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Tornos, Fernando, Conde, Carmen, Rodriguez, David, García, Dolores, Hanchar, John M., García Nieto, Jesús, Ares, Gonzalo, Bauer, Tobias E., Rodriguez Pevida, Luis (2024) Replacive IOCG systems in the Ossa Morena Zone (SW Iberia): The role of pre-existing ironstones as a geochemical trap. Ore Geology Reviews, 174. 106259 doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2024.106259

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Reference TypeJournal (article/letter/editorial)
TitleReplacive IOCG systems in the Ossa Morena Zone (SW Iberia): The role of pre-existing ironstones as a geochemical trap
JournalOre Geology Reviews
AuthorsTornos, FernandoAuthor
Conde, CarmenAuthor
Rodriguez, DavidAuthor
García, DoloresAuthor
Hanchar, John M.Author
García Nieto, JesúsAuthor
Ares, GonzaloAuthor
Bauer, Tobias E.Author
Rodriguez Pevida, LuisAuthor
Year2024Volume<   174   >
Page(s)106259
URL
DOIdoi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2024.106259Search in ResearchGate
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Mindat Ref. ID17659060Long-form Identifiermindat:1:5:17659060:6
GUID0
Full ReferenceTornos, Fernando, Conde, Carmen, Rodriguez, David, García, Dolores, Hanchar, John M., García Nieto, Jesús, Ares, Gonzalo, Bauer, Tobias E., Rodriguez Pevida, Luis (2024) Replacive IOCG systems in the Ossa Morena Zone (SW Iberia): The role of pre-existing ironstones as a geochemical trap. Ore Geology Reviews, 174. 106259 doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2024.106259
Plain TextTornos, Fernando, Conde, Carmen, Rodriguez, David, García, Dolores, Hanchar, John M., García Nieto, Jesús, Ares, Gonzalo, Bauer, Tobias E., Rodriguez Pevida, Luis (2024) Replacive IOCG systems in the Ossa Morena Zone (SW Iberia): The role of pre-existing ironstones as a geochemical trap. Ore Geology Reviews, 174. 106259 doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2024.106259
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Abstract/NotesThe central Ossa Morena Zone (SW Iberia) hosts a regionally extensive ironstone level interbedded with bimodal volcanic rocks, limestone and shale of Lower-Middle Cambrian age. The stratabound ironstone includes dominant magnetite and hematite with locally abundant chert and barite. It is interpreted as being (sub-)exhalative at or near the seafloor and formed during a rifting event that postdated the Cadomian orogeny. In some places, such as in the Las Herrerías deposit, the ironstone is irregularly replaced by a chalcopyrite-rich ore; the Cu-rich mineralization is accompanied by the pervasive phyllic alteration of the hosting siliciclastic sediments. The highest copper grades are found when the ironstone is crosscut by WNW-ESE-trending late-Variscan extensional brittle-ductile structures that are interpreted as the feeder channels for deep hydrothermal fluids. A similar nearby copper-rich mineralization (Pallares) is likely controlled by the tectonic contact between limestone and pyrite-rich black shale. Sr-Nd whole-rock isotope geochemistry data suggests that the Sr in the ironstone (87Sr/86Sri ≈ 0.7088) is close to isotopic equilibrium with the local exhalative barite (0.7084–0.7086) and Cambrian seawater. The ironstone has a significantly more crustal εNd initial signature (<-1.8) than the coeval volcanic rocks (+5.2 to + 7.9). The younger sulfide mineralization inherited the Nd isotope composition of the ironstone but shows a significant enrichment in 87Sr (87Sr/86Sr > 0.7091) that is interpreted as related with the input of genetically different and more crustally-derived hydrothermal fluids. 39Ar-40Ar dating of the phyllic alteration suggest that the copper mineralization was formed at ca. 332–330 My. These ages are coeval with those of small peraluminous granite intrusions that host Cu-Au vein-like mineralization and dated at 331.8 ± 1.6 Ma (LA ICPMS U-Pb zircon). Our interpretation is that the copper-rich mineralization at the Las Herrerías area is the distal expression of an intrusion-related hydrothermal system. Numerical modelling shows that ironstone is an effective trap for copper precipitation due to the large changes in pH and fO2 that take place when copper-bearing acid and reduced fluids react with the brittle ironstone. The precipitation of chalcopyrite, however, is controlled by the amount of available reduced sulfur in the ore trap. The δ34S values of the sulfides (+12.6 to + 21.6 ‰) suggest that the most likely source for the reduced sulfur is the thermogenic reduction of aqueous sulfate equilibrated with the exhalative barite (δ34S, +31.4 to + 35 ‰) with some minor input of reduced sulfur leached from the metasediments. This system could be considered as a variant of the IOCG clan. The formation of the ironstone and the copper mineralization, however, are separated by more than 200 My. Probably, many IOCG systems have a similar origin as Las Herrerías, with an ironstone being just a passive geochemical trap for the copper–gold mineralization.

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Locality Pages

LocalityCitation Details
Ossa-Morena Zone, Eurasian Plate
Las Herrerías deposit, Alconchel, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain
Pallares prospect, Alconchel, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain

Mineral Occurrences

LocalityMineral(s)
Las Herrerías deposit, Alconchel, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain Albite, Ankerite, Apatite, Banded ironstone, Baryte, Bornite, Breccia, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Chert, Chlorite Group, Clinochlore, Covellite, Digenite, Dolomite, Feldspar Group, Goethite, Hematite, Hydrothermal breccia, Ilmenite, Ironstone, Jasper, K Feldspar, Lamprophyre, Limestone, Mafic volcanic rock, Magnetite, Martite, Metasedimentary rock, Microdiorite, Microgabbro, Molybdenite, Muscovite, Phengite, Plagioclase, Pycnochlorite, Pyrite, Pyrrhotite, Quartz, Rhyolite, Ripidolite, Rutile, Sandstone, Shale, Siderite, Tourmaline, Zircon
Pallares prospect, Alconchel, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain Biotite granite, Breccia, Chalcopyrite, Limestone, Native Gold, Pyrite, Quartz, Shale, Zircon


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