Genesis of the Au-Bi-Cu-As, Cu-Mo ± W, and base-metal Au-Ag mineralization at the Mountain Freegold (Yukon, Canada): Constraints from Ar-Ar and Re-Os geochronology and Pb and stable isotope compositions

The genesis of mineralized systems across the Mountain Freegold area, in the Dawson Range Cu-Au ± Mo Belt of the Tintina Au province was constrained using Pb and stable isotope compositions and Ar-Ar and Re-Os geochronology. Pb isotope compositions of sulfides span a wide compositional range (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, 18.669-19.861; ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb, 38.400-39.238) that overlaps the compositions of the spatially associated igneous rocks, thus indicating a magmatic origin for Pb and probably the other metals. Sulfur isotopic compositions of sulfide minerals are broadly similar and their δ³⁴S (Vienna-Canyon Diablo Troilite (V-CDT)) values range from -1.4 to 3.6 ‰ consistent with the magmatic range, with the exception of stibnite from a Au-Sb-quartz vein, which has δ³⁴S values between -8.1 and -3.1 ‰. The δ³⁴S values of sulfates coexisting with sulfide are between 11.2 and 14.2 ‰; whereas, those from the weathering zone range from 3.7 to 4.3 ‰, indicating supergene sulfates derived from oxidation of hypogene sulfides. The δ¹³C (Vienna Peedee Belemnite (VPDB)) values of carbonate range from -4.9 to 1.1 ‰ and are higher than magmatic values. The δ¹⁸O (V-SMOW) values of magmatic quartz phenocrysts and magmatic least-altered rocks vary between 6.2 and 10.1 ‰ and between 5.0 and 10.1 ‰, respectively, whereas altered magmatic rocks and hydrothermal minerals (quartz and magnetite) are relatively ¹⁸O-depleted (4.2 to 7.9 ‰ and -6.3 to 1.5 ‰, respectively). Hydrogen isotope compositions of both least-altered and altered igneous rock samples are D-depleted (from -133 to -161 ‰ Vienna-Standard Mean Ocean Water (V-SMOW)), consistent with differential magma degassing and/or post-crystallization exchange between the rocks and meteoric ground water. Zircon from a chlorite-altered dike has a U-Pb crystallization age of 108.7 ± 0.4 Ma; whereas, the same sample yielded a whole-rock Ar-Ar plateau age of 76.25 ± 0.53 Ma. Likewise, molybdenite Re-Os model ages range from 75.8 to 78.2 Ma, indicating the mineralizing events are genetically related to Late Cretaceous volcano-plutonic intrusions in the area. The molybdenite Re-Os ages difference between the nearby Nucleus (75.9 ± 0.3 to 76.2 ± 0.3 Ma) and Revenue (77.9 ± 0.3 to 78.2 ± 0.3 Ma) mineral occurrences suggests an episodic mineralized system with two pulses of hydrothermal fluids separated by at least 2 Ma. This, in combination with geological features suggest the Nucleus deposit represents the apical and younger portion of the Revenue-Nucleus magmatic-hydrothermal system and may suggest an evolution from the porphyry to the epithermal environments.