Economic Geology

Vol. 66, 1971, pp. 34-42

Provenance of Cordilleran Intrusives and AssociatedMetals

M. L. JE•s•-•

Abstract

Agreementis lacking pertaining to an upper-mantleor lower-crustsourcefor

Cordilleranintrusive bodies,many of which are associatedwith ore deposits.
Stable isotopesof sulfur, strontium,and lead have a bearing on this provenance
problem. (1) 8S84analyses of Cordilleranmagmatichydrothermal sulfidesexhibitnear-
zero permil valueswhich suggestprimordialsulfur possiblyderivedfrom the upper
mantle. (2) Srs7/Sr8øvaluesof Cordilleranintrusivewhole-rockanalyses
exhibitratios
of about 0.705 ñ 0.003 which is also suggestiveof a primordial, presumablyupper-
mantlesource. (3) Lead isotopes
requiremodelassumptions
leadinggenerallyto pre-
sumed sourceswithin the deep crust but an upper-mantlesource is not totally
excluded.
It is suggested that the metal contentof theseintrusivesis derivedneitherfrom
the upper-mantle nor lower-crust. Rather, Cordilleranintrusivesmay acquiretheir
economic metalcontentfrom organic-richshalehorizonsduringpenetrationby the rising
magma. Such a magmawouldbe a viscousmassinitially, but aqueous-rich with
acquiredmeteoricwater that transported metalsto the upperand cupolazonesof the
intrusiveduring its final stagesof crystallization.

Introduction presentedas a seriesof lecturesat Massachusetts

Instituteof Technologywhichled, a few yearslater,
DuRI•a the last decade,especially
with the increas- to the first editionof Mineral Deposits,publishedin
ing numbersof resultsof Pb, Sr, and S isotopic August,1913.Emmons,Sales,and othershad inde-
analyses,numerousinvestigators have beenpuzzled
over the evidencethat Cordilleran granitoid intru-
pendentlystressed a similarmagmaticaffiliationfor
the ore bodiesof Leadville, Butte, etc., and Ransome,
siresmay containprimordialS and Sr. Sometimes Butler, Graton, Spurr, Bateman,and others led
Pb isotopiccompositions alsosuggestthat the intru- several generationsof economicgeologiststo ex-
sires may be derivedby selectivemobilizationof plorationdiscoveries and ore genesistheoriesbased
sialic material from the primordial upper mantle,
primarilyon the associationof hydrothermal sulfide
presumably from an ultramaficsource. depositswith intrusive bodies.
This preliminarypaper is an attemptto evaluate Porphyrycopperdeposits are citedas bastions of
further the subjectand to suggestsomeof the rami- proof of the derivationof hydrothermal solutions
ficationspertainingto hypothesesoœore genesis from quartz-monzonite or quartz-diorite intrusives.
resultingœromthis evidence.It is hoped that the Not onlydothesesolutions seemto betheundoubted
reader will sympathetically appreciatethe dangers sourceof the ore, but they often were precededby
and difficultiesof delvinginto this subjectbut will, a seriesof chemicallydifferent solutionsthat are
nevertheless, appreciatethe desirabilityoœdoing so mademanifestby the metasomatic alterationof the
with the understanding that muchfurther evidence parent rock and even juxtaposedhost-rockassem-
andstudyis needed. blages.
Historical Perspective Yet therearemanyquestions that arisein relation
to the similarities and differencesof hydrothermal
For morethan half a century,manyAmericaneco- ore deposits associatedwith intrusivebodies.Some
nomicgeologists havestressed the apparentgenetic intrusivesexhibitore-barrenpyritiferousshellswith
association
of sulfidemineral depositswith intrusive copperand molybdenum bearingcores,and vice
igneousbodies. Prime examples of this associationversa,and someare fringed'by lead-zincveins and
are in the Cordilleras of both North and South
replacement deposits.But the questionof primary
America. importance is, "What is the sourceof thesesurpris-
Theseearlier investigators the belief ingly similarintrusivebodiesand the metalliccon-
strengthened
in a magmaticaffiliationof manyhydrothermal de- tents that are associated with them ?"
positswhichsomewouldsayculminated with Lind- The purpose of thispaperis to setforthsomesug-
of mineral depositsthat was gestions
gren's classification bearingon possible hypothesesof the prove-
34
 PROVENANCE OF CORDILLERAN INTRUSIVES AND ASSOCIATED METALS 35

nance of Cordilleran intrusives and their associated

metal contentbaseduponvarioustypesof evidence.
+K) -IO
Intrusives of the Great Basin
COLORADO
My experienceis primarily within the Great CENTRAL CITY
Basinportionof the Basinand Rangeprovincebut Corral mine

the views expressedhere need not be specifically

limitedto thisportionof the province. GILMAN
Stringham (1958) estimatedthat there are about LEADVILLE
350-400 Mesozoic and Cenozoic intrusives within
the Basinand Rangeprovince,U.S.A. This num- OURAY
ber is possibly
low in viewof thefactthat the larger
plutons may be composedof several, or many, NEW MEXICO
SANTA RITA
coalescingsmaller intrusives. In addition,much of
the provinceis coveredwith post-intrusivevolcanics
and alluvium, and with the inclusionof possible
buriedplutons,the numbercertainlyis considerably
greater. HILLSBORO
Clmece mine
Typically, these intrusivesvary in composition MAGDALENA
from diorite and quartz-dioriteto granite or from ARIZONA
Mtt mine

intermediateto acid and have a granitoid texture. A•O

The majority are compositionally granite,quartz- PRESCOTT
monzonite,or granodiorite. BISBEE

