Modeling of gold scavenging by bismuth melts coexisting with hydrothermal fluids

Abstract

Research Article| October 01, 2008 Modeling of gold scavenging by bismuth melts coexisting with hydrothermal fluids Blake Tooth; Blake Tooth 11School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Joël Brugger; Joël Brugger 11School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia 22South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Cristiana Ciobanu; Cristiana Ciobanu 11School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, South Australia 5005, Australia 22South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia 5000, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Weihua Liu Weihua Liu 33CSIRO Exploration & Mining, School of Geosciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3168, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (2008) 36 (10): 815–818. https://doi.org/10.1130/G25093A.1 Article history received: 25 Apr 2008 rev-recd: 01 Jul 2008 accepted: 02 Jul 2008 first online: 02 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Blake Tooth, Joël Brugger, Cristiana Ciobanu, Weihua Liu; Modeling of gold scavenging by bismuth melts coexisting with hydrothermal fluids. Geology 2008;; 36 (10): 815–818. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G25093A.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract The effect of gold scavenging by bismuth melts is investigated using equilibrium thermodynamic modeling of an aqueous solution–mineral–melt system. The calculations for the Au-Bi-Na-Cl-S-H-O system, performed at temperatures between 300 and 450 °C, demonstrate that Au concentrations in the melt are several orders of magnitude higher than in the coexisting fluid, indicating the possible formation of economic gold deposits from undersaturated aqueous fluids, in which mineralization would not be expected in the absence of a bismuth melt. The model applies to any deposit where a Bi melt is stable and coexists with a hydrothermal fluid; examples of such deposits are known from skarn, intrusion-related, orogenic, and volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) gold systems. In sulfur-poor systems the partitioning curves presented here can be used directly to correlate the gold concentration in the fluid and the Au grade in the ore (e.g., Escanaba Trough VMS deposit). These results also illustrate important principles generally applicable to understanding magmatic-hydrothermal and metamorphic deposits that may have contained significant volumes of more complex polymetallic melts. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.