New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics

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Regional sulphur isotope studies of epithermal

Au‐Ag‐Pb‐Zn‐Cu deposits in the Hauraki Goldfield,
South Auckland

Anthony B. Christie & Brian W. Robinson

To cite this article: Anthony B. Christie & Brian W. Robinson (1992) Regional sulphur
isotope studies of epithermal Au‐Ag‐Pb‐Zn‐Cu deposits in the Hauraki Goldfield, South
Auckland, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 35:2, 145-150, DOI:
10.1080/00288306.1992.9514508

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.1992.9514508

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 New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1992, Vol. 35: 145-150
0028-8306/92/3502-0145 $2.50/0 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 1992
Regional sulphur isotope studies of epithermal Au-Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu deposits
in the Hauraki Goldfield, South Auckland
ANTHONY B. CHRISTIE
DSIR Geology & Geophysics
P.O. Box 30 368
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
BRIAN W.ROBINSON
DSIR Physical Sciences
P.O. Box 31 312
Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Abstract The Hauraki Goldfield is a major epithermal gold-
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silver province associated with andesite-dacite-rhyolite
volcanism of Miocene - Pliocene age. Sulphur isotopes of
minerals from 14 epithermal deposits were analysed during
this study. Sulphide mineral Δ 3 4 S C D T values range from -2.2
to +4.1‰, whereas barite is around +18.8‰c. When added to
previous studies, overall averages of +2‰ for sulphides (σ =
±1.4, n = 394) and +20.6‰ for barite (σ = ±2.8, n = 13) are
obtained. Selected sphalerite-galena pair fractionations
indicate temperatures above 250°C and probably <350°C for
Pb-Zn-Cu dominated mineralisation. The sulphur isotopic
composition of the total sulphur in solution was around +2%o,
indicating that the sulphur was derived from Tertiary volcanic
magmas with slight crustal contamination. This interpretation
replaces our previous hypothesis that sulphur was hydro-
thermally leached from Mesozoic sediments.
Keywords Hauraki Goldfield; gold ores; silver ores;
epithermal processes; mineralisation; sulphur; isotopes;
sphalerite; galena; pyrite; chalcopyrite; stibnite; barite; ore
forming fluids; temperature; mineral genesis
INTRODUCTION
The Hauraki Goldfield, in the North Island of New Zealand
(Fig. 1), contains some 47 separate epithermal gold-silver and
base metal deposits. Mining of these has produced a total of
about 3000 kg of gold and 1 million kilograms of silver since
the discovery of gold at Coromandel in 1852. This paper
reports a regional study of sulphur isotopes in sulphide and
sulphate minerals from 14 of the deposits. The main aims were
to determine the temperatures of formation of the deposits and
origin of the sulphur. Complementary fluid inclusion studies
are reported separately in Christie et al. (1989) and Christie &
Robinson (in prep.).
G91020
Received 26 June 1991; accepted 10 February 1992
145
The geological setting and characteristics of the epithermal
deposits of the Hauraki Goldfield have recently been reviewed
by Christie & Brathwaite (1986), Brathwaite et al. (1989), and
Clarke et al. (1990). Descriptions of some individual deposits
are given in Kear (1989) and in unpublished M.Sc. and Ph.D.
theses listed in Clarke et al. (1990). Detailed work on the
mineralisation of these deposits was severely limited because
most of the mines have been closed for at least 50 years. Tui is
the only deposit where the sulphur isotopes have previously
been investigated in detail (Robinson 1974), although a few
analyses have also been reported from Golden Cross (de
Ronde & Blattner 1988). Results from earlier work on the
Maratoto deposit were presented in Robinson & Christie
(1980) and on the Thames area in Robinson & Merchant
(1989).
EPITHERMAL MINERALISATION AND ITS
SETTING
The Hauraki Goldfield broadly corresponds to the
Coromandel Volcanic Zone (Skinner 1986; Brathwaite et al.
