Appendix 3 Thin Section Descriptions of Basement Chips
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Appendix 3 Thin section descriptions of basement chips Mason Geoscience Pty Ltd Petrological Serv~cesfor the Minerals Exploration and Mining Industry ABN 64 140 231 481 ACN 063 539 686 Postal: PO Box 78 Glenside SA 5065 Australia Delivery: 141 Yarrabee Rd Greenhill SA 5140 Australia Ph: +61-8-8390-1507 Fax: +61-8-8390-1194 e-mail: [email protected] Petrographic Descriptions for Six Aircore Rock Samples from the Andrew Young Project, Northern Territory REPORT # 3076 CLIENT Mithril Resources Ltd ORDER NO Memo, P. Hill, 7 April 2005 CONTACT Mr Peter Hill REPORT BY Dr Douglas R Mason SIGNED for Mason Geoscience Pty Ltd DATE 21 April 2005 Petrographic Descriptions for Six Aircore Rock Samples from the Andrew Young Project, Northern Territory SUMMARY 1. Rock Samples A suite of 6 aircore rock samples from the Andrew Young Project (Northern Territory) has been studied using routine optical petrographic methods. 2. Brief Results A summary of rock names and mineralogy is provided in TABLE 1. Primary rock types - Intrusive igneous rocks are represented in all samples of the suite. - Two-pyroxene-biotite micro-diorite (AYAC04) is composed of plagioclase, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, biotite, and minor opaques and apatite. It represents the least-fractionated magma in the igneous rocks of this suite. It formed from a somewhat fractionated, K-rich, andesitic magma that may have a tholeiitic magmatic association. The fine grain size suggests that this rock formed in a relatively small intrusive body, or possibly the quickly-cooled margin of a larger intrusion. - Hornblende-biotite diorites (AYAC07, AYAC08) formed as coarse-grained rocks composed of plagioclase, pyroxene, hornblende, biotite, and minor quartz, K-feldspar, opaques and apatite. Early-formed pyroxene was completely replaced by deuteric actinolite. These rocks possibly represent cumulates from magma similar to that of AYAC04. - Mesocratic to felsic granitoids are represented by (from least-fractionated to most-fractionated) hornblende-biotite-pyroxene quartz monzodiorite (AYAC02), hornblende-biotite granodiorite (AYACOI), biotite monzogranite (AYACOG), and syenogranite ?dykelet (AYAC08). Through this sequence of rock types, quartz and K-feldspar increase and the ferromagnesian minerals decrease in abundance with pyroxene and then amphibole leaving the assemblage. - Genetic relationships are difficult to determine from a limited number of small aircore samples. However, the fine grain size, uniform mineral distribution and clean intergranular texture of the two- pyroxene-biotite micro-diorite is interpreted to indicate that this rock crystallised from a high-K andesitic magma of possible tholeiitic association. In the mesocratic to felsic granitoids, gradational mineralogical changes suggest that they are genetically related, but some petrographic observations suggest that these rocks may have formed by disequilibrium magma mingling processes: grain shapes tend to be subhedral to anhedral, inequigranular textures are common, large quartz and plagioclase grains are present in AYACOI, strong and complex compositional zoning is observed in large plagioclase prisms where present, poikilitic textures are commonly developed between K-feldspar and quartz, and a coarse felsic granitoid xenolith is present in AYACO6. The varied rock types and their textures, together with the indistinctly zoned aeromagnetic anomalies within ovoid intrusive bodies, allows the interpretation that these intrusions represent magma mingling zones that formed by uprise of variably mingled mafic and felsic magmas from deeper magma chambers. Examples of this phenomenon are discussed in the literature (eg MacColl 1964; Vernon et al. 1988; Collins 1998). Hoatson and Stewart (2001, p.16) suggest that magma mingling was important in the Andrew Young Hills intrusion of their study. The observed rock types in the present suite do not appear to represent a layered mafic- ultramafic intrusion. Mason Geoscience Pty Ltd Report #3076 Mithril Resources Ltd Alteration - Selective alteration of pyroxene by actinolite and plagioclase by trace epidote is observed in some samples. These modifications of the primary mineralogy are considered to have formed in response to deuteric alteration during final cooling. - Lack of metamorphic effects suggests that these rocks have not been modified by a significant metamorphic event. Mason Geoscience Pty Ltd Report #3076 Mithril Resources Ltd TABLE 1: SUMMARY OF ROCK NAMES AND MINERALOGY SAMPLE ROCK NAME MINERALOGY* Primary** Alteration Veins Weathering AYACOI Weakly weathered, hornblende-biotite Pla, Kf, qtz, hbl, bio, Cla granodiorite opq, apa, zir AYAC02 Hornblende-biotite-pyroxene quartz