Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas
Abstract Epithermal bonanza-type ores, characterized by weight-percent contents of e.g., gold and silver in a few mm to cm, are generated by mixtures of magmatic-derived hydrothermal brines and external fluids (e.g., meteoric) that transport a variety of metals to the site of deposition. However, th...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Nature Portfolio
2023-09-01
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| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41756-4 |
| _version_ | 1797559610553401344 |
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| author | Néstor Cano José M. González-Jiménez Antoni Camprubí Diego Domínguez-Carretero Eduardo González-Partida Joaquín A. Proenza |
| author_facet | Néstor Cano José M. González-Jiménez Antoni Camprubí Diego Domínguez-Carretero Eduardo González-Partida Joaquín A. Proenza |
| author_sort | Néstor Cano |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Epithermal bonanza-type ores, characterized by weight-percent contents of e.g., gold and silver in a few mm to cm, are generated by mixtures of magmatic-derived hydrothermal brines and external fluids (e.g., meteoric) that transport a variety of metals to the site of deposition. However, the low solubilities of precious metals in hydrothermal fluids cannot justify the high concentrations necessary to produce such type of hyper-enriched metal ore. Here we show that boiling metal-bearing brines can produce, aggregate, and accumulate metal nanomaterials, ultimately leading to focused gold + silver ± copper over-enrichments. We found direct nano-scale evidence of nanoparticulate gold- and/or silver-bearing ores formed via nonclassical growth (i.e., nanomaterial attachment) during boiling in an intermediate-sulfidation epithermal bonanza. The documented processes may explain the generation of bonanzas in metal-rich brines from a range of mineral deposit types. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:47:45Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4838075d56e7487a99cdc0dde21dcc42 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T17:47:45Z |
| publishDate | 2023-09-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-4838075d56e7487a99cdc0dde21dcc422023-11-20T09:27:13ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222023-09-011311710.1038/s41598-023-41756-4Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzasNéstor Cano0José M. González-Jiménez1Antoni Camprubí2Diego Domínguez-Carretero3Eduardo González-Partida4Joaquín A. Proenza5Programa de Posgrado en Ciencias de la Tierra, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM). Ciudad UniversitariaInstituto Andaluz de Ciencias de la Tierra, CSIC-Universidad de GranadaInstituto de Geología, UNAM. Ciudad UniversitariaDepartament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de BarcelonaCentro de Geociencias, UNAMDepartament de Mineralogia, Petrologia i Geologia Aplicada, Facultat de Ciències de la Terra, Universitat de BarcelonaAbstract Epithermal bonanza-type ores, characterized by weight-percent contents of e.g., gold and silver in a few mm to cm, are generated by mixtures of magmatic-derived hydrothermal brines and external fluids (e.g., meteoric) that transport a variety of metals to the site of deposition. However, the low solubilities of precious metals in hydrothermal fluids cannot justify the high concentrations necessary to produce such type of hyper-enriched metal ore. Here we show that boiling metal-bearing brines can produce, aggregate, and accumulate metal nanomaterials, ultimately leading to focused gold + silver ± copper over-enrichments. We found direct nano-scale evidence of nanoparticulate gold- and/or silver-bearing ores formed via nonclassical growth (i.e., nanomaterial attachment) during boiling in an intermediate-sulfidation epithermal bonanza. The documented processes may explain the generation of bonanzas in metal-rich brines from a range of mineral deposit types.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41756-4 |
| spellingShingle | Néstor Cano José M. González-Jiménez Antoni Camprubí Diego Domínguez-Carretero Eduardo González-Partida Joaquín A. Proenza Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas Scientific Reports |
| title | Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas |
| title_full | Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas |
| title_fullStr | Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas |
| title_short | Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas |
| title_sort | nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-41756-4 |
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