1989), an area of upper Cenozoic calc-alkaline volcanic rocks
overlying a basement of Mesozoic greywacke. Volcanism
began in the early Miocene, and was dominantly andesitic-
dacitic until the late Miocene, when significant rhyolite
volcanism commenced. Andesitic-dacitic, rhyolitic, and
minor basaltic volcanism continued until the late Pliocene, and
some ignimbrites were erupted in the Pleistocene.
Geothermal activity associated with the Miocene -
Pliocene volcanism caused widespread hydrothermal alter-
ation of the country rocks and deposited mineralised veins in
structural openings such as faults and fractures. Quartz + illite
± adularia alteration adjacent to major veins grades outward to
propylitic alteration (chlorite, calcite, quartz, interlayered
illite-smectite, illite, smectite, kaolinite, and pyrite), and/or to
argillic alteration (kaolinite, smectite, interlayered illite-
smectite, and pyrite) (Brathwaite et al. 1989).
The epithermal mineralisation occurs in steeply dipping
veins, generally with a northeasterly or northerly strike, along
regional structural trends. The veins exhibit typical epithermal
textures, such as crustification, brecciation, cockade structure,
open space filling, and drusy cavities. They contain quartz and
pyrite with an assortment of other minerals, commonly
including calcite, adularia, pyrite, marcasite, arsenopyrite,
galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, electrum, and acanthite. Less
common constituents in some veins include: barite, rhodo-
chrosite, pyrrhotite, tetrahedrite, Au-, Ag- and Bi-tellurides,
Au-, Ag-, Cu- and Pb-sulphosalts, Au- and Ag-selenides,
stibnite, and cinnabar (Brathwaite et al. 1989).
The Hauraki deposits can be grouped into Pb-Zn-Cu and
Au-Ag types. The northern Coromandel Peninsula (Sorry
Mary Stream and Doctors Creek), Coromandel South East
(Aitken Stream, Hutt Creek, and Petote Stream), Waiomu,
Waitekauri, Tui, and Waiorongomai deposits are Pb-Zn-Cu
 146
1 EPITHERMAL DEPOSITS
1 PORPHYRY-TYPE
DEPOSITS
HYDROTHERMAL
ALTERATION
( > 2 * PYRITE )
NWaiomuWv QI ©Kapcwai
l*v*. broken]
VTK kP ^^HillsM
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otoo * 'Golden Cross
Maratoto
Waitekaurf^ ©Waihi
Karangahakeg« Owhar
Tuij
Waiorongomai
Muirs Reefs
(Te Puke) •
Fig. 1 Location of some epithermal Au-Ag-Pb-Zn-Cu deposits in
the Hauraki Goldfield (modified after Christie & Brathwaite 1986).
types with lesser Au-Ag mineralisation. Tokatea, Thames,
Maratoto, Waihi, and Karangahake have sections with mixed
Pb-Zn-Cu and Au-Ag mineral assemblages, whereas Te
Ahumata, Kuaotunu, Kapowai, Broken Hills, Neavesville,
Golden Cross, and Komata have mainly Au-Ag mineral-
isation. The Waingaro Stream (Whangapoua) quartz vein has
only pyrite and stibnite.
SULPHUR ISOTOPES
Samples, sample preparation, and analytical methods
The locations of the sampled deposits are shown in Fig. 1, and
descriptions and locations for the individual samples are listed
in Appendix IX of Christie (1982, pp. 786-796). Sulphur
isotope analyses are presented in Table 1. Pyrite is abundant,
so pyrite analyses are presented for all but one of the deposits
listed in Table 1. Other sulphide minerals have a more
restricted occurrence and therefore there are only a few
analyses. An additional limitation was the inability of the
mineral separation techniques used in the study to separate
minerals from samples with very fine grain sizes and, in
Karangahake and Waihi, complex intergrowth textures
(Christie 1982).
Sulphide minerals were concentrated by methylene iodide
"heavy liquid" separations of the 0.5-0.125 mm size fraction
of vein material crushed in a piston crusher, or picked from the
New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1992, Vol. 35
sample with a vibratool. Individual sulphide minerals were
hand picked from the concentrates with a wet, fine paint brush
under a stereo microscope. Barite, the only sulphate mineral
analysed, occurred as plates growing on earner quartz, and
was easily separated.
