Genetic environment of the intrusion-related Yuryang Au-Te deposit in the Cheonan metallogenic province, Korea

Sang Joon Pak, Seon Gyu Choi, Chang Whan Oh, Chul Ho Heo, Sang Hoon Choi, Sung Won Kim

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    6 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The Yuryang gold deposit, comprising a Te-bearing Au-Ag vein mineralization, is located in the Cheonan area of the Republic of Korea. The deposit is hosted in Precambrian gneiss and closely related to pegmatite. The mineralized veins display massive quartz textures, with weak alteration adjacent to the veins. The ore mineralization is simple, with a low Ag/Au ratio of 1.5:1, due to the paucity of Ag-phases. Ore mineralization took place in two different mineral assemblages with paragenetic time; early Fe-sulfide mineralization and late Fe-sulfide and Au-Te mineralization. The early Fe-sulfide mineralization (pyrite + sphalerite) occurred typically along the vein margins, and the subsequent Au-Te mineralization is characterized by fracture fillings of galena, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, Te-bearing minerals (petzite, altaite, hessite and Bi-Te mineral) and electrum. Fluid inclusions characteristi cally contain CO2 and can be classified into four types (Ia, Ib, IIa and IIb) according to the phase behavior. The pressure corrected temperatures (≥500°C) indicate that the deposit was formed at a distinctively high temperature from fluids with moderate to low salinity (<12 wt% equiv. NaCl) and CH4 (1 ∼ 22 mole %). The sphalerite geobarometry yield an estimated pressure about 3.5 ∼ 2.1 kbar. The dominant ore-deposition mechanisms were CO2 effervescence and concomitant H2S volatilization, which triggered sulfidatlion and gold mineralization. The measured and calculated isotopic compositions of fluids (δ18 OH2O = 10.3 to 12.4 ‰; δDH2O = -52 to -77 ‰) may indicate that the gold deposition originated from S-type magmatic waters. The physicochemical conditions observed in the Yuryang gold dep osit indicate that the Jurassic gold deposits in the Cheonan area, including the Yuryang gold deposit are compatible with deposition of the intrusion-related Au-Te veins from deeply sourced fluids generated by the late Jurassic Daebo magmatism.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)117-132
    Number of pages16
    JournalResource Geology
    Volume56
    Issue number2
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2006 Jun 1

    Keywords

    • Au-Te mineralization
    • Cheonan
    • Gold deposit
    • Intrusion-related
    • Korea
    • Ore-forming fluid

    ASJC Scopus subject areas

    • Geology
    • Geochemistry and Petrology

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