Fluid inclusion and stable isotope constraints on the genesis of the Cligga Head Sn-W deposit, S.W. England

Smith, M., Banks, D. A., Yardley, B. W.D. and Boyce, A. (1996) Fluid inclusion and stable isotope constraints on the genesis of the Cligga Head Sn-W deposit, S.W. England. European Journal of Mineralogy, 8(5), pp. 961-974. (doi: 10.1127/ejm/8/5/0961)

Abstract

Samples of veins from the Cligga Head granite-hosted Sn-W deposit, S.W. England, have been studied by microthermometry, and analysed for the oxygen-isotope composition of quartz, cassiterite and wolframite and the hydrogen-isotope composition of fluid inclusions. Samples of vein quartz were also analysed for fluid-inclusion chemistry using a crush-leach technique. Oxygen-isotope geothermometry using quartz-cassiterite and quartz-wolframite pairs indicates temperatures of 350 to 400°C, although disequilibrium may be common. Coupled with fluid-inclusion homogenisation temperatures of between 300 to 350°C the data suggests hydrothermal activity at 350 to 400°C, and 0.7 to 1.7 kbar fluid pressure. High Th in some fluid inclusions suggests that pressure may have dropped below 0.7 kbar during periods of vein dilation. The calculated oxygen- and measured hydrogen-isotopic composition of vein fluids (δ18O from 6.0 to 10.8‰; δD from -52 to -22‰) is consistent with an origin as fluid that had equilibrated with granite at temperatures from approximately 500 to 300°C. Crush-leach analyses show the inclusion fluids to be Na-K-Fe-Ca chloride brines with significant levels of B, F and SO4. The K/Na ratios are consistent with equilibration with granite at progressively lower temperatures. Log Br/Cl in the inclusion fluids ranges from -3.40 to -2.90, comparable to the ratios of modern fumarole gases, and consistent with the degassing of magmatic volatiles as the source of salinity.

• Item Type: Articles
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Boyce, Professor Adrian
• Authors: Smith, M., Banks, D. A., Yardley, B. W.D., and Boyce, A.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > Scottish Universities Environmental Research Centre
• Journal Name: European Journal of Mineralogy
• Publisher: Schweizerbart Science Publishers
• ISSN: 0935-1221
• ISSN (Online): 1617-4011