metamorphism of hydrothermal alteration at the red lake mine, balmertown, ontario

222 Pages·1998·12.81 MB·English

METAMORPHISM OF HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION AT THE
RED LAKE MINE, BALMERTOWN, ONTARIO
by
GI Clark Darner
A thesis submitted to the Department of Geo1ogical Sciences in conformity with the
requirements for the degree of Master of Science
Queen' s University
Kingston, Ontario, Canada
July, 1997
copyright 8 0. Clark Damet
National Library 8ibliiuen ationale
du Canada
Acquisitions and Acquisitions et
Bibliogtaphic Services services bibliographiques
The author has gmted a non- L'auteur a accord6 m el icence non
exclusive licence allowing the exclusive permetbmt a la
National Library of Canada to Biblioth- nationale du Canada de
reproduce, loan, distn'buie or sell repfoduire, p&k, distri'buetou
copies of his/her thesis by any means vendre des copies de sa these de
and in any form or format, making qyelqpe mmi&e et sous qpe1cpe
this thesis avallsrblle to interested fome que ce soit pour mettre des
persons. exemplaires de cette t h ha la
disposition des personnes int&essCes.
The author retains ownership of the L'auteur coaserve la propriCt6 du
copyright m hismet thesis. Neither &oit &auteur qyi prot&ges a th&se.N i
the thesis nor substantial extra& la these ni des extraits substantiels de
fkom it may be printed or othemk ceJle-ci ne doivent &R imp1im6s ou
reproduced with the author's autrement nppoduits sans son
permission. autorisation.
Frontispiece: The DeHavilland Norseman in downtown Red Lake. The Norseman was
one of the first bush planes and played a major role in the Red Lake gold rush during the
1920's.
Abstract
The Rcd Lake Mine is a metamorphosed Archean gold deposit. It is located
within the Red Lake greenstone belt of the Uchi Subprovin~in the northwestern portion
of the Superior Province.
Highly altered basaltic rocks in the Red Lake Mine have similar mineral
assemblages to those observed in pelitic rocks. The highly altered rocks have Mered
extensive premetamorphic hydrothermal alteration largely by the addition of K20, FeO
and C* with almost the complete removal ofNa20. Blrllr rock CaO and A1203 are
residually enriched. The maximum-phase mineral assemblages consists of:
Grt+Bt+Chl+St+Cld+And+PL+Qtz+Ilm+Ank+Tm~C orn
in altered rnetabasalts. The mineral assetnbleges preserved in the Red take Mine
demonstrate that the transition fmm pellschist m amphibolite facies assemblages in
weakly altered basaltic rocks occurs before the staumlitein isograd in highly altered
basaltic rocks (essentially pelites) with alPll[ljllous assemblages. The low-variance
mineral assemblages could have only arisen by the metamorphism of high-variance
assemblages.
Zoned hydmthemal alteration patterns have been preserved around ore-bearing
zones. The "Main Zone" is enveloped by three minetalogically distinct maximum-phase
mined assemblages:
(1) Chl + P1+ Grt + And + Qtz + St + Cld + Bt + Ilm f Cum (Distal)
(2) Hbl + Bt + Chl + P1+ Qtz + An.+ Mt + Dm f Ath (hermediate)
(3)Bt+Ank+Qtz+Ms+Pl+Mtf Chl (Proximal)
The zoning of mineral assemblages amund the "Main Zone'@at the Red Lake Mine
represents metamorphism of hydrothermal alteration. The outer zone is inferred to have
formed from a pmtolith rich in kaolinite (Le. a zone of advanced atgillic alteration). The
intermediate zone may have formed from a chlorite-rich protolith (Lee a zone of
intemediate argillic alteration or chloritization). Close to the ore-bearing structure, the
proximal zone is inferred to have formed from a protolith rich in biotite, muscovite,
quartz and ankerite (i-e. a zone of potassic alteration). During metamorphism,
hydrothermal biotite, muscovite, chlorite, quark and ankerite are irrferred to have
recrystallized and re-eqpilibrated with newly formed minerals such as garnet, staurolite
and chloritoid while the lower temperature hydrothermal clay minerals in the outer zone
were completely replaced by the newly formed minerals.
