Integration of Detrital Gold Microchemistry, Heavy Mineral Distribution, and Sediment Geochemistry to Clarify Regional Metallogeny in Glaciated Terrains: Application in the Caledonides of Southeast Ireland
- Moles, NR
- Chapman, RJ
DOIAbstract
Regional exploration for rare and precious metal enrichment traditionally uses multielement geochemical analysis of the fines (<150 μm) fraction of stream sediments; however, these data can be misleading in glaciated regions with complex geology. Here, we compare the spatial distributions of data from sediment fines with distributions of heavy mineral concentrates, including detrital gold, in the same region. Gold grains are characterized according to abundance and morphology plus a microchemical signature from the combination of alloy analysis and systematic identification of mineral inclusions revealed in polished sections. These inclusions survive indefinitely and are indicative of hypogene mineralogy, whereas the metal loadings of fines...
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