An Analysis of Sulphide Deformation in Low Grade Metamorphic Environments
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Ci) AN ANALYSIS OF SULPHIDE DEFORMATION IN LOW GRADE METAMORPHIC ENVIRONMENTS A Thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Ph.D. of the University of London. by Kenneth R. McClay BSc. (Hons.), MSc., DIC. Geology Department, Imperial College, London. August 1978. LIST OF CONTENTS Page No. ABSTRACT 1 CHAPTER 1 AN ANALYSIS OF SULPHIDE DEFORMATION IN LOW 3 GRADE METAMORPHIC ENVIRONMENTS. 1.1 AIM AND SCOPE OF THIS STUDY. 3 1.2 METHODS USED. 4 1.3 OUTLINE OF CONTENTS. 6 1.4 SUMMARY OF RESULTS. 7 1.5 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS. 9 CHAPTER 2 11 2.1 CONDITIONS IN THE CRUST. 11 2.2 SULPHIDE MINERAL EQUILIBRIA. 18 2.3 METAMORPHISM OF SULPHIDES - A BRIEF SUMMARY. 21 CHAPTER 3 DEFORMATION MECHANISMS AND MICROSTRUCTURES. 25 INTRODUCTION 25 3.1 DEFORMATION MECHANISMS. 26 3.1(i) DISLOCATION GLIDE : SLIP-TWINNING-KINKING. 28 3.1(ii) THE DISLOCATION CREEP REGIME. 32 3.1(iii) DIFFUSIONAL FLOW. 36 3.1(iv) RECOVERY PROCESSES. 44 3.1(v) RECRYSTALLIZATION. 45 3.1(vi) GRAIN GROWTH. 50 3.2 MICROSTRUCTURES. 53 3.2(i) INTRODUCTION. 53 3.2(ii) DISLOCATION GLIDE. 54 3.2(iii) DISLOCATION CREEP. 55 3.2(iv) DIFFUSIONAL CREEP. 60 3.2(v) RECRYSTALLIZATION. 61 3.3 GALENA (PbS). 64 3.4 SPHALERITE (ZnS). 71 3.5 CHALCOPYRITE (CuFeS2). 74 3.6 PYRRHOTITE (Fel_x S - Fe7S8). 75 3.7 PYRITE (FeS2). 77 3.8 CONCLUSIONS. 79 Page No. CHAPTER 4 DEFORMATION OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OF GALENA. 82 4.1 INTRODUCTION. 82 4.2 EXPERIMENTAL PROCEDURE. 84 4.3 SERIES 1 EXPERIMENTS. 89 4.4 SERIES 2 EXPERIMENTS. 108 4.5 SERIES 3 EXPERIMENTS. 123 4.6 SERIES 4 EXPERIMENTS. 131 4.7 SERIES 5 EXPERIMENTS. 135 4.8 CONCLUSIONS. 136 CHAPTER 5 CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 145 5.1 INTRODUCTION. 145 5.2 THE THEORY OF TEXTURE DEVELOPMENT AND THE 148 BASIS OF TEXTURE SIMULATIONS. 5.3 MEASUREMENT OF PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 149 5.4 SIMULATIONS OF TEXTURES IN GALENA. 150 5.5 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. 158 CHAPTER 6 THE RAMMELSBERG MINE, WEST GERMANY. 162 6.1 INTRODUCTION. 162 6.2 THE GEOLOGICAL SETTING OF THE OREBODIES. 163 6.3 MACROSTRUCTURES IN THE ORES. 173 6.4 MICROSTRUCTURES IN THE ORES. 176 6.5 PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS IN THE RAMMELSBERG ORES. 197 6.6 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. 205 CHAPTER 7 MOUNT ISA MINE, QUEENSLAND, AUSTRALIA. 213 7.1 INTRODUCTION. 213 7.2 GEOLOGICAL BACKGROUND. 215 7.3 STRUCTURES IN THE SILVER-LEAD-ZINC OREBODIES. 225 7.3(i) FOLDS OF AMPLITUDE 2 - 30 METRES. 225 7.3(ii) FOLDS OF AMPLITUDE 1 - 100 CM. 230 7.3(iii) ANALYSIS AND CLASSIFICATION OF FOLDS. 238 7.4 MICROSTRUCTURES. 241 7.4(i) INTRODUCTION. 241 7.4(ii) TECHNIQUES. 241 7.4(iii) LITHOLOGIES. 241 7.4(iv) SEDIMENTARY AND DIAGENETIC MICROSTRUCTURES. 242 7.4(v) DEFORMATION MICROSTRUCTURES. 257 ( iv) Page No. 7.4(vi) SULPHIDE MICROSTRUCTURES. 260 7.5 CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 279 7.6 DISCUSSIONS AND CONCLUSIONS. 289 CHAPTER 8 SHEARED GALENA. 295 8.1 INTRODUCTION. 295 8.2 SHEARED GALENA Pibram DP. 296 8.2(i) INTRODUCTION. 