22–25 Sept. GSA 2019 Annual Meeting & Exposition VOL. 29, NO. 5 | M AY 2019 Nickel-Bearing Laterite Deposits in Accretionary Context and the Case of New Caledonia: From the Large- Scale Structure of Earth to Our Everyday Appliances Circum-Arctic Structural Events: Tectonic Evolution of the Arctic Margins and Trans-Arctic Links with Adjacent Orogens Edited by Karsten Piepjohn, Justin V. Strauss, Lutz Reinhardt, and William C. McClelland The circum-Arctic region has received considerable attention over the past several decades with vigor- ous debate focused on topics such as mechanisms for opening the Eurasian and Amerasian basins, the importance of plume-related magmatism in the devel- Special Paper 541 opment of the Arctic Ocean, and mechanisms for ancient terrane translation along the Arctic mar- gins. In recognition of the 25th anniversary of the Circum-Arctic Structural Events (CASE) program, an international polar research effort organized Tectonic Evolution of theArctic Margins andTrans-Arctic Links withAdjacent Orogens and led by the Bundesanstalt für Geowissen- schaften und Rohstoffe (BGR) of Germany, this Circum-Arctic Structural Events volume presents results from 18 major field expeditions involving over 100 international Circum-Arctic Structural Events: with Adjacent Orogens Tectonic Evolution of the Arctic Margins and Trans-Arctic Links geoscientists from a broad spectrum of disci- plines. The resulting publication focuses on the Proterozoic to Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the circum-Arctic region with correlations to adjacent orogens. SPE541, 28 chapters, ISBN 9780813725413 IN PRESS IN PRESS Edited by Karsten Piepjohn, Justin V. Strauss, Lutz Reinhardt, and William C. 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Of the different If one excludes polymetallic nodules of under wet and warm intertropical cli- ore types, supergene Ni-laterite produc- the ocean floor, for which mining tech- mates, unstable and rapidly weathered tion, as open-cast mining exploitation, nology and jurisdictional issues are still (Thorne et al., 2012; Wilson, 2004). Mg is on the rise and surpassing the more not solved (Volkmann and Lehnen, 2017), and Si are released, whereas Fe, Al, Ni, conventional hypogene sulfide type. This two main types of nickel deposits are and Co stay in situ. Consequently, a thick, trend will likely continue. Assessing the known on land worldwide (Mudd and soft, residual cover of typical red- to global resource of Ni laterite is therefore Jowitt, 2014): (i) hypogene magmatic yellow-colored Fe oxy-hydroxides accu- of crucial importance. Compilation of nickel-sulfide deposits are found as lodes mulates, at times capped with ferricrete scientific publications shows that the or layered complexes in ancient cratons (Fig. 2). Nickel is then concentrated up to main producers and occurrences are and are mostly mined underground; and a grade of 1%–2% or even more (Butt, concentrated in a few countries in South- (ii) supergene Ni-laterite deposits, which 2007; Freyssinet et al., 2005; Gleeson et east Asia (New Caledonia, Indonesia, are formed by weathering of exposed al., 2003). This natural supergene process the Philippines) and the Caribbean region ultramafic units, and as such are exploited of enrichment is very efficient with a (Cuba and the Dominican Republic). In in open pits. second-enrichment factor of 10 times Supergene mineral deposits are low- compared to the initial ultramafic proto- these regions a common geological back- grade, large-tonnage resources, exploited lith and 200 times the average Earth crust ground appears, characterized by large in easy surface conditions (ICMM, 2012). composition. Grades of Ni-laterite depos- obducted ophiolites in tectonically active In the last decade, global production of Ni its (0.8–15 wt% Ni) exceed that of mag- settings, subject to weathering during the laterite has overtaken Ni sulfide (60% vs. matic Ni-sulfide deposits (0.5–5 wt% Ni; Neogene. The neoformed mineralogy 40% according to Mudd and Jowitt, 2014), Arndt and Ganino, 2012). Cobalt is, in of such surficial deposits is well docu- and the laterite proportion is still growing. some deposits, enriched in the same mented. A model is proposed, based on Nickel-laterite deposits require ultra- proportion, but its initial and final con- the knowledge gained on Ni-laterite mafic protoliths, such as Precambrian centrations are roughly 10 times lower. deposits in New Caledonia, that could komatiites and layered complexes or In addition, recent studies about scan- be applied to similar geological settings Phanerozoic ophiolites. Ophiolites corre- dium enrichment