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Whole-rock regional oxygen-isotope depletion patterns as a guide to epithermal gold exploration in north Queensland

Created 16/10/2025

Updated 16/10/2025

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The recognition of regional oxygen-isotope depletion patterns in high-level igneous rocks provides a means to discriminate areas potentially prospective for low sulphidation (adularia-sericite type) epithermal gold mineralisation. The coincidence of an extensive regional oxygen-isotope depletion pattern over most of the northern Drummond Basin with a recently discovered epithermal district is consistent with a similar association for younger, world-class epithermal districts in the United States. Reconnaissance whole-rock oxygen-isotope data for Permo-Carboniferous volcanic rocks in the northern Coen Inlier indicate an area of isotopic depletion that correlates with regional stream-sediment geochemical anomalies normally associated with epithermal deposits. The data suggest that the northern Coen Inlier is a region of high epithermal potential worthy of more systematic exploration. In contrast, extensive exploration within and around the Featherbed Cauldron Complex has failed to define any significant epithermal mineralisation. Whole-rock oxygen-isotope values are predominantly near normal, and isotopic depletion is confined largely to the Late Carboniferous volcanic rocks in the southern areas of the complex, particularly along caldera margins where major structures provided pathways for fluid circulation. The data are consistent with earlier observations that the Late Carboniferous sequence is more closely associated with hydrothermal activity than the Early Permian volcanics, and that meteoric fluids were focussed through these major structures, at least during the waning stages of igneous activity.

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Field Value
Title Whole-rock regional oxygen-isotope depletion patterns as a guide to epithermal gold exploration in north Queensland
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/00cef422-ee62-4124-9c95-bcd45aa5d78a
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period 20/04/2018
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
  "coordinates": [
    [
      [
        142.51,
        -20.63
      ],
      [
        148.05,
        -20.63
      ],
      [
        148.05,
        -14.94
      ],
      [
        142.51,
        -14.94
      ],
      [
        142.51,
        -20.63
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Whole-rock regional oxygen-isotope depletion patterns as a guide to epithermal gold exploration in north Queensland". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/whole-rock-regional-oxygen-isotope-depletion-patterns-as-a-guide-to-epithermal-gold-exploration