Protolith, Mineralogy, and Gold Distribution of Carbonate Rich Rocks of the Larder Lake Break at Misema River, Ontario

Abstract

<p> The Larder Lake Break (LLB) is one of the structures controlling the location of gold deposits in the Kirland Lake camp. This intensly carbonated and often strongly foliated zone is part of the Larder Lake Group as defined by Downs (1980). Protoliths at the LLB are problematical. Misema River is a well exposed occurrence of the LLB, showing chlorite schist, pervasively fuchsite quartz carbonate and syenite dyke material. It is divided into three sections. Section I samples indicate an ultramafic protolith as suggested by Jensen Cation plots, and the section is interpreted as komatiitic flow(s). Section II is well foliated and shows both ultramafic and calc-alkalic components which decrease and increase in intensity respectively away from the section I-section II contact. Section II is interpreted as a polymodal sediment. Section III is similar chemically and texturally to section I, and is therefore a komatiitic flow(s). The intrusion of syenite dykes into section I occurred after initial carbonatization and defonnation of the flows and associated sediments. Radiochemical neutron activation analysis shows all but one of the syenite dyke samples to contain greater than 10 ppb gold whereas the other rock types averages approximately 2 ppb. A peak content of 64 ppb occurred at a dyke contact. The high gold contents clearly originate from the syenite dykes, which also provide a heat source for a second period of carbonatization. </p>