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Advanced Argillic Alteration in Bonanza
Advanced Argillic Alteration in Bonanza
INTRODIJCTION
Hydrothermally altered rocks containing advanced
argillic alteration are being studied in British Columbia
(Panteleyev, 1992; Panteleyev and Koyanagi, 1993) as
part of an investigation of acid sulphate type epithennal
deposits and intrusion-related base and precious metal Figure 1. Location map; projectarea i 3 north ofHollmg
Inlet inNTS 92U12.
mineralization in settings transitional between porphyry
copper and epithermal environments. The initiation of
immediately underlying , leldspar-phyr .c, basic to
an integrated team project in northern Vancouver Island
intermediate volcanic rocks and, to ale 3ser extent, some
as partof the Ministry's 1993 Mineral Strategyenabled a
revisit to the area andled to additional studies of the
of the adjoining intrusive bodies of the Island Plutonic
Suite. The relationship between regiotlal stratigl,:lp'lic
advanced argillic alteration andacid sulphate map units and thehydrothermally alter :d rocks i!:
mineralization in Bonanza volcanic rocks to the west of
discussed in Nixon e l a/. (1994, this vo .ume).
the Island Copper mine in the Quatsinomap area (NTS
The advanced argillic alteration is :haracteriz:ec. by
92W12; Figure 1). For a discussion of a related study of
the presence of kaolinite, dickite, a1uni.e and
the generation of natural acid drainage in this
pyrophyllite. Other associated mineral :confirmed by
mineralized environment, see Koyanagi and Panteleyev
X-ray diffraction analysis are abundant quartz, diaqore
(1994, this volume). A summary of the integrated project
(Panteleyev a?t a / . , 1994, this volume) and more detailed
[AIO(OH)], zunyite [AI,,S~~O,,(OH,FI,,CI], val.i.ous
micas including sericite, muscovite a n ~illite;
l Im!;er
-
descriptions of the other project components suficial
smectite, paragonite, gypsum, anhydrit ;, natroalrnite,
geology, bedrock geology and exploration geochemistly, sulphur and rutile; and minor topaz, (? meta-halloyrite.
are contained elsewhere in this volume (Bobrowsky and
Meldrum, 1994; Nixon e l a / . , 1994; Sibbick, 1994). arsenian alunite (schlossmacherite) anc tridymite.
The clay-rich hydrothermal alterat on asseml~lages
all contain some quartz. It is derived fi om both residud
HYDROTHERMAL ALTERATION and, less commonly, added silica. Mai I alteration
assemblages are: quartz + kaolinite; qu ~rtz+ dickite f
pyrophyllite and/or kaolmte, all with cr without alunite,
Large areas of clay-altered, and locally intensely acid
diaspore, zunyite and minor mica ; and quartz i.: ~ l lite
u
leached siliceous rocks, are found in the belt of Bonanza
ikaolinite. Peripheral rocks, both undxlying and I;lter,al
volcanic rocks to the north of Holberg Inlet (Figure 2).
to the clay-altered zones, contain pervasive z o n a with
The most inknse hydrothermal alteration, including
advanced argillic assemblages, is evident in the region swelling-type, mixed-layer smectite cla f species
(montmorillonite) as well as extensive ~ropylitic
from the Pemberton Hills westward to Mount McIntosh,
alteration characterized by albite, chlorite, epidnt:,
a distance 01 15 to 30 kilometres to the west-northwest
of Island Copper mine. A second zone of similar carbonate, pyrite and zeolite. The propylitic reek!;, in
alteration occurs even farther west along the regional places, are crosscut by fractureantrolled sericiti: a l d
kaolinitic alteration.
trend of the 'Bonanza hostrocks at the Red Dog properly
Strongly altered rocks are bleachec. and chalcy
and to the west of it, about 6 lo 7 kilometres to the north
appearing. Where relic1 clay-altered piagioclase is
of the village of Holberg. The alteration is most evident
present, the rocks can be determined to be derivei fi,om
in the rhyolitic Bonanza map-units but also occurs in the
basaltic to andesitic protoliths. The m ~ r intens:
e
"""""""N
L.
B
Island I'lutonic Suite - Hushamu stock: sericite (alteration) -171 Ma 40Ar-39A1. plateau ag<
Island I'lutonic Suite - Hnshamu stock: hornblende -172 Ma 40Ar-39Ar plateau agc
(or plagioclase-hornblende porphyry dike)
Island Intrusive Suite - MeadCreek stock: hornblende168 f4 MaWArconventional
dating
WAr age ly J. Hadal. thc Uwvmlly ofBnrlrh Columb~a:Argon pIaIS8u dates from P Reynoldr. Dalhovrlc Univsrr.cy
"
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sulfate and Adularia-sericiteTypes; Economic Geology, and West Pemberton, Expo Claims,' rancouver ;:iIaid,
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