The age of most Cordilleran intrusivesis referred GLOBE-MIAMI

to as Laramide. Livingstonet al. (1968), havecom- NEVADA

piled histograms of the geochronology of Arizona YERINGTON

igneous activityresultngin two maximaof plutonic UTAH

MARYSVALE:DISTRICT
emplacement at about65 m.y. and25 to 30 m.y. As
this datingwas determinedby K/At, the datesof
magmatic crystallization
werecompared to the dating
of subsequent hydrothermal phaseswith no measur-
abletime difference betweenthe two stages.
In the Great Basinand adjacentWasatchrange, Door Trail mine

the age variationsof plutonsare not too dissimilar LA SAL MTNS.

from thoseof Arizona,althoughthe youngerages
are somewhatmore prevalent. With the noticeable
exception
of Ruth,Nevada(122 m.y.), manyof the
mineralizedintrusiveshaveagesbetween20 and 40 BINGHAM DISTRICT
m.y., an importantexamplebeingthe Binghamstock UtohC• mine(olNepit)

(Moore et al., 1968), whereplutonism,volcanism,

and mineralizationapparently occurred
sequentially
in the intervalbetween32 to 39 m.y. A periodof
lessthan 1 m.y. exists,however,betweenintrusive
crystallizationand hydrothermalalteration.
Even with this and much more knowledge,the
provenanceproblem of these Cordilleran intrusives
TINTIC DISTRICT
IdeJo•rain# .
remains. The sourceis thoughtby many students
of the problemto be crustalmaterialthat has under-
gonefusionand upward"stoping"and emplacement.
Other studentsquestionthis sourceand suggest I
+10 O -IO
j
the possibility
of derivationfrom the uppermantle.
But, what is the evidencepertainingto this prove- I. •Sa•analyses
of sulfides
t?rom
Western
U.S. ore
nanceproblem? deposits
showing
closeassociation
to zeropertnil.
36 M. L. JENSEN

('4-)
result in a •S3• compositionof zero permil? Even
I•O
? Ill115
Ii•I• IllIllI•) thoughthe answermay be in the affirmative,it is a
1#4•-CO•JILA,
NEIICO i' 'l 'T
A PARR
901m -o. 12
quivering and weak reply. In Phanerozoicrocks,
sulfaterich bedsare certainlymuchmoreabundant

N26T'NUNGINO(,
COUNTYBERARBA
BHCL
• I
C BURNING•

A • ,
+0.26
+0.51

+0.26
than sedimentary sulfides
exhibit•Sa• compositions
and the formercommonly
between+15 to +30 per-
NEWSOUTHWALES
mil, whereasthe latter rangeover a broadrange

N2•I-SEELASGEiL
SCIIWlEBUS,
BRAIIDElIBURG,
GERNAIIY
A
B I'•1,_•+0..'32
O

• ,
+ 0.15

+ 0.:32
generallybetween+5 to -50 permil. It wouldbe
most fortuitousfor even one intrusiveformedby
syntexisto exhibit•Sa• valuesof zeropermil.

N3,'T4-NOUIIT
STERLING,
SOUTHWEST
YORK,
OWlSION,
WESTERN
AllOT.
B
A B i_..o._•
I +0.20 +0.27
On the otherhand,olderCryptozoicrockswithin
the crust rarely exhibit •S a• valuesof containedsul-
fidesthat vary more than a few permil from zero.
N374-
TOLOC•,
NEXIOO•TATE
,NEXlO0
C

A • • i +0.26
i---o---t

,
+0.45

+
Sulfates,
of course,
are notasapparentin suchrocks
althoughleachingof suchrocks may indicatedis-
persionof sulfates. It is apparent,however,and a
N361-YOlIDEGIII,AYOlI,SOUTHWEST
DIV.. A
B
C •

•
iT• -0.03 +0.,36
generalization,that •S a• valuesof older Precambrian
rocksdo not exhibitthe wide spreadin •Sa• values
+0.06
WESTERN
AUSTRALIA B I--o.--i 't'0.14
shownby Phanerozoicrocks.
N438-NUONIONALUSTA,
KIRUIIA,
llORRBOTTEN,
NORTHSBTDEH
A • +0.00 An example of •S a• values that diverge widely
from zero permil are the sulfide minerals of the

N450-•HUPAOEROS,
JIN
EII['Z.
D • O •
J +0.3S
+ 0.28 Aguilar lead-zincdepositwhichis locatedin northern
Argentina. The adjacent intrusive is the supposed
but questionedsource of the mineralization. The
CHmUAHUA,NmSO
A
B
il_• -O.
IT -0.08
ore sulfidesin the mine exhibitan average•Sa• com-
positionof +18.3 permil (Linares et al., 1966) and,
CleON
DIABLO A I--(•1 •00 incidentally,the SrS7/Srsøratio of whole rock analy-
I
NBS120 (NATIVESULFUR) sesof the intrusive is also suggestiveof crustal deri-

I
2.0
I
0
A i +1.86
'+1.02
vation of the intrusive
associatedwith many of the New Brunswick intru-
sives (Fig. 3) exhibit the characteristicof a mag-
as discussed below. Sulfides

