent match of trace element abundances in Two Duck Lake gabbro to metabasalt unit 3 confirms an early Coldwell Complex age for metabasalt and a Subcontinental Lithospheric Mantle source for Cu – platinum group element mineralized gabbros.

The role of magma injection and crystal sorting in the formation of early gabbros at the Coldwell Complex, Ontario, Canada

The Layered Series of the Midcontinent Rift related Coldwell Complex comprises thick sections of gabbro, without any known associated ultramafic rocks. It represents a major early intrusive unit of the Coldwell Complex and consists of thick accumulations of olivine gabbro and oxide augite melatroctolite. This study combines petrography, mineral chemistry, and lithogeochemistry to constrain the magma composition and petrogenesis of the Layered Series. The presence of cumulus orthoclase together with the observation that the Layered Series rocks plot in the alkaline field on a total alkali–silica diagram indicate that the Layered Series magma has an alkaline parentage. The stratigraphy of the Layered Series cannot be fully correlated between different areas using lithogeochemistry and mineral chemistry. This together with observed normal and reverse trends for mineral chemical compositions in different areas suggest that the processes related to magma emplacement and crystallization were different in different locations. The whole-rock concentrations of incompatible elements and the compositions of major minerals of the olivine gabbro and oxide augite melatroctolite units are chemically similar. However, major element lithogeochemistry is variable, dominantly due to differences in the abundances of olivine, clinopyroxene, plagioclase, and magnetite. An additional observation is that olivine and clinopyroxene are not in chemical equilibrium. Together, these observations are interpreted to reflect a combination of multiple injections of magma and crystal sorting in an open system.

Evolution of a Conduit System at the Marathon PGE–Cu Deposit: Insights from Silicate Mineral Textures and Chemistry

Abstract The Marathon platinum group element (PGE)–Cu deposit is hosted by the Two Duck Lake Gabbro of the Mesoproterozoic Coldwell Complex, Canada, and comprises three zones of mineralization, which have different textural, mineralogical and geochemical characteristics. The Footwall Zone occurs at the base of the Two Duck Lake Gabbro, at the contact with the Archean country rocks. The Main Zone occurs within the Two Duck Lake Gabbro, above the Footwall Zone. The W Horizon is an extraordinarily PGE-enriched zone that is characterized by very low Cu/Pd values, less pyrrhotite, and appreciably more bornite than the Footwall and Main zones. It occurs above Main Zone-equivalent mineralization in the southern half of the Two Duck Lake intrusion. Silicate mineral textures and chemistry reveal that the Marathon deposit formed in a dynamic magma conduit system with a complex magma evolution history. The deposit developed into three zones as a result of the multiple pulses of compositionally different magmas. Plagioclase commonly shows resorption surfaces with overgrowths and the anorthite content and concentrations of trace elements such as Fe, Sr, Ba, and rare earth elements in plagioclase change significantly across these surfaces. In rocks that contain sulfide minerals, plagioclase crystals have been partly resorbed and the resorbed rims are Ca-enriched and intergrown with sulfide mineral inclusions. These rims contain higher base-metal and sulfur contents and are light rare earth element-enriched compared with the primary plagioclase. These characteristics indicate input of a separate sulfide-enriched melt with a different composition compared with that from which the primary plagioclase crystallized. Additional evidence for the involvement of slightly different magmas during evolution of the three mineralized zones is derived from variations in pyroxene chemistry (e.g. higher Fe, lower Mg, V, and Sc) between the Footwall Zone and the other two zones and the absence of inverted pigeonite from the W Horizon. The PGE enrichment occurred at depth prior to intrusion and late-stage PGE-rich sulfide-bearing magmas intruded and formed the W Horizon. Therefore, the W Horizon is a zone of mineralization that formed late in the evolution of the Two Duck Lake Gabbro.

