Hydrothermal wall rock alteration related to Late Variscan Pb-Zn-Ag-(Au) mineralisation and its implication for exploration in the Freiberg District, Germany

Although epithermal Pb-Zn-Ag-(Au) vein-hosted mineralisation in the Freiberg District, Germany, has been widely studied, closely associated wall rock alteration remains hardly understood. In order to deduce alteration stages in the proximity to mineralised veins, suites of wall rock samples ranging from least altered to intensely altered were studied from two localities in the central part of the district in order to describe and quantify the effects of hydrothermal wall rock alteration.

Least altered host rocks at both localities are medium to coarse- grained biotite –plagioclase orthoclase augengneisses. In weakly altered samples the foliation, and the primary assemblage are well preserved with typical alteration assemblages comprising of fine-grained carbonate, kaolinite, epidote, sericite and chlorite. This alteration assemblage dominates also in moderately altered samples, with metamorphic quartz and the original foliation partly preserved. Intensively altered samples, in contrast, comprise a massive fabric with globular quartz and fine-grained sericite that are very finely intergrown arsenopyrite and/or pyrite occur finely disseminated in this alteration assemblage. Fe-Mn-rich carbonates also occur in the matrix or as thin veinlets in the altered wall rock. In hand specimen, this strongly sericitized rock is of light green to yellow colour.

Hydrothermal alteration related to vein-hosted magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization in the Freiberg District is best described as fabric destructive with distinct discoloration, an effect that can be simply detected visually in core. Sericitization and silicification are dominant – and appear limited to the immediate vicinity around and within relevant structural zones and veins. Visual core inspection, possibly complemented by hyperspectral drill core scanning and whole rock geochemistry (by pXRF) are simple tools that can be used to trace this alteration during ongoing exploration efforts in the district.