Abstract
We present a new quantitative model of mm-scale Fe-Zn banding in sphalerite Mississippi-Valley type ore deposits. The banded sphalerite is typically intergrown with dendritic galena in cm-scale clusters. We show that this pattern may arise due to a combined effect of geochemical reactions, crystal growth, dissolution, and ripening in far-from-equilibrium conditions. The simulated patterns are due to a self-propagating sequence of growth and dissolution events (so called coarsening wave). One of the surprising results is the geologically short time scale of the pattern formation.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 4643-4646 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Journal | Geophysical Research Letters |
| Volume | 28 |
| Issue number | 24 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - Dec 15 2001 |