Economic Geology

Vol 90, 1995,pp. 1841-1856

QUARTZ TEXTURES IN EPITHERMAL VEINS, QUEENSLAND--CLASSIFICATION,

ORIGIN, AND IMPLICATION

GuoYI DONG,GREGGMORRISON*,
ANDSUBHASH
JAIRETH**
Department
of Earth Sciences,
JamesCookUniversity
of NorthQueensland,
Townsville
4811,Australia
Introduction formation andfluidconditions, andtoexplore therelationship
In hydrothermal veins,quartzis a dominant ganguemin- betweenquartztextures andgoldmineralization on a broad
eralandis typically the onlyphasedeposited throughout the scale. A systematic evaluation of three-dimensional distribu-
lifeofthehydrothermal system. Therefore, thecharacteristics tion of quartz textures and textural assemblages in selected
of quartz--itsmorphology, crystalstructure, chemical com- epithermal systems andtherebythe texturalzoningmodel
position, andphysicochemical properties--might reflectdif- will be presented in anotherpaper.
feringhydrothermal conditions duringveingrowth,including Most of the spedmens usedin thisstudywerecollected
thosewhichfavorgoldmineralization. from thelate Paleozoie epithermal veinsofnorthQueensland,
Manymoderntechniques are beingusedto characterizeAustralia. Regional tectonicandmetallogenic studies (Mor-
veinquartzandtodistinguish mineralized quartzfrombarren rison,1992a,b;Walsheetal., 1995)suggest mostof theveins
quartz,e.g.,fluidinclusions (Roedder,1984;Sherlock etal., formedduringdestruction of a Carboniferous continental
1993),oxygenisotopes (Rye and Rye, 1974;Matsuhisa et magmatic are. They arehosted largely in volcano-sedimentary
al., 1985),electron paramagnetic resonance (VanMoortand andvolcanic rocksof andesitie to rhyolitiecomposition. De-
Russell,1987), cathodoluminescence (Nickel, 1978), thermo- tailed work on representative deposits (Digweed, 1991; Tare
luminescence(Sankaranetal., 1983; Hochmanetal., 1984), et al., 1992;Bobisetal., 1995;Worsley, 1995)hasdefineda
traceelementsanalyses (Anufriyev etal., 1973),massspec- late Paleozoie epithermal province in north Queensland with
trometryof thethermally released gas(BarkerandRobinson, manyfeatures similarto theTertiaryprovince ofthewestern
1984), infrared (Wu and Yu, 1987), and microstructuralfea- UnitedStates (Morrison,1992a,b). All thedeposits included
tures(Steninaetal., 1989).In general,all thesetechniques in thisstudy are of the adularia-serieite type in the classifica-
havemetwithmixedsuccess, anda fewofthedistinguishingtion of Heald etal. (1987).
features formineralized andbarrenquartzhavebeendefined. Classificationof Quartz Textures
However,highcost,difficulty withinterpreting data,andlimi-
tations in experimental equipment inhibitmostofthesetech- A classification of quartztexturesin epithermalveinsis
niquesaseffectiveandeconomical exploration tools. developed from a review oftheavailable descriptive literature
Thereisa fundamental way'to characterize veinquartz,i.e., and observation of approximately 400 spedmensand 150
the morphology of quartzandits aggregates. Adams(1920) thin sections from morethan 20 epithermaldeposits and
wasthefirstto propose a detaileddescription of thecommon prospects. Thirteenquartztexturesare defined(Fig. 1) on
microscopic ofveinquartz.Hispaperhasbeen the basisof mutualgeometrical
characteristics relationsamongindividual
the mostvaluable basefor subsequent studies on texturesof crystals, or crystal aggregates, and/ortheinternalfeatures of
veinquartz.Theworkof Spurr(1926),Shaub(1934),Stillwell individual grains.Mostof the textures described arereadily
(1950), Lovering(1972), Boyle(1979), Sanderand Black identifiedin handspecimens. A few,however, canonlybe
(1988),andSaunders (1990),amongothers,alsoconsidered viewed under the microscope. The majority of textural terms
the character of quartzin specific environments. Recently, usedin thisclassification areadoptedfromexisting terminol-
DowlingandMorrison(1990)undertook an investigation of ogywithsomemodification wherenecessary.
quartztextures in varioustypesof hydrothermal veinsin north Thisstudydealsonlywithlowquartz(Phillips andGriffen,
Queensland anddeveloped a general quartztextural classifica-1981). Based on the sizeof individual grainsit can be subdi-
tion.Eleventextures weredefinedandgroupedto evaluate videdinto:(macro)crystalline, microcrystalline, and erypto-
four gold-mineralizing environments (i.e., epithermal, por- crystalline (BatesandJackson, 1987).Chalcedony refersto
phyry,plutohie, andslatebelt),eachwith a distinctquartz eryptoerystalline quartz,eitherwithfibrous or granular habit
texturalassemblage associated withgoldmineralization. (Phillipsand Griffen, 1981). These terms will be applied in
In thelightof thisgeneralsuccess, moredetailedworkon the following description for somequartztextures.
quartztexturesin epithermalveins,wherethereis a wide Massive
rangeof quartztextures, wascarriedoutin thepresentstudy.
Themainthemes ofthispaperareto develop a unifiedclassi- Thisis a general termthatrefersto quartzveinswhichhave
ficationof commonquartztextures in epithermal veins,to a moreor lesshomogeneous appearance overwideareasand
understand theirpossible originsin termsoftheprocesses of display anabsence ofbanding, shear fractures,orsimilar features.
Crustiform
* Present
address:
Klondike
Exploration
Services,
7 MaryStreet,Towns-
ville, Queensland
4811, Australia. The termerustiform is analogous
to erustifieation
banding
** Present address:Mineral ResourcesBranch, Bureau of Mineral Re- describedby Adams(1920), Lindgren(1933),and Shaub
sourcesCanberra, A.C.T. 2600, Australia. (1934).Thistextureinvolvessuccessive,
narrow(upto a few