Fro. 2. Uniformity of •S*• analyses of troilite from matichydrothermaldepositwhichis a narrow spread

meteorites for which SO• was prepared by different
processes.(Jensen and Nakai, 1962.) of 8Sa• valuesat about +15 permil (Dechow,1960)
for which I also suggestan undoubtedcrustal origin
of the intrusivebodiesby fusionof crustalmaterials.
Isotopic Evidence Pertaining to Magma Source
Note that the fissuredeposits(Fig. 3) exhibita nar-
Sulfur.--It has been evident for more than a row spreadof 8Sa• valuesbut near zero permil,which
decadethat the ratios S8•'/S84, or 8S3• values, of is suggestiveof primordial sulfur.
sulfides from Cordilleran intrusive bodies are re- The slight positive deviationof the 8Sa• values
markably identicalto the 8S8• compositionof mete- from zero permil shown on Figure 1 may be the
oritic troilite. 'Figure 1 exhibits some of this evi- result of minor contamination with crustal sulfate
dence. Zero permil is the compositon of the Cation sulfur. On the other hand, those depositsthat ex-
Diablo troilite for which Sa2/S3• - 22.220. Figure hibit a slight negative'shift in the 8Sa• values could
2 illustratesthe comparativelymore uniform compo- be the result of isotopicequilibrationbetweenI-t2S
sition of sulfur from various meteorites. Geochemical and SO2 during the hydrothermalstagewith deple-
balancecalculationsof the average8Sa4composition tion of Sa• in the SO2 and enrichmentof Sa• in the
of the earth's crust, or the value of it if it could be I-I2S. The former further oxidizesto SO[, forming
homogenized,indicate a 8S8• compositionof about primary sulfates,while the latter reacts to form
zero permil. Becauseof thesefacts, the suggestion metal sulfides. Primary sulfatesexhibit 8S3• values
has been made that sulfide sulfur in Cordilleran intru- between+10 to +25 permil while the sulfides(Fig.
sires is primordialand is derived,therefore,from 1) rarely exceed-5 permil. This resultsfrom the
the upper mantle. I-IsS beingmuchmore abundantthan the SO•. at the
The questionnaturally arisesas to the possibility mineralizingtemperaturesof equilibration.
of a large volumeof the crustformingthe sourceof There is substantialevidence (Field, 1966, and
a magma via syntexisor anatexis. Would it not be Jensen,1967) that evenjuxtaposedprimary sulfides
possiblefor the containedsulfatesand sulfidesto and sulfates do show this difference in 8S 8• values
 PROVENANCE OF CORDILLERAN INTRUSIVES AND ASSOCIATED METALS 37

whetherthe aboveexplanationbe actualor not. I

am inclined to believe that it is reasonable even
thoughthereis a needfor experimental
laboratory
andfieldstudies
of theisotopic
exchange
equilibrium A

A
reactions
involvingH2S, SO2,SO4=,andH,. One
exampleof 8S34valuesinvolvingthesecompounds A

is offeredby the E1 Salvador,Chile, stock in A

A

which an unusuallyhigh anhydritecontentoc- A

curs with disseminated sulfides in the intrusive A

rock. The 8S34 fractionation factor between these A

sulfides
andsulfates maycorrelate
withhydrothermal A

alterationvariations
andresultingestimates
of tem- A

peraturesand thereby provide informationon the A

question
of a needfor initialSO,to formSO•=,and A

the behavior of different valence forms of sulfur with

metalsin a high temperatureaqueoussystem. Evi- A

dencefor isotopicexchange betweenSO2 and H•.S

at E1 Salvador,wheresulfatesare comparatively
muchmoreabundant in the intrusiverock,is pro- 8tna'•on River
videdby four8S•4analyses of sulfidesthatvarybe- Ni•aloo
tween --3.91 to -8.59 permil and average-6.88 ß

permil. One intrusivespecimen, containing anhy- Boat lto•lm

drite and associatedwith the sulfidehavinga 8Sa•

value of --3.91, has a 8S•4 composition of +4.37
permil. If the originalsulfur was primordialand •bb• • I Aß• V•ue
hada zeropermilcomposition, the suggestionis that I