Variations of Major and Minor Elements in Pt–Fe Alloy Minerals: A Review and New Observations

Compositional variations of major and minor elements were examined in Pt–Fe alloys from various geological settings and types of deposits, both lode and placer occurrences. They included representatives of layered intrusions, Alaskan-Uralian-(Aldan)-type and alkaline gabbroic complexes, ophiolitic chromitites, and numerous placers from Canada, USA, Russia, and other localities worldwide. Pt–Fe alloy grains in detrital occurrences are notably larger in size, and these are considered to be the result of a special conditions during crystallization such as temperature, pressure, geochemistry or time. In addition, the number of available statistical observations is much greater for the placer occurrences, since they represent the end-product of, in some cases, the weathering of many millions of tonnes of sparsely mineralized bedrock. Typically, platinum-group elements (PGE) present in admixtures (Ir, Rh, and Pd) and minor Cu, Ni are incorporated into a compositional series (Pt, PGE)2–3(Fe, Cu, Ni) in the lode occurrences. Relative Cu enrichment in alloys poor in Pt implies crystallization from relatively fractionated melts at a lower temperature. In contrast to the lode deposits, the distribution of Ir, Rh, and Pd is fairly chaotic in placer Pt–Fe grains. There is no relationship between levels of Ir, Rh, and Pd with the ratio Σ(Pt + PGE):(Fe + Cu + Ni). The compositional series (Pt, PGE)2–3(Fe, Cu, Ni) is not as common in the placer occurrences; nevertheless, minor Cu and Ni show their maximums in members of this series in the placer grains. Global-scale datasets yield a bimodal pattern of distribution in the Pt–Fe diagram, which is likely a reflection of the miscibility gap between the ordered Pt3Fe structure (isoferroplatinum) and the disordered structure of native or ferroan platinum. In the plot Pt versus Fe, there is a linear boundary due to ideal Pt ↔ Fe substitution. Two solid solution series are based on the Ir-for-Pt and Pd-for-Pt substitutions. The incorporation of Ir is not restricted to Pt3Fe–Ir3Fe substitution (isoferroplatinum and chengdeite, plus their disordered modifications). Besides, Ir0 appears to replace Pt0 in the disordered variants of (Pt–Ir)–Fe alloys. There is a good potential for the discovery of a new species with a Pd-dominant composition, (Pd, Pt)3Fe, most likely in association with the alkaline mafic-ultramafic or gabbroic complexes, or the mafic units of layered intrusions. The “field of complicated substitutions” is recognized as a likely reflection of the crystallochemical differences of Pd and Ir, extending along the Ir-Pd axis of the Ir–Pd–Rh diagram. The inferred solid solution extends approximately along the line Ir–(Pd:Rh = 2:3). Minor Pd presumably enters the solid solution via a coupled substitution in combination with the Rh. An Ir-enrichment trend in Pt–Fe alloys typically occurs in the Alaskan-type complexes. The large size of the Pt–Fe nuggets associated with some of these complexes is considered to be related to an ultramafic-mafic pegmatite facies, whereas significant Pd-enrichment is characteristic of gabbroic source-rocks (e.g., Coldwell Complex), resulting in a markedly different trend for the Pt versus Fe (wt.%). However, based on our examination of a large dataset of Pt–Fe alloys from numerous origins, we conclude that they exhibit compositional overlaps that are too large to be useful as reliable index-minerals.

Igneous architecture and implications for diverse Cu-PGE mineralization styles in a conduit system: an example from the Area 41 Cu-PGE occurrence, Coldwell Complex, Canada

The Area 41 copper-platinum-group element (PGE) occurrence was discovered in 2006 at the northwestern margin of the Coldwell Complex. The discovery was significant because of the sizable mineralized intersections, including 1.4 ppm Pd + Pt and 0.32% Cu over 43 m. Since then, exploration along the northern margin has resulted in the discovery of several other Cu-PGE zones with similar grades and host rocks. Field relationships, drill-core logging, petrography, and lithogeochemistry indicate that the rocks formed from several extrusive and intrusive events related to at least three magmatic series that are from oldest to youngest: Metabasalt, the Layered Series, and the Marathon Series. Three types of Cu-PGE mineralization are hosted within separate intrusions of the Marathon Series. Type 1 is hosted by coarse-grained subophitic gabbro and exhibits high Cu/Pd (> 100,000) and low PGE grades, formed at R-factors of 105) and low S/Se ratios (800–2000) that suggest S loss. Three-dimensional modeling of the occurrence shows a north-south, keel-shaped trough at the western end of mineralization and a systematic spatial variation in the proportions of various Marathon Series units, including pegmatitic subophitic gabbro, breccia units, apatitic clinopyroxenite, and oxide melatroctolite, that correlate with decreasing thickness of mineralization, eastward and away from the trough. These observations suggest that multiple intrusions were emplaced along a feeder channel, some of which flowed laterally outwards to form sills. Taken together, these characteristics are consistent with a conduit model for deposit formation and are thus important vectors for exploration.