0361-0128/95/1759/1841-16
$4.00 1841
1842 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS

centimeters),andsubparallel bandswhichare distinguishedslightopticaldifferencesin maximum extinction

positions.
This
by differencesin texture,mineralproportions,and/orcolor. texture
isusually
welldeveloped onthemargins ofquartzcrystals
Commonly, bandingis symmetrically developed fromboth witha deareuheclral core(Fig.3b) or aspatches throughout
wallsof a fissure(Fig.%). quartzcrystals
(Fig.3e).The term"feathery" is adoptedfrom
Cockade: Thisis a subtypeof erustiform texture,as de- Adams (1920),anda simfiartexture
hasbeenreported bySander
scribedpreviously by Taber in Adams(199.0)and Spurt andBlack(1988),whocalledit "plumose."
(199.6).
In breeeias,concentricerustiformbandssurrounding
isolatedfragments pro- Flamboyant
of wallrocksor earlyveinmaterials
duee cockade texture. This texturehasbeen described by Adams(1920) and
Sanderand Black(1988). The chief characteristic
of this tex-
Colloform tureistheradialorflamboyant extinctionofindividualquartz
Thistermwasfirstproposed by Rogers (1917).In general, crystalswith a moreor lessroundedcrystaloutline.Similar
wherethe external surfaceof a mineralor mineralaggregateto the featherytexture,it caneitherbe developed in the rim
shows combined spherical,botryoidal,
reniform, andmammil- of a quartzcrystalwith a dear euhedralcore(Fig. 3d), or
laryforms,it iscalledeolloform.Forsilicaminerals,thistexture throughout the crystal(Fig. 3e).
is a characteristicfeatureof ehaleedonie aggregates in fine
rhythmic bands(Fig.2b).Underthe microscope, chalcedonyGhostsphere
in eolloformbanding oftenhasa microfibrous habitwithsharp This texture commonlyoccurswithin microcrystalline
re-entrantanglesbetweenadjacent contacting spheroids. quartzascloudyspheres highlighted by the distribution of
Moss
impurities(Fig. 3f). Ghost-sphere texturemay be regarded
as a specialmosstexture,becauseboth textureshavethe
Thistexturehasfeatures similarto the "miero-botryoidal samefeature--spherical distributionof impurities
withinsil-
gel structure" described by Adams(1920).In handspeci- icaphases suchasamorphous silica,chalcedony,or quartz.
mens,silicaaggregates displaya heterogeneous turbidap- However,if the hostis quartz,ghost-sphere textureis used
pearance,similarto mossvegetation (Fig. 2e). Underthe to characterize theinternalfeatureof quartzcrystals. Ghost-
microscope, groupsof spheres (usuallyrangingfrom0.1-1 sphere texturemaygradate tomosaic texturewheretheimpu-
mmin diam)arehighlighted bythedistribution ofimpurities ritiesaregradually eliminatedandcrystal boundariesbecome
withinaggregates of silicaminerals(Fig.2d).Somespherical interpenetrating. Somequartzcrystals withghost-sphere tex-
impuritiesalsoshowan internalconcentric or radiatingpat- turedisplay radialextinctionandtherefore sharethecharac-
tern. Mosstexturemaygradateto eolloform textureif the teristicfeatures of theflamboyant texture.
spheres becomeinterconnected. Pseudobladed
Comb
Aggregates of quartzor chalcedony maybe arranged in a
Combtexturerefersto groupsof parallelor subparallelbladedorplatyform.Threesubtypes aredefinedonthebasis
quartzcrystalswhichareoriented perpendicular toveinwalls, of the morphology of the aggregate of blades.
thusresembling the teeth of a comb(Fig. 2e). Normally Latticebladed:Thistextureis comparable withthe "pseu-
crystals
displaya uniformgrainsizeandhaveeuhedral termi- domorphiclameliar,platy, or tabular"quartztexturede-
nationsattheirfreeends.Thistextureisfrequently described scribedby Lindgren(1899),Schrader(1912),and Morgan
in the literature,includingAdams(1920), Schieferdecker(1925).It displays a network of intersecting silicabladeswith
(1959),andBoyle(1979). polyhedral cavitiespartlyfilledwithcombquartzcrystals (Fig.
Zonal
4a).In thinsections, eachbladeconsists of a seriesofparallel
seams separated by quartzcrystals or crystalliteswhichhave
Zonaltexturedisplays alternating clearand milkyzones grownsymmetrically aboutthe seamsandperpendicular to
withinindividualquartzcrystals (Fig. 2f). Milky zonesare them(Fig.4b).
usuallycrowded withfluidor solidinclusions andarealways Ghostbladed:Bladesare identifiedon the polishedsur-
parallelto crystalgrowthfaces. facesof handspecimens by concentrations of impurities.
Mosaic
Commonly blades are dispersed randomly within quartzag-
gregates andlackcavities betweentheblades(Fig.4e).Under
Aggregatesof microcrystalline
or crystallinequartzcrystals themicroscope, thebladesaredifferentiated fromthematrix
havehighlyirregularandinterpenetrating grainboundariesbydifferences in grainsize,shape, and/oroutlines of impuri-
(Fig. 3a).Inhandspecimens, thesample usual!y hasavitreous ties(Fig. 4d). The thick silica blades usually have a ragged
andtightlypackedappearance. Thistextureis equivalent to shapewith a setof parallelpartings.
a jigsawtexturewhichis oneof mostcommon microtextures Parallelbladed:Silicabladesare parallelwithina group
in jasperold(Lovering,1972)andis alsonotedin someepi- butadjacent groups mayhavedifferentorientations. Theout-
thermaldeposits (Saunders, 1990). line of groupsdefinesan overallgranularpatternin hand
specimens (Fig.4e).The microscopic featureof theparallel
Feathery textureis essentially similarto thatof lattice-bladed texture:
Underthemicroscope withcrossed polars, quartz eachgroupcomprises
individual a setofparallelseams, separated either
crystals
displaya splintery
or featheryappearance seenonlyas byrectangular quartzcrystals (Fig.4f),orbyprismatic crystals
 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS 1843

