Degassing as the Main Ore-Forming Process at the Giant Imiter Ag–Hg Vein Deposit in the Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco

The giant Imiter epithermal Ag–Hg vein deposit in the Anti-Atlas Mountains of southern Morocco formed during a major episode of mineralization linked with Ediacaran volcanism at ca. 550 Ma. Silver was deposited during two main epithermal mineralizing events referred to as epithermal-quartz (ESE-Qz) and epithermal-dolomite (ESE-Dol) stages under distinct stress fields (i.e., WNW-ESE and N-S shortening directions), and is confined to the late Neoproterozoic, N60-90° E-trending, transcrustal Imiter fault zone. Economic orebodies are aligned mainly along the interface between sedimentary and volcanic units of lower and upper Cryogenian age. The ore mineralogy consists principally of Ag–Hg amalgam, argentite, polybasite, pearceite, tetrahedrite-tennantite, proustite-pyrargyrite, imiterite, acanthite, arsenopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite, and galena. Gangue constituents are dominated by quartz (ESE-Qz stage) and dolomite (ESE-Dol stage). Wall-rock alteration is well developed and includes silicification and dolomitization, and minor propylitization and kaolinitization. Fluid inclusion data indicate that the mineralizing fluids evolved through time, from a mean temperature of ~180 °C and salinity of ~10 wt% NaCl during ESE-Qz stage I, to a mean temperature of ~165 °C and salinity of ~24 wt% NaCl equiv during ESE-Dol stage II. Calculated trapping pressures, in the range of 1.1–0.9 kbar, exclude fluid unmixing “effervescence” as a viable ore depositional mechanism. Conversely, halogen compositions suggest the involvement of magmatic brines and evolved seawater. Stable (C, O, S) and radiogenic (Pb, Re/Os) isotope data, together with noble gas isotope compositions, are consistent with various degrees of mixing between mantle and crustal sources along the fluid flow path. Collectively, these data suggest that degassing of CO₂ and SO₂ during epithermal mineralization and related fluid/rock interactions led to local redox-potential decreases and pH increases that resulted in preferential deposition of massive amounts of native Hg-rich silver instead of Ag and Hg sulphide minerals.