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Pb-Zn and minor U mineralization at Tyndrum, Scotland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 July 2018

Richard A. D. Pattrick
Richard A. D. Pattrick*
Affiliation:
Department of Geology, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL
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Abstract

The Tyndrum Pb-Zn mineralization occurs as veins and vein breccias in NE-SW trending fractures associated with the Tyndrum-Glen-Fyne fault. The major minerals are quartz, galena, and sphalerite with minor chalcopyrite and baryte. Tetrahedrite (sometimes silver-and cadmium-rich), pyrargyrite, marcasite, and pyrite occur as small inclusions (< 100 µm) in the galena-rich veins. Sphalerite formed early in the depositional sequence, mainly in breccias, with increasing amounts of galena and chalcopyrite deposited in the later vein stages of mineralization. Uraniferous veins post-date the main Pb-Zn mineralization and contain uraninite, calcite, baryte, galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, argentite, chalcocite, tetrahedrite, and safflorite.

Fluid inclusion studies reveal that the mineralizing solutions contained c.20 wt. % equivalent NaCl + KCl, had an Na/K ratio of 3 : 1 and were boiling during mineral precipitation.

The Tyndrum fault controlled the upward flow of the hydrothermal solutions and its intersection with fractures in quartzites favoured the siting of the veins. The depositional sequence is explained by an increase in temperature during the mineralizing episode. The uraniferous veins may be a late oxidized stage of the main Pb-Zn mineralization.

Keywords

Pb-Zn mineralizationuranium veinsTyndrumScotlandfluid inclusions
Type
Research Article
Information
Mineralogical Magazine , Volume 49 , Issue 354 , December 1985 , pp. 671 - 681
Copyright
Copyright © The Mineralogical Society of Great Britain and Ireland 1985

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