Pla, qtz, Kf, cpx, hbl, monzodiorite bio, opq, apa, zir AYAC04 Two-pyroxene-biotite micro-diorite Pla, opx, cpx, bio, opq, - qtz, spa AYACO6 Partly weathered, xenolithic biotite monzogranite: Biotite monzogranite Kf, pla, qtz, bio, opq, - Cla apa, zir Felsic granitoid xenolith Pla, hbl, Kf, qtz Cla AYAC07 Partly weathered, hornblende-biotite Pla, bio, hbl, qtz, opq, Act, epi Cla diorite a Pa AYAC08 Partly weathered, hornblende-biotite Pla, hbl, bio, qtz, Kf, Act, epi Cla quartz diorite OPq, aPa Partly weathered, micro-biotite Qtz, Kf, pla, bio, opq Epi Cla, goe monzogranite Syenogranite ?dykelet in micro-biotite Kf, qtz, pla, bio, opq, Epi Cla, goe monzogranite SPn NOTES *: Minerals are listed in each paragenesis according to approximate decreasing abundance. **: Only primary minerals currently present in the rock are listed. Others may have been present, but are altered Mineral abbreviations Act = actinolite; apa = apatite; bio = biotite; cla = undifferentiated clays (possibly ?illitic); cpx = clinopyroxene (augite); epi = epidote; goe = goethite; hbl = hornblende; Kf = K-feldspar (microcline); opq = undifferentiated opaques (mainly ?Fe-Ti oxides); opx = orthopyroxene (hypersthene); pla = plagioclase; qtz = quartz; spn = sphene; zir = zircon. Mason Geoscience Pty Ltd Report #3076 Mithril Resources Ltd 1 INTRODUCTION A suite of 6 aircore rock samples was provided by Mr Peter Hill (Mithril Resources Ltd, Dulwich, South Australia) during a visit to Mason Geoscience on 7 April 2005. Background information was provided, indicating that the samples originate from the Andrew Young Project in the Northern Territory. An aircore drilling program had tested a large circular magnetic anomaly near the Andrew Young Hills. The body does not crop out and there are no other drill holes in the area. It is thought that the body might be a compositionally zoned gabbroic intrusion. The drill hole locations were indicated on a magnetic image of the area, and photocopied excerpts were provided from Hoatson and Stewart (2001). Particular requests were to prepare a thin section and petrographic description for each sample, using brief descriptions where repetition of rock types occurs. Excerpts from this report were provided by email to Mr Hill on 20 April 2005. This report contains the full results of this work. 2 METHODS At Mason Geoscience Pty Ltd conventional transmitted polarised light microscopy was used to prepare the routine petrographic descriptions. Paragenetic stages of development of each rock are indicated in the mineral modal list, where each mineral is assigned to a numerical paragenesis (paragenesis 1 is earliest; paragenesis 2 overprints 1; paragenesis 3 overprints both 2 and 1; etc). The paragenetic stages display relative timing within each sample, and are not meant to be directly equated between samples although this may be correct for some samples. Igneous rock types were classified according to the IUGS scheme (Streckeisen 1976). 3 PETROGRAPHIC DESCRIPTIONS The petrographic descriptions are provided in the following pages. Mason Geoscience Pty Ltd Report #3076 Mithril Resources Ltd SAMPLE : AYACOI (Andrew Young Hills, Northern Territory) SECTION NO : AYACOI HAND SPECIMEN: The aircore rock fragment represents a massive, fine- to medium-grained crystalline rock of mesocratic appearance, with scattered large equant quartz grains. ROCK NAME : Weakly weathered, hornblende-biotite granodiorite PETROGRAPHY : A visual estimate of the modal mineral abundances gives the following: I Vol % Origin I Plagioclase lgneous 1 K-feldspar (microcline) lgneous 1 Quartz lgneous 1 Hornblende lgneous 1 Biotite lgneous 1 Opaques (mainly ?Fe-Ti oxides) lgneous 1 Apatite lgneous 1 Zircon lgneous 1 Clays Weathering 2 In thin section, this sample displays a massive inequigranular granitoid texture, modified only by weak selective weathering. Plagioclase is abundant, forming small randomly oriented subhedral twinned prisms -0.5 mm long, and uncommon larger blocky twinned prisms -1-2 mm in size. The plagioclase is quite fresh. K-feldspar is moderately abundant, forming anhedral angular grains scattered through the rock, in granular relationship with similarly sized clear quartz grains. Well-developed 'tartan' twinning in the K-feldspar confirms it is microcline. Larger optically continuous pools of K-feldspar enclose small ovoid grains of optically continuous quartz. Large anhedral grains of polycrystalline quartz are sparsely scattered through the rock. Hornblende is present in significant amount as anhedral pleochroic green grains mostly -0.4-0.6 mm in size. Biotite occurs in comparable amount, forming randomly oriented platy flakes pleochroic from reddish tan brown to very pale yellow (ie relatively reduced composition). Opaques occur in minor amount as equant to anhedral or lobate grains. They most likely are Fe-Ti