Texture Sketch of Texture Grain Grain Internal Feature Morphology References

Type Size Form of Individual of Crystal
Crystal Aggregate

Primary Growth Textures

Massive variable anhedralnot applicable homogenous Smimov (1962)

Bates &
Jackson(1987)

Crustiform variablevariable notapplicable successive Adams(1920)

banding Shaub(1934)
Lindgren(1933)
Buchanan(1981)

Cockade variablevariable not applicable concentric Adams(1920)

banding Spurt(1926)

Colloform free fibrous not applicable semi-spherical,

Rogers(1917)
anhedral reniform, Adams(1920)
mammillary

Moss [me variable notapplicable spherical Adams(1920)

Comb variableprismaticnotapplicable parallel- Adams(1920)

orientated Schieferdecker
(1959)
Boyle (1979)

variable prismatic zonal notapplicable Smirnov(1962)

FIe;. 1. Classification
of quartztextures.

and/orcrystallites
growing perpendiculartotheseams. Adams Saccharoidal
(1920)described a texturecalled"lameliarquartz"whichhas
features
verysimilarto the parallel-bladedtexture. In thistexture,loosely
packed vitreous to milky,
fine-grained
quartzaggregates havetheappearance of sugarin handspeci-
Pseudoacicular mens(Fig.5e).Underthemicroscope, abundant elongatedsub-
hedralcrystals,somewithdoubleterminations, arerandomly
Thepseudoaeieular texturewasfirstdescribed byLindgren distributed in a matrixof smaller,anhedral grains(Fig.5d).
andBancroft(1914)fromthe Republicdistrict,Washington,Locallythereis an alignment of elongate crystalsgivingthe
andwasalsoreportedbyAdams(1920)andSchrader (1923). impression of a crudemeshor network. Thisis the "retiform
In handspecimens, aggregates of silicaminerals,
commonly structure" described by Lindgren(1901),Adams(1920),and
associatedwith adulariaor its weathering products(serieite "retieulatedtexture"describedby Lovering (1972).
or kaolinite),displaya radialaeieularappearance (Fig. 5a).
Under the microscope, this is indicatedby lineararrange- Discussion on the texturalclassification
mentsof fine-grained,sometimes roughlyrectangular,quartz
eryst'als
and/orbyalineardistribution oritsweath- Asdiscussed
ofadularia in sometextbooks (e.g.,Stairnov,1962;Bates
eringproducts (Fig.5b). andJackson, 1987),theterm"texture" isusedforthegeneral
1844 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS

Texture Sketch of Texture Grain Grain Internal Feature Morphology References

Type Size Form of Individual of Crystal
Crystal Aggregate

Recrystallization Textures

Mosaic

free anhedralnotapplicable interpenea'atingLovering(1972)
Saunders(1990)

Feathery variableprismaticplumose not applicable Adams(1920)

Sander and
Black(1988)

Flamboyant variable round radial not applicable Adams(1920)

Sander and
Black(1988)

Ghost-sphere f'me anhedmlspherical notapplicableAdams(1920)

Replacement Textures

free anhedmlnotapplicable intersecting Lindgren(1899)

to prismatic bladed Schrader
(1912)
Morgan(1925)

Ghost-bladed free anhedmlnotapplicable intersecting

bladed

fine anhedmlnotapplicable parallel Adams(1920)

to rectangular bladed

P0x'0llel-bladed

Pseudo-acicular free anhedralnotapplicable acicular Lindgren
and
to reckangular Bancroft(1914)
Adams(1920)
Schrader
(1923)

