西南印度洋中脊玉皇热液区黄铁矿中金的赋存形式和沉淀机制研究:来自矿物学和微量元素的证据

Occurrence and precipitation of gold in pyrite from the Yuhuang hydrothermal field, Southwest Indian Ridge: Evidence from mineralogy and trace elements

  • 摘要: 随着全球金属资源需求量不断增加以及陆地矿产资源日益枯竭,海底多金属硫化物矿床得到众多地质学家广泛关注。前人研究发现,相较于快速、中速和慢速扩张洋中脊,超慢速扩张洋中脊多金属硫化物矿床金属资源量更高。位于西南印度洋中脊(超慢速扩张洋中脊)的玉皇热液区是全球最大的海底多金属硫化物矿床之一,但是金在该热液区黄铁矿中的赋存形式和沉淀机制尚B不清晰。本文以西南印度洋中脊玉皇热液区为例,使用光学显微镜、扫描电子显微镜以及激光剥蚀电感耦合等离子体质谱仪(LA-ICP-MS)对硫化物矿石进行了矿物结构观察和微量元素分析。结果显示在玉皇热液区中,金主要以自然金的形式赋存于富铁硫化物矿石中的黄铁矿内。富铁硫化物矿石中的黄铁矿在形成时热液流体与海水剧烈混合,强烈的混合作用导致热液流体温度迅速降低且 pH值升高,进而促使黄铁矿发生沉淀并消耗大量H2S,最终导致金在富铁硫化物矿石中沉淀。

     

    Abstract: With the continuous increase in global demand for metal resources and the gradual depletion of land-based mineral resources, polymetallic sulfide deposits on seafloor have attracted extensive attention from geologists. Previous studies have found that polymetallic sulfide deposits in ultra-slow spreading mid-ocean ridges have higher metal resource contents than those in fast, intermediate, and slow spreading mid-ocean ridges. The Yuhuang hydrothermal field on the Southwest Indian Ridge, an ultra-slow spreading mid-ocean ridge, is one of the largest submarine polymetallic sulfide deposits of the world. However, the occurrence and precipitation of gold in pyrite in the hydrothermal field remain unclear. Taking this hydrothermal field as an example, we applied optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) to study the mineral texture and analyze the trace element on sulfide ores. Results show that in the hydrothermal field, gold is mainly in the form of native gold within pyrite in iron-rich sulfide ores. Pyrites in iron-rich sulfide ores were formed under very intensive mixing of hydrothermal fluids and seawater; this intense mixing caused rapid decrease in temperature and increase in pH, which in turn promoted the precipitation of pyrite and consumes a large amount of H2S, which consequently resulted in the precipitation of gold in the iron-rich sulfide ores.

     

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