The ^S/^S ratios of the separated sulphide and sulphate
minerals were analysed by the methods outlined in Robinson
(1974). The results are reported in per mil (%c) deviation from
the Canyon Diablo Troilite (CDT) standard, and the maximum
experimental error is considered to be ±0.2%o on each
analysis.
RESULTS
Sulphide mineral O^SCDT values of the 170 analyses in this
study range from -2.2 to 44.1%c (Table 1), and from -3.1 to
+4.9%c if all analyses from other studies (Robinson 1974;
Robinson & Christie 1980; de Ronde & Blattner 1988;
Robinson & Merchant 1989) are added to make a total of 394
(see Fig. 2A). Two "post-late calcite" pyrites at Maratoto had
5MS values of +16 and +16.9%o (Robinson & Christie 1980;
not shown on Fig. 2A). Sulphate mineral O^SCOT values of
three analyses of barite in this study range from +18.8 to
+18.9%c (Table 1), and from +16.0 to +24.7%o with analyses
from other studies (Fig. 2C). Average (mean) values are:
pyrite +2.1 (o = +1.5, n = 114), chalcopyrite +2.0 (a = ±0.8,
n = 77), sphalerite +2.0 (o = ±1.1, n = 105), galena +0.3 (a =
±1.0, n = 76), and barite +20.6 (a = ±2.8, n = 13).
The sulphide mineral separates for individual samples
generally follow the predicted fractionation trend of pyrite >
chalcopyrite > sphalerite > galena for cogenetic minerals (e.g.,
fig. 10.3 of Ohmoto & Rye 1979). The fractionations are
sometimes less than would be expected for epithermal mineral-
isation temperatures, particularly in pyrite and chalcopyrite.
These discrepancies may result from isotopic disequilibrium
or different paragenesis, although the mineral sets were
selected on the basis of being cogenetic, as indicated from
polished ore mount petrographic studies. Incomplete pyrite/
chalcopyrite mineral separation may also be a contributing
factor.
The fractionation trend is also apparent in the histogram
distributions of pyrite and galena (Fig. 2B). The pyrite
histogram has a greater spread than the other sulphides,
probably because the pyrite samples were taken from a larger
number of deposits and paragenetic stages.
Some regional variations are apparent, with statistically
distinct populations of low isotopic values at Whangapoua,
Neavesville, Te Ahumata, Kuaotunu, and Waiorongomai, and
higher values at Tui. This is probably a function of local
conditions of mineral deposition, and is discussed later.
Sulphur isotope geothermometry
Temperatures of mineral deposition (Table 1) were estimated
from the sulphur isotope measurements of cogenetic
sphalerite-galena pairs using the calibration curve of
Czamanske & Rye (1974). Temperature errors increase with
increasing temperature, corresponding to decreasing fraction-
ation, and at a typical temperature of 320°C the error is ±60°C
(Robinson 1974; Table 1). A histogram plot of the temperature
data (Fig. 3) shows peaks around 290°C and 350°C for this
study. This compares with average sphalerite-galena pair
temperatures of 320°C for Tui (Robinson 1974) and 35O°C for
Thames (Robinson & Merchant 1989). Some indicated
 Christie & Robinson—Sulphur isotopes, Hauraki Goldfield
60
50
40
30 ALL HAURAKI
SULPHIDE MINERALS
in
<D 20
- 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
- 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 0 1 2 3 4 5
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16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
(5 3 4 S (%o)CDT
Fig. 2 Histograms of 834S measurements listed in Table 1 together
with analyses from Robinson (1974), Robinson & Christie (1980),
deRonde & Blattner (1988), and Robinson & Merchant (1989).
