The Blackbird cobalt-copper (Co-Cu) district in the Salmon River Mountains of east-central Idaho occupies the central part of the Idaho cobalt belt—a northwest-elongate, 55-km-long belt of Co-Cu occurrences, hosted in grayish siliciclastic metasedimentary strata of the Lemhi subbasin (of the Mesoproterozoic Belt-Purcell Basin). The Blackbird district contains at least eight stratabound ore zones and many discordant lodes, mostly in the upper part of the banded siltite unit of the Apple Creek Formation of Yellow Lake, which generally consists of interbedded siltite and argillite. In the Blackbird mine area, argillite beds in six stratigraphic intervals are altered to biotitite containing over 75 vol% of greenish hydrothermal biotite, which is preferentially mineralized. Past production and currently estimated resources of the Blackbird district total ~17 Mt of ore, averaging 0.74% Co, 1.4% Cu, and 1.0 ppm Au (not including downdip projections of ore zones that are open downward). A compilation of relative-age relationships and isotopic age determinations indicates that most cobalt mineralization occurred in Mesoproterozoic time, whereas most copper mineralization occurred in Cretaceous time. Mesoproterozoic cobaltite mineralization accompanied and followed dynamothermal metamorphism and bimodal plutonism during the Middle Mesoproterozoic East Kootenay orogeny (ca. 1379–1325 Ma), and also accompanied Grenvilleage (Late Mesoproterozoic) thermal metamorphism (ca. 1200–1000 Ma). Stratabound cobaltite-biotite ore zones typically contain cobaltite 1 in a matrix of biotitite ± tourmaline ± minor xenotime (ca. 1370–1320 Ma) ± minor chalcopyrite ± sparse allanite ± sparse microscopic native gold in cobaltite. Such cobaltite-biotite lodes are locally folded into tight F 2 folds with axial-planar S 2 cleavage and schistosity. Discordant replacement-style lodes of cobaltite 2 -biotite ore ± xenotime 2 (ca. 1320–1270 Ma) commonly follow S 2 fractures and fabrics. Discordant quartz-biotite and quartz-tourmaline breccias, and veins contain cobaltite 3 ± xenotime 3 (ca. 1058–990 Ma). Mesoproterozoic cobaltite deposition was followed by: (1) within-plate plutonism (530–485 Ma) and emplacement of mafic dikes (which cut cobaltite lodes but are cut by quartz-Fe-Cu-sulfide veins); (2) garnet-grade metamorphism (ca. 151–93 Ma); (3) Fe-Cu-sulfide mineralization (ca. 110–92 Ma); and (4) minor quartz ± Au-Ag ± Bi mineralization (ca. 92–83 Ma). Cretaceous Fe-Cu-sulfide vein, breccia, and replacement-style deposits contain various combinations of chalcopyrite ± pyrrhotite ± pyrite ± cobaltian arsenopyrite (not cobaltite) ± arsenopyrite ± quartz ± siderite ± monazite (ca. 144–88 Ma but mostly 110–92 Ma) ± xenotime (104–93 Ma). Highly radiogenic Pb (in these sulfides) and Sr (in siderite) indicate that these elements resided in Mesoproterozoic source rocks until they were mobilized after ca. 100 Ma. Fe-Cu-sulfide veins, breccias, and replacement deposits appear relatively undeformed and generally lack metamorphic fabrics. Composite Co-Cu-Au ore contains early cobaltite-biotite lodes, cut by Fe-Cu-sulfide veins and breccias, or overprinted by Fe-Cu-sulfide replacement-style deposits, and locally cut by quartz veinlets ± Au-Ag ± Bi minerals.

Abstract The Reko Diq porphyry cluster in the western Chagai magmatic belt, Pakistan, contains a geologic resource of 5.9 billion tons (5.35 Bt) @ O.41% Cu and O.22 g/t Au, largely in the H14 and H15 porphyry deposits. These two deposits, located approximately 1 km apart, are related to a series of petrologically similar, middle Miocene (12.6–12.O Ma), calc-alkaline porphyry intrusions hosted by Oligocene andesitic volcanic and clastic sedimentary rocks. The porphyry intrusions are characterized by phenocrysts of plagioclase, biotite, quartz, and amphibole in a microcrystalline mafic silicate-bearing quartzofeldspathic groundmass. Potassic, sericite-chlorite, sericitic, and propylitic alteration assemblages are zoned about the porphyry intrusions. The early and intermineral porphyry intrusions are overprinted by a pervasive potassic alteration assemblage composed of hydrothermal biotite-K-feldspar-magnetite ± anhydrite with associated chalcopyrite and bornite. Chalcopyrite, bornite, and lesser pyrite are disseminated or are associated with a stockwork of quartz ± magnetite ± K-feldspar A- and B-type and less common sulfide-only veins. Bornite characterizes a distinct high-grade core to the H14 deposit, but it is less common and always subsidiary in volume to chalcopyrite in the slightly older H15 deposit. Local sulfide mineral assemblages of pyrite-covellite-bornite-chalcopyrite associated with pervasive quartz-sericite alteration assemblages in the H15 deposit form narrow, steeply dipping vein-like zones or strata-bound horizons restricted to felsic tuff or sandstone. The late porphyry intrusions are weakly altered and mineralized, lack volumetrically significant veins, and generally have low Cu and Au concentrations. Sulfide-deficient potassic alteration assemblages at greater than 1,OOO m depth are overprinted by a texturally destructive alteration assemblage of albite-epidote ± actinolite ± chlorite, inferred to represent a sodic-calcic alteration assemblage. Total sulfide contents at these depths are less than 1%. At shallow depths, a sericite-chlorite alteration assemblage overprints potassic alteration mainly along late-stage centimeter-scale chalcopy-rite-pyrite D-type veins. The sericite-chlorite assemblage is much more extensive in the H15 deposit than in the H14 deposit. An outer sericitic alteration assemblage composed of quartz-muscovite-pyrite ± chalcopyrite flanks the sericite-chlorite assemblage. An intermediate argillic alteration assemblage composed of clay minerals (illite, smectite, montmorillonite) and carbonate is common in remnants of plagioclase within the sericite-chlorite and sericitic alteration assemblages. A propylitic alteration assemblage of chlorite-epidote-albite ± pyrite-carbonate is developed in the peripheral volcanic and sedimentary host rocks surrounding the H14-H15 porphyry complex.