I-I, was only slightlymore abundantthan SO2. +30 20 1o o -1o

i . i i i
TheseE1 Salvadorsamples werecollected by Dr. S•/S• hti•
Alan Clark,QueensUniversity,with permission of
Fro. 3. • analyses of Bathurst-Newcastle area, New
the Anaconda Company.I am appreciative to both Brunswick, Canada, showingspreadand average • values
for theircourtesies,
althoughneitheris to be heldac- for different deposits. (Dechow, 1960).
countablefor my views expressedon the basisof
only four samples.
containsa greater amount of Rb, thus resulting in
oCtrontium.mWasserburg (1966) brieflysummar- ratiosof SrS*/Sr•6greaterthan 0.705.
izedthe applicationof Rb/Sr analysesby writing Moorbathet al. (1967) havenotedthat "Laramide
that"thedistinction
betweenprimarymantlematerial intrusives in the Southwestern United States" have
andre-fusedcrustalmaterialcanbe verypositivein Sr•*/Sr • ratiosin the rangeof 0.706-0.708 whereas
the case where the re-fused crustal material has a five Precambriangranite-gneisscountry-rock sam-
longenough historyin a Rb-richenvironment."He plesin the SawatchRange,Colorado,have SrS*/Sr8•
goeson to explainthat when this ratio is not high ratiosof 0.76-0.80whichis presumably representa-
enough,it is difficultto bediagnostic
aboutthe source tive of the compositionof the crustal basement,at
becauseof "the greatheterogeneity of crustalmate- least there.
rials which can certainlyprovide sourceswith a The rapidly increasingnumber of strontium iso-
variety of Rb/Sr ratios." topic compositionmeasurementsof minerals and
Sincethe recentsummaryby Hart (1969) and whole rocks is strengtheningthe Moorbath et al.
the early work of Gast (1960) and others(Hur- (1967) thesisthat intrusivesin the Basinand Range
ley et al., 1962; Hedge et al., 1963), the use of provincemay be derivedfrom the upper mantleby
Rb/Sr andSr87/Sr86 analysesasaidsin determiningindicatingthat only basalts,presumablyalso de-
the source and differentiation of crustal rocks has rived from the upper mantle (Ringwood, 1969),
beenwell recognized.As suchstudiescontinued,it commonlyexhibit comparableor lower than 0.705
becameevidentthatrocksexhibiting
a SrS*/Sr
86ratio ratios whereascrustal rocks almostinvariablyex-
of about0.705 --+0.003,presumably were derived hibit higherSr•*/Sr8• ratios. The relativelylower
from the uppermantleor the baseof the crust. Re- Sr87/Sr•6 ratios in plutons within the Basin and
workedcrustalmaterial,or magmag,that have as- Range provincelend supportto the mantle deriva-
similatedyoungercrustalrocks,wouldbe enrichedin tion of their strontiumandtherebythe plutonsthem-
radiogenicstrontiumderivedfrom suchmaterial that selves. Further analysesand studiesare needed,of
38 M. L. JENSEN

course,especiallyto check for a possiblelow Rb tion is made in these considerations that a uniform
contentin the crustal basement,not only in the Ba- isotopiccompositionof lead and strontiumexistsin
sin and Range provincebut throughoutthe Cor- the upper mantlebut somecontraryevidenceexists
dilleran. that this may not be so (Gast et al., 1964; Davis et
Lead.---Krauskopf(1967) has reviewedrecently al., 1968-69). Such contrary evidenceis exceed-
the potentialuse of lead isotopes
in indicatingthe ingly importantand would introduceseriousmodifi-
source of lead and associated rocks with which it cationsin the isotopicmodels.
occurs. If lead were derived from heterogeneous In summary,Krauskopf(1967) is led to conclude
crustal material, it would be of little use in dating for the presentthat the derivationof lead from the
depositsin whichit occursbecause an infinitevariety mantle is not provednor disproved. Cannonet al.
of initial compositions
are possbleand the decay (1961), however,favor a mantlesource,but alsocite
pathsfannotbe sufficientlywell defined. If derived the need for further studies.
from the mantle,where the concentrations
of uranium
and thoriumare presumably moreuniform,the geo- Generation and Mobilization of Magmas
logicalagesderivedfrom their isotopicratiosshould Geophysically,
as summarizedby Archambeauet
be more correct. Both casesexist for which sug- al. (1969), the Great Basin exhibits: 1) slightly
gested"models"are createdwhich shownan inter- above-normal continental heat-flow, (1-2 x 10-6
nally consistent
schemeof decayagreeingwith ob- cal/cm•/sec), 2) a relativelythin crust of 25 to 30
servational data but which themselves are not nec- km, with specificportionsof lessthan 20 km thick-
essarilycorrect. ness,3) low Pn velocities(7.6 to 7.8 km/sec), 4) a
Recentleadisotopestudiesby Staceyet al. (1967, broad negative Bouguer gravity anomaly, and 5)
1968) indicatethat the lead ore and tracelead in the high electricalconductivity.
feldsparsin the Park City, Alta, Tintic, Milford, and The higher temperaturesin the upper mantle,
Bingham districts (not Bingham stock), Utah, can with corresponding low seismicvelocitiesalong and
be treatedas simpletwo-stagemodelsin which some below the Mohoroviail discontinuity,suggestphase
of the lead was theoreticallyderived from crustal transformations below the base of the crust to a
rocks that range in age from 1,650 m.y. to 2,415 depthof 150 km with the very stronglikelihoodof
m.y., albeitspecificdatesare requiredfor the specific partial meltingin the upper mantle that is associated
districts. It is suggestedfor the Lark and U.S. with tectonic manifestations.
Mines of the Bingham district that a primary Pb- The slightly higher heat flow, coupledwith the
U-Th source, presumably in the mantle, existed presumption(Tozer, 1969) that higher electrical
from 4,500 to 1,630 m.y. ago• At about 1,630 m.y. conductivitycorrelateswith higher thermal conduc-
ago, the lead mobilizedto a site, presumablyin the tivity, of the crustfurthercorrobratehighertempera-
crust, containing more uranium and thorium that ture zones in the upper mantle, which could have
contributedradiogeniclead until about 36 m.y. ago further increasedmagmagenerationduring periods
when the Binghamstockwas intrudedand the asso- of increasedtectonicactivity.
ciated contact metasomatic U.S. and Lark mine In regard to the geothermalgradient,it may be
depositsalsoformed. slightlyhigherthan normalat 40ø C/km assuminga
A similarstudy (Doe et al., 1968) on the Boulder heat flow of 2 x 10-6 cal/cm•/secand a thermalcon-
bathylith (tradition or not, Knopf's bathylith is ductivity of about 5 x 10-• cal/cm/sec/øC. This
correct) suggeststhat the mantle under the bathy- latter value seemslow for a zone of high electrical
lith may containa greaterTh/U than expectedand conductivitybut the increasedpressurewith depth
suggests,therefore, that a "mantle source for the in the crust would producelower values. With a
Boulder bathylith cannotbe entirely ignored." 40ø C/km gradient, sufficientlyhigh temperatures
Of course,assimilationof crustal material is often for partial fusionwouldbe readilyavailableat 20 to
assumedto play a role in providingsialicmaterial 25 km depthsand evenlesserdepthswithin the crust.
to a magma. During the early stagesof a viscous It seemspossible,therefore,that by someprocess
magma,I doubtif this is a signficant factor. Appar- of partial meltingand/or selectivemobilization,sialic
ently, however, evidencefrom lead and strontium materialmay havebeenmobilizedwithin or into the
isotopes(Staceyet al., 1968; Doe et al., 1968; Rees- lower crust and moveupwardprobablyas a viscous
man, 1968) suggeststhe possibilityof additionsof magma becauseof its presumedlow water content.
both lead and strontium from crustal rocks with Accordingto Burnham (1967), sucha magmawith
more evidence for additions of crustal radiogenic one percentor lesswater would have a viscosityof
lead and generallya much lesseramount of radio- about l0 s poisesgreater than the viscosityrange of
genie strontium. The Salton Sea brines are an most felsic magmas of higher water content. It
apparent exception (Doe et al., 1966). The assump- seemsprobable,therefore,that the relative lack of
 PROVENANCEOF CORDILLERANINTRUSIVESAND ASSOCIATEDMETALS 39

