Gold upgrading in metamorphosed massive sulfide ore deposit

Thomas Wagner of Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität Tübingen, Wilhelmstrasse 56, D-72074 Tübingen, Germany, has proved that gold is progressively liberated from massive sulfide ores during metamorphism and reprecipitated in veins and other low-strain sites.

The Laser Ablation-ICP-MS data, coupled with textural data, provide the first direct conclusive evidence that gold is progressively liberated from massive sulfide ores during metamorphism and reprecipitated in veins and other low-strain sites. We suggest that such upgrading is the principal mechanism responsible for significant gold enrichment observed in many metamorphosed VHMS deposits worldwide.