A, All sulphide analyses except +16 and +16.9%o analyses of "post-
late calcite" pyrite at Maratoto. B, All galena and pyrite analyses
(histograms for sphalerite and chalcopyrite would be
intermediate). C, All barite analyses.
temperatures greater than about 35O°C (e.g., Hutt Creek
samples 13987 and 13989) may be in error because of
different paragenetic position, incomplete separation, and
analytical errors. Fluid inclusion homogenisation measure-
ments for quartz, believed to be from the same paragenetic
stage or slightly later than the sulphides, indicate temperatures
around 300°C for Doctors Creek, Sorry Mary Stream, Petote
Stream, and Tui (Christie 1982; Christie & Robinson in prep.).
Fluid inclusions in quartz of later paragenetic stages at these
and other locations show homogenisation temperatures of
280°C and lower. It is possible that some of the galena-
sphalerite pairs may record slightly earlier and higher
temperatures than the c. 300°C fluid inclusion homogenisation
temperatures, which also need a small pressure correction (up
to +20°C). Therefore, some of the sulphur isotope temper-
atures between 320 and 35O°C may be real. We conclude that
the sphalerite-galena ± chalcopyrite and pyrite sulphide
assemblages sampled were deposited mostly at temperatures
between 250 and 320°C, with some possibly as high as 35O°C.
Fluid chemistry
Within the temperature range of interest here (>200°C),
and S^Sq, are close to S^SHJS in solution, whereas S y b
approximates S^Sso,2- in solution. The isotopic composition
of the total sulphur in solution can be deduced by considering
these values with respect to mineral stability relations on/^
versus pH diagrams (which indicate the dominant sulphur
species present in solution; e.g., pp. 920-921 in Robinson
1974). Thus, Robinson (1974) and Robinson & Christie
(1980) estimated that S^S^s at Tui and Maratoto was +16%o.
147
0 4 -
.Q
E
3
2 "
6
240 260 280 300 320 340 360 380 400 420 440 460
Fig. 3 Histogram of sphalerite-galena (Sp-Gn) sulphur isotope
temperatures listed in Table 1. Sample 13989 from Hutt Creek, with
an indicated temperature >500°C, is excluded. Values above 35O°C
6 are probably in error (see text).
The same reasoning also holds for the Waiorongomai fluids
where, as at Tui, barite is present. At Waihi, the presence of
very rare pyrrhotite in some parts of the sulphide mineral-
isation requires a different interpretation. Precipitation of
pyrrhotite (with pyrite) at the temperatures considered here
occurs from fluids in which sulphide predominates over
sulphate. Therefore o^S^s is probably close to S^S. Sulphide
minerals at Waihi have 5^S values of around +l%e, suggest-
ing that 834S£s was also around +l%o.
An alternative method of estimating S^S^s is by taking an
empirical approach. A combination of all available sulphide
8MS data gives an average S^S for chalcopyrite and sphalerite
of +2.0%c (a = ±1.1, n = 182), the spread of values (-2.1 to
+4.1%c) being not much greater than that of some of the
individual deposits where many analyses are available. Such a
narrow range of sulphide S^S values over the whole of the
Hauraki Goldfield suggests a homogeneous sulphur source,
with S^S around +2%c. This contrasts with the +16%o derived
for some systems (e.g., Maratoto and Tui) by the chemical-
thermodynamic approach described previously. The differ-
ence may be explained by considering that the empirically
derived S^S^s value of +2%o reflects the composition of the
deep source fluid, whereas the S^S^s values around +16%o
derived from the chemical and thermodynamic considerations
are a function of local physicochemical conditions near or at
the site of ore deposition. If the chemical conditions were of
paramount importance in determining 5MS of the deposited
minerals, we would expect to see larger S-^S differences in the
mineral sulphides between Tui (/O2 buffered by hematite) and
Waihi (/O2 buffered by pyrrhotite). We therefore conclude
that the 534Sj;s for the Hauraki hydrothermal systems is
around +2%o.
Source of sulphur
Robinson (1974) and Robinson & Christie (1980) postulated
that the sulphur at Tui and Maratoto, respectively, originated
as Jurassic sea water sulphate (S^S around +16%e) deposited
with sediments now forming the grey wacke basement of the
Hauraki Goldfield. The model involved the leaching of
sulphur from the greywacke by hydrothermal fluids, from
which the sulphide minerals subsequently deposited to form
 148 New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1992, Vol. 35

Table 1 Analyses of 534S for sulphide and sulphate minerals from the Hauraki Goldfield.