water would result in little stopingor assimilation transporting

metalsto themagma.Burnham(1967)
of the crustalrockthroughwhichit intrudes. has indicated,however,the difficultyof sufficient
The amountof waterexistingin the uppermantle amountsof non-indigenous water being absorbedor
(Ringwood,1969) or lowercrusthasbeena signifi- diffusinginto the magmato significantlylower the
cantfactorin anyconsiderations relativeto deriving freezingtemperatureof the magmaand to provide
low meltingtemperature materialfromthe mantleor sufficientwater for the hydrothermalphase. The
even the lower crust. It has been assumed that at isotopiccomposition
of this hydrothermalwater, as
leastseveral watermustexistin themantle shown in fluid inclusions and alteration minerals,
i•ercent
to allow suchmelting. In a recentpaper, however, however,suggeststhat meteoricwater must be ab-
Hill and Boettcher(1970) concludethat at pressures sorbed,but moreprobablyduringthe late stagesof
of about600-700ø the movement of the intrusion. If absorbed earlier,
above15 kb and at temperatures
C, water in the mantleoccurspredominantlyin hy- the early formed silicatemineralswould exhibit the
drousmineralsand the presumed relativelylow pro- more negative80 •s valuescharacteristicof meteoric
portionof suchmineralsin the mantlesuggests that water rather than the positivevaluesthat have been
lessthan one percentwater is presentin the upper found. Isotopicexchangebetweenthe existingsili-
mantle. Nevertheless, theyindicatethat thisis suffi- catesand the meteoricwater complicates this more
cient water to allow partial meltingof materialof than I have indicated.
basalticcomposition whichincludesinitial meltingof Kennedy (1955) suggested that water will tend
plagioclase, amphibole, and possiblyothersialicmin- to becomemore concentratedin the upper por-
erals with even lesser amounts of water than pre- tions of a magmaand the evidenceof aqueousand
viouslythoughtnecessary.Similar implications had sulfideconcentrationin cupolasor upper zonesof
beensuggested earlierby Burnham(1967). intrusivessupportsthis idea. Burnham (1967),
Be thisasit may,wateris apparently concentratedhowever, listed numerousassumptionsthat must
in the fluid phasethat attendsthe last stagesof be considered in regardto Kennedy'sproposal. Pos-
crystallizationof an intrusivemagma;a more than sibly,the necessary meteoricwater is absorbedonly
adequatevapor phasewould exist after virtually in the top of the rising magma where it remains
completecrystallizationof the magma to provide localizedas crystallizationprogressesupward and
hydrothermalsolutionssufficientto alter the cupola inward, thereby partially circumventinglimitations
portion of the intrusive. As indicatedby Craig set by Burnham's(1967) quantitativedata on the
(1965), Claytonet al. (1966) and others,and as limited solubility of water in a felsic magma. In
summarized by Sheppardet al. (1969) and discussed addition,sucha proposalwould suggestthat the re-
in detailby White (1968), •O•8 and •D studiesof cycled,very dilute, aqueousbrine solutionflow-lines
this water, as exemplifiedby isotopicanalysesof of Sheppardet al. (1969) would not flow upward
brine solutions,fluid inclusionwater, and the result- alongthe sidesof the rising intrusivebut wouldbe
ing alterationmineralscontainingthis water, indicate depth limited or containedessentiallyin the upper
that it is of meteoric origin, not from the upper cupolazoneof the intrusionwherethe alterationand
mantle. Any water from the upper mantle would metals are localized. And if such solutions are lack-
more likely have enteredthe magmaduring initial ing, an unaltered,ore-barrenintrusivebodyresults.
mobilization. The 80 x8composition of water in the Actually, Burnham (1967) has providedsignifi-
upper mantle is hypotheticalbut presumablyiso- cant information,not easilydismissed, on the source
topicallysimilarto the oxygenin the earlier-formed and emplacementof felsic intrusives; information
silicate minerals or of the order of +6 to +10 that does not supportthe thesis of sialic magmas
permil. being derived from the upper mantle, unlessmuch
Possiblythe upperhalf of the 25 km of the crustin morewatercanbe providedthannow appearsto be
the Great Basin would containessentiallyPhanero~ availablein that environment.Apparently,thereis
zoic rocks; in fact, specificPeriodsof the Paleozoic a needfor furtherstudyof the water-derivation topic
Era in the eastern Great Basin contain more than to followup the major contributions
alreadymade
6 km of sediments alone. These Phanerozoic by White (1968) andBurnham(1967).
sedimentaryrocks containingmeteoricwater, and Source of Metals and Ore Genesis
so-calledconnatewater which is isotopicallysimilar
to meteoricwater (Claytonet al., 1966), wouldbe The possibilitythat the upper mantle is a source
penetratedby the hot viscousmagma. Absorptionof of the metals, that through various concentration
a saline meteoric water solution as indicated by processes
ultimatelyform metalliferousdeposits,has
Sheppardet al. (1969), wouldproducelower crystal- beendiscussed by otherssuchas Darnley (1965), but
lization temperaturesand, quite likely, includethe more recentlyin somedetail by Krauskopf(1967)
addition of dilute solution of chloride complexes who asksthe question,can metalscrossthe Moho
40 M. L. JENSEN

