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Sulphide minerals in early Archean chemical sedimentary rocks of the eastern Pilbara district, Western Australia

Sulfide in chemischen sedimentgesteinen des älteren Archaikums im östlichen Pilbara block, Westaustralien

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Summary

The occurrence and paragenesis of sulphide minerals in chemical sedimentary rocks from the McPhee and the Towers Formations of the Warrawoona Group, eastern Pilbara Craton were examined, in order to evaluate the Archean sedimentary environment. The chemical sedimentary facies of both formations are comprised of chert or chertcarbonate units, which are highly depleted in detrital materials. The cherty rocks are mostly composed of microcrystalline quartz, containing significant types of syndepositional (or diagenetic) sulphide minerals. In particular, the cherty rocks in the Towers Formation (North Pole Chert, Marble Bar Chert) include primary sulphide minerals, such as pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, monoclinic pyrrhotite, pentlandite, gersdorffite and millerite. This assemblage and the measured FeS content (8.4–10.4 mol%) of sphalerite associated with the Fe-sulphide minerals suggest that the cherty rocks were formed under reducing conditions at temperatures below 200°C (about 150°C), and also that the metamorphic temperature of the rocks was less than 325 °C. Furthermore, the virtual absence of detrital materials and the minor element compositions imply that the cherty rocks of the eastern Pilbara Block were formed by rapid precipitation from reducing hydrothermal solutions.

Zusammenfassung

Das Auftreten und die Paragenese von Sulfiden in chemischen Sedimentgesteinen der McPhee und der Towers Formation der Warrawoona Gruppe, östlicher Pilbara Block, wurden untersucht, um das sedimentäre Milieu im Archaikum besser abschätzen zu können. Die chemisch-sedimentäre Fazies beider Formationen besteht aus Chert- oder Chert-Karbonat-Einheiten, die hochgradig an detritärem Material verarmt sind. Die Cherts bestehen aus mikrokristallinem Quartz, der beträchtliche Mengen an syngenetischen bzw. syndiagenetischen Sulfiden enthält. Vor allem die Cherts der Towers Formation (North Pole Chert, Marble Bar Chert) führen Pyrit, Kupferkies, Zinkblende, monoklinen Magnetkies, Pentlandit, Gersdorffit und Millerit als primäre Sulfide. Diese Vergesellschaftung und die gemessenen FeS-Gehalte der mit den Fe-Sulfiden assoziierten Zinkblende (8.4–10.4 Mol%), weisen darauf hin, daß die Cherts unter reduzierenden Bedingungen bei Temperaturen unter 200°C entstanden sind und daß die Matamorphosetemperatur 325 °C nicht überschritten hat. Das Fehlen detritärer Sedimentkomponenten und die Spurenelementzusammensetzungen lassen darauf schließen, daß die Cherts im östlichen Pilbara Block durch rasche Ausfällung aus reduzierenden hydrothermalen Lösungen entstanden sind.

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Author notes

  1. T. Hanamuro

    Present address: Power Reactor and Nuclear Fuel Development Corporation (PNC), Tono Geoscience Center, 959-31 Jorinji-Sonodo, Gifu 509-31, Izumicho Toki, Japan

  2. M. Haruna

    Present address: Geological Survey of Japan, 1-1-3 Higashi, Ibaraki 305, Tsukuba, Japan

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ciencias Geológicas, Universidad Católica del Norte, Av. Angamos 0610, 1280, Casilla, Antofagasta, Chile

    S. Kojima

  2. Institute of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology, Faculty of Science, Tohoku University, 980-8578, Sendai, Japan

    T. Hanamuro & K. Hayashi

  3. Department of Geosciences, The Pennsylvania State University, Inuversity Park, 16802, Pennsylvania, Pa., USA

    M. Haruna & H. Ohmoto

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Kojima, S., Hanamuro, T., Hayashi, K. et al. Sulphide minerals in early Archean chemical sedimentary rocks of the eastern Pilbara district, Western Australia. Mineralogy and Petrology 64, 219–235 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01226570

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