34 t(°Q
S(%»)cDT
Sample Mineral ) error
Location* no. assemblage! Py Cp Sp Gn Sb Ba Sp-Gn range
TeAhumata
Barrier Reefs MH 13908 9 +0.7
Sunbeam MH 13953 2 +1.3 +0.7
Barrier Reefs MH 13954 10 +0.6
Barrier Reefs UG 13963 10 +0.4
Barrier Reefs OC 13964 10 -0.2
Sunbeam UG 13969 9 +0.4
Northern Coromandel Peninsula
Sorry Mary Stream OC 13974 4 +2.4 +2.6 +0.9 370 +85,-65
Sorry Mary Stream OC 13974 4 +3.7 +3.0 +3.1 +1.2 340 +70,-60
Sorry Mary Stream OC 13975 4 +3.3 +2.9
Sorry Mary Stream OC 13975 4 +3.4 +1.4 +2.5 +0.4 320 +70,-55
Doctors Creek OC 13971 4 +2.8 +2.6 +0.8 350 +80, -60
Doctors Creek OC 13971 4 +2.8 +0.6
Doctors Creek OC 13971 4 +4.1 +2.8 +1.8 +0.5 450 +130, -85
Tangiaro Stream OC 13968 2 +2.7
Kuaotunu
Waitaia vein 4 L UG 13977 2 +0.6
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Waitaia vein 4 L MH 14004 2 +1.0

Waitaia vein 5 L MH 14028 2 +0.6
Tokatea
Tokatea Mine UL 13960 4 +2.6 +2.3 +2.0
Coromandel SE
Aitken Stream OC 13982 4 +3.5 +2.6 +2.3 +0.2 305 +65, -50
Hutt Creek OC 13985 4 +3.6 +1.9+2.7(1), +2.2(d) +0.5 290 +60, -45
Hutt Creek OC 13986 4 +3.3 +2.4 +2.2
Hutt Creek OC 13987 4 +3.3 +2.5 +2.8 +1.3 410 +115,-75
Hutt Creek OC 13988 4 +3.4 +3.4 +2.7 +0.6 305 +65,-50
Hutt Creek OC 13989 4 +3.4 +3.0 +1.7 +1.1 >500 (large)
Petote Stm Cp Lode OC 13994 4 +3.3 +2.5 +1.9 -0.1 320 +70,-55
Petote Stm Cp Lode OC 13998 4 +3.2 +2.2 +2.1 -0.1 290 +60, -45
Petote Stm Cp Lode OC 13998 4 +3.0 +2.2 +2.1 -0.1 290 +60, -45
Petote Stm Cp Lode OC 13998 4 +2.2 +2.2
Petote Stm Gn Lode OC 14000 4 +3.4 +2.5
Petote Stm Gn Lode OC 14001 4 +3.7 +2.2
Whangapoua
Waingaro Stream FL 13911 10 -2.1 +1.5
Neavesville
Graces Adit UG 13904 -0.3
Graces Adit UG 13905 -0.4
Maratoto
Silver Queen vein UG 285/37/6 5 +1.4 +1.0
Komata
8L UG 13906 7 +2.8
Waitekauri
Jubilee Low L MH 14010 4 +0.8
Jubilee Low L MH 14010 4 +2.5 +2.2 +2.1 +0.3 350 +80, -60
Jubilee Low L MH 14010 4 +2.1 +1.7 +0.1 390 +95, -75
Jubilee Low L MH 14016 4 +2.0 +3.8
Jubilee Low L MH 14016 4 +3.0+2.5(1), +2.7(d)
Jubilee 2 L UG 14017 4 +2.2 +1.9
Jubilee Low L MH 14018 4 +3.1+3..2(1), +2.7(d)
Jubilee Low L MH 14020 4 +3.8 +1.5 280 +55,-45
Waihi
Martha UL 14039 4 +0.9 -1.0 340 +70, -60
Martha UL 14041 4 +2.1 +1.6 +1.2 -0.8 320 +70, -55
Martha UL 14051 5 +2.0 +0.3 370 +85, -65
Martha UL 14051 +2.8 +3.5 +1.8
Karangahake
Talisman UL 14023 4 +3.0 +2.9 +0.7 290 +60,-45
Tui Mine
Champion 5 L UG 14066 3 +2.5 +1.7
Ruakaka UG 14067 11 +18.8
(continued)
 Christie & Robinson—Sulphur isotopes, Hauraki Goldfield 149

Table 1 (continued).
