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Alteration vectors to Olympic Dam-style and Ernest Henry-style Cu-Au mineralisation in the Moonta Subdomain

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Created 13/01/2025

Updated 13/01/2025

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Copper-gold mineralisation in the Moonta-Wallaroo district of the south-eastern Gawler Craton is associated with regionally extensive magmatism and Na-Fe-K metasomatism, typical of Fe-oxide Cu-Au mineral provinces worldwide. In the Moonta-Wallaroo district, early widespread albite+/-actinolite+/-magnetite alteration is closely associated with magmatic fluids from granites of the Hiltaba Suite (ca. 1600 Ma) infiltrating the metasedimentary Wallaroo Group host rocks. Zones of biotite-magnetite alteration, often in highly foliated structural zones, also formed at this time and are associated with minor Cu mineralisation. Dating of monazite and titanite associated with magnetite-bearing alteration shows a strong temporal link with Hiltaba magmatism. Copper mineralisation is most closely associated with later chlorite-quartz-hematite-kfeldspar veining and alteration which overprints, replaces and demagnetises the early magnetite-bearing alteration. Latest stage alteration occurs as kaolinite-quartz and quartz-carbonate-hematite epithermal style alteration and veining, most notably along the Alford Shear Zone on the southern margin of the Tickera Granite. This late argillic alteration is also seen as a late overprint in the Wheal Hughes mine at Moonta. Drill targeting has historically often been of magnetic anomalies, but alteration paragenesis suggests that magnetic lows due to de-magnetising copper-bearing fluids may be better drill targets.

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Title Alteration vectors to Olympic Dam-style and Ernest Henry-style Cu-Au mineralisation in the Moonta Subdomain
Language eng
Licence notspecified
Landing Page https://devweb.dga.links.com.au/data/dataset/b37d5cee-c73e-4825-a007-1c64ee777ee6
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[136.57, -35.459], [138.339, -35.459], [138.339, -32.573], [136.57, -32.573], [136.57, -35.459]]]}
Data Portal data.gov.au