Publication
Sulfide Breccias from the Semenov-3 Hydrothermal Field, Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Authigenic Mineral Formation and Trace Element Pattern
Publisher:
MDPI AG
Date:
27-07-2018
DOI:
10.3390/MIN8080321
Abstract: The aim of this paper is the investigation of the role of diagenesis in the transformation of clastic sulfide sediments such as sulfide breccias from the Semenov-3 hydrothermal field (Mid-Atlantic Ridge). The breccias are composed of marcasite–pyrite clasts enclosed in a barite–sulfide–quartz matrix. Primary hydrothermal sulfides occur as colloform, fine-crystalline, porous and radial marcasite–pyrite clasts with inclusions or in idual clasts of chalcopyrite, sphalerite, pyrrhotite, bornite, barite and rock-forming minerals. Diagenetic processes are responsible for the formation of more erse authigenic mineralization including framboidal, ovoidal and nodular pyrite, coarse-crystalline pyrite and marcasite, anhedral and reniform chalcopyrite, inclusions of HgS phase and pyrrhotite–sphalerite–chalcopyrite aggregates in coarse-crystalline pyrite, zoned bornite–chalcopyrite grains, specular and globular hematite, tabular barite and quartz. The early diagenetic ovoid pyrite is enriched in most trace elements in contrast to late diagenetic varieties. Authigenic lower-temperature chalcopyrite is depleted in trace elements relative to high-temperature hydrothermal ones. Trace elements have different modes of occurrence: Se is hosted in pyrite and chalcopyrite Tl is related to sphalerite and galena nanoinclusions Au is associated with galena As in pyrite is lattice-bound, whereas in chalcopyrite it is related to tetrahedrite–tennantite nanoinclusions Cd in pyrite is hosted in sphalerite inclusions Cd in chalcopyrite forms its own mineral Co and Ni are hosted in chalcopyrite.