Synchrotron Data - Fisher 10285 (Mar 2016) - Do rich gold deposits require anomalous hydrothermal fluids_

Gold captures the public imagination, and the discovery of "bonanza" gold led to world-famous gold rushes in both California and Australia. Yet, nearly 200 years later, we still do not understand the cause of very high grade gold mineralization, with some workers citing anomalously gold-rich hydrothermal fluids, while other workers suggest highly\r\nefficient precipitation mechanisms are more likely. Using synchrotron radiation and x-ray fluorescence microscopy, we will address this controversy by assessing the distribution of gold and trace elements in gold-bearing samples from sediment and vein-hosted gold deposits, particularly searching for signatures suggestive of unusual\r\nhydrothermal fluids.\nLineage: Data was produced using the Maia 384 element detector array on the XFM X-ray microprobe beamline of the Australian Synchrotron and processed using the GeoPIXE software package.\n