It's not easy being green - detecting arc-related mineral system fingerprints using mineral chemistry in 'propylitic alteration' in a Cambrian arc terrane Victoria, Australia

Epidote and chlorite compositional data were collected using laser ablation inductively-eoupled mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) on samples from two mineral prospects in the Cambrian Stavely Arc, western Victoria. The aim was to distinguish between regional metamorphic and hydrothermal alteration origins for epidote-chlorite-bearing assemblages. At the Thursday's Gossan Porphyry Cu(-Au-Ag) Prospect, chlorite signatures are similar to both propy1itic hydrothermal and regional metamorphic origins, however, elevated Zn and Sr contents are associated with the former. Application of the chlorite proximitors (predicted distance to a hydrothermal centre) identify a likely hydrothermal centre at depth. At the Eclipse Cu-Zn(-Au) VHMS Prospect, epidote As and Sb and chlorite Zn, Cu and Pb contents are consistent with propylitic alteration in most samples. Systematic variations in chlorite Cu and Pb and As and Cu in epidote contents identify a portion of the prospect for follow-up exploration. This study demonstrates that even a limited epidote-chlorite mineral chemistry dataset can provide fertility and vectoring information for mineral exploration targeting. These data are consistent largerscale geochemical data and geodynamic models that predict the Stavely Arc has significant arc-related mineral system potential.