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Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusion Study of Gold Deposits Endowed...
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Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusion Study of Gold Deposits Endowed in Critical Metals

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 3998

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Grigorios Aarne Sakellaris

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Guest Editor
School of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: ore deposit modelling; orogenic gold; structural geology; metamorphic petrology; Archean period
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Vasilios Melfos

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Guest Editor
Department of Mineralogy, Petrology and Economic Geology, Faculty of Geology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 54124 Thessaloniki, Greece
Interests: ore deposits; porphyry-epithermal mineralization; mineralogy; geochemistry; fluid inclusions
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Voudouris

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Geology & Geoenvironment, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, University Campus, GR-15784 Athens, Greece
Interests: ore minerals; critical metals; magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits; mineralogy of hydrothermal alterations in porphyry-epithermal systems; mineralogy and genesis of gemstones
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Ferenc Molnár

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Guest Editor
Department of Mineralogy, Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences, ELTE, Eötvös Loránd University, 1053 Budapest, Hungary
Interests: isotope geochemistry; minerals; geochemistry exploration; geology; petrography; geological processes; petrology exploration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleague,

Gold deposits have been found in a variety of geological settings throughout the earth’s geological history, since the early Archean. Processes leading to primary concentrations of gold can still be detected in active geothermal areas at present. Gold is typically found in a variety of forms and in association with other metals and metalloids like silver, tellurium, copper and lead, as well as in sulfides, sulfosalts and gangue minerals such as quartz and calcite. Some of these metals and metalloids are considered critical metals since they are vital to important modern technologies and, in many cases, can be extracted as co- or by-products.

The mineralogical composition of gold deposits and their degree of endowement in critical elements significantly varies depending on the geological processes, the environment and the physicochemical conditions of their formation. Geochemical processes play a crucial role in their concentration and dispersion in the Earth's crust. Studies on the geochemistry of gold mineral systems can be used to trace the origin of the ore-forming fluids, the source of gold, the transporting form of Au and conditions of concentration in the form of native metals, alloys and substitutions in the structures of ore minerals.

Furthermore, fluid inclusion studies help to determine the composition and physical state characteristics of the fluids, the temperature and pressure during ore deposition, and the evolution of the metallogenic system.

Understanding the mineralogy, geochemistry, and structural geology of gold deposits is crucial for mineral exploration, as it provides valuable information for targeting areas with the potential for economic gold and critical metal concentrations. It is also a prerequisite when deciding the feasibility of extracting these from specific deposits, as well as determining the most effective extraction and processing methods.

This Special Issue invites contributions that apply mineralogy, geochemistry (major and trace elements, stable and radiogenic isotopes), fluid inclusions and fluid–rock interaction studies in gold deposits endowed in critical metals that have been formed in various geological systems. We encourage original and review papers covering novel techniques, developments and applications in applied mineralogy, geochemistry, and fluid inclusions.

Dr. Grigorios Aarne Sakellaris
Prof. Dr. Vasilios Melfos
Prof. Dr. Panagiotis Voudouris
Dr. Ferenc Molnár
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • gold
  • critical metals
  • ore mineralogy
  • ore geochemistry
  • fluid inclusions
  • mineral system
  • deposit modeling
  • mineral exploration

