Te and Se mineralogy of Ozernovskoe and Prasolovskoe epithermal gold deposits, Kuril – Kamchatka volcanic belt

• Main Authors: Vladimir A. Kovalenker, Olga Yu. Plotinskaya
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Key words; Prasolovskoe; Ozernovskoe; Kuril-Kamchatka; epithermal Au-Ag deposits; tellurides; selenides; Kamchatka
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.600.5804; http://www.geology.bas.bg/mineralogy/gmp_files/gmp43/Kovalenker.pdf

Abstract. We describe two epithermal telluride-selenide bearing Au-Ag deposits: Prasolovskoe and Ozernovskoe, both located within the Kuril-Kamchatka volcano-plutonic belt. Several rare and unknown Te and Se minerals were found at both deposits. At the Prasolovskoe deposit, various Te-Se minerals, including an unnamed Te3Se4 phase are widespread, while at the Ozernovskoe deposit selenides and sulfoselenides are typical. Te-Se mineralization at both deposits was formed in a rather narrow temperature interval (250-200oC); the composition of mineral assemblages was determined by activities of S2, O2, Te, and Se in the system. At early stages of ore-forming process, fluids were characterized by high aS2. With temperature decrease, aS2 also decreased, resulting in aTe2 increase, and, later aSe2 increase. That caused at first an abundant sulfides precipitation, then the formation of tellurides, followed by the crystallization of selenotellurides, and, finally, selenides.