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Abstract

Archean lode-gold deposits are a significant source of gold. However, exploration of this deposit type is hindered by their poorly understood genetic models and geochemical features. This project investigated the geochemical expression surrounding the Archean lode-gold Red Lake Gold Mines (RLGM) in the Superior Province, Canada. Mineral chemistry, whole rock and isotope geochemistry were used to establish how hydrothermal and metamorphic events influenced ore genesis. The RLGM is a basalt-hosted lode-gold deposit that formed from multiple superposed hydrothermal and metamorphic events. This study defined three significant superposed events which were important for gold mineralization. The first event was a widespread hybridized seafloor-magmatic event which caused reduction with FeO, MnO, K2O, SO3, SiO2, Rb, As and Cu enrichment. Seawater interaction created abundant micas-clays-chlorite-carbonate-FeMn oxides. Localized acidic magmatic fluids, in syn-volcanic faults, caused advanced argillic alteration. Subsequent peak-regional metamorphism created a widespread (>7km) occurrence of metamorphosed altered basalts. The micas-clays-chlorite-carbonate-FeMn oxides were metamorphosed to form Fe-biotite-Ti-magnetite±carbonate and Fe-chlorite-Fe-amphibole-FeMn-garnet-epidote/clinozoisite-magnetite-calcite-biotite assemblages. The metamorphosed argillic alteration created a quartz-muscovite-andalusite assemblage. Overprinting the widespread metamorphosed altered basalt was the significantly narrower (