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Please use this identifier to cite or link to this item: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227491
Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas
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Epithermal bonanza-type ores, characterized by weight-percent contents of e.g., gold and silver in a few mm to cm, are generated by mixtures of magmatic-derived hydrothermal brines and external fluids (e.g., meteoric) that transport a variety of metals to the site of deposition. However, the low solubilities of precious metals in hydrothermal fluids cannot justify the high concentrations necessary to produce such type of hyper-enriched metal ore. Here we show that boiling metal-bearing brines can produce, aggregate, and accumulate metal nanomaterials, ultimately leading to focused gold + silver ± copper over-enrichments. We found direct nano-scale evidence of nanoparticulate gold- and/or silver-bearing ores formed via nonclassical growth (i.e., nanomaterial attachment) during boiling in an intermediate-sulfidation epithermal bonanza. The documented processes may explain the generation of bonanzas in metal-rich brines from a range of mineral deposit types.
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CANO, Néstor, et al. Nanomaterial accumulation in boiling brines enhances epithermal bonanzas. Scientific Reports. 2023. Vol. 13. ISSN 2045-2322. [consulted: 6 of June of 2026]. Available at: https://hdl.handle.net/2445/227491