Two hogcads have been mapped in the undetgtound workings of the Red Lake
Mine: the staumlite-in isognd and the chloritoid-out isograd. The isograds strike
approximately N2WE and dip 300Wwheceas the mine stratigraphy strikes approximately
N45W and dips between 40-750W. Thetefore, isograds cross-cut the mine stratigraphy,
alteration and ore zones,
The low-variance mineral assemblages permit accurate definition of the P-'I'
conditions of metamorphism. Two computer aided themobammetric programs were
used to calculate pressures and temperatures: TWEEQU and WEBINVEQ, Pressures
and temperatures vary systematically within the mine from 1400-2000 bars and 435-
4 8 mw ith TWEEQU and 1000-220 bars and 450-550% with WEBINVEQ. The
PC% displays a systematic decrease with depth in the mine.
P-T results indicate a very high geothermal gradient of about 70-900Cflrm. The
high geothermal gradient is consistent with contact metamorphism by a nearby heat
source (Lee the Walsh Lake Pluton) at depths between about 6-7 km.
Acknowledgments
I would not have been able to complete this thesis if it wee not for the help of a
great many people. First of all I wodd like to thank Dr. Dugald Cannichael who
suggested this thesis topic and for giving me many valuable lessons along the way, both
intellectual and financial as well as recreational. Your enthusiasm and sopport is greatly
appreciated.
I would also like to thank Goldcorp Inc. for allowing me access to their mine and
for providing food and lodging while I was in Balmertown. The time I spent
undergro~dw ith Steve McGibbon, Tim Twomey, Dan Lemm and Steve Duenck is
greatly appreciated. I would also like to thank Bob Chathaway for many interesting
discwioas and for taking me golfing in Balmertown.
Rob Penaak, now at Goldcorp Inc., provided many interesting discussions and
was able to take time out of his busy schedule to collect some more samples for me. For
this I owe you more than just a couple bars.
I would also like to thank Tom Stubens and John Misiura of Placer Dome Canada
Ltd. for giving me a tour of the Campbell Mine on such short notice.
At Queen's University my educational experience was greatly enhanced by many
of the professors especially, Dr. Alan H. Clark and Dr. Herb H. Helmstaedt I would also
like to thank Dr. Bob Mason for many enlightening conversations on the geology of
Archean gold deposits. Many other discussions on various aspects of the thesis with Dr.
Doug A Archibald, Dr. C. lay Hodgson, Dr. Peter L. Roeder, Dr. Heather Jamison and
Dr. John Hanes are greatly appreciated.
A "HUGE BIG thanks goes out to all my Sends at Queen's especially those
from the "Gro6e Namrwi~sentschaftler.~Mi' ke "Ooley"C ooley, "Newfie"D ave Gale and
Gord Stretch have provided constant friendship from the beginning. I would also like to
thank Tom Ulrich for his help with just about everything in the department from
microscopes to computers. You should charge more for consulting fees.
Most of all I would Wre to thank Rosalind Stephanian for her continued support
and encouragement especially throughout this last year. You have proven to w that if
someone can switch fkom German literature to geology that anything is possible. Du bist
mein gold scisatz.
This wok was financially supported by a Reinhardt Fellowship and a Queen's
Graduate Award and by an NSERC research grant to Dr. DugaId M. Carmichael.
...........................1.....1.. .....G...e...n....e...r....a...l... ..h.....t..t...o....d.....w......t...i..o.... 1
................................................................................
1.2 hvious wor k....................... 4
.......................................................................
1.3 Scope and Objectives of the Thesis
2.1 Introduction. .........................................................................................................
.....................................................................................
2.2 Supracrustal Assemblages
.....................................................................................................
2.3 Intrusive Rocks
...............................................................................
2.4 Geology of Balmer Township
2.5 Mine Geology ......................................................................................................
.............................................
2.6 Structural Geology, Alteration and Miaetalization
................... ...............*.......................................
