Metallogenic fingerprints of Archaean cratons

Abstract: Archaean cratons are fragments of old continents hat are more richly endowed with mineral deposits than younger terrains. The mineral deposits of different cratons are also diversely enriched with useful (to humankind) chemical elements. Cratons are there-fore mineral-diversity hotspots that represent regional geochemical heterogeneities n the early Earth, evidence for which remains encoded on each craton as unique metallogenic 'fingerprints'. Some of the younger cratons (<3.0 Ga, e.g. Superior Province, Yilgarn and Zimbabwe) have strong Au, Cu, Pb and Zn imprints. Older (>3.0 Ga) cratons, however, are remarkably enriched in siderophile lements such as Ni, Cr, PGE, in both their crustal and mantle sections (e.g. Pilbara and Kaapvaal Cratons). Still other Archaean cratons are rela-tively enriched in Sn, W, U and Th (e.g. Amazonian, Leo-Man, Ntem and South China Cratons). How most of these fragments of old continents inherited their rich and diverse metallogenlc characteristics is unresolved. Their dominant metallogenic inventories were formed near the time of their separation from the mantle; thereafter the inherited m tals were frequently remobilized and redistributed during subsequent tectono-metamorphic, magmatic and erosion-deposition processes (e.g. tin in South America; platinum and gol