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Mineralogical, geochemical, fluid inclusion and isotope study of Hohentauern/Sunk sparry magnesite deposit (Eastern Alps/Austria): implications for a metasomatic genetic model

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Abstract

The magnesite deposit of Hohentauern/Sunk, hosted in Viseán carbonate rocks, is one of the best-exposed examples of “Veitsch type” sparry magnesite deposits, which are located in the Veitsch nappe of the Austroalpine Greywacke zone (Eastern Alps/Austria). The sparry magnesite is stratiform and stratabound within the Viseán Steilbachgraben Formation and displays distinct metasomatic features and textures. The sparry magnesite of the Hohentauern/Sunk deposit is characterized by pinolites, rosettes and banded (zebra) textures. Due to microinclusions of dolomite and redolomitzation, the CaO/MgO of magnesite is elevated. Concentrations of selected major and trace elements (Fe-Mn, Sr-Ba, Cr-Ni) in sparry magnesite indicate formation in a marine/evaporitic environment and by Mg2+-metasomatism. The REE patterns of magnesite are characterized by low LREE/HREE, depletion of LREE and a negative Ce anomaly. The δ18O (9.59 to 12.32 ‰ SMOW) and δ13C (−2.23 to −0.02 ‰ PDB) values of magnesite overlap with those published for magnesite formed by metasomatic replacement of dolomite. Fluid inclusions in the sparry magnesite indicate a high salinity (22.4 mass% NaCl equivalent) of the Mg-rich fluid; it is of marine/evaporitic origin. All geological, petrographical and geochemical features support a diagenetic dolomitization of the carbonate host rocks followed by magnesite formation via metasomatic replacement and redolomitization. Sm-Nd geochronology indicates a Late Carboniferous to Early Permian age for magnesite formation triggered by intraformational circulation of fluids derived from buried Carboniferous evaporites.

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Acknowledgments

Field-work was partially supported by the Austrian Academy of Sciences (Commission of Raw Material Research). The authors thank the last mine manager of the Hohentauern deposit DI H. Krisch for mine related information and logistic support. Dr. R. Bakker, Dr. W. Prochaska and Dr. H. Mali from the Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics supported this work by intensive discussion, help with analytical work and field assistance. Dr. U. Kloetzli (University of Vienna) gratefully performed the laser ablation analysis. Last but not at least we thank PhD M.T. Krupenin Yekaterinburg (Russian Acadademy of Sciences), Dipl. Eng. M. Radvanec, PhD. (State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr, Slovak Republic) and one anonymous reviewer for their critical reviews and fruitful comments. Editorial handling by J. G Raith is gratefully acknowledged.

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  1. Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Zanjan, 45371-38791, Zanjan, Iran

    Amir M. Azim Zadeh

  2. Department of Applied Geosciences and Geophysics, Montanuniversitaet Leoben, Peter-Tunner-Straße 5, A-8700, Leoben, Austria

    Amir M. Azim Zadeh & Fritz Ebner

  3. State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, Department of Earth Sciences, Nanjing University, 210093, Nanjing, China

    Shao-Yong Jiang

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Azim Zadeh, A.M., Ebner, F. & Jiang, SY. Mineralogical, geochemical, fluid inclusion and isotope study of Hohentauern/Sunk sparry magnesite deposit (Eastern Alps/Austria): implications for a metasomatic genetic model. Miner Petrol 109, 555–575 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-015-0386-2

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