G. Voicu et al., Lithostratigraphy, geochronology and gold metallogeny in the northern Guiana Shield, South America: a review, ORE GEOL R, 18(3-4), 2001, pp. 211-236
With a surface area of nearly 900,000 km(2), the Guiana Shield represents t
he northern segment of the Amazonian Craton in South America, lying for the
most part between the Amazon and Orinoco river basins. Most of the Guiana
Shield formed during protracted periods of intense magmatism, metamorphism
and deformation, culminating with the Trans-Amazonian tectono-thermal event
, bracketed between 2.1 and 1.9 Ga.
The Guiana Shield is among the least known Precambrian terranes because it
is relatively inaccessible, lacks bedrock exposure due to intense weatherin
g and is poorly documented in the international geological literature. This
situation has significantly improved during the last 20 years, when shallo
w in situ gold occurrences attracted exploration and mining companies to in
itiate geological programs aimed at better understanding the geology and th
e mineral deposits of the Shield.
The only Archean terrane (ca. 3400 Ma) known to date in the Guiana Shield i
s the Imataca Complex in Venezuela. The Paleoproterozoic, low-grade volcano
-sedimentary greenstone sequences and associated granitoid intrusions have
yielded ages between 2.25 and 2.08 Ga. Recent U-Pb age determinations of th
e granitoid-green stone belts suggest protracted magmatic cycles from pre-
to post-peak regional metamorphism. The younger terranes comprise anorogeni
c sedimentary sequences of the Roraima Formation, as well as felsic volcani
c rocks and associated intrusions of the Uatuma Formation, mafic dikes of t
he Avanavero Suite and Rapakivi-type and alkali intrusions.
Several large-scale ductile shear zones have been documented in the Guiana
Shield. In northcentral Venezuela, the most outstanding structure documente
d to date, the NE-SW trending Guri Fault, juxtaposes the Archean Imataca co
mplex against Paleoproterozoic, terranes. The Central Guiana Shear Zone (CG
SZ) extends from French Guiana westerly towards central Suriname and furthe
r west towards northcentral Guyana, where it matches with the Makapa-Kuribr
ong shear zone (MKSZ). In French Guiana, the North Guiana Trough (NGT) is i
nterpreted as a sinistral strike-slip formed during the Trans-Amazonian oro
geny.
Most gold deposits and occurrences discovered to date in the Guiana Shield
are sited in close proximity to major structures. In addition. they are lin
ked with low- to medium metamorphic-grade granitoid-greenstone belts, simil
ar to other better-explored Precambrian terranes. At a local scale, the gol
d deposits are hosted within, or in close proximity to, quartz veins that a
re syn- to late-tectonic, and to a lesser extent, in stockworks, breccias,
and lenses. They are commonly located in units that behaved in a more britt
le manner than the country rocks. Available information suggests that gold
deposits are mainly epigenetic, although some are associated with specific
lithostratigraphic units. Pyrite, pyrrhotite, chalcopyrite, galena, sphaler
ite, scheelite, molybdenite and tellurides are the main metallic minerals a
ssociated with gold. Non-metallic minerals are mainly quartz and carbonates
(ankerite, calcite, siderite), associated with minor chlorite, epidote, al
bite, muscovite and fuchsite. Silica. carbonate, propylitic and potassic al
teration is common.
High erosion rates expected after the creation of an orogenic belt did not
occur in the northern Guiana Shield. Shallow-level deposits preserved in ma
ny settings suggest that the granitoid-greenstone belts represent first-ord
er exploration targets for large tonnage/low-grade gold deposits. (C) 2001
Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.