Uranium Mineralization in the MacInnis Lake Area, Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories: Potential Linkages to Metasomatic Iron Alkali-Calcic Systems
The intracratonic Paleoproterozoic Nonacho Basin, deposited on the western margin of the Rae craton, contains historic polymetallic (i.e., U, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Ag) occurrences spatially associated with its unconformable contact with underlying crystalline basement rocks and regionally occurring faults...
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MDPI AG
2022
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121609 https://doaj.org/article/76cbc4b0d2ed44198491ff3865bdfeb4 |
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ftdoajarticles:oai:doaj.org/article:76cbc4b0d2ed44198491ff3865bdfeb4 2023-05-15T17:46:46+02:00 Uranium Mineralization in the MacInnis Lake Area, Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories: Potential Linkages to Metasomatic Iron Alkali-Calcic Systems Kerstin Landry Erin Adlakha Andree Roy-Garand Anna Terekhova Jacob Hanley Hendrik Falck Edith Martel 2022-12-01T00:00:00Z https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121609 https://doaj.org/article/76cbc4b0d2ed44198491ff3865bdfeb4 EN eng MDPI AG https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/12/1609 https://doaj.org/toc/2075-163X doi:10.3390/min12121609 2075-163X https://doaj.org/article/76cbc4b0d2ed44198491ff3865bdfeb4 Minerals, Vol 12, Iss 1609, p 1609 (2022) metasomatism albitization rare earth elements Rae craton IOCG Mineralogy QE351-399.2 article 2022 ftdoajarticles https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121609 2022-12-30T19:30:53Z The intracratonic Paleoproterozoic Nonacho Basin, deposited on the western margin of the Rae craton, contains historic polymetallic (i.e., U, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Ag) occurrences spatially associated with its unconformable contact with underlying crystalline basement rocks and regionally occurring faults. This study presents the paragenesis, mineral chemistry and geochemistry of uranium mineralized rocks and minerals of the MacInnis Lake sub-basin of the Nonacho Basin, to evaluate the style and relative timing of uranium mineralization. Mineralization is restricted to regionally occurring deformation zones, and post-dates widely spread and pervasive albitization and more local Ba-rich K-feldspar alteration of host rocks. Uranium mineralized rocks show elevated concentration of Cu, Ag and Au relative to variably altered host rocks. Microscopic and compositionally heterogeneous altered uraninite occurs (i) as overgrowths on partially dissolved Cu-sulphides with magnetite in chlorite ± quartz, calcite veins, and (ii) with minor uranophane in hematite-sericite-chlorite ± quartz breccia and stockwork. Both uraninite types are Th poor (<0.09 wt.% ThO 2 ) and variably rich in SO 4 (up to 2.26 wt.%), suggesting a low-temperature hydrothermal origin in a relatively oxidized environment. Rare-earth element (+Y) concentrations in type-i uraninite are high, up to 9.5 wt.% Σ(REE+Y) 2 O 3 with Ce N /Y N values > 1, similar to REE compositions of uraninite in metasomatic iron and alkali-calcic systems (MIAC), including low-temperature hematite-type IOCG-deposits (e.g., Olympic Dam, Gawler Craton, Australia) and albitite-hosted uranium deposits (e.g., Southern Breccia, Great Bear Magmatic Zone, Canada, and Gunnar Deposit, Beaverlodge District, Canada). Both uraninite types are variably rich in Ba (up to 3 wt.% BaO), a geochemical marker for MIAC systems, provided by the dissolution of earlier secondary Ba-rich K-feldspar. Chemical U-Th-Pb dating yields resetting ages of <875 ± 35 Ma for type-ii uraninite-uranophane, younger ... Article in Journal/Newspaper Northwest Territories Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles Northwest Territories Canada Gunnar ENVELOPE(-108.885,-108.885,59.384,59.384) MacInnis Lake ENVELOPE(-110.201,-110.201,61.350,61.350) Rae ENVELOPE(-116.053,-116.053,62.834,62.834) Minerals 12 12 1609 |
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Open Polar |
collection |
Directory of Open Access Journals: DOAJ Articles |
op_collection_id |
ftdoajarticles |
language |
English |
topic |
metasomatism albitization rare earth elements Rae craton IOCG Mineralogy QE351-399.2 |
spellingShingle |
metasomatism albitization rare earth elements Rae craton IOCG Mineralogy QE351-399.2 Kerstin Landry Erin Adlakha Andree Roy-Garand Anna Terekhova Jacob Hanley Hendrik Falck Edith Martel Uranium Mineralization in the MacInnis Lake Area, Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories: Potential Linkages to Metasomatic Iron Alkali-Calcic Systems |
