Journal of

GEOsciences

  (Formerly Journal of the Czech Geological Society)

Original Paper

Jiří Zachariáš, Tomáš Novák

Gold-bearing quartz veins of the Bělčice ore district, Bohemian Massif: evidence for incursion of metamorphic fluids into a granodiorite body and for isothermal mixing between two types of metamorphic fluids

Journal of Geosciences, volume 54 (2009), issue 1, 57 - 72

DOI: http://doi.org/10.3190/jgeosci.039

Gold-bearing quartz veins of the Bělčice ore district are hosted by I-type Variscan Blatná granodiorite of the Central Bohemian Plutonic Complex. The quartz gangue precipitated from aqueous-carbonic fluids (3-7 wt. % NaCl eq.) with significant methane admixture (up to 15 mol. % of CH₄) at c. 350-400 °C and 200-400 MPa. The ore stage including gold precipitation occurred at lower temperatures (300 to 250 °C) and pressures (~ 100 MPa) from aqueous fluids. The isotope composition of the quartz and carbonate gangue indicates progressively heavier oxygen of the parental fluid (δ¹⁸O_fluid from ~ 9-10 ‰ to 10-14 ‰ SMOW). This suggests ingress of metamorphic fluids equilibrated with metasedimentary country rocks into an environment dominated by I-type granitoids. Invasion of external metamorphic fluids is also supported by nearly isothermal mixing trends in aqueous fluids as documented by salinity variations (from 5.5 to 0 wt. % NaCl eq.).