Metamorphicand basin fluids in quartz-carbonate-sulphide veins in the SW Scottish Highlands: a stable isotope and fluid inclusion study

摘要

Metalliferous (Fe-Cu-Pb-Zn) quartz-carbonate-sulphide veins cut greenschist to epidote-amphibolite fades meta-morphic rocks of the Dalradian, SW Scottish Highlands, with NE-SW to NW-SE trends, approximately parallel or perpendicular to regional structures. Early quartz was followed by pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena, barite, iate dolomite-ankerite and clays. Both quartz-sulphide and carbonate vein mineralisation is associated with brecciation, indicating rapid release of fluid overpressure and hydraulic fracturing. Two distinct mineralising fluids were identified from fluid inclusion and stable isotope studies. High temperature (>350℃) quartz-precipitating fluids were moderately saline (4.0-12.7 wt.% NaCl equivalent) with low X_(CO_2) (approximately 0.05). Quartz δ~(18)O (+11.7 to +16.5 per thousand) and sulphide δ~(34)S (-13.6 to -1.1 per thousand) indicate isotopic equilibrium with host metasediments (rock buffering) and a local metasedimentary source of sulphur. Later, low-temperature (T_(H) = 120-200℃) fluids, probably associated with secondary carbonate, barite and clay formation, were also moderately saline (3.8-9.1 wt.% NaCI equivalent), but were strongly enriched in ~(18)O relative to host Dalradian lithol-ogies, as indicated by secondary dolomite-ankerite δ~(18)O = +17.0 to +29.0per thousand, ~δ(13)C= -1.0 to -3.0 per thousand). Compositions of carbonate-forming fluids were externally buffered. The veins record the fluid-rock interaction history of metamorphic host rocks during cooling, uplift and later extension. Early vein quartz precipitated under retrograde greenschist facies conditions from fluids probably derived by syn-metamorphic dehydration of deeper, higher-grade rocks during uplift and cooling of the Caledonian metamorphic complex. Veins are similar to those of mesothermal veins in younger Phanerozoic metamorphic belts, but are rare in the Scottish Dalradian. Early quartz veins were reactivated by deep penetration of low-temperature basin fluids that precipitated carbonate and clays in veins and adjacent Dalradian metasediments throughout the SW Highlands, probably in the Permo-Carboniferous. This event is consistent with paragenetically ambiguous barite with δ~(34)S characteristic of late Palaeozoic basinal brines.