Mineralogy and origin of the distal volcanosedimentary deposit at the Haellefors silver mine, Bergslagen, central Sweden
In the Zn-Pb-Ag deposit of Hiillefors silver mine, four types of sulfide ores are recognized: l) stratabound ore associated with manganiferous iton ores, 2) arsenopyritebearing stratiform (stratabound ?) ore, 3) galena-rich fissures, 4) galena-arsenopyrite veins. Type 3 and 4 are thought to originate by remobilization from types I and 2, respectively. The antipathetic behavior of arsenopyrite with magnetite in the stratabound ores probably reflects environmental conditions during the deposition and early diagenesis. Metamorphic, hydrothermal remobilization led to the formation of many Ag, Pb and Sb minerals. Results of electron-microprobe analyses indicate that the principal sources of silver are argentian galena, freibergite and pyrargyrite. The silver content of galena (up to 0.17 wt.9o) has a linear relation with its antimony content. Tetrahedritegroup minerals contain ll.3 to 31.6 fi.qo Ag. An extremely silver-rich freibergite (48,2 wt.9o Ag) exceeds the previously reported maximum (42,5 wt.Vo).
Some aspects of the silver mineralization in the Hällefors region (Bergslagen, Sweden)
Abstract Sulphide and sulphosalt mineralization in the Hällefors silver mining district occurs as stratabound bodies in skarn-like black carbonates and other carbonates in the eastern part of the district, and as epigenetic, tectonically controlled vein mineralization in tuffaceous metavolcanics and, to a lesser extent in slates, in the western part. Previous work has suggested that the Ag-bearing Hällefors deposits were formed by the action of metamorphic solutions on sediments of volcano-sedimentary origin. At the stages of sulphosalt and sulphide formation, temperature and pressure conditions were probably in the ranges 500–440 K and 4.5–3.5 kbar. Examination of a log a S2 -1/T diagram and of Ag-Sb phase relations combined with study of the ores suggest the paragenesis of the Ag-bearing minerals is as follows: allargentum and dyscrasite as exsolution bodies in silver bearing galena; Ag-containing tetrahedrite → freibergite → miargyrite → pyrargyrite → stephanite (from hydrothermal solutions).
Silicate solid solutions and geothermometry
The properties of the regular solution are described. A solid solution is assigned certain theoretical values of the heat of mixing and the results of the distribution of a component between two coexisting solutions are shown graphically on Roozeboom diagrams. Such representations may be useful in explaining the distribution of elements observed in natural mineral assemblages.