THE TIN ZONE - SEDIMENT-HOSTED HYDROTHERMAL TIN MINERALIZATION AT ROOIBERG, SOUTH-AFRICA

The Rooiberg tin field, also known as the Rooiberg Fragment, is located within the western lobe of the Bushveld Complex. The fragment is triangular-shaped, consists of early Proterozoic Transvaal Sequence volcano-sedimentary rocks, and is surrounded by granitoid intrusives of the Lebowa Granite Suite. Practically all the significant tin deposits are hosted by arkoses, located towards the transition with shaly arkoses at the stratigraphic top of the Boschoffsberg Quartzite Member. This stratabound distribution of individual deposits gave rise to the concept of a regionally developed continuous stanniferous zone. On regional scale, the individual deposits are broadly similar and are collectively classified as replacement and open space-filling type. Particular styles of mineralization such as tourmaline pockets/orbicules, disseminated cassiterite, steep and flat dipping sulphidic fractures and hydrothermal carbonate breccias appear to dominate each mine. Petrological and geochemical investigations of four mineralized centres, indicated the presence of a 500-600 m thick stratified zone of pervasively altered elastic sedimentary rocks of possible arkosic precursor composition. Alteration displays a distinct zonal distribution consisting of a grey-green sodic (albitized) foot wall, an approximately 80 m transitional sericitized-tourmalinized sulphidic tin zone and red hematitic potassic hanging wall. The observed zonal pattern and localization of economically significant cassiterite, is explained by the evolutionary path of magmatic stanniferous hydrothermal fluids genetically related to the surrounding acid phase of the Bushveld Complex. Areas of high fracture density, the tectonic focal points, acted as conduits for the ascending reactive fluids. Factors such as fluid-lithostatic pressure equilibration, limited fracture evolution and/or impermeable shaly arkose retarded this ascent. As a result accumulation, lateral spreading of fluid and pervasive alteration occurred over a broad stratified front. Lateral overlapping of these fronts creates the impression of a continuous tin zone. Abundance of geochemical common denominators between the various focal points (mines) supports a shared composition and source for these contemporaneous fluids.