Synsedimentary mineralization in the Paleoproterozoic McArthur River (HYC) Zn-Pb-Ag deposit, McArthur Basin, Australia

Abstract

The McArthur River (HYC) Zn-Pb-Ag deposit of the McArthur Basin, Northern Australia is a superbly preserved example of stratiform shale-hosted mineralization. Despite extensive research on the deposit, the question of whether the sulphide minerals are synsedimentary or epigenetic remains unresolved. Here, we examine sedimentological, textural and geochemical features of the deposit to constrain the timing and environment of sulphide mineral precipitation. Results indicate that most of the base metal sulphide minerals at McArthur River are of synsedimentary origin and were precipitated at or just below (within millimetres of) the sediment–water interface. Common sedimentological features of t..