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Submillimeter Scale Variation of Oxygen Isotope of Vein Quartz at the Hishikari Deposit, Japan
Author(s) -
HAYASHI Ken–ichiro,
MARUYAMA Tohru,
SATOH Hisao
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
resource geology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.597
H-Index - 43
eISSN - 1751-3928
pISSN - 1344-1698
DOI - 10.1111/j.1751-3928.2000.tb00064.x
Subject(s) - geology , quartz , isotopes of oxygen , vein , isotope , oxygen , geochemistry , mineralogy , scale (ratio) , chemistry , paleontology , medicine , nuclear physics , physics , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics
The physical and chemical mechanism of gold precipitation in the typical low‐sulfidation epithermal gold deposit at the Hishikari mine was quantified by submillimeter scale oxygen isotope analyses of vein quartz. In situ CO 2 laser‐ablated fluorination was used to measure temporal δ 18 O excursions. The calculated oxygen isotopic compositions of the ore‐forming fluid indicate a dynamic process of epithermal vein formation. Intermittent opening of the vein allowed introduction of metal‐bearing deep fluid to the epithermal system, and associated boiling and subsequent mixing with meteoric water caused precipitation of precious metals.