Mineralogic, fluid inclusion, and stable isotope evidence for the genesis of carbonate-hosted Pb-Zn(-Ag) orebodies of the Taebaek deposit, Republic of Korea

The Taebaek Pb-Zn(-Ag) deposit of the Yeonhwa I mine, occurs as chimney-shaped carbonate-sulfide vein orebodies developed in Cambro-Ordovician limestones and shales. Compared with other deposits the Yeonhwa I mine, the Taebaek deposit is characteristically skarn free and more rich in lead and silver, suggesting that the Taebaek deposit formed farther from a deep, hidden, associated igneous body. Four states of ore deposition have definite sulfide assemblages. Fluid inclusion data indicate that temperatures and salinities of ore fluids progressively decreased with time due to progressive mixing with cooler and more dilute meteoric waters. Fluid inclusion data and geologic arguments indicate that pressures during the mineralization were in the range of 210 and 420 bars. -from Authors