topic_facet |
metasomatism albitization rare earth elements Rae craton IOCG Mineralogy QE351-399.2 |
description |
The intracratonic Paleoproterozoic Nonacho Basin, deposited on the western margin of the Rae craton, contains historic polymetallic (i.e., U, Cu, Fe, Pb, Zn, Ag) occurrences spatially associated with its unconformable contact with underlying crystalline basement rocks and regionally occurring faults. This study presents the paragenesis, mineral chemistry and geochemistry of uranium mineralized rocks and minerals of the MacInnis Lake sub-basin of the Nonacho Basin, to evaluate the style and relative timing of uranium mineralization. Mineralization is restricted to regionally occurring deformation zones, and post-dates widely spread and pervasive albitization and more local Ba-rich K-feldspar alteration of host rocks. Uranium mineralized rocks show elevated concentration of Cu, Ag and Au relative to variably altered host rocks. Microscopic and compositionally heterogeneous altered uraninite occurs (i) as overgrowths on partially dissolved Cu-sulphides with magnetite in chlorite ± quartz, calcite veins, and (ii) with minor uranophane in hematite-sericite-chlorite ± quartz breccia and stockwork. Both uraninite types are Th poor (<0.09 wt.% ThO 2 ) and variably rich in SO 4 (up to 2.26 wt.%), suggesting a low-temperature hydrothermal origin in a relatively oxidized environment. Rare-earth element (+Y) concentrations in type-i uraninite are high, up to 9.5 wt.% Σ(REE+Y) 2 O 3 with Ce N /Y N values > 1, similar to REE compositions of uraninite in metasomatic iron and alkali-calcic systems (MIAC), including low-temperature hematite-type IOCG-deposits (e.g., Olympic Dam, Gawler Craton, Australia) and albitite-hosted uranium deposits (e.g., Southern Breccia, Great Bear Magmatic Zone, Canada, and Gunnar Deposit, Beaverlodge District, Canada). Both uraninite types are variably rich in Ba (up to 3 wt.% BaO), a geochemical marker for MIAC systems, provided by the dissolution of earlier secondary Ba-rich K-feldspar. Chemical U-Th-Pb dating yields resetting ages of <875 ± 35 Ma for type-ii uraninite-uranophane, younger ... |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Kerstin Landry Erin Adlakha Andree Roy-Garand Anna Terekhova Jacob Hanley Hendrik Falck Edith Martel |
author_facet |
Kerstin Landry Erin Adlakha Andree Roy-Garand Anna Terekhova Jacob Hanley Hendrik Falck Edith Martel |
author_sort |
Kerstin Landry |
title |
Uranium Mineralization in the MacInnis Lake Area, Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories: Potential Linkages to Metasomatic Iron Alkali-Calcic Systems |
title_short |
Uranium Mineralization in the MacInnis Lake Area, Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories: Potential Linkages to Metasomatic Iron Alkali-Calcic Systems |
title_full |
Uranium Mineralization in the MacInnis Lake Area, Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories: Potential Linkages to Metasomatic Iron Alkali-Calcic Systems |
title_fullStr |
Uranium Mineralization in the MacInnis Lake Area, Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories: Potential Linkages to Metasomatic Iron Alkali-Calcic Systems |
title_full_unstemmed |
Uranium Mineralization in the MacInnis Lake Area, Nonacho Basin, Northwest Territories: Potential Linkages to Metasomatic Iron Alkali-Calcic Systems |
title_sort |
uranium mineralization in the macinnis lake area, nonacho basin, northwest territories: potential linkages to metasomatic iron alkali-calcic systems |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
publishDate |
2022 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121609 https://doaj.org/article/76cbc4b0d2ed44198491ff3865bdfeb4 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-108.885,-108.885,59.384,59.384) ENVELOPE(-110.201,-110.201,61.350,61.350) ENVELOPE(-116.053,-116.053,62.834,62.834) |
geographic |
Northwest Territories Canada Gunnar MacInnis Lake Rae |
geographic_facet |
Northwest Territories Canada Gunnar MacInnis Lake Rae |
genre |
Northwest Territories |
genre_facet |
Northwest Territories |
op_source |
Minerals, Vol 12, Iss 1609, p 1609 (2022) |
op_relation |
https://www.mdpi.com/2075-163X/12/12/1609 https://doaj.org/toc/2075-163X doi:10.3390/min12121609 2075-163X https://doaj.org/article/76cbc4b0d2ed44198491ff3865bdfeb4 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/min12121609 |
container_title |
Minerals |
container_volume |
12 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
1609 |
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1766150617126928384 |