2.7 Summary of Geo10gical Events
..........................................................................................................
3.1 Introduction
...........................................................................................
3.2 Mineral Assemblages
3.2. 1 Sedimentary Rocks ...........................................................................................
...............................................................................................
3.2.2 Ultramafic RQCkS
.......................................................................................
3.2.3 Felsic Extrusive Rocks
3.2.4 Felsic Intrusive Rocks .......................................................................................
3.2.6 Basaltic Ro& ...................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
3.3 Garnet,
3.4
Ph@~~laseo~*e.*o.~**o~*~*~~*~~*~e*~~*e**~~m~***~~~~*~~~~~~m~*~~*~~~*mmm*a~~*~m~~o**-~~---*~me~~*~o~~~*~*~o-~~--~~~~v~
..........................................................................................................
3.5 Amphiboles
3.7 Chlorite. ...............................................................................................................
.
............................................................................................................
3.13 Codte nte
3.14 Other Mined. ...................................................................................................
3.15 Mineralogical Profile of the 'Main Zone" on the 34th Level. ..............................
3.16 Significance of the transition fkom Chlodtoid- and Statxolite-bearing
......................................................................~......~.........................
Assemblages
......... ..
.........*......*.o....e...3...17. .D*is.c.u.ss.igo.n .....
4.1 hfMduction. ....................................................................................~.................... 95
...............................................................................................
4.2 Analytical Methods 98
4.3 Results of Thermoberometry. ................................................................................ 99
4.4 T-XC* Conh-h9o a s. .......................................................................................... 120
4.5 Discussion ....g..e.................................................................................................. I2!5
............................................................
APPENDIX 2 MlCROPROBE DATA.... 151
=
List of Figures
.............................
Figure 1.1. Location map of the Red Lalre and the Uchi Subp rovince 2
........................................................................
Figure 1.2. Township map of Red Lake 3
.................
F i p2 1. Genedhdm ap of -tone belts in the Uchi Subprovince 13
................................
Figure2.2. Simpfifiedgeo108yoftbeRsd~~mtoaebelt 15
.....
Figure 2.3. St ratigqhic subdivisions of the Rcd Lake greenstone by Pirie (198 1) 16
Figate 2.4. Stratipphic subdivisions of the Red Lake gmenstone
...........................................................................
by Wallace et aL (1986) 16
Figure 2.5. Tectonic assemblage map of the Red Lake greenstone belt by
..............
Stott and Corfi,( 1991) ............................................................... 18
.........................................................
Figrue 2.6. Geology map of Bialmer Tow aship 24
Figure 2.7. Complilation geology map of the 14th level of the Campbell Mine
...................................................
and the 15th level of the Red Lake Mine 28
.........................................
Fipe2 .8. Schematic cross-section of the Red take Mine 29
....................
Figure 3.1. ACF diagram of altered basaltic rocks in the Red Lake Mine 41
..........
Figure 3.2. Graph of 2x10 versos apparent Na20 in EDS analyses of staurolite 73
................................................
Figure3.3. Mimra10gicalpcoNeoftbe'~Mainne" 84
..................*.
Figure 3.4. Schematic cross-section of the Red Lake Mine with isograds 89
. ............ .......................
Figure 3 5 Geology map ofBalmerTowllship withisograds 90
Figure 3.6. Complilation geology map of the 14th level of the Campbell Mine
.....
and the 15th level of the Red Lake Mine with the staurolite-in isograd 91
......................................
Figure 4.1. TWEEQU plot of sample 2413 with chloritoid 101
................ .............
Figure 4.2. TWEEQUand WEBINVEQplot of sample 15-017A 102
.........................
Figure 4.3. TWEEQU and WEBINVEQ plot of sample 28-886-2D 105
..............................
Figure 4.4. TWEEQU and WEBINVEQ plot of sample 2e88.1 107
..........................
Figure 4.5. TWEEQU and WEBINVEQ plot of sample 3462364 109
-
.............. .... ...........