Saccharoidal free anhedmlnotapplicable interlocking Lindgren(1901)

to prismatic Adams(1920)
Loveting(1972)

FIG. 1. (Cont.)

physicalappearance orcharacter thesize rangement

ofa rock,including of its mineralaggregates
whichdifferfromone
andshape of,andthemutualrelations among,itscomponentanother in shape, size,composition,
andtexture.
Thisisbest
minerals.Saeeharoidalandmosaictextures belongto represented
typically byerustiform structure.
However,thetwoterms
thiscategory.Theterm"structure" usedforthe areoftenused
is generally interchangeably,andsometextures
mayparallel
largerfeaturesof a rockandisdetermined bythespatialar- majorstructural
features.Forinstance,
eolloform
andcomb
 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS 1845

III ,

FIC. 2. QuartztexturesI. a. Crustiform:

alternatingfinebandsconsisting
of pinkadularia,microcrystalline
quartz,
combquartz,andchlorite,developedfrombothwallsof a fissure.
Centralextended
lode,Cracow,Queensland (department
catalogno.35322).b. Colloform-crustiform:
classic
examples of colloform
(botryoidal)
andcrustiform(alternating)
bands
cohsidered
characteristic
ofepithermal
veins.
McLaughlin,
California
(35324).
c.Moss:
silica
aggregates
display
aheteroge-
neousturbidappearance, similarto moss
vegetation.Pajingo,Queensland (35327).d. Moss:groups of sphereshighlighted
by the distribution
of impurities
withinaggregatesof sfiicaminerals.
Pajingo,
Queensland (35327).Plane-polarizedlight.
Scalebar = 0.2 mm.e. Comb:groups of parallelor subparallel
quartzcrystals orientedperpendicular to veinwall,
resembling theteethof a comb/WhiteHopelode,Cracow,Queensland (35329).f. Zonal:withinindividual
quartzcrystals,
therearealternatingclearandinclusion crowded zones.QuartzHill, Queensland (35330).Metricscales= 1 cm.
1846 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS

F[c. 3. Quartztextures II. a. Mosaic:

aggregates of microcrystalline
quartzcrystals
withhighlyirregular andinterpene-
tratinggrainboundaries.
Pajingo, Queensland (35331).Crossed polars. b. Feathery1: a featheryappearance in the rims
of the crystals
witheuhedralcores,seenonlyasslightopticaldifferences in maximum extinction
positions.In another
position(e.g.,bottomcenter)thequartzcrystal displaysa verysimilar interferencecolorbetween theeuhedral coreand
rims.Pajingo,Queensland (35332). Crossed polars.c.Feathery2: a feathery appearanceseenaspatches throughout quartz
crystals.
Afarti,Queensland (35333).Crossed polars.
d. Flamboyant 1:radialor flamboyant extinction
of individualquartz
crystalswithmoreor lessrounded crystal
outline.In thissample, the flamboyant textureiswelldeveloped in therimsof
crystalline
quartzcrystalswitheuhedralcores.Centralextended lode,Cracow,Queensland (35334).Crossed polars.e.
Flamboyant 2:flamboyantextinctionsseenthroughout thecrystals
withrounded surface
inbands. Pajingo,
northQueensland
(35336).Crossed polars.
f. Ghostsphere: solidand/orfluidinclusion defined spheres withinmicrocrystalline
quartzcrystals.
Centralextended lode,Cracow, Queensland (35337).Crossed polars.Scalebars= 0.2 min.
 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS 1847

ERIC

Fc. 4, Quartztextures III. a. Latticebladed:a networkof intersecting

sfiicabladeswithpolyhedralcavitiesi
Bimurra,
Queensland (35339)1b. Latticebladed: in thinsection,
eachbladeconsistsof a series
ofparallelseamsseparatedbyquartz
crystals
or crystallites
whichhavegrownsymmetrically abouttheseams andperpendicular to them,Bimurra,Queensland
(35339)1Crossed polars.
c. Ghostbladed: blades areidentifiedon thepolished surfaceof thehandspecimens by the
concentrationof impurities.Thistexturecommonly occursin crustiformbandsandlacksthe cavities betweenblades
Woolgar, Queensland (35340). d. Ghost bladed: aggregates
ofquartzcrystalswithsuperimposed bladedtextureidentified
byoutlinesofimpuritiesandfinergrainsize.Woolgar, Queensland (35340).
Crossed polars.
e.Parallel
bladed:silica blades
areparallelwithineachgroupbutadjacent groups havedifferentorientations.
Bimurra,Queensland (35341).f. Parallel
bladed:eachgroupiscomposed of a setof parallel-oriented
quartzcrystals
whichhavemoreor lessrectangular shapes
Bimurra, Queensland (35341).Crossed polars.Scalebars= 0.2 mm,metricbars= 1 cm.
1848 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS

