The
Eagle Cu-Ni-(PGE) deposit is hosted by
mafic to ultra
mafic intrusive rocks associated with the Marquette-Baraga dike swar
m in northern Michigan. Sulfide
mineralization for
med in a conduit syste
m during early stages in the develop
ment of the 鈭?.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift Syste
m. The conduit environ
ment represents a pri
me location for
melt-rock interaction. In order to better assess the extent of country rock conta
mination in the Eagle syste
m, a co
mbined trace ele
ment, Nd, Os, O and S isotope study of country rocks, sulfide-bearing igneous rocks and
massive sulfide was undertaken.
Both the Eagle and the weakly mineralized East Eagle intrusion show trace element patterns that are similar to those of picritic basalts that formed during early stages of rift development. The trace element, Os, Nd, and O isotopic values of the igneous rocks are consistent with <5%of bulk contamination by Paleoproterozoic and Archean country rocks. Both the Re-Os and Sm-Nd system provide isochrons that are in agreement with the 1107 Ma U-Pb baddeleyite age of the intrusive rocks. Calculated m>纬m>Os(1100) and m>蔚m>Nd(1100) values for the magmas are +34 and 鈭?. 未18O values of pyroxene in feldspathic pyroxenite range from 6.5鈥?to 6.6鈥?and provide the only indication that bulk contamination may locally have exceeded 20%. Sulfur isotopic values of disseminated and massive sulfide in the Eagle intrusion range from 0.3鈥?to 4.6鈥? The 未34S values are much lower than those that characterize most of the country rocks, but could still be indicative of a contribution of S from country rocks of up to 鈭?0%. 螖33S values of the disseminated and massive sulfides range from 鈭?.10鈥?to 0.09鈥?indicating a source in Paleoproterozoic country rocks. Semi-massive sulfide in the Eagle deposit has 未34S values between 2.2鈥?and 5.3鈥? and 螖33S values show a broad range between 鈭?.86鈥?and 0.86鈥?indicating a major contribution from an Archean source. Isotopic data from the Eagle deposit strongly indicate that multiple sources of sulfur were involved in the generation of the Ni-Cu-(PGE) mineralization, and magmas which traversed variable paths through the mantle and crust were focused and utilized the same conduit at the level of the Eagle deposit. Our results emphasize the fact that the sulfur isotopic values of immediate country rocks may not be appropriate as end-member values for mixing calculations; sulfur derivation from deeper in the conduit system may have involved rocks with very different sulfur isotope ratios. In addition, sulfur isotopic exchange reactions between passing magma and accumulated crystals or sulfide liquid in the conduit may have led to decreased sulfur isotope variability and 未34S values near those of mantle sulfur.