Fluids as primary carriers of sulphur and copper in magmatic assimilation

Ville J. Virtanen (), Jussi S. Heinonen, Ferenc Molnár, Max W. Schmidt, Felix Marxer, Pietari Skyttä, Nico Kueter and Karina Moslova
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Ville J. Virtanen: University of Helsinki
Jussi S. Heinonen: University of Helsinki
Ferenc Molnár: Geological Survey of Finland
Max W. Schmidt: Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich
Felix Marxer: Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich
Pietari Skyttä: University of Turku
Nico Kueter: Earth and Planets Laboratory, Carnegie Institution for Science
Karina Moslova: University of Helsinki

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-12

Abstract: Abstract Magmas readily react with their wall-rocks forming metamorphic contact aureoles. Sulphur and possibly metal mobilization within these contact aureoles is essential in the formation of economic magmatic sulphide deposits. We performed heating and partial melting experiments on a black shale sample from the Paleoproterozoic Virginia Formation, which is the main source of sulphur for the world-class Cu-Ni sulphide deposits of the 1.1 Ga Duluth Complex, Minnesota. These experiments show that an autochthonous devolatilization fluid effectively mobilizes carbon, sulphur, and copper in the black shale within subsolidus conditions (≤ 700 °C). Further mobilization occurs when the black shale melts and droplets of Cu-rich sulphide melt and pyrrhotite form at ∼1000 °C. The sulphide droplets attach to bubbles of devolatilization fluid, which promotes buoyancy-driven transportation in silicate melt. Our study shows that devolatilization fluids can supply large proportions of sulphur and copper in mafic–ultramafic layered intrusion-hosted Cu-Ni sulphide deposits.

Date: 2021
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-26969-3

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