Fro. 5. Quartztextures IV. a. Pseudoacicular: aggregates

of silicaminerals,
commonly associatedwithadulariaor its
weathered products(kaolinitc or illitc),display
a radialacicular
appearance,caused bydifferences in colorand/orreliefin
handspecimens. Pajingo, Queensland (35342).b. Pseudoacicular:
acicular
appearance is indicatedunderthemicroscope
bylineararrangement of fine-grained quartzcrystals
andlineardistribution
of day minerals. Pajingo,Queensland(35342).
Crossed polars.
c.Saccharoidal: loosely packed fine-grained
quartzaggregate,
having a sugaryappearance inhandspecimens.
Rose'sPridelode,Cracow, Queensland (35343).d. Saccharoidal:
underthe microscope, slendersubhedralcrystals are
randomly distributedin a matrixof smaller, anhedralgrains.Locallythereis alignment of elongated crystals
givingthe
impressionof a crudemeshtexture.Rose's Pridelode,Cracow, Queensland (35343).Crossed polars.Scalebars= 0.2
ram, metric bars = I cm.

canbe usedas bothtextures andstructures. Manypeople The Possible Originsof QuartzTextures

todaypreferto grouptextureandstructure together in regard
tothegeneral featuresofa rockorvein(Lovering, 1972;Craig Interpretation of quartztextures is alwaysa difficultsub-
andVaughan, 1981;Augustithis,1982;MacKenzie et al.,1982). ject,since it requires a substantial knowledge of thesolubili-
This,concept hasbeenapplied in thepresent study. tiesof silica minerals, various kineticprocesses suchaspoly-
Sincethecriteriaforthisclassification
aredefined byvari- merization, coagulation, nucleation, crystallization,
dissolu-
ousparameters (suchasthe morphology of mineralaggre- tion,and'recrystallization of silicaminerals, mostof which
gates,the internalfeatureof anindividual a certain are still not well understood,
crystal), particularly in very complex
specimen couldbe described in severaltexturaltermsby hydrothermal systems. The following discussion attemptsto
usingdifferentcriteria.For example,combtexturedescribesprovidesomepossible explanations towardthe originsof
groups of quartzcrystals sharingthesameorientation; how- quartztextures, basedoncomparative observation andlitera-
ever,individualcrystals in combtexturecouldalsodisplay turereview.Mostof theinterpretations remainat anempiri-
zonaltextureor featherytexture.Crustiform texturerefers calstage.
tothebanded arrangement ofmineralaggregates whichdiffer Threemajorclasses are considered froma geneticpoint
fromoneotherin textureandcomposition, it naturallyin- of view:(1) primarygrowthtextureswhichrepresentthe
eludesmanyothertextures withineachband.The wayto morphologies formedduringcrystal growthor thedeposition
dealwiththisproblem istonamealltextures observed, sothat of amorphous silica;(2) recrystallizationtextures
whichresult
the characteristic
of the samplecanbe illustrated entirely. fromtherecrystallization ofchalcedony, orcrystallization
and
 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS 1849

