TY - JOUR
T1 - The Paleoproterozoic McArthur River (HYC) Pb/Zn/Ag deposit of northern Australia
T2 - Organic geochemistry and ore genesis
AU - Chen, Junhong
AU - Walter, Malcolm R.
AU - Logan, Graham A.
AU - Hinman, Mark C.
AU - Summons, Roger E.
PY - 2003/5/30
Y1 - 2003/5/30
N2 - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ore and mudstone within the McArthur River ore deposit show compound distribution patterns similar to those of hydrothermally generated petroleum in the Guaymas Basin and significantly different from those found in conventional oil. PAH abundances and their isomer distributions result from a temperature gradient between the source of mineralizing fluids and the sediments fringing the ore system during ore formation. Along with other geochemical, geological, paleobiological and mineralogical lines of evidence, these data provide strong evidence that the ore formed within partially lithified sediments under marine conditions. Given that the McArthur River ore body is an exquisitely preserved example of a sediment-hosted base-metal deposit, these results may be widely applicable. The McArthur deposit is also a rich repository of paleobiological information, allowing studies of the microbiology of ore formation and the paleobiology of an ancient hydrothermal system, as is discussed elsewhere.
AB - Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in ore and mudstone within the McArthur River ore deposit show compound distribution patterns similar to those of hydrothermally generated petroleum in the Guaymas Basin and significantly different from those found in conventional oil. PAH abundances and their isomer distributions result from a temperature gradient between the source of mineralizing fluids and the sediments fringing the ore system during ore formation. Along with other geochemical, geological, paleobiological and mineralogical lines of evidence, these data provide strong evidence that the ore formed within partially lithified sediments under marine conditions. Given that the McArthur River ore body is an exquisitely preserved example of a sediment-hosted base-metal deposit, these results may be widely applicable. The McArthur deposit is also a rich repository of paleobiological information, allowing studies of the microbiology of ore formation and the paleobiology of an ancient hydrothermal system, as is discussed elsewhere.
KW - Australia
KW - Hydrothermal ore deposit
KW - McArthur River
KW - Organic geochemistry
KW - Proterozoic
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0038537382&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00171-7
DO - 10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00171-7
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:0038537382
SN - 0012-821X
VL - 210
SP - 467
EP - 479
JO - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
JF - Earth and Planetary Science Letters
IS - 3-4
ER -