Figure 4.6. Garnet biotite thermometer of sample 9521-1 112
Figure 4.7. TWEEQU and WEBINVEQ plots of sample 2413 without
........................................................
chloritoid md with varying Xa20. 113
Figure 4.8. Schematic cross-section of heR ed Lake Mine with isograds
.
..................................................................................
and P-T vanahons 117
Figtm 4.9. Schematic petmgenetic grid of the "ideal"p elitic system
.........................................~..............................................
with bathomnes 118
...... ................. . ...
Figure 4.10. Petrogenetic grid from Spear and Cheney (1989) 119
Figate 4.1 1. Sequence of TWEEQU plots of sunple 28-886-2D with
varying m20 .. -.... .....*...................*..........................1.2. 1
......m em......
Figure 4.12. T - X q diagram illustrating the effects of P and X* on the
stability of the banded quartz-te veins ......................................... 123
Figure 4.13. T - X qd iagram frmn Chdstie (1986) ...........,~.m.......~.........~.........1..2.4s ..s
List of Plates
.....................................
Phte 2.1 Pillowed tholciitc b d t so f the Bslmer Assemblage 19
........................
Plate 22 Tightly folded sediments of the Bruce Channel Assemblnge 25
...........................................
Plate 23 "Lamprophymn cmss-cutting the "SC" ore m e 33
......
Plate 3.1A Two textural generatioas of chloritoid with sygmoidal inclusion trails 43
..............................................................
Plate 3.1B. Howglass structure in chloritoid 43
Plate 3.2 Latetectonic mddas i t e ~ ~ . m ~ e ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ m m ~ a ~ ~ m ~ ~ ~ ~ e ~ 4~9~ ~ ~ ~ ~ e ~ ~ ~ ~ L 8 . ~ ~ ~ e ~ . ~ C ~ ~ ~ * * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ O ~ ~ e * . ~ ~ * * m * ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
.................
Platc3.3 Lngepoikiloblastofcordieritewithzinciaasta11lolitehclUSio~~ 49
..............................
PUe 3.4 Blue quartz "eyes" in the "CampbelyDickensond iorite" 50
Plate 3.5 kuartz in the "CampbelyDickensond iorite" .............................................. 50
Plate 3.6 Garnet porphymbest in a QF P......e.............................................................. 53
.........
Plate 3.7 Garnet with ab~danitn clusions of arsenopyrite. pyrite and magnetite 58
. ....................
Plate 3 8 Late-tectonic garnet porphyroblast with biotite and plapio clase 58
....................................
Plate 3.9 Cdcic plagioclase with conspicom radial extinction 62
................... ...
Plate 3.10 Calcic plagiochse with yellow-geen cathodolumiuescence 62
..........................................................
Plate 3.1 1 Clunmingtonite inclusions in gamet 65
....... ........... .
Plate 3.12 Magnesia-hornblende in the matrix of a cockade breccia. 65
Plate 3.13 Radiating anthophyllite in a vein ...............................................................7 0
..................................................................
Plate 3.14 Biotite intergrown with chlorite 70
................................
Plate 3.15 Latetectonic stamlite and chloritoid porphyrob lasts 76
......................
Plate 3.16 Ephedral mdalusite porphyrobhts in a deformed quartz vein 76
Plate 3.17A Matgarite in metasediment with muscovite. ............................................. 79
........
Plate 3.17B Cmndated margarite in metasediment with muscovite end andalusite 79
............................
Plate 3.18 Rumortierite with biotite in the East South "C" ore zone 82
...........
Plate 3. 19 Dunortierite with biotite and stawlite fiom the South "C" ore zone 82
............
Plate 3.20 Layer of garnet and cumrningtonite from. t he distal alteration zone 85
Plate 3.21 Ptygmatic vein with staurolite. chloritoid plegioclase. and
........ ............
andalusite h m t he distal alteration zone ................................. 85
-
Plate 3.22 Magnesio hornblende and anthophyllite in the
intermediate alteration zone ........................................................................8. 7
Plate 3.23 Equigranulat intergrowth of biotite. ankerite, quartz, arsenopyrite.
pyrite and magnetite from the proximal alteration zone. ...............................8 7