Graphite from Palaeoproterozoic enhanced carbon burial, and its metallogenic legacy

John Parnell* (Corresponding Author), Connor Brolly, Adrian Boyce

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)
8 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

The episode of widespread organic carbon deposition marked by a peak in black shale sedimentation during the Palaeoproterozoic is also reflected in a relative abundance of exceptionally abundant graphite deposits of this age. Worldwide anoxic/euxinic sediments were preserved as a deep crustal reservoir of both organic carbon, and sulphur in accompanying pyrite, both commonly >1 wt.%. The carbon- and sulphur-rich Palaeoproterozoic crust interacted with mafic magma to cause Ni-Co-Cu-PGE mineralization over the next billion years, and much of the uranium currently produced is from Mesoproterozoic deposits nucleated upon older Palaeoproterozoic graphite. Palaeoproterozoic carbon deposition has thus left a unique legacy of both graphite deposits and long-term ore depositions.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)1711-1718
Number of pages8
JournalGeological Magazine
Volume158
Issue number9
Early online date13 Jul 2021
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2021

Bibliographical note

Acknowledgements
This project is in support of the NERC SoS (Security of Supply of Critical Elements) programme, under Grant NE/M010953/1. C. Taylor, J. Johnston and J. Bowie provided skilled technical help. We are most grateful to H. Gautneb and E. Lynch for valuable review.

Keywords

  • Precambrian
  • Proterozoic
  • graphite
  • mineralization
  • carbon isotopes

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