boundaryand "flow out of the mantle into the volcanicswith minor amountsof indigenousiron
crust"?With the exceptionof somemetalstrans- would mostlikely be the typicalresult of sucha re-
portedin primarybasalticmagrnas, he concludesthat action.
this is unlkely,but admitsthat definiteevidenceis In as much as mineral zoning is often cited as
difficult to obtain. As a result of these conclusions evidenceof expulsionof all metals at variable dis-
the shalebed or source-bed concept(Knight, 1957; tancesfrom the parent intrusive,in contrastto the
Petrascheck, 1969) is lentcredence asa major source abovesuggestions, it doesseemnecessary that copper
of metalsin ore deposits. andfor molybdenumbe derived from the intrusive
It has been noted for some time by numerous becauseof their association with the cupolacore or
investigatorsthat shale beds, especiallythose en- shellof the stock,depending uponthe specific deposit.
richedin organicmatter,commonlycontainanoma- Pyrite not only is associatedwith thesetwo metals
lous amountsof variousmetalsin comparison to the but also occurs outside of the intrusive rock in the
metal content of other sediments. There seemsto be invadedhostrocks. In bothoccurrences, pyritepos-
no uniformityin the metalsuitescontained in dir- siblyforms as the resultof an early reaction,in the
parageneticsequence,of indigenousiron either in
erent shale horizons or even within the same shale
the stockor hostrocks,with hydrogensulfide. The
bed at different sites. The suppositionexists that
risingmagmas variousshalebeds outer mineral zonesof lead, zinc, and silver are, as
wouldpenetrate
and would draw chloride-bearing electrolyticsolu- I have suggested, not the result of expulsionfrom
tions from them, or would physicallyincorporate the intrusives but the attraction of these metals
such solutionsand thereby derive varying amounts towardsthe intrusionas the resultof the shattering
and kinds of elementsfor subsequent redeposition and dilatancyof the cupolazone.
as ore bodies. In the easternGreat Basin, possibly
the Cambrianshales,but especiallythe Pilot, Chain- Summary
man or White Pine shale,the Phosphoriaformation, 1. Analysesof sulfur, strontium,and lead isotopes
and the basal memberof the Park City or Deseret associatedwith probablymore than 1,000 granite to
formationswould be specificpossiblesourcesof quartz-monzoniteintrusivesin the Basin and Range
metals. province provide some evidence of the sources
The fractured and shattered characteristics of of those intrusive bodiesand, thereby, lead to hy.-
hydrothermally mineralizedstocksnot onlyprovide pothesesof origin of their associatedeconomicmin-
a thoroughplumbingsystembut result in a low eralization.
pressure for theconcen- 2. •S a4analysesof sulfidesin Cordilleranintrusives
site,asa resultof dilatancy,
tration of ore-bearingsolutions,and may develop exhibit near zero permil valuesindicativeof primor-
typicalporphyrycopperdeposits.The resulting dial sulfurderivedfrom the uppermantle,but possi-
lowerpressure environsof the shattered stockmay bly derived from the lower crust.
alsobe expected to drawotherelectrolyte solutions 3. SrS*/Sr86analysesnear 0.705----*-0.003for Cor-
toward the stock,possiblyfluidstransportingtrace dilleranintrusivesindicateprimordialstrontiumfrom
silver,in either the upper mantle or from zonesof low Rb contentin
amountsof lead,zinc,and sometimes
connate brine solutions or chloride-rich meteoric the deep crust. The abundanceof Cordilleran in-
solutions. trusives,however, would not seemto correlate in all
Shouldhydrogensulfidehavediffusedout of the caseswith such low Rb zonesin the crust, and thus,
intrusivebefore the fracturing and shattering,as a primordialupper mantle sourceis more probable.
appears possible
because of its greatermobility,the 4. Lead isotopesare becomingmore useful as
moredistanttransportof hydrogensulfide(White, provenance indicatorswith higher-precision
measure-
1968)wouldbeefficacious in greetingtheapproach- ments provided by improved mass spectrometers.
ingnon-magmatic solutions andresultin theforma- The needfor "models,"however,resultsin supposi-
tionof replacement
andveindeposits thatwouldnot tions. More desirableconclusionsrequire more
haveformedbut for the dilatancyof the intrusiveand knowledgeaboutthe possibleisotopicheterogeneity
thepriorexpulsion Suchsupposedof the uppermantleand lower crust.
of thereductant.
contactmetasomatic
replacement
and vein deposits 5. The metals in or associated with Cordilleran
are not unusualin the environsof porphyry copper intrusives are possiblyderived from crustal shale
deposits,e.g.,the Lark andU.S. Minepropertiesbedsthat were either cut by the rising intrusiveor
adjacent to the Binghamstock. Pre-existing host affectedby its proximity. The rising magmamay
rock,containing low contents of any metalin any generatethe movementof stagnantconnateor mete-
form, may also readilyreactwith the magmatic-oric saline water solutionscarrying metals as chlo-
derivedhydrogensulfideto form metal sulfides. ride complexes. These solutions with the metals
Aureolepyritizationof pre-intrusive or wouldbe moreconcentrated
sediments in the proximityof the
 PROVENANCE OF CORDILLERAN INTRUSIVES AND ASSOCIATED METALS 41

