A story of olivine from the McIvor Hill complex (Tasmania, Australia): Clues to the origin of the Avebury metasomatic Ni sulfide deposit

Abstract

Magmatic differentiation and/or assimilation and related segregation of immiscible sulfide liquid are generally believed to be critical processes in the formation of the majority of orthomagmatic Ni sulfide deposits. In recent years, a new class of Ni sulfide deposits formed by metasomatic and/or hydrothermal modification of peridotites has been recognized. The serpentinite-hosted Avebury Ni sulfide deposit (Tasmania, Australia), the largest known non-magmatic sulfide deposit, provides an unprecedented opportunity to understand sources of metals and fluids responsible for this style of economic mineralization. Our study shows that serpentinization of the Ni-bearing olivine in the Cambrian pe..