subsequent recrystallization of amorphous silicato quartz; directionof maximum rateof growthis perpendicular to the
and(3) replacement textures whichrepresent partialor com- growthsurface. Thisrequires relativelyslowchanging condi-
plete pseudomorphs of other mineralsby silicaminerals tionsin an openspaceduringcrystalgrowth.
withinveins.Mostofthequartztextures described abovecan Zonaltextureis confinedto quartzcrystals that growdi-
be fittedintooneof thesethreecategories. rectlyfromhydrothermal fluid.Thisrequires thehydrother-
malfluidto be onlyslightlysaturated withrespectto quartz,
Primarygrowthtextures suggesting slowchanging orverymildlyfluctuating conditions
In general, anyprocess whichcauses changes in fluidcondi- duringcrystalgrowth(Fournier,1985).
tionsmayleadto the formationof simplecrustiform bands.
Theseprocesses include:cooling, mixingof twofluids,reac- Recrystallization textures
tionsbetween wallrocksandthefluid,andboiling(Buchanan, All silicaminerals exceptquartzare metastable andhave
1981).However,to producecomplex crushform bandswith a tendency to convert to quartzafterdeposition. Thepossible
numerous repetitivechanges in mineralcomposition (e.g., waysof formingvariousreerystallization texturesare illus-
quartz,adularia, sulfides)and/ortextures, thehypothesis "epi- tratedin Figure6.
sodicpressure release" (Buchanan, 1981)isa feasible mecha- Closeinspection of a featherytexturerevealsthat some
nism.Thedropsin thetotalconfining pressure willallowthe individual domains of extinction resemble small subhedral-
fluidsto boil,resulting in lossof gases, cooling, pH rises,and euhedral quartzcrystals (seeFig.3b).Thisdoselyresembles
precipitation oforeandgangue minerals. Asminerals deposit, epitaxialgrowthof quartz(Rimstidtand Cole, 1983),i.e.,
the near-surface veinletsbecomefilledby theseminerals, smallquartzcrystals growor accumulate on a largeexisting
effectively forminga sealedcapto thefracturesystem. Once quartzcrystal whichactsasa surface favorable fornucleation
sealed,the pressure increases andboilingat depthceases. andgrowth(Fig.6-A1).Laterthesesmallcrystals arereerys-
Tectonism, ormorelikelyhydrofracturing, canbreaktheseal- tallizedin approximate crystallographic continuity with the
ingcapto allowa second, andlater,episode of boilingand hostquartzcrystal.The originalshapeof smallcrystals is
mineralization, andagainsealthe system. In thismanner,a preserved asa slightdifference in extinction whichmaybe
repetitively bandedcrustiform textureis formed. inducedby dislocations alongtheboundary of adjacent small
The separation of fragments in loosebrecciaby the force crystals duringthe reerystallization.
of growing crystals,proposed by Adams(1920),is a feasible Thefinalappearance of a feathery textureis controlled by
explanation for thecockade textureobserved in the majority the mutualrelationships betweensmallcrystals andthe host
of samples in the presentstudy.Theseshowquartzprisms crystal.For example,if smallcrystals growor accumulate
bristlingfromall surfaces of fragments andsharpcontacts on a euhedralquartzcrystal,afterreerystallization, feathery
betweenfragmentsand bandedmaterials.Hydrothermalextinction isconfined to thegrainmargins. If thehostquartz
brecciation generally precedes the formationof a cockade crystalcontinues to growtogetherwith or afterthe growth
texture,asbrecciation allows deposition ofsilicaminerals and or accumulation of smallcrystals, eventually thesesmallcrys-
otherminerals aroundnewlyformedfragments. talswillbe enclosed bythehostgrain.Afterreerystallization,
Colloform and moss textures both have distinct rounded featheryextinction will be developed as patchesor zones
forms,although oneexhibits continuous bandsandtheother throughout the grain(Fig. 6-A2),with someindividual do-
isolatedspheres. Two processes, bothindicative of a silica mainsof extinction evenerossing euhedralgrowthzonesof
precursor, wereproposed to explain theformation ofrounded the crystal(seeFig.3e).
forms.The firstoneis thatof the precipitation of silicagel The initialcomponents of a flamboyant textureare likely
in free space(Rogers,1917;Adams,1920).The controlling to be aggregates of fibrouschalcedony withroundedexternal
factorfor thisprocess is considered to be surface tension, a surfaces, whichoriginate fromsilicagel,eitherascoatings on
propertyof fluidscausedby intermolecular forcesnearthe earlyformedquartzcrystals or wallrock(Fig.6-C2,referto
surface, tendingto reshape all nonspherical surfaces into a colloform texture),or asgroups of spheres (Fig.6-D2, refer
spherical, minimumfreeenergyconfiguration (cf.Adamson, to mosstexture).Whentherecrystallized materials followthe
1976).Thesecond process isthatofthesegregation ofimpu- crystallographic orientation of initialnucleiof eachchalce-
ritiesby crystallization fromsilicagel (Adams,1920;Keith donicspheroid or thatof the largecrystaluponwhichthey
andPadden,1963,1964a,b; Oehler,1976).The principal arecoated,crystalline or microcrystalline quartzcrystals with
requirement for thisprocess is a veryslowrateof impurity radiating extinction, possibly inducedby the dislocation be-
diffusioncompared with the rate of crystalgrowth,which tweenadjacentchalcedonic fibers,are formed(Fig. 6-C3).
typicallyoccursin viscous silicagel with impurities. The Thiscanbe illustrated in a seriesof photographs (Fig. 7).
slightlydifferentappearance betweencolloformand moss A ghost-sphere texturecouldbegenerated fromrecrystalli-
textures maybecaused bythedifferentoccurrences of initial zationof amorphous silicaor chalcedony witha mosstexture
nuclei:thoseadheredonwallrockor earlyformedveinrock (Fig.6-D1 andD2), if originalspherically distributed impuri-
result in the formationof colloformtexture;whereasthose tiesarepreserved in quartzcrystals dueto theirlowsolubility
suspended in silicagelleadto theformation of mosstexture. (Fig. 6-D3).
Toformcombtexture, geometrical selectionmustproceed A mosaictexturehasbeensuggested as the productof
effectively (Grigor'ev, 1961,p. 190).Geometrical selection is recrystallizationof massive chalcedony or amorphous silica
a typeof competition for spacebetweenadjacentcrystals, (Lovering,1972).A similartextureis commonly foundin
whichresultsin the growthof onlythosecrystals wherethe calcitemarbles (Harker,1950;Augustithis, 1985).It ispossi-
1850 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS

Polymerization
and aggregation
__-- --

I- 5o.,icaio

Possible
silicaprecursors

textures

/ /xcz
/ ,,axo2
to
the
qua
3
Variousquartztextures
asindicatedin figure 1

Feathery Jigsaw Flamboyant Ghost-sphere

FIG.6. Theinterpreted originofrecrystallization

textures.
Thedefinitionofpolymerization,
aggregation,
crystallization,
condensation,
andsolidification
followsto Iler (1979).Various
formsof opal:B1,C1, andD1; various
formsof chalcedony:
B2, C2, andD2; various
formsof quartz:A1,A2, B3,C3, andD3.

