Abstract
Hydrogen and oxygen isotope studies have been widely applied to characterize the origin of fluids during ore-forming processes1–4. The primary isotope record, however, may be disturbed by retrograde exchange reactions, thus complicating the interpretation of the data. The susceptibility of minerals to retrograde isotope and chemical exchange is variable5, reflecting differences in the mechanism and rate of isotope exchange. These depend on several factors, including mineralogy, surface area, temperature, pressure, nature and concentration of fluid phase, water/rock ratio. In the Cluff-D uranium deposit within the Athabasca basin (Saskatchewan, Canada) illites and chlorites associated with uranium mineralization are strongly depleted in deuterium (–90 > δD > – 170‰ SMOW (standard mean ocean water)) and have young K/Ar apparent ages (<750 Myr) compared with illites from the barren zones around the ore deposit ( – 48 > δD > –62‰; 1,265 Myr)6–8. Both the δD values and K/Ar 'ages' decrease with increase in the uranium content of the rock. The H2O+ content of illite from mineralized samples is higher than the theoretical value as well as samples from the barren zone. These relationships are interpreted in terms of radiation-catalysed retrograde hydrogen isotope and K–Ar exchange of the clays at low temperatures with post-Cretaceous meteoric waters.
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Halter, G., Sheppard, S., Weber, F. et al. Radiation-related retrograde hydrogen isotope and K—Ar exchange in clay minerals. Nature 330, 638–641 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1038/330638a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/330638a0
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