New paragenetic, geochemical, and geochronological constraints on the origin of Leadhills-Wanlockhead Pb-Zn deposit in SW Scotland

摘要

The vein-type Pb-Zn deposit at Leadhills-Wanlockhead, SW Scotland, has been one of the largest base metal resources in the UK. The 68 documented veins are hosted in Lower Palaeozoic strata and are dominantly concentrated along normal faults. The 16 km2 mining district has yielded over 400,000 tons of Pb, 100,000 tons of Zn, and 25 tons of Ag from the 16th century until 1958. However, since the seminal work of Temple (Temple 1956) published research has been scarce (Gillanders 1981; Anderson et al. 1989). By shedding new light on the ore paragenesis, and developing a new geochemical and geochronological framework, we aim to devise a genetic model for the mineralisation.