ble that recrystallized coarsegrainslocallyfollowthe shape featureof calcite(Fig.9c andd). AsnotedbyAdams(1920),

oftheoriginal smallgrains, forming highlyirregularandinter- replacement proceeds alongtheseplanesmoreeasilythan
penetrating boundaries of thecrystals. alongrhombohedral cleavage planes. Thisselective replace-
mentyieldsa setofparallelstructures withinlattice-orghost-
Replacement textures bladedpseudomorphs, whicharedefinedunderthe micro-
Thepossible processes offorming variousreplacement tex- scope either by different grainsizesof quartz,by different
turesaredemonstrated in a flowchart(Fig.8). contents of impurities, or bypreferred orientation of quartz
Pseudobladed (latticebladed,ghostbladed,and parallel grains. Notsurprisingly, parallel-bladedtexture,whichshows
bladed): Calcite and barite are the most common soluble an overallgranular outlinefor eachgroup,is the productof
phases thatmaybe replaced by quartzin epithermal veins. selective replacement of massive granular calcite.
In oursample collection,primarybladedbariteusually hasa As illustratedin Figure 8-A2,quartz crystalsstarttoreplace
spindlelike shapeandis commonly dissolved,leavingspin- bladedcarbonate alongthe outlineof the crystals andpina-
dlelikemoldsratherthanbeingreplaced by quartz.In con- coidal partings withinthecrystals. Astheprocess goesfurther,
trast,primarybladedcalciteoftendisplays verysimilarmor- it appears thatthereplacement frontis at theboundary be-
phologies to thoseof latticeor ghost-bladed pseudomorphs tween the replaced mineral (carbonate) and the replacing
(Fig. 9a). mineral(quartz),andquartzcrystals in theformerlayerkeep
Unlikebarite,carbonate crystals
usuallycontain numerous growingsimultaneously. Finally,as carbonate is totallyre-
microscopic inclusions, dominated by ironhydroxides. After moved,quartzcrystals in everytwo adjacent layersmerge
carbonate is replacedby quartz,theseimpuritiesare pre- intoa seam,withcrystals backtobackagainst eachotherand
served dueto theirlowsolubility andusually stilldefineorigi- with the grain-size of crystalsincreasing outward(Fig. 8-
nalcrystaloutlines. Occasionally rhombic cleavage tracesof A3).Thisis the typicalmicroscopic featureof lattice-bladed
originalcarbonate canalsobe preserved (Fig.9b). texture(seeFig. 4b).
Thelamellar parting,whichisparallel tothebasalpinaeoid If the startingmaterialis quartzintergrown withbladed
of carbonate crystals,is the mostdistinctive morphologicalcarbonate (Fig.8-B1),the replacive quartzcommonly grows
 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS 1851

veloprectangular formscommonly seenin parallelbladed

texture(Fig.8-C3,alsoseeFig.4f). Thisispossibly
because
replacement takesplacemorereadilyalongthelameliarpart-
ingswithincarbonate crystals
thantransverseto them(Ad-
ams, 1920).
A pseudoacicular textureis formedviathereplacement of
calciteby quartzandadulariaalonga setof radialacicular
structures withincalcitecrystals(Fig.8-D1),assuggested by
Lindgren andBancroft (1914),Adams(1920),andSchrader
(1923).Partialreplacement of calciteby quartzalongthis
structure is alsovisiblein somesamples (Fig.9e).
The presence of radial-acicularstructurewithincalcite
crystalsis somewhat problematic, sincethisstructuredoes
notfollowanyconsistent structural
featurein calcitecrystals
suchasrhombohedral dearageplanes,twinplanes,or basal
pinaeoid planes.Asshownby NieldandHeniseh(1969)and
Gareia-Ruiz andAmoros (1981),calcitecrystals
grownin sfi-
iea gel are usuallyturbidwith somespedfiebut unusual
morphologies suchas radialfibers.Dissolution of turbid
calcitecrystals in acidleavesa residueof silicagel which
hasthe samestructure asthe originalgrowthmedium.It is
indicated from these results that the silica network which
constitutes
the gel is incorporated into the growingcalcite
crystals
moreor lessintact.In thisway,an unusualradial-
aeieular
structure,
composed of sfiiea,
isformedwithincalcite
crystals.
Laterreplacement by quartzshouldpreferentially
follow this structure where there are sfiiea inclusions for nu-
cleation(Fig.8-D3).
A saeeharoidal
texturehasbeengenerally interpreted as
the productof the replacement of calcite(Lindgren,1901;
Adams, 1920;Lovering, 1972).Presumably,diffusionofsfiiea-
bearingfluidthroughrandomly distributedcrystallographic
defects,
ratherthanalongthelameliar partings(e.g.,forming
parallel-bladed
texture),withinmassive granularcarbonate
is responsible
for the initialnucleation
of quartzcrystallites
randomly dispersed in carbonatecrystals
(Fig.8-E2).Further
diffusionalongtheboundary betweencarbonate andquartz
leadsto the formationof slendersubhedral-euhedral,
or even
doublyterminated,
quartzcrystals
(Fig.9f) whicheventually
interlock,
formingsaccharoidal
texture(Fig.8-E3).In some
cases,remnantsof calcite are found within the saccharoidal
texture.Theycouldlaterbe replacedbyfinergrainedaggre-
gatesof anhedralquartz,or be dissolved,givinga porous
appearancewhichis commonly seenin the saccharoidal
tex-
ture.