top of the risingmagma,and metallicsulfideswould Burnham,C. W., 1967,Hydrothermalfluidsat the magmatic

stage:Geochemistryof HydrothermalOre Deposits,ed. by
not be precipitateduntil the last stagesof the crystal- H. L. Barnes.
lization of the magma when a greater abundanceof Cannon,R. S., Pierce, A. P., Antweiler, J. C., and Buck,
hydrogensulfidebecomesavailable. It is presumed K. L., 1961, The data of lead isotopegeologyrelated to
problemsof ore genesis:ECON.G•o*..,v. 56, p. 1-38.
that, becauseof its greatermobility,hydrogensulfide Clayton, R. N., Friedman, Irving, Graf, D. L., Nayeda,
migratedearlier beyondthe top of the magma,and T. K,. Meents,W. F., and Shimp,N. F., 1966,The origin
that someof it would be drawn back into the cupola of salineformation waters, I: Isotopic composition:Jour.
Geophys.Research,v. 71, p. 3869-3882.
zone by the dilatant low-pressureresultingfrom the Craig, Harmon, 1965, The isotopicgeochemistryof water
shatteringof the cupolazone rocks. Nearby saline and carbonin geothermalareas,in Nuclear Geologyon
solutions,carrying predominantlylead, zinc, and Geothermal Areas, Spoleto, 1963: Consiglio Nazionale
delle Richerche, p. 17-53.
some silver, would also be drawn toward the intru- Darnley, A. G., 1965, Ore genesisand mantle convection:
sive, where the metals would precipitateforming in SomeGuidesto Mineral Exploration,editedbyE. R. W.
Neale, publishedby Geol. Sur. Canada,p. 108-123.
replacementand fissure vein depositsby reaction Davis, G. L., Krogh, T. E., and Hart, S. R., with Brooks, C.,
with the hydrogensulfide. Somedepositsmay form and Erlank, A. J., 1968-69,Isotopicinvestigations in geo-
as much as a mile or more from the intrusive where chemistryand geochronology:Ann. Rept. Director Geop.
Lab., No. 1560, p. 315.
some of the more mobile hydrogen sulfide still re- Dechow, E., 1960, Geology, sulfur isotopes,and origin of
mained. This processalso assistsin a different the Heath Steele ore deposits:EcoN. GF•on.,v. 55, p.
explanationof the commonmineral zoning observed 539-562.
Doe, B. R., Tilling, R. I., Hedge, C. E., and Klepper, M. R.,
in and about porphyry copperdeposits. 1968, Lead and strontium isotope studies of the Boulder
6. Sufficientdataare not yet availableto determine Bathylith SouthwesternMontana: EcoN. G•-o•..,v. 63, p.
884-906.
the provenanceof Cordilleran intrusivesas being , Hedge, C. E., and White, D. E., 1966, Preliminary
generatedin the upper mantle or lower crust. Fur- investigationof the sourceof lead and strontium in deep
thermore, the number of sources and breadth of geothermal brines underlying the Salton Sea geothermal
area: ECON. GEOL.,V. 61, p. 462-483.
scientificspecialtiespertainingto this subjectare so Field, C., 1966, Sulfur isotopicmethod for discriminating
great as to make it difficultfor one individualeven between sulfates of hypogeneand supergeneorigin:
to acquire let alone synthesizeall pertinent data. Ecoa. G•o*.., v. 61, p. 1428-1435.
Gast, P. W., Tilton, G. R., and Hedge, C., 1964, Isotopic
But, it is certainlydesirableto attemptto do so. But composition of lead and strontium from Ascension and
be this as it may, the subject is engrossingand Gough Islands: Science,v. 145, p. 1181-1185.
fascinatingand leads to "outrageoushypotheses," mantle: , 1960, Limitations on the compositionof the upper
Jour. Geophys.Research,v. 65, p. 1287-1297.
more of which are neededin the field of ore genesis. Hart, S. R., 1969, Isotope geochemistryof crust-mantle
processes,
The Earth's Crust and UpperMantle, Geophysi-
Acknowledgments cal Monograph13, ed. by P. J. Hart, p. 58-62.
Hedge,C. E., and Walthall, F. G., 1963,Radiogenic
stron-
It is difficult to acknowledgethe influenceof all tium-87as an indexon geologic processes:Science,
v. 140,
p. 1214-1217.
thoseindividualswho helpedshapeand re-shapethe Hill, R. E. T., and Boettcher,A. L., 1970, Water in the
preliminaryviews expressedin this paper. I am Earth's mantle: Melting curves of basalt-water and
basalt-water-carbondioxide: Science,v. 167, p. 980-982.
especiallyindebtedto those who made recent sug- Hurley, P.M., Hughes,H., Faure,G., Fairbank,H. W., and
gestionson the subjectof the papei-,none of whom Pinson, W. H., 1962, Radiogenic strontium-87 model of
is to be held accountablefor the views expressed, continentformation: Jour. Geophys.Research,v. 67, p.
5315-5334.
and most of whom also reviewed the manuscript. Jensen,M. L., 1967,Sulfur isotopes
and mineralgenesis:
They are: Kent C. Condie,Armand J. Eardley, A. Geochemistryof HydrothermalOre Deposits,
ed.by H. L.
Barnes, Chap. 5, p. 143-165.
JosephEricksen, Jr., Donald H. Freas, Donald C. , and Nakai, N., 1962, Sulfur isotopemeteorite stan-
Grey, J. Julian Hemley, S. Warren Hobbs, David dards,resultsand recommendations:
Biot7eochemistry
of
King, and Ulrich Petersen. Sulfur Isotopes,ed. M. L. Jensen,NSF Symposium
April 12-14, 1962, p. 30-35.
Finally, but by no meansthe least,I am indebted Kennedy, G. C., 1955, Some aspectsof the role of water in
for the influenceof a colleaguewith whom I spent rock melts: Geol. Soc. Am. Spec. Paper 62, p. 489-505.
Knight, C. L., 1957, Ore genesis--thesourcebed concept:
fourteen memorable,and enjoyable years, and the ECON. G•-OL.,v. 62, p. 808-817.
man that this volume honors, Alan M. Bateman. Krauskopf, K. B., 1967, Source rocks for metal-bearing
fluids: Geochemistry of HydrothermalOre Deposits,ed.
by H. L. Barnes, Chap. 1, p. 1-33.
UNIVERSITY OFUTAH,
Linares, E., Jensen,M. L., and Whiting, F., 1966, Sulfur
SALTLAKE CITY, UTAH, isotopicstudy of the Aquilar lead-zincmine, Jujuy Prov-
August21, 1970 ince, Argentina: Unpublished results.
Livingston,D. E., Mauger, R. L., and Damon,P. E., 1968,
REFERENCES Geochronologyof the emplacement,enrichment,and pres-
ervation of Arizona porphyry copper deposits: ECON.
Archambeau,C. B., Flinn, E. A., and Lambert, D. G., 1969, G•-OL.,v. 63, p. 30-36.
leine structures of the upper mantle: Jour. Geophys.Re- Moorbath, S., Hurley, P.M., and Fairbairn, H. W., 1967,
search, v. 74, p. 5825-5865. Evidence for the origin and age of some mineralized
42 M. L. JBNSBN

