Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T04:41:27.571Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Characteristics of the minerals associated with gold in the Shewushan supergene gold deposit, China

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 January 2024

Hanlie Hong  and
Liyun Tie
Hanlie Hong*
Affiliation:
The Center for Material Research and Testing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, P.R. China
Liyun Tie
Affiliation:
The Center for Material Research and Testing, Wuhan University of Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, 430070, P.R. China
*
*E-mail address of corresponding author: honghl@public.wh.hb.cn
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

The mineralogical properties of goethite and clay minerals from the Shewushan supergene gold deposit have been studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). These results show that in the weathering zone of the Shewushan supergene gold deposit the mineral assemblage is mainly composed of quartz, kaolinite, halloysite, minor illite and goethite. The coexistence of these minerals is apparently indicative of weak laterization. The Al content in goethite from XRD data is ∼10.0%, suggesting formation by weak desilicification. Observation by TEM shows that the flakes of clay minerals with larger particle size usually have extremely rounded outlines, indicating intensive dissolution of clay minerals. Halloysite is derived from the decomposition of kaolinite and the micrographs of curling, tubular, and club-shaped halloysite strongly suggest significant hydration and thus a water-saturated environment. Both the XRD data of goethite and the micrographs of the clay minerals show that the environment in Shewushan is characteristic of high [H2O] activity and high [SiO2] activity. The high dynamic hydraulic conditions may facilitate the downward migration of the primary gold particles during their mechanical concentration, resulting in the accumulation of gold in the lower portion near the water table.

Keywords

Clay MineralsCrystallinityGoethiteLateritizationMicrographSupergene Gold DepositWeathering Zone
Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 53 , Issue 2 , April 2005 , pp. 162 - 170
Copyright
Copyright © Clay Minerals Society 2005

References

Bowell, R.J., (1992) Supergene gold mineralogy at Ashanti, Ghana: Implications for the supergene behaviour of gold Mineralogical Magazine 56 545–560 10.1180/minmag.1992.056.385.10.Google Scholar
Da Costa, M.L., (1993) Gold distribution in lateritic profiles in South America, Africa, and Australia: applications to geochemical exploration in tropical regions Journal of Geochemical Exploration 47 143–163 10.1016/0375-6742(93)90063-R.Google Scholar
Davey, B.G. Russell, J.D. and Wilson, M.J., (1975) Iron and clay minerals and their relation to colors of red and yellow Podzolic soils near Sydney, Australia Geoderma 14 125–138 10.1016/0016-7061(75)90071-3.Google Scholar
Davy, R. (1979) Geochemical exploration, Saddleback greenstone belt, Western Australia. Western Australia Geological Survey, 1979(8).Google Scholar
Davy, R. and El-Ansary, M., (1986) Geochemical patterns in the laterite profile at the Boddington gold deposit, Western Australia Journal of Geochemical Exploration 26 119–144 10.1016/0375-6742(86)90062-2.Google Scholar
Fitzpatrick, R.W. and Schwertmann, U., (1981) Al-substituted goethite — an indicator of pedogenic and other weathering environments in South Africa Geoderma 27 335–347 10.1016/0016-7061(82)90022-2.Google Scholar
Hinckley, D.N., (1963) Variability in “crystallinity” values among the kaolin deposits of the coastal plain of Georgia and South Carolina Clays and Clay Minerals 11 229–235 10.1346/CCMN.1962.0110122.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hong, H.L., (2000) Behaviour of gold in the weathered mantle at Shewushan, Hubei, China Journal of Geochemical Exploration 68 57–68 10.1016/S0375-6742(99)00058-8.Google Scholar
Hong, H.L. Wang, Q.Y. Chang, J.P. Liu, S.R. and Hu, R., (1999) Occurrence and distribution of invisible gold in the Shewushan supergene gold deposit China The Canadian Mineralogist 38 1525–1531.Google Scholar
Li, S.S., (1993) The ore geology and genetic model for Shewushan lateritic gold deposit Geology and Exploration 29 12–15 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
Mann, A.W., (1984) Mobility of gold and silver in lateritic weathering profiles: Some observations from Western Australia Economic Geology 79 38–49 10.2113/gsecongeo.79.1.38.Google Scholar
Michel, D., (1987) Concentration of gold in in situ laterites from Mato Grosso Mineralium Deposita 22 185–189 10.1007/BF00206608.Google Scholar
Monti, R., (1987) The Boddington lateritic gold deposit, Western Australia: A product of supergene enrichment processes: Nedlands University of Western Australia Geology Department and University Extension Publication 11 355–368.Google Scholar
Norrish, K. and Taylor, R.M., (1961) The isomorphous replacement of iron by aluminium in soil goethites Journal of Soil Science 12 294–306 10.1111/j.1365-2389.1961.tb00919.x.Google Scholar
Ren, L.F., (1992) Clay Minerals and Clay Rock Beijing Geological Press 18–74 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
Schulze, D.G., (1984) The influence of aluminum on iron oxides: VIII. Unit-cell dimensions of Al-substituted goethites and estimation of Al from them Clays and Clay Minerals 32 36–44 10.1346/CCMN.1984.0320105.Google Scholar
Schwertmann, U. and Carlson, L., (1994) Aluminum influence on iron oxides: XVII. Unit-cell parameters and aluminum substitution of natural geothites Soil Science Society of America Journal 58 256–261 10.2136/sssaj1994.03615995005800010039x.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Schwertmann, U. and Taylor, R.M. (1977) Iron Oxides in Minerals in Soil Environments (Dixon, J.B. and Weed, S.B., editors). Soil Science Society of America, Madison, Wisconsin, pp. 145–180.Google Scholar
Shannon, R.D. and Prewitt, C.T., (1969) Effective ionic radii in oxides and fluorides Acta Crystallographica B25 925–946 10.1107/S0567740869003220.Google Scholar
Tardy, Y. and Nahon, D., (1985) Geochemistry of latentes, stability of Al-goethite, Al-hematite, and Fe3+ -kaolinite in bauxites and ferricretes: an approach to the mechanism of concentration formation American Journal of Science 285 865–903 10.2475/ajs.285.10.865.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Torrent, J. Schwertmann, U. and Schulze, D.G., (1980) Iron oxide mineralogy of some soils of two river terrace sequences in Spain Geoderma 23 191–208 10.1016/0016-7061(80)90002-6.Google Scholar
Trolard, F. and Tardy, Y., (1989) A model of Fe3+-kaolinite, Al3+-goethite, Al3+-hematite equilibria in latérites Clay Minerals 24 1–21 10.1180/claymin.1989.024.1.01.Google Scholar
Wang, T. and Yang, M.A., (1992) A preliminary study on the occurrence of gold in primary ore from Shewushan gold deposit Hubei Geology 6 2 40–46 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
Webster, J.G., (1986) The solubility of gold and silver in the system Au-Ag-S-O2-H2O at 25°C and 1 atm Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 50 1827–1845 10.1016/0016-7037(86)90242-5.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yu, R.Y., (1994) Some new ideas of the loose layers in Shewushan supergene gold deposit Hubei Geology 8 60–66 (in Chinese).Google Scholar
Zang, W. and Fyfe, W.S., (1993) A three stage genetic model for the Igarape Bahia lateritic gold deposit, Carajas, Brazil Economic Geology 88 1768–1779 10.2113/gsecongeo.88.7.1768.Google Scholar