Abstract The dynamic processes operating within crustal magma reservoirs control many aspects of the chemical composition of erupted magmas, and crystals in volcanic rocks provide a temporally constrained archive of these changing environments. In this review, I compile 238 U– 230 Th ages of accessory phases and 238 U– 230 Th– 226 Ra ages of bulk mineral separates of major phases. These data document that crystals in individual samples can have ages spanning most of the history of a volcanic centre. Age populations for accessory phases show protracted pre-eruptive crystal residence times but few crystals predate magmatic activity at a given centre. These data have been interpreted in the context of residence times of the host magmas or timescales of the storage of crystals within a largely crystalline portion of the reservoir system. In contrast, less than half of the bulk separate 238 U– 230 Th– 226 Ra ages for major phases are more than 10 kyr older than the eruption. Many of these apparently conflicting observations of ages of major and accessory phases can be reconciled within the context of a model where a crystal mush was remobilized during processes leading to eruption. Overall, the compiled data show that crystals contain rich archives of magmatic processes in crustal reservoirs, especially when combined with other crystal-scale geochemical data. Supplementary material: Compilation of U–Th–Pb ages of accessory phases and associated references are available at www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18820

The current role of rare-earth-element- (REE-) and actinide-bearing accessory minerals as both geochronological markers and recorders of geochemical processes is reviewed in this paper. The minerals covered include the most common REE- and actinide-bearing accessory minerals found in high-grade rocks—i.e., monazite, xeno-time, apatite, huttonite, thorite, zircon, allanite, and titanite. The goal of this review is to describe the most recent research developments regarding these minerals and their interaction with each other as well as their role as geochronometers. These results are then applied to two cross sections of lower crust from Rogaland–Vest Agder, SW Norway, and Tamil Nadu, S India (granulite and amphibolite facies) with regard to seeing how REE-accessory minerals relate to each other as a function of metamorphic grade. In either traverse the same relationships are seen between monazite, fluorapatite, allanite, and titanite. Namely, in the amphibolite-facies zone, the REE are hosted by titanite and allanite, whereas in the clinopyroxene-in transition zone between the amphibolite-facies and granulite-facies zones, monazite is the stable REE-bearing phase in the region of the orthopyroxene-in isograd. In the granulite-facies zone the REE are hosted by fluorapatite as opposed to monazite. These similarities suggest that mineral hosting of REE follows certain general trends, which are a function of metamorphic grade, whole rock chemistry, and intergranular fluid chemistry.

Early Cretaceous lawsonite eclogites and related high-pressure rocks occur as tectonic inclusions within serpentinite mélange south of the Motagua fault zone, Guatemala. Petrologic and microtextural analyses of mafic high-pressure rocks reveal three metamorphic stages linked to several deformational textures. The prograde stage represents an incipient eclogitization and is preserved in prograde garnet, along with an older S 1 –S 2 foliation. The prograde assemblage is garnet ( X Mg = ∼0.22) + omphacite (∼52 mol% jadeite) or jadeite (∼83 mol % jadeite) + lawsonite + chlorite + rutile + quartz ± phengite (3.6 Si p.f.u.); some rocks also have ilmenite and rare ferro-glaucophane. Lawsonite in garnet of some lawsonite eclogites contains rare pumpellyite inclusions. The presence of synmetamorphic brittle deformation, inclusions of pumpellyite, Fe 2+ -Mg distribution coefficients between omphacite inclusions and adjacent garnet with Ln( K D ) = 2.7–4.5, and garnet-clinopyroxene-phengite thermobarometry suggest that eclogitization initiated at temperature ( T ) = ∼300 °C and pressure ( P ) > 1.1 GPa, and continued to T = ∼480 °C and P = ∼2.6 GPa. In contrast, the retrograde eclogite-facies assemblage is characterized by reversely zoned garnet rims and omphacite ± glaucophane + lawsonite + rutile + quartz ± phengite (3.5 Si p.f.u.) along the S 3 foliation. Garnet-phengite-clinopyroxene thermobarometry yields P = ∼1.8 GPa and T = ∼400 °C. The youngest, blueschist-facies assemblage (glauco-phane + lawsonite + chlorite + titanite + quartz ± phengite) locally replaces earlier mineral assemblages along S 4 crenulations. The inferred prograde P - T trajectory lies near a geotherm of ∼5 °C km −1 , comparable to the calculated thermal and petrologic structure of the NE Japan subduction zone. These petrologic characteristics indicate: (1) the basalt-eclogite transformation may occur at T = ∼300 °C in cold subduction zones, (2) glaucophane-bearing prograde assemblages are rare during incipient eclogitization in cold subduction zones, and (3) the chlorite-consuming reactions that form Fe-Mg-Mn garnet are more effective than the lawsonite-consuming reaction that forms a grossular component. At depths of ∼100 km in cold subduction zones, dehydration embrittlement may be caused by such chlorite-consuming reactions.