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Metallogenesis and Tectonics of the Russian Far East, Alaska, and ...

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Origin <strong>of</strong> <strong>and</strong> Tectonic Controls for<br />

Dempster Metallogenic Belt<br />

In <strong>the</strong> Middle Devonian, a dramatic change in sedimentation patterns occurred throughout <strong>the</strong> North American Craton<br />

Margin when continental shelf platform assemblages <strong>of</strong> carbonate <strong>and</strong> clastic rocks were drowned <strong>and</strong> starved <strong>of</strong> clastic sediments<br />

before being inundated by mainly turbidite <strong>and</strong> chert-rich clastic rocks derived from <strong>the</strong> west <strong>and</strong> north. The abrupt change from<br />

passive-margin to variably coarsening-upward clastic sedimentation represented by <strong>the</strong> Earn Assemblage is interpreted as <strong>the</strong><br />

result <strong>of</strong> local block uplift as a consequence <strong>of</strong> regional extension or strike-slip faulting (Gordy, 1991; Gordey <strong>and</strong> Anderson,<br />

1993), or as interpreted herein, related to syndepositional faults which bounded a westerly trending, rift-related trough. The<br />

formation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Dempster metallogenic belt <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> similar Macmillan Pass <strong>and</strong> Gataga metallogenic belts is interpreted as<br />

occurring during deposition <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> clastic wedge.<br />

Macmillan Pass Metallogenic Belt <strong>of</strong><br />

Zn-Pb-Ag-Ba SEDEX Deposits,<br />

Central Yukon Territory (Belt MP)<br />

The Macmillan Pass metallogenic belt <strong>of</strong> SEDEX Zn-Pb-Ag-Ba deposits (fig. 17; tables 3,4) occurs in <strong>the</strong> central Yukon<br />

Territory <strong>and</strong> is hosted in <strong>the</strong> Devonian <strong>and</strong> Mississippian sedimentary rocks <strong>of</strong> Earn Group, part <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> North American Craton<br />

Margin in <strong>the</strong> nor<strong>the</strong>rn Canadian Cordillera. The significant deposits are at Cathy (Bar, Walt, Hess), Gravity (BA), Jeff (Naomi,<br />

Baroid), Macmillan Pass (Tom, Jason Main, Jason <strong>East</strong>), Moose (Spartan, Racicot), Oro (Buc, Mar, Dar, Tang), <strong>and</strong> Tea (Brock)<br />

(table 4) (Nokleberg <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs 1997a, b, 1998).<br />

Tom, Jason Main, <strong>and</strong> Jason <strong>East</strong><br />

Pb-Zn-Ag-Ba SEDEX Deposits<br />

Tom, Jason Main, <strong>and</strong> Jason <strong>East</strong> SEDEX Pb-Zn-Ag-Ba deposits occur in two or more stratigraphic intervals in <strong>the</strong><br />

Middle to Late Devonian lower Earn Group. interpreted as part <strong>of</strong> a Devonian <strong>and</strong> Mississippian clastic wedge in <strong>the</strong> MacMillan<br />

Pass area. The deposits are interpreted as spatially related to syndepositional faults bounding a rift-related trough filled with fineto<br />

coarse-grained siliceous turbiditic clastic rocks(Maclntyre, 1991; Mining Review, 1992). Estimate reserves are 9.3 million<br />

tonnes grading 7.5% Pb, 6.2% Zn, <strong>and</strong> 69.4 g/t Ag for <strong>the</strong> Tom deposit, <strong>and</strong> 14.1 million tonne ,s grading 7.09Yo Pt ), 6.57% Zn, <strong>and</strong><br />

79.9 g/t Ag for <strong>the</strong> Jason deposits (MacIntyre, 1991; Mining Review, 1992). The distribution o fore facic :s consist: j <strong>of</strong>: (1) a Cu<strong>and</strong><br />

Ag-rich footwall stockwork which is overlain by Pb- <strong>and</strong> Zn- rich massive sulfide facies; ( 2) an upw rard <strong>and</strong> 1; ateral gradation<br />

into a Zn- <strong>and</strong> Fe-rich, laminated sulfide facies; <strong>and</strong> (3) a distal gradation into Ba-rich ore. This distribution is interpreted as<br />

forming during a zonal deposition from low-temperature brines exhaled into an anoxic sub-basin (McClay <strong>and</strong> Bidwell, 1986;<br />

Large, 1983). The Jason deposits, 5 krn southwest <strong>of</strong> Tom, possess similar ore facies but occur closer to a graben margin <strong>and</strong> are<br />

characterized by slump <strong>and</strong> debris flows <strong>and</strong> discordant, replacement ore textures.<br />

Moose Ba SEDEX Deposit<br />

The Moose Ba SEDEX deposit consists <strong>of</strong> finely laminated barite which occurs in two beds from 25 to 45 meters thick<br />

<strong>and</strong> exposed for 200 to 250 meters along strike (Dawson <strong>and</strong> Orchard, 1982; Yukon Minfile, 1992). The deposit has estimated<br />

reserves <strong>of</strong> 3.0 million tonnes grading 84% BaS04, 12% to 14% SiO?. The deposit occurs near <strong>the</strong> base <strong>of</strong> a shale member <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />

Middle to Late Devonian lower Earn Group, immediately above an underlying chert pebble conglomerate. The host rocks are<br />

interpreted as part <strong>of</strong> a Devonian <strong>and</strong> Mississippian clastic wedge.<br />

Origin <strong>of</strong> <strong>and</strong> Tectonic Setting for<br />

MacMillan Pass Metallogenic Belt<br />

The MacMillan Pass metallogenic belt <strong>of</strong> Zn-Pb-Ag-Ba SEDEX deposits is hosted mainly in Late Devonian (Frasnian)<br />

units <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> North American Craton Margin (Dawson <strong>and</strong> Orchard, 1982). Most <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> SEDEX deposits in <strong>the</strong> metallogenic belt<br />

are related to syndepositional faults which bound a westerly trending, rift-related trough filled with turbiditic siliceous clastic<br />

rocks <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> lower Earn Group (Abbott, 1986b). The Devonian <strong>and</strong> Mississippian Earn Group, which hosts <strong>the</strong> metallogenic belt,<br />

represents a dramatic change in sedimentation patterns. The change consisted <strong>of</strong> drowning <strong>of</strong> shelf carbonate-clastic platforms <strong>and</strong><br />

subsequent inundation by turbidite- <strong>and</strong> chert-rich clastic rock derived from <strong>the</strong> west <strong>and</strong> north (Gordey <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs, 1991). The<br />

abrupt change from passive continental margin sedimentation to variable, coarsening-upward clastic sedimentation is interpreted<br />

as <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong> local block uplift as a consequence <strong>of</strong> regional extension related to rifting or strike-slip faulting (Gordey, 1992), or<br />

a consequence <strong>of</strong> ensialic arc magmatism, uplift <strong>and</strong> forel<strong>and</strong> clastic wedge deposition (Gabrielse <strong>and</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs, 1982).

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