Indium-Rich Sulfides in the Iberian Pyrite Belt: Evidence from Variscan Syn-Tectonic Remobilization in the Lagoa Salgada VMS Deposit
Abstract
Indium is a critical metal predominantly recovered as a by-product of Zn and Cu ores, reflecting its preferential incorporation into sphalerite in volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) systems. This study investigates the timing and mechanisms of indium remobilization during Variscan deformation at the Lagoa Salgada VMS deposit, Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), using integrated petrography, in situ geochemistry, and geochronology of sulfide-bearing stockwork veins. Optical petrography constrains mineral paragenesis, and micro-LIBS mapping revealed elemental distribution patterns. Mineral chemistry was quantified by SEM-EDS and EPMA, and LA-ICP-MS was employed for trace element analysis and Rb-Sr dating of white mica. Rb-Sr geochronology yields an age of 317.6 ± 7.5 Ma, dating deformation-related white mica contemporaneous with sulfide recrystallization and constraining syn-tectonic remobilization to late Bashkirian Variscan deformation. Textural and geochemical relationships indicate that indium redistribution occurred during orogenic shortening. These results provide direct evidence that the critical metal endowment in VMS deposits may be substantially modified by orogenic processes, highlighting the need to incorporate deformation-driven remobilization process into predictive exploration models. Understanding syn-tectonic mineralization is essential for refining exploration strategies in brownfield scenarios such as Lagoa Salgada and Neves-Corvo as well as in greenfield VMS exploration.
Related
- Visean and Permian Sn-Nb-Ta Metallogeny in the Iberian Variscan Belt: insights from the Golpejas Rare-Metal granite
- Comparable Trifluoroacetic Acid Deposition in Guyana and Canada: Evidence of Atmospheric Formation and Remobilization
- Mantle deformation patterns beneath the Central India Tectonic Zone: evidence from SK(K)S splitting measurements in the Satpura Gondwana Basin and adjacent areas
- Evolution and Structure of the European Variscan Lithospheric Mantle
- A remnant of the Palaeotethys break-up: The Variscan Chamrousse ophiolite (Western Alps)
BibTeX
@article{matos2026indiumrich,
title = {{Indium-Rich Sulfides in the Iberian Pyrite Belt: Evidence from Variscan Syn-Tectonic Remobilization in the Lagoa Salgada VMS Deposit}},
author = {Joao X Matos and Emilien Prungnaud and Emilie Janots and Louise Vignaud and Julien Léger and Vincent Motto-Ros and Valentina Batanova and Jorge M R S Relvas and Fernando J a S Barriga and Bénédicte Cenki-Tok},
journal = {Minerals},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.3390/min16111151},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05852765v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Indium-Rich Sulfides in the Iberian Pyrite Belt: Evidence from Variscan Syn-Tectonic Remobilization in the Lagoa Salgada VMS Deposit
AU - Joao X Matos
AU - Emilien Prungnaud
AU - Emilie Janots
AU - Louise Vignaud
AU - Julien Léger
AU - Vincent Motto-Ros
AU - Valentina Batanova
AU - Jorge M R S Relvas
AU - Fernando J a S Barriga
AU - Bénédicte Cenki-Tok
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Minerals
DO - 10.3390/min16111151
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05852765v1
AB - Indium is a critical metal predominantly recovered as a by-product of Zn and Cu ores, reflecting its preferential incorporation into sphalerite in volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) systems. This study investigates the timing and mechanisms of indium remobilization during Variscan deformation at the Lagoa Salgada VMS deposit, Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB), using integrated petrography, in situ geochemistry, and geochronology of sulfide-bearing stockwork veins. Optical petrography constrains mineral paragenesis, and micro-LIBS mapping revealed elemental distribution patterns. Mineral chemistry was quantified by SEM-EDS and EPMA, and LA-ICP-MS was employed for trace element analysis and Rb-Sr dating of white mica. Rb-Sr geochronology yields an age of 317.6 ± 7.5 Ma, dating deformation-related white mica contemporaneous with sulfide recrystallization and constraining syn-tectonic remobilization to late Bashkirian Variscan deformation. Textural and geochemical relationships indicate that indium redistribution occurred during orogenic shortening. These results provide direct evidence that the critical metal endowment in VMS deposits may be substantially modified by orogenic processes, highlighting the need to incorporate deformation-driven remobilization process into predictive exploration models. Understanding syn-tectonic mineralization is essential for refining exploration strategies in brownfield scenarios such as Lagoa Salgada and Neves-Corvo as well as in greenfield VMS exploration.
SN - 2075-163X
ER -