Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of the Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research
The Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians hosts diverse Cambrian–Ordovician volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. The peri-Laurentian Notre Dame Subzone contains Cu–Zn–Au mafic and bimodal mafic deposits in ∼501–485 Ma ophiolitic rocks and Zn–Pb–Cu–(Au–Ag) deposits in ∼471–465 Ma bimo...
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 2024-09-15T18:20:03+00:00 Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of the Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research Piercey, Stephen J. Hinchey, John G. Sparkes, Gregory W. 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 en eng Canadian Science Publishing https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_GB Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences volume 60, issue 8, page 1104-1142 ISSN 0008-4077 1480-3313 journal-article 2023 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 2024-07-18T04:13:38Z The Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians hosts diverse Cambrian–Ordovician volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. The peri-Laurentian Notre Dame Subzone contains Cu–Zn–Au mafic and bimodal mafic deposits in ∼501–485 Ma ophiolitic rocks and Zn–Pb–Cu–(Au–Ag) deposits in ∼471–465 Ma bimodal rifted continental arc sequences (e.g., Buchans). The peri-Gondwanan rocks of the Exploits Subzone host Zn–Pb–Cu–(Au–Ag) bimodal felsic, felsic siliciclastic, and Zn–Ag–Au hybrid bimodal felsic deposits in the ∼513–486 Ma Victoria Lake supergroup; Cu–Zn bimodal felsic to bimodal mafic deposits of the ∼486 Ma Wild Bight Group; and Cu–(Au) mafic siliciclastic deposits of the ∼466 Ma Great Burnt Lake/South Pond belt. Regardless of age or stratigraphic hosts, all VMS deposits are associated with specific magmatic assemblages and extensional tectonism (i.e., rifting). Gold-enriched deposits of the Rambler-Ming district are associated with felsic rocks that formed via slab melting and subsequent melt-mantle wedge interaction, which likely enhanced precious metal enrichment in these deposits. Whereas many deposits exhaled on the seafloor, some deposits formed via subseafloor replacement of host units or as re-sedimented sulfides generated in sediment-gravity flows. Metals in the deposits were derived from leaching of underlying footwall rocks; however, Au–Ag- and epithermal suite element-enriched deposits show evidence for metal contributions from magmatic hydrothermal fluids. Sulfur in deposits was derived predominantly from leaching of H 2 S from underlying footwall rocks and from thermochemical sulfate reduction of seawater sulfate, with lesser input from bacteria-derived H 2 S and magmatic-hydrothermal-derived H 2 S. Despite recent research advances and historic mining, numerous questions remain unresolved and provide opportunities for future study. Article in Journal/Newspaper Newfoundland Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 60 8 1104 1142 |
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Canadian Science Publishing |
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crcansciencepubl |
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English |
description |
The Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians hosts diverse Cambrian–Ordovician volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits. The peri-Laurentian Notre Dame Subzone contains Cu–Zn–Au mafic and bimodal mafic deposits in ∼501–485 Ma ophiolitic rocks and Zn–Pb–Cu–(Au–Ag) deposits in ∼471–465 Ma bimodal rifted continental arc sequences (e.g., Buchans). The peri-Gondwanan rocks of the Exploits Subzone host Zn–Pb–Cu–(Au–Ag) bimodal felsic, felsic siliciclastic, and Zn–Ag–Au hybrid bimodal felsic deposits in the ∼513–486 Ma Victoria Lake supergroup; Cu–Zn bimodal felsic to bimodal mafic deposits of the ∼486 Ma Wild Bight Group; and Cu–(Au) mafic siliciclastic deposits of the ∼466 Ma Great Burnt Lake/South Pond belt. Regardless of age or stratigraphic hosts, all VMS deposits are associated with specific magmatic assemblages and extensional tectonism (i.e., rifting). Gold-enriched deposits of the Rambler-Ming district are associated with felsic rocks that formed via slab melting and subsequent melt-mantle wedge interaction, which likely enhanced precious metal enrichment in these deposits. Whereas many deposits exhaled on the seafloor, some deposits formed via subseafloor replacement of host units or as re-sedimented sulfides generated in sediment-gravity flows. Metals in the deposits were derived from leaching of underlying footwall rocks; however, Au–Ag- and epithermal suite element-enriched deposits show evidence for metal contributions from magmatic hydrothermal fluids. Sulfur in deposits was derived predominantly from leaching of H 2 S from underlying footwall rocks and from thermochemical sulfate reduction of seawater sulfate, with lesser input from bacteria-derived H 2 S and magmatic-hydrothermal-derived H 2 S. Despite recent research advances and historic mining, numerous questions remain unresolved and provide opportunities for future study. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Piercey, Stephen J. Hinchey, John G. Sparkes, Gregory W. |
spellingShingle |
Piercey, Stephen J. Hinchey, John G. Sparkes, Gregory W. Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of the Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research |
author_facet |
Piercey, Stephen J. Hinchey, John G. Sparkes, Gregory W. |
author_sort |
Piercey, Stephen J. |
title |
Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of the Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research |
title_short |
Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of the Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research |
title_full |
Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of the Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research |
title_fullStr |
Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of the Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research |
title_full_unstemmed |
Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits of the Dunnage Zone of the Newfoundland Appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research |
title_sort |
volcanogenic massive sulfide (vms) deposits of the dunnage zone of the newfoundland appalachians: setting, styles, key advances, and future research |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 https://cdnsciencepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 |
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Newfoundland |
genre_facet |
Newfoundland |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences volume 60, issue 8, page 1104-1142 ISSN 0008-4077 1480-3313 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/deed.en_GB |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2022-0148 |
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Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |
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60 |
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8 |
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1104 |
op_container_end_page |
1142 |
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1810458414060404736 |