ISSN:
1432-1866
Source:
Springer Online Journal Archives 1860-2000
Topics:
Geosciences
Notes:
Abstract The Hokko prospect is located in the Minamikayabe area southwestern Hokkaido, Japan, where gold-bearing quartz veins of Pliocene age are exposed at the surface. The alteration mineral assemblage is typical of low-sulfidation epithermal systems, with the quartz veins associated with adularia alteration overprinted on Late Miocene propylitic alteration. Fluid inclusion studies of the vein quartz reveal mean homogenization temperatures of approximately 220 °C, and the co-existence of low-salinity (〈2 wt.% NaCl equivalent) and moderate salinity (2 to 12 wt.% NaCl equivalent) fluid inclusions within the same veins. The moderate salinity fluid inclusions (2–12 wt.% NaCl equivalent) typically have relatively low homogenization temperatures between 150° to 200 °C. The results obtained from stable isotope analysis of δ18O in quartz vein material showed a gradual decrease in δ18O signatures with increasing depth. The majority of the samples have calculated fluid source signatures (δ18OH2O) between −8.0 and −10.0‰, but there is a significant change in the composition above 185 m drill depth. The shallower samples in particular show a wide range of oxygen isotope signatures that are associated with the moderate salinity fluid inclusions. We interpret that low-salinity inclusions within the Hokko system represent the composition of the liquid phase of the fluid, before boiling, and that the moderate-salinity inclusions are representative of the residual liquid phase, after extensive non-adiabatic boiling and vapor loss in an open system. This mechanism resulted in the entrapment of fluids with variable salinities at the same time, and in close proximity to each other. This is also reflected in the δ18OH2O values which become more variable and heavier where the moderate-salinity inclusions occur. Deposition of ore minerals within the Hokko vein system also occurred at this time as a result of boiling and gas loss.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s001260050173
