Monazite
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SHRIMP U-Pb zircon and monazite geochronology of magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks sampled from an undercover region informally referred to as ‘East Tennant’, located approximately 200 km east of Tennant Creek, has redefined our knowledge of the geology of this region. These results establish strong temporal links with rocks in the Au-Cu-Bi mineralised Tennant Creek region (Warramunga Province) and the Paleoproterozoic Murphy Province, approximately 270 km to the northeast. Detrital zircon U-Pb analyses of two metasedimentary samples show maximum depositional ages of ca. 1875 Ma and detrital zircon age spectra similar to Warramunga Formation metasedimentary rocks in the Warramunga Province. Additionally, three extrusive rocks and an intermediate intrusive rock have magmatic crystallisation ages of 1858–1849 Ma, synchronous with magmatism in the Warramunga Province associated with the 1860–1845 Ma Tennant Event. Monazite U-Pb analyses of two samples of metapelites from the East Tennant region and Murphy Province record metamorphism at ca. 1845 Ma, which is also synchronous with magmatism associated with the Tennant Event. These new results suggest that the undercover East Tennant region could represent an extension of the Warramunga Province and therefore be prospective for Au-Cu-Bi mineralisation. <b>Citation:</b> Cross, A.J., Clark, A.D., Schofield, A. and Kositcin, N., 2020. New SHRIMP U-Pb zircon and monazite geochronology of the East Tennant region: a possible undercover extension of the Warramunga Province, Tennant Creek. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.
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High-grade gold (Au), copper (Cu) and bismuth (Bi) ores in the Tennant Creek goldfield have been mined from hydrothermal magnetite and/or hematite-rich ironstone bodies. Less well known is a style of Au-Cu-Bi mineralisation hosted by quartz vein systems within shear zones outside ironstones. Sensitive High Resolution Ion Micro Probe (SHRIMP) U-Pb-Th analyses of hydrothermal monazite [(LREE)PO4] associated with this mineralisation style at the Orlando East Au-Cu-Bi deposit and Navigator 6 Au prospect yield ages of 1659 ± 13 Ma and 1659 ± 15 Ma, respectively. These ages are nearly 200 million years younger than the age established from ironstone-hosted ores in the district. This new result widens the exploration ‘search space’ for gold into rock formations previously regarded as too young to host this style of mineralisation. <b>Citation:</b> Skirrow, R.G., Cross, A.J., Magee, C.W., Lecomte, A., and Mercadier, J., 2020. Identification of a new ca. 1660 Ma Au-Cu-Bi metallogenic event at Tennant Creek. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.