Sulfur isotopes in Archaean crustal reservoirs constrain the transport and deposition mechanisms of nickel-sulfides in komatiites

Assimilation and prolonged suspension of crust-derived sulfide liquid in komatiites are essential to form Ni-rich mineralisation. Evaluating the spatial relationship between komatiite-hosted Ni mineralisation and crustal S sources may thus provide insights into mechanisms of transport, metal enrichm...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Mineralium deposita 2024-08, Vol.59 (6), p.1155-1183
Main Authors: Virnes, Anne B., Fiorentini, Marco L., Caruso, Stefano, Baublys, Kim, Masurel, Quentin, Thebaud, Nicolas
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Assimilation
Deposition
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Enrichment
Entrainment
Entrapment
Erosion control
Fault detection
Fault lines
Faults
Fluid flow
Geology
Heavy metals
Isotopes
Komatiites
Lava
Lava flows
Lithology
Mineral Resources
Mineralization
Mineralogy
Nickel
Rifting
Seawater
Sedimentary facies
Sedimentary rocks
Substrates
Sulfides
Sulfur
Sulfur isotopes
Sulphides
Sulphur
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Summary:Assimilation and prolonged suspension of crust-derived sulfide liquid in komatiites are essential to form Ni-rich mineralisation. Evaluating the spatial relationship between komatiite-hosted Ni mineralisation and crustal S sources may thus provide insights into mechanisms of transport, metal enrichment and deposition of assimilated sulfide liquid. This study applied facies analysis and S isotopes to sulfides in Ni-mineralised komatiites and stratigraphically underlying bimodal volcanic-volcaniclastic and sedimentary rocks, which formed during rifting in the Agnew-Wiluna Greenstone Belt, Western Australia. The results revealed a lateral variation from rift-distal sedimentary sulfides, through sulfidic BIF, to rift-proximal VMS-style sulfides, the latter of which was predominantly assimilated by komatiites. Both crustal and komatiite-hosted sulfides were overprinted by granite-related skarn alteration during later basin inversion. Spatial S isotopes correlation revealed that Ni mineralisation in komatiites predominantly formed 
ISSN:0026-4598
1432-1866
DOI:10.1007/s00126-024-01253-8