296 8.2(ii) MICROSTRUCTURES. 297 8.2(iii) PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 301 8.2(iv) CONCLUSIONS. 301 8.3 RUTH HOPE MINE, BRITISH COLUMBIA. 303 8.3(i) INTRODUCTION. 303 8.3(ii) MICROSTRUCTURES. 304 8.3(iii) PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 308 8.3(iv) CONCLUSIONS. 308 8.4 SAMPLE SW1 (SOUTH WEST AFRICA). 308 8.4(i) INTRODUCTION. 308 8.4(ii) MICROSTRUCTURES. 310 8.4(iii) PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 314 8.4(iv) CONCLUSIONS. 317 8.5 BRAUBACH, WEST GERMANY 318 8.5(i) INTRODUCTION. 318 8.5(ii) MICROSTRUCTURES. 318 8.5(iii) PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 325 8.5(iv) CONCLUSIONS. 325 8.6 YERRANDERIE, N.S.W. 325 8.6(i) INTRODUCTION. 325 8.6(ii) MICROSTRUCTURES. 329 8.6(iii) PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 337 8.6(iv) CONCLUSIONS. 337 8.7 HALKYN, NORTH WALES. 341 8.7(i) INTRODUCTION. 341 8.7(ii) MICROSTRUCTURES. 343 8.7(iii) PREFERRED ORIENTATIONS. 348 8.7(iv) CONCLUSIONS. 351 8.8 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 351 (v) Page No. CHAPTER 9 CONCLUSIONS. 354 APPENDIX A ETCH TECHNIQUES. 358 APPENDIX B PUBLISHED WORK. 375 REFERENCES 376 (vi) LIST OF FIGURES Page No. CHAPTER 2 Figure 2.1 Metamorphic facies and metamorphic 14 reactions. 2.2 Sulphide mineral equilibria. 20 2.2 Atomic ratios of Kerogens from coals and 24 ores. CHAPTER 3 Figure 3.1 Idealized stress-strain curves for various 27 deformation regimes. 3.2 Elements of slip, twinning and kinking. 31 3.3 Schematic diagram of glide polygonization 33 and kink band formation. 3.4 Models of diffusion controlled creep and 35 of superplastic flow with grain neighbour switching. 3.5 Diffusional creep and grain boundary 38 sliding. 3.6 Deformation mechanism plots for quartz, 42 calcite and galena. 3.7 Microstructures of diffusional creep. 56 3.8 Recrystallization - core and mantle 58 microstructures. 3.9 Static recrystallization microstructures. 63 3.10 Slip systems in galena. 66 3.11 Deformation mechanism maps for galena. 68 - 69 3.12 Structures in sphalerite. 72 CHAPTER 4 Figure 4.1 Inverse pole figures for resolved shear 90 stress in galena. 4.2 Lattice rotations for (110)<110> slip. 93 (vii) Page No. Figure 4.3 Stress strain curves for series 1 96 experiments. 4.4 Sketches of deformed single crystals from 98 series 1 experiments. 4.5 Deformation microstructures, series 1 99 experiments. 4.6 Deformation microstructures, series 1 102 experiments. 4.7 Partial pole figures, series 1 experiments. 107 4.8 Stress stain curves for series 2 111 experiments. 4.9 Stress strain curves for series 2 112 experiments. 4.10 Stress strain curves for series 2 113 experiments. 4.11 Stress strain curves for series 2 114 experiments. 4.12 Microstructures, series 2 experiments. 116 4.13 Microstructures, series 2 experiments. 119 4.14 Schmid factors and lattice rotations for 124 {100}<110> slip. 4.15 Stress strain curves for series 3 126 experiments. 4.16 Microstructures, series 3 experiments. 128 4.17 Microstructures, series 4 experiments. 132 4.18 CRSS for {110} and {100} slip versus 138 temperature. 4.19 Synopsis of microstructures. 