Paleomagnetism and Geochemistry of ~1144‐Ma Lamprophyre Dikes, Northwestern Ontario: Implications for the North American Polar Wander and Plate Velocities

AbstractWe present new paleomagnetic and geochemical data from a suite of the ~1144‐Ma ultramafic lamprophyre dikes that outcrop in the Canadian Shield northeast of Lake Superior (Ontario, Canada). Nineteen of 22 sampled dikes yielded consistent characteristic remanent magnetization directions of normal (n = 5) and reversed (n = 14) polarity. The primary origin of characteristic remanent magnetization is bolstered by positive baked contact tests and a reversal test. The group mean direction (D = 306.4°, I = 72.1°, α95 = 5.5°, N = 19) obtained from the lamprophyre dikes is statistically indistinguishable from the group mean direction (D = 297.4°, I = 65.5°, α95 = 8.3°, N = 8) previously reported for the nearly coeval ~1142‐Ma Abitibi dikes. The geochemistry of the lamprophyre dikes suggests strong affinity with magmas derived from ocean island basalt‐type mantle sources, consistent with the mantle plume hypothesis for the formation of the ~1.1‐Ga North American Midcontinent Rift. The similarity in age, trend, paleomagnetism, and geochemistry indicates that the lamprophyre and Abitibi dike suites represent the earliest magmatic event associated with the commencement of rifting. The combined mean direction (D = 303.1°, I = 70.2°, α95 = 4.5°, N = 27) corresponds to a paleomagnetic pole at Plat = 55.8°N, Plong = 220.0°E (A95 = 7.3°). The new pole merits the highest classification on the Q‐scale of paleomagnetic reliability and represents a key pole defining the North American apparent polar wander path during the late Mesoproterozoic. Combined with high‐quality data from the ~1108‐Ma Coldwell Complex, our data indicate an equatorward motion of Laurentia at 3.8 ± 1.4 cm/year, comparable with the present‐day velocities of continental plates, before switching to extremely rapid motion between ~1108 and ~1099 Ma.

Applications of the combined portable XRF-benchtop SEM methodology to PGE exploration

Portable XRF (pXRF) and benchtop scanning electron microscopes equipped with energy dispersive systems (bSEM-EDS) are two real-time analytical techniques that can be combined to collect on-site lithogeochemical and mineral chemical results at dramatically reduced cost and time compared to traditional analytical methods. The Coldwell Complex, northwestern Ontario, is used as a case study on how the combination of these techniques can be applied to mineral exploration. Our results show that whole-rock Ba, V/Ti, Cu/S determined by pXRF, and plagioclase, olivine, and clinopyroxene compositions measured by bSEM-EDS can be applied to exploration for PGE deposits. Cu/S ratios for disseminated sulfides are a proxy for metal tenor, which can be applied as a vector towards higher grade mineralization. Potential magma recharge zones are identified by inspecting down-hole variations in plagioclase, olivine, and clinopyroxene compositions. Fluctuating down-hole variations in these parameters are interpreted to reflect episodic magma recharge. Whether rocks contain PGE mineralization can initially be assessed by documenting the variability of mineral chemistry, i.e., the greater variability of mineral chemistry could be used to vector higher grade PGE mineralization, particularly if the mineralization is conduit-related. Lastly, geochemical mapping of the igneous stratigraphy enables identification of favorable hosts for mineralization. Down-hole whole-rock variations in Ba and V/Ti from pXRF, and mineral chemical profiles from bSEM-EDS are used to discriminate the mineralized Marathon Series from the barren Layered Series throughout the Coldwell Complex. Whole-rock Ba and V/Ti from pXRF and mineral chemical results from bSEM-EDS could prove useful in other settings of the Midcontinent Rift (e.g., the Duluth Complex, Eagle and Eagle East intrusions, Tamarack Intrusive Complex, and the Sonju Lake intrusion) and elsewhere (e.g., the Stillwater Complex) to identify mineralized host rock types. An additional important application is a rapid interpretation of petrogenesis. Down-hole variations in olivine-clinopyroxene Mg-Fe exchange coefficients determined by bSEM-EDS analyses show that olivine-clinopyroxene pairs in the Marathon Series units, particularly for those within PGE mineralized zones, have compositions that are closer to chemical equilibrium (constant) compared to units of the barren Layered Series (highly variable), and thus could be a tool for interpreting petrogenetic processes active in the magma chamber or during the mineralization forming event.