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Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 5879 KiB  
Article
The Mineralization Mechanism of the Axi Gold Deposit in West Tianshan, NW China: Insights from Fluid Inclusion and Multi-Isotope Analyses
by Fang Xia, Chuan Chen and Weidong Sun
Minerals 2025, 15(5), 536; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050536 - 18 May 2025
Viewed by 144
Abstract
The Axi gold deposit, which is located in the Tulasu Basin of the West Tianshan orogenic belt in Northwest China, features vein-type ore bodies hosted in radial structural fractures formed due to volcanic activity. The deposit experienced three distinct mineralization stages: Stage I, [...] Read more.
The Axi gold deposit, which is located in the Tulasu Basin of the West Tianshan orogenic belt in Northwest China, features vein-type ore bodies hosted in radial structural fractures formed due to volcanic activity. The deposit experienced three distinct mineralization stages: Stage I, characterized by the microcrystalline quartz–pyrite crust; Stage II, characterized by quartz–sulfide–native gold veins; and Stage III, characterized by quartz–carbonate veins. Fluid inclusion studies have identified four types of inclusions: pure vapor, vapor-rich, liquid-rich, and pure liquid. The number of vapor-rich inclusions decreases when moving from Stage I to Stage III, whereas the number of liquid-rich inclusions increases. The fluid temperature gradually decreases from 178–225 °C in Stage I to 151–193 °C in Stage II and further to 123–161 °C in Stage III, whereas the fluid salinity decreases slightly from 2.1%–5.1% wt.% NaCl eqv to 1.4%–4.6% wt.% NaCl eqv and finally to 0.5%–3.7% wt.% NaCl eqv. As suggested by the results of the oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon isotope analyses, the ore-forming fluids were primarily meteoric water. Sulfur isotopic compositions indicate a single deep mantle source. The lead isotopic compositions closely resemble those of Dahalajunshan Formation volcanic rocks, indicating that these rocks were the primary source of the ore-forming material. In addition, gold mineralization formed in a Devonian–Early Carboniferous volcanic arc environment. Element enrichment was mainly caused by the circulation of heated meteoric water through the volcanic strata, while fluid boiling and water–rock interactions were the main mechanisms driving element precipitation. The integrated model developed in this study underscores the intricate interplay between volcanic processes and meteoric fluids during the formation of the Axi gold deposit, offering a robust framework for an understanding of the formation processes and enhancing the predictive exploration models in analogous geological settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusion Study of Gold Deposits Endowed in Critical Metals)
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29 pages, 5916 KiB  
Article
Metal Fingerprints of Eocene Rhyolite Magmas Coincident with Carlin-Type Gold Deposition in Nevada USA
by Celestine N. Mercer, Hannah R. Babel, Cameron M. Mercer and Albert H. Hofstra
Minerals 2025, 15(5), 479; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050479 - 4 May 2025
Viewed by 219
Abstract
Eocene magmatic systems contemporaneous with world-class Carlin-type Au deposits in Nevada (USA) have been proposed by some researchers as a key ingredient for Au mineralization, though evidence conclusively demonstrating their genetic relationship remains tenuous. This study provides the first direct evidence of the [...] Read more.
Eocene magmatic systems contemporaneous with world-class Carlin-type Au deposits in Nevada (USA) have been proposed by some researchers as a key ingredient for Au mineralization, though evidence conclusively demonstrating their genetic relationship remains tenuous. This study provides the first direct evidence of the pre-eruptive metal budget of volatile- and metal-charged silicic magmas coincident in time (~41 to 34 Ma) and space (within 5 km) with Carlin-type Au deposits. We characterize the pre-eruptive metal fingerprints of these diverse magmatic systems to assess their potential as sources of metals for Carlin-type Au mineralization. Metal abundances from quartz-hosted melt inclusions (Au, Te, Ag, Sb, Tl, Mo, W, Sn, As, Pb, Co, Cu, Ni, and Zn) characterized in situ by SHRIMP-RG and LA-ICP-MS represent our best (and only) estimates for the pre-eruptive metal budget in these systems. Median metal concentrations are generally within one order of magnitude of average upper crust and average continental rhyolite values. But there are two notable exceptions, with median Au contents extending >1 order of magnitude higher than average upper crust and median Cu contents ranging >1 order of magnitude lower than upper crust. Despite this, melts contain lower Au/Cu (<0.1), Au/Ag (<5), and Au/Tl (<0.3) than most ore-grade Carlin-type rock samples and quartz-hosted fluid inclusions, regardless of their age and timing relative to nearby Carlin-type Au mineralization. The metal fingerprints of these magmatic systems, defined both by traditional and multivariate compositional data analysis techniques, are distinct from one another. Yet none are particularly specialized, e.g., high Au/Cu, in terms of being ideal ingredients as postulated by magmatic models for Carlin-type Au mineralization. Magmatic Au contents do not appear to be correlated with rhyolite “flavors” in the way that Cu, Sn, and Nb contents are. Fluid/melt partitioning modeling and magma volume estimates support the idea that a diverse array of non-specialized silicic magmas could feasibly contribute some or potentially all of the Au, Ag, and Cu in Carlin-type systems. The compositional diversity among contemporaneous magmatic systems could possibly contribute to some of the diversity observed across Carlin-type Au districts in Nevada. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusion Study of Gold Deposits Endowed in Critical Metals)
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22 pages, 4121 KiB  
Article
Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusion of Epithermal Gold-Silver Deposits in Kamchatka, Russia
by Maria Shapovalova, Elena Shaparenko and Nadezhda Tolstykh
Minerals 2025, 15(1), 2; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15010002 - 24 Dec 2024
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1002
Abstract
The work focuses on five epithermal Au-Ag deposits of the Kamchatka volcanogenic belts: Rodnikovoe, Baranyevskoe, Kumroch, Lazurnoe (adularia-sericite type–Ad-Ser) and Maletoyvayam (acid-sulfate type–Ac-Sul). The geochemical characteristics of the deposits were presented based on the results of ICP-OES and fire-assay analysis. The compositions and [...] Read more.
The work focuses on five epithermal Au-Ag deposits of the Kamchatka volcanogenic belts: Rodnikovoe, Baranyevskoe, Kumroch, Lazurnoe (adularia-sericite type–Ad-Ser) and Maletoyvayam (acid-sulfate type–Ac-Sul). The geochemical characteristics of the deposits were presented based on the results of ICP-OES and fire-assay analysis. The compositions and physicochemical parameters of ore-forming fluids were based on microthermometry, Raman spectroscopy and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. It was shown that all deposits were comparable in terms of temperatures, salinity and the predominance of H2O and CO2 in ore-forming fluids. The deposits were formed at temperatures of 160–308 °C by aqueous fluids with salinities of 0.5–6.8 wt. % (NaCl-eq.). The Maletoyvayam deposit differed from the other ones in significant enrichment in Se, Te, Sb, Bi and As, as well as much higher concentrations of hydrocarbons, nitrogenated and sulfonated compounds (31.4 rel.% in total) in the composition of fluid inclusions. This gave us a reason to assume that organic compounds favourably affected the concentrations of these elements in the mineralising fluid. Kumroch and Lazurnoe were distinguished from Rodnikovoe and Baranyevskoe by high Zn, Pb and Cu contents, where each of them represented a single system combining both Ad-Ser type epithermal gold-silver and copper porphyry mineralisations. The presence of alkanes, esters, ketones, carboxylic acids and aldehydes in different quantities at all deposits were indicators of the combination of biogenic and thermogenic origins of organic compounds. The contents of ore-forming elements in ores were consistent with the specificity of mineral assemblages in the Kamchatka deposits. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusion Study of Gold Deposits Endowed in Critical Metals)
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Review

