Laserfiche WebLink
T-4518 <br />59 <br />as 5 mm) galena followed sphalerite deposition. It replaces pyrite (Figs. 326 and c) and <br />occtus as open space fillings (Fig. 34b) and small (1-5 µm) blebs in the sphalerite. The <br />galena as blebs could have been deposited with the host sphalerite or could be a <br />replacement feature. Six microprobe analyses conducted on five galena grains indic,rte <br />that galena contains less than 50 ppm silver. <br />A second, more extensive, period of chalcopyrite deposition also began after <br />sphalerite deposition (Fig. 346). The textural relationship between galena and <br />chalcopyrite suggests that chalcopyrite was deposited towards the end of galena <br />deposition. Chalcopyrite is anliedral and tends to be finer-grained than either galen~i or <br />sphalerite; grain sizes typically range from 1 to 300 µm in diameter, but grains as large as <br />1 mm are not unusual. It replaces pyrite and occurs as open space Fillings. The <br />chalcopyrite deposited at this stage has a variable texture due to incipient replacement by <br />stromeyerite (Figs. 36a and 36b). This second stage of chalcopyrite can only be <br />distinguished from the eazly, wg-lining chalcopyrite when the former is partially replaced <br />by stmmeyerite. <br />Electrum grains range from less than 1µm to over 200 µm in diameter (Appendix <br />C). A significant majority of the grains are less than 20 µm, but larger grains are not <br />uncommon. Most electrum grains occur at base-metal sulfide grain boundaries rather than <br />as refractory grains fully enclosed in other minerals. <br />About sixty per cent of electrum grains shaze a grain boundary with chalcopyrite, <br />40% with sphalerite, 20% with galena, and 10% with stromeyerite (Appendix C). <br />Approximately 30% of electrum grains share grain boundaries with only chalcopyrite and, <br />frequently, eazlier quartz and/or pyrite. About 15% of elecavm grains shaze grain <br />boundaries with sphalerite and 15% with galena in the absence of chalcopyrite. All <br />