142 CHAPTER 5 Figure 5.1 Diffraction peaks for the common sulphides 151 with relative intensities. 5.2 Inverse rotation diagram for compression 152 of galena. (viii) Page No. Figure 5.3 Texture simulations. Flattening, 154 22.62% strain. 5.4 Texture simulations. Flattening, 155 64.15% strain. 5.5 Texture simulations. Plane strain, 156 22.62% strain. 5.6 Texture simulations. Plane strain, 157 64.15% strain. 5.7 Texture simulations. Simple shear 0.5 Y. 159 5.8 Texture simulations. Simple shear 3.0 Y. 160 CHAPTER 6 Figure 6.1 Hercynian Geosyncline of Central Europe. 164 6.2 Local geology. 165 6.3 Cross section of New Orebody. 168 6.4 Longitudinal section, Rammelsberg mine. 169 6.5 Macrostructures in the ores. 174 6.6 Microstructures in the ores. 177 6.7 Barite Microstructures. 180 6.8 Barite Microstructures. 183 6.9 Pyrite Microstructures. 186 6.10 Chalcopyrite Microstructures. 189 6.11 Chalcopyrite, Galena microstructures. 191 6.12 Sphalerite microstructures. 195 6.13 X-ray diffraction traces, Rammelsberg 198 ores. 6.14 Pole figures, Rammelsberg ores. 200 6.15 Pole figures, Rammelsberg ores. 201 6.16 Pole figures, Rammelsberg ores. 202 6.17 Pole figures, Rammelsberg ores. 204 6.18 Pole figures, Rammelsberg ores. 206 6.19 Pole figures, Rammelsberg ores. 207 (ix) Page No. Figure 6.20 Hypothetical conditions of deposition of 210 the Rammelsberg ores. CHAPTER 7 Figure 7.1 Locality and local geology of Mount Isa. 214 7.2 Stratigraphic column, Mount Isa Group. 2.7 7.3a Mount Isa Mine - cross section. 220 7.3b Mount Isa Mine - Level plan 14 level. 221 7.4 Illite crystallinities - Mount Isa shales. 223 7.5 Bedding trends, 5 Orebody, 14-C sub-level. 226 7.6 Fold profile sections. 227 7.7 Detailed section of 72 stope 14 C sub- 228 level. 7.8 Orientation data 14 C sub-level. 229 7.9 Folds in the silver-lead-zinc ores. 231 7.10 Folds in laminated pyrite rich siltstones. 233 7.11 Folds and microstructures in pyritic - 236 silver-lead-zinc ores. 7.12 Dip isogons - Mount Isa folds. 239 7.13 ti/a plots Mount Isa folds. 240 7.14 3000N cross section. Mount Isa Mine. 243 7.15 Silica Dolomite Microstructures. 245 7.16 Diagenetic Microstructures in the Silica 247 Dolomite. 7.17 Silica Dolomite Microstructures. 250 7.18 Silica Dolomite Microstructures. 252 7.19 Microstructures Urquhart Shales. 254 7.20 Details of folds 525 S cross cut. 258 7.21 Minor folds and cleavage development 259 Urquhart Shales. 7.22 Chalcopyrite Microstructures. 261 7.23 Pyrrhotite Microstructures. 264 (x) Page No. Figure 7.24 Pyrite Microstructures. 267 7.25 Sphalerite Microstructures. 270 7.26 Galena Microstructures. 273 7.27 Galena Microstructures. 275 7.28 Detail of sample M64. 278 7.29 Partial pole figures Mount Isa Galena. 280 7.30 Partial pole figures Mount Isa Galena. 281 7.31 Partial pole figures Mount Isa Galena. 282 7.32 Partial pole figures Mount Isa Galena. 284 7.33 Partial pole figures Mount Isa Galena. 285 7.34 Partial pole figures Mount Isa Galena. 287 7.35 Partial pole figures Mount Isa Galena. 288 7.36 Relative competencies of sulphide minerals 293 at Mount Isa. CHAPTER 8 Figure 8.1 Specimen DP. 298 8.2 Microstructures sample DP. 299 8.3 Pole figures sample DP. 302 8.4 Sheared galena - Ruth Hope. 305 8.5 Microstructures - Ruth Hope.