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December2012, P.P.1545-1551
Abstract: In Gadag gold field, three almost parallel and tabular auriferous zones, namely western, central and
eastern auriferous zones, each with a distinct lithological assemblage, occur within a sequence of metavolcanics and
a thick pile of metasediments. The western auriferous zone is hosted by mafic to felsic metavolcanics, the central
zone is hosted mainly by greywackes, just above the boundary with the metabasalt and the eastern zone is hosted by
arenite-argillites and chlorite phyllites. In this paper, the nature and composition of hydrothermal ore fluids
associated with the sediment hosted central auriferous zone are presented based on the fluid inclusion microthermometry. In this zone, gold mineralization is structurally controlled epigenetic vein type, and is invariably
associated with wall rock alterations. In addition to gold, ore minerals that occur are arsenopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite,
chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and scheelite. The gangue minerals are quartz, chlorite, plagioclase, sericite,
carbonates and carbonaceous matter. Three types of fluid inclusions, namely CO2-rich inclusions, H2O inclusions
and CO2-H2O inclusions are recorded in the auriferous quartz veins of central auriferous zone. Due to tiny size
constraints, micro-thermometric determinations are made only on CO2-H2O inclusions. The hydrothermal fluids that
caused gold deposition in these zones were of low salinity (2.0 to 6.6 wt% NaCl equivalent), dominated by CO2H2O (about 30 mole % CO2 ) with moderate densities (0.7 to 1.04 g/cc) at a maximum depth 1.3 km, and gold
deposition occurred over a wide temperature range of 175 to 325oC. Similar to Archaean greenstone hosted vein
type lode gold deposits elsewhere, large volumes of low-salinity CO2-H2O and CO2-rich fluids were probably
produced by metamorphic devolatilization during prograde regional metamorphism at greenschist-amphibolite
facies boundary in Gadag Gold field. During retrograde greenschist facies metamorphism, interaction of gold
bearing H2O-CO2-NaCl fluids with the wall rocks at decreasing PT conditions (in the shear zone vicinity) might
have lead to fluid immiscibility and separated H2Orich and CO2-rich phases, there by significantly changing the
gold solubility and causing its precipitation. The ore fluids of sediment hosted auriferous zone are comparable with
the volcanic hosted western auriferous zone.
Keywords: Gold, Ore fluids, Fluid inclusions, Gadag Gold Field, Karnataka
I. Introduction:
Significant contribution for world gold production has
been from mesohydrothermal vein type lode gold
deposits of Archaean granite greenstone terrains. Thus
such type of gold mineralization represents an important
genetic class. An understanding of their nature and
genesis is not only fundamentally important from an
academic viewpoint, but can help to formulate
exploration strategies and better define potential areas
of mineralization. Obviously, studies of fluid inclusions
in veins deposited during the mineralizing event have
proved to be inevitable to understand the nature and
source of the ore fluid, components and genetic aspects.
Although, there are several gold deposits/occurrences
distributed in the well-known granite-greenstone terrain
of Dharwar Craton, the fluid inclusion data comes from
very few gold deposits like, Kolar (Santosh, 1986;
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Figure 1: Geological Map of the Gadag Gold Field Showing the Western, Central and Eastern Auriferous Zones
(after Ugarkar et al., 2000)
Eastern auriferous zone, which lies to the southwest of
Singatrayankeri Tanda and east of Dindur Tanda, is
entirely hosted within metasedimentary rocks. This zone
occurs within greywacke-argillite assemblage.
The primary layering (bedding) in the sulphidic chert,
greywacke-argillite suite, chlorite phyllite and the
intercalated BIF bands dips towards east at angles
varying from 200 to 550. The schistosity dips at higher
angles ~700, most commonly towards northeast. The
trend of bedding varies from N200W to N400W and that
of schistosity N-S to N150W. The entire sequence is
younging towards northeast as indicated by way up
criteria like vesicular and convex surface in pillowed
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Figure 2: Frequency Histogram of Th-Co2 from Microthermometric Data of H2o-Co2 Inclusions in the
Ore Quartz Veins from Central Auriferous Zone of Gadag Gold Field
Figure 3: Frequency Histogram of Tmco2 from Microthermometric Data of H2o-Co2 Inclusions in the
Ore Quartz Veins from Central Auriferous Zone of Gadag Gold Field
Table 1: Microthermometric Data of H2o-Co2 Inclusions in Auriferous Quartz Veins from Central Auriferous Zone,
Gadag Gold Field
Sample
No.
G1
G2
G3
G4
Tm CO2
0
C
-56.60
-56.80
-56.70
-56.70
Tm ice
0
C
-2 to -16
-3 to -17
-2 to -26
-1 to -17
Th CO2
0
C
-42.60
-42.70
-51.60
-55.20 to -57.10
Tht CO2+H2O
0 0C
293.00
325.00
185.00
175 to 185
Salinity
Wt. % NaCl
2.0 to 4.2
2.0 to 6.6
2.1 to 3.8
3.1 to 5.2
Density
gm/cc
0.88 to 0.91
1.02 to 1.04
0.72 to 0.74
0.70 to 0.74
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Figure 4: Frequency Histogram of Calculated Thtco2 from Microthermometric Data of H2o-Co2 Inclusions in the
Ore Quartz Veins from Central Auriferous Zone of Gadag Gold Field
The salinity v/s homogenization temperature plot (Fig.
5) indicates an isothermal mixing trend for inclusions
homogenizing from 1750C to 1850C. However, elevated
homogenization temperatures of some inclusions
between 2930C and 3250C probably represent postentrapment changes (Mernagh and Wygralak, 2007).
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