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20 pages, 20809 KiB  
Review
Gold Deposits Related to the Island Arc Formations and Ophiolitic Complexes of Eastern Cuba: A Review
by Jorge L. Costafreda, Domingo A. Martín, Jorge L. Costafreda-Velázquez and José Luis Parra
Minerals 2024, 14(5), 463; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14050463 - 28 Apr 2024
Viewed by 1767
Abstract
Several gold deposits in the eastern region of Cuba are genetically related to the island arc- and the ophiolitic complex formation. These have been studied and exploited since the time of the Spanish colonization in the mid-sixteenth century. These deposits belong to the [...] Read more.
Several gold deposits in the eastern region of Cuba are genetically related to the island arc- and the ophiolitic complex formation. These have been studied and exploited since the time of the Spanish colonization in the mid-sixteenth century. These deposits belong to the Aguas Claras-Guajabales mineral field in the Holguín Province (Cuba) and lie in an elongated zone approximately 15 km in length. The object of this work is to make a methodical, detailed, and chronological review of the geological and mining work carried out in this region, as well as highlight the degree of the previously achieved studies. To realize this, an extensive bibliographic review of all available data, including published reports and articles, as well as unpublished material, was carried out. Moreover, ore mineralogy and petrography were reviewed by thin section analyses from samples from these deposits by petrographic and scanning electron microscopy. The results obtained from this study highlight that the gold mineralization in that area is closely linked to metasomatic processes produced by the circulation of hydrothermal fluids that affected the different volcanic and ultramafic rocks. This study shows that the highest gold contents observed are controlled by the contacts between the different host lithologies with high rheological contrasts. The presence of different alteration styles such as serpentinization, listvenitization, rodingitization, and propylitization have played a primary role in the deposition of gold during mineralization processes. This work could be a very useful exploration guide for future research in this region, as it provides a useful and practical compilation of the characteristics of the mineralization and alteration styles, as well as a precise indication of the spatial position, thicknesses, and contents of the gold-rich horizons. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineralogy, Geochemistry and Fluid Inclusion Study of Gold Deposits Endowed in Critical Metals)
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