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Sulphide trace-element signatures of mineralization styles in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland
Summary
The Caledonian-Appalachian orogenic belt hosts a large number of mineralised occurrences in arc and ophiolite sequences of varying type, age, host stratigraphy, magmatic affinity, and tectonic setting. World-class deposits occur on both sides of the Iapetus Suture upon Laurentian and Gondwanan affinity crust. Within these systems, regional-scale to intra- deposit controls on precious and critical metal enrichments are poorly understood. Further, the prospectivity for base, precious and critical metals varies significantly between mineralisation types, adding to the complexity of this issue.
The Tyrone Igneous Complex (TIC) of Northern Ireland represents an arc-ophiolite system that formed outboard of the Laurentian margin between the Early and Middle Ordovician. It has been recognized to be a direct correlative to the VMS-rich Annieopsquotch Accretionary Tract of Newfoundland, host to the world-class Buchan’s deposits. This study aims to improve the understanding of controls on mineralisation within the Caledonian-Appalachian orogeny, to provide a detailed assessment of their precious and critical metal potential and to contribute to their exploration and development efforts.
Our new sulphide trace-element data combined with molybdenite and pyrite geochronology, demonstrates that the mineralisation hosted in the TIC is considerably more diverse than previously thought.
Biography
Philippe Mongeau is a Canadian PhD student at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in mineral exploration and geochemistry.
He holds a BSc in Geological Engineering from Laval University (2021), where he also completed his master’s research (2023). His thesis used multiple sulphur isotopes and trace element chemistry to track fluid-rock reactions and to develop predictive targeting methods for gold exploration.
His doctoral research focuses on the controls on precious and critical metal enrichment in sulphide occurrences of the Caledonian-Appalachian orogen. Using sulphide trace chemistry and a variety of isotopic and geochronological systems, he aims to provide a clear assessment of the mineralisation styles and ore-forming processes involved in the orogen, set within a robust geodynamic framework.