34
S(% c ) CDT t(°C)
Sample Mineral t( C) error
Location* no. assemblage! Py Cp Sp Gn Sb Ba Sp-Gn range
Waiorongomai
Vulcan 2 L UG 13999 -0.3
Moa vein UG 14070 11 +18.8
No. 1 vein UG 14073 5 +1.5 -0.7 290 +60,-45
No. 1 vein OC 14073 5 +1.7 +0.3
No. 1 vein OC 14075 4 +0.8, +1.0 -1.4 280 +55,^5
Colonist Smithy L UG 14076 4 +1.4 -0.1 -0.4 -2.2 350 +80, -60
Colonist Smithy L UG 14076 4 +0.6 0.0 -1.6 390 +95, -75
Colonist Smithy L UG 14077 5 +3.0 +0.2 -2.0 290 +60,^5
May Queen 2 L MH 14078 4 +1.8 +2.5 +1.5
May Queen 2 L MH 14078 4 +1.5 +1.5
May Queen 2 L MH 14078 4 +1.3 +1.2
May Queen 2 L MH 14078 4 +1.4 +1.2 +1.2
May Queen 3 L MH 14080 4 +1.3 +1.1 +0.9 -0.9 350 +80, -60
Bonanza vein MH 14082 4 +1.2 +0.8 -0.2
Bonanza vein MH 14083 4 +1.2 +1.4
Welcome vein MH 14085 4 +1.4 +0.8
Welcome vein MH 14086 4 +1.3 +0.9
Main vein OC 14088 4 +2.4 +2.2
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Main vein OC 14089 4 +1.5 -1.0 255 +50, -40

Colonist Smithy L UG 14092 4 +1.3 +0.7 +0.4, +0.3 -2.0 270 +50, -45
Colonist Smithy L UG 14092 4 -0.2 -2.0 350 +80, -60
Welcome vein UG 14099 11 +18.9
HerollOO'L MH 14100 5 +0.4 -1.4 350 +80, -60
*FL, float; MH, mullock heap; OC, outcrop; UG, underground; UL, underground but unlocated museum specimen.
fMineral assemblage groups (see Christie 1982): 2, early Py; 3, Py-Cp; 4, Py-Sp-Gn-Cp; 5, Py-Sp-Gn-Cp-El-Ag minerals; 7, Py-Ac-El; 9,
Au-Ag sulphosalts; 10, Sb; 11, Ba.
Abbreviations: Ba, barite; Cp, chalcopyrite; Sp, sphalerite; (d), dark coloured sphalerite; (1), light coloured sphalerite; Gn, galena; Sb,
stibnite; SE, southeast; L, level; Stm, stream; t, temperature.
Sample descriptions are given in Christie (1982).

the ore deposits. Although there are no isotopic analyses of
sulphur in the Mesozoic greywacke of the Coromandel region,
data are available for sulphide and sulphate sulphur in
greywacke from different geographic and compositionally
different stratigraphic groups: the Central Volcanic Region
and the Wellington area (Giggenbach 1977; Roser 1983; B.W.
