Boron isotope evidence for the involvement of non-marine evaporites in the origin of the Broken Hill ore deposits

Nature
By: , and 

Metrics

48
Crossref references
Web analytics dashboard Metrics definitions

Links

Abstract

Identifying the palaeogeographic setting and mode of origin of stratabound ore deposits can be difficult in high-grade metamorphic terranes, where the effects of metamorphism may obscure the nature of the protoliths. Here we report boron isotope data for tourmalines from the early Proterozoic Broken Hill block, in Australia, which hosts giant lead-zinc-silver sulphide deposits. With one exception the 11B/10B ratios are lower than those for all other tourmalines from massive sulphide deposits and tour-malinites elsewhere in the world. We propose that these low ratios reflect leaching of boron from non-marine evaporitic borates by convecting hydrothermal fluids associated with early Proterozoic continental rifting. A possible modern analogue is the Salton Sea geothermal field in California.

Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Boron isotope evidence for the involvement of non-marine evaporites in the origin of the Broken Hill ore deposits
Series title Nature
DOI 10.1038/342913a0
Volume 342
Issue 6252
Year Published 1989
Language English
Publisher Springer Nature
Description 4 p.
First page 913
Last page 916
Additional publication details