Laramide intrusives in the Southwestern United States lead isotope study of galenas and selected feldspars from
from strontium isotope and rubidium-strontium measure- mining districts in Utah: Ecoa. G•-oI.., v. 63, p. 796-814.
ments: EcoN. G•-ox..,v. 62, p. 228--236. , Moore, W. J., and Rubright, R. D., 1967, Precision
Moore, W. J., Lanphere,M. A., and Obradovich,J. D., 1968, measurement of lead isotopes ratio: Preliminary analyses
Chronology of intrusion volcanism,and ore depositionat from the U.S. Mine, Bingham Canyon, Utah: Earth and
Bingham,Utah: EcoN. G•-ox,.,v. 63, p. 612-621. Planetary Science Letters, v. 2, p. 489-499.
Petrascheck,W. E., 1969, Ore metals from the crust or Stringham, B. S., 1958, Relationshipof ore to porphyry in
mantle: Ecoa. G,xox..,v. 64, p. 576-577. the Basin and Range province, U.S. A.: Ecoa. Gini..,
Reesman, R. H., 1968, Strontium isotopic compositionsof v. 53, p. 806,-822.
gangueminerals from hydrothermalvein deposits:ECON. Tozer, D.C., 1969, Experimental and theoretical geophysics:
Gr_x)x..,
v. 63, p. 731-736. Electrical conductivity of the mantle; The Earth's Crust
Ringwood, A. E., 1969,C0,m,
position andevolutionof the and Upper Mantle, Geophysical Monograph 13, ed. P. J.
upper mantle; The Earths Crust and Upper Mantle, Hart, p. 618-621.
GeophysicalMonograph 13, ed. P. J. Hart, p. 1-17. Wasserburg, G. J., 1966, Geochronologyand isotopic data
Sheppard,S. M. •F., Nielsen, R. L., and Taylor, H. P., Jr., bearing on development of the continental crust: Ad-
1969,Oxygen and hydrogenisotoperatios of clay minerals vances in Earth Science, edited by P. M. Hurley, M.I.T.
from porphyry copper deposits: Ecoa. G•.oI.., v. 64, p. Press, p. 431-459.
757-777. White, D., 1968, Environments of generationof some base
Stacey, J. S., Zartman, R. E., and Nkomo, I. T., 1968, A metal ore deposits: EcoN. G•.oI.., v. 63, p. 301-335.