Robinson unpubl. data). The average for all these analyses is
+3.7%o, although in the Central Volcanic Region the grey-
wacke and local volcanic rocks have higher 834S values,
indicating some regional variation. Thus the value of +2%c
(compared with +16%e estimated previously) for the hydro-
thermal systems indicates that the sulphur could be derived
from either hydrothermal leaching or from magmatic assim-
ilation of sulphur from anatexis of the basement rocks. We
now favour a magmatic origin for the sulphur in the ore
deposits and relate this to the associated Miocene - Pliocene
intermediate and acid volcanics. However, part or all of this
magmatic sulphur may have originally been derived from the
Mesozoic sediments by partial melting or contamination
during magma generation (see Blattner & Reid 1982).
Robinson (1987) suggested that the sulphur source in New
Zealand geothermal systems is magmatic H2S, most of which
is precipitated as sulphides at depth. Only a small fraction of
the H2S reaches the upper sampled parts of the systems and
most is oxidised here to sulphate, with or without equilibrium
fractionation. The residual H2S and sulphate are trivial in
terms of the total isotope balance. Hence, at the Wairakei
system, with 1:1 H2S (S^S = +5%o) and SO4 (S^S = +24%c) in
the upper sampled parts of the hydrothermal system, the
source was H2S with 8MS = +5%o (and not+16%c as predicted
by the solution geochemistry model). Applying this model to
the Hauraki Goldfield, in which the sulphides precipitated
within Tertiary geothermal systems, the homogeneous sulphur
source would be magmatic H2S with a S^S value of +2%c.
Mineral assemblages containing sulphate minerals represent
local oxidising fluid conditions, where minor sulphate
formation has taken place and local isotopic equilibrium has
been reached (S^S barite values up to+18%o). Rare, high 8MS
sulphide values (+16%o) for late pyrite at Maratoto (Robinson
& Christie 1980) may also be interpreted as due to local
conditions when compared to the homogeneous S^S values
for pyrite in all other deposits and for other sulphide minerals
at Maratoto. These heavy sulphur values could result from
local reduction of sulphate at the base of acid sulphate fluids,
as noted in active geothermal systems.
CONCLUSIONS
1. When our new 173 sulphur isotopic analyses are combined
with data from all previous Hauraki Goldfield studies,
sulphide mineral 8 SCOT values for 394 analyses range
from -3.1 to +4.9%o and average +2%e (a = ±1.4%o). Two
"post-late calcite" pyrites at Maratoto were +16 and
+16.9%c, whereas barite is around +20.6%o (o = ±2.8,
n = 13).
2. Selected sphalerite-galena pair fractionations indicate
temperatures above 250°C and probably <350°C for Zn-
Pb-Cu dominated mineralisation.
3. The isotopic composition of total sulphur (834S^s) m
solution was probably around +2%c.
 150
4. In the light of our many new analyses, we now believe that
the sulphur was derived from Tertiary volcanic magmas
with slight crustal contamination, in contrast to our
previous interpretations of sulphur hy drothermally leached
from Jurassic greywacke basement rocks (Robinson 1974;
Robinson & Christie 1980).
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The analyses presented in this study were part of a Ph.D. thesis by
A.B.C. at Victoria University of Wellington. The topic was
suggested by A. Wodzicki and supervised by B .W.R. and J. W. Cole.
Financial aid was given by the Mineral Resources Council and the
Internal Research Committee at Victoria University of Wellington.
Fieldwork was assisted by B. P. Roser, C. J. D. Adams, B. F.
Houghton, A. Wodzicki, and AMOCO Minerals NZ Ltd (now
Cyprus Gold). I. Lowe, B. Shilton, and E. Duckworth assisted with
the isotopic analyses.
Some samples were donated by R. L. Ansin, E. Coppard, R. J.
Merchant, S. D. C. Rabone, W. R. H. Ramsay, the Geology
Department of the University of Auckland, the Auckland Museum,
the Geology Department of Victoria University of Wellington, and
Ministry of Energy (now Ministry of Commerce).
Downloaded by [190.108.89.10] at 14:23 24 September 2017
This paper has benefitted from reviews and comments by R. L.
Brathwaite, I. J. Graham, and D. N. B. Skinner. The manuscript was
typed by Irene Galuzska and the diagrams were prepared by M.
McDonald.
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