Implicationsof ThisStudy
1. The mostconspicuous quartztexturesin epithermal
FIG.7. Anearlystageof recrystallization, formingflamboyant texture.a. veinsare thosewhichrecordthe presence of a silicagel
Colloform-banded, initialchalcedony
coatingondearquartzcrystals (plane- precursor (e.g.,colloform,moss,ghostsphere,flamboyant,
polarizedlight).b. In theareaclosetoclearquartzcrystals,
initialchalcedonyandpseudoacicular). To formsilicagel, the fluidneedsto
hasrecrystallizedwiththesameoptical orientation
asthehostquartzcrystals be highlysupersaturated with respectto amorphous silica
(crossedpolars).c.In themaximum extinction
position,
recrystallized
materi-
als showing flamboyant texture(crossedpolars).McLaughlin, California (Fournier,1985).At low temperature (e.g.,below100C),
(35344). Scale bars = 0.2 mm. the solubility
of amorphous silicais relatively
low(e.g.,364
ppmat 100C,cf. Fournier,1985,appendix) andthe rateof
onexisting quartzcrystals withthesamecrystallographic ori- silicaprecipitation
isveryslow(RimstidtandBarnes,1980).
entation,andthe originalbladedformis onlydefinedby Therefore, thefluidmayeasilyreachequilibrium withamor-
concentrations of impurities (Fig.8-B3,cf. Fig. 4d).After phoussilicaat lowtemperatures. For example, coolingof a
replacing massive granular carbonate, quartzcrystals mayde- dilutefluidin equfiibrium withquartzfroma hot reservoir
185'2 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS

LatticeBladed GhostBladed ParallelBladed Pseudo-Acicular Saccharoidal

FIc..8. Interpretation
ofstages
intheformation
ofvarious
replacement
quartz
textures.
Thetoprowrepresents
original
formsof calcite;
the middlerowshows initialstageof replacement
of calciteby quartz;the bottomrowshows
various
quartztextures
(indicated
in Fig.1) formedaftercomplete replacement
of calcite.

(e.g.,at 230Cwith silicaconcentration of 388 ppm) may inherited fromsilicagel,alongwithothergeological, mineral-

yielda fluidsupersaturated withrespect to amorphous silica ogical, or fluidinclusion evidence of relatively hightempera-
at about100C.Thismayoccurwhenan ascending hydro- tures,is a goodindicatorof boilingin epithermal environ-
thermalfluidrisesfastenoughandsilicadoesnotprecipitate ments.
duringthe ascent.In fact,colloform andmosstextures have 2. The recognition of a carbonate precursor is alsoim-
beenobserved in a numberof siliceous sintersin activegeo- portant. In epithermal environments, theprecipitation ofvein
thermalsystems (e.g.,Whiteet al.,1956;Herziget al.,1988; calcite ismostlikelydrivenbythelossof CO2duetoboiling,
Fournieret al., 1991).At highertemperatures, the fluidsu- andthesubsequent generation ofCO-ionsfromthedissoci-
persaturated with respect to amorphous silicashouldhavea ationof HCO (Henley,1985;ReedandSpycher, 1985).In
relativelyhighsilicaconcentration (e.g.,at 220Cthe fluid addition, calcitemaybe precipitated wherecoolermarginal
saturated with respectto amorphous silicacontains about fluids come into contact with hotter rocks due to its retro-
1,070ppmsilica,cf. Fournier,1985,appendix), sucha high gradesolubility, but thisprocess is commonly restricted to
silicaconcentration is not easilyattainedsimplyby cooling the margins andshallow partsof a system (Simmons and
from a hot reservoir.However,wherethe fluid undergoes Christenson, 1994).The controlof calcitemorphology has
boiling,significant coolingdue to adiabatic expansion (de- beenthe subject of a vastgeological andgeochemical litera-
creasing thesolubility of silicaminerals) andthelossofwater ture (e.g.,Bischoff, 1968;Kirovet al., 1972;Folk, 1974;
tothevaporphase(increasing silicaconcentration in residual McCauley andRoy,1974;Lahann, 1978;GivenandWikinson
solution) canmakethe fluidhighlysupersaturated with re- 1985).In general, crystal morphology of calciteis suggested
spectto amorphous silica,evenat relatively hightempera- to becontrolled mainly bytherateof crystal growth, Ca'2+/
tures.For example, assuming a reservoir hasa temperature CO- ratiosin thefluid,andthepresence of impurityions
of 300Candpressure of 200bars,thewaterin equilibrium suchasMg+, Na+, andSO4 -, butthemechanisms arestill
withquartzundertheseconditions shouldcontainabout750 somewhat obscure andunverified bydirectevidence. In many
ppmSIO2.Thiswill yielda fluidjustsaturated withamor- activegeothermal systems, bladedcalciteis commonly re-
phoussilicaat about170C(cf. Fournier,1985,appendix). stricted to theboilingzoneandmaycontain coexisting liquid-
According to theenthalpy balance calculation (e.g.,Henley, andvapor-rich inclusions (Browne,1978;Keithet al., 1978;
1984),isoenthalpic boilingof a fluidfrom300to 200Cwill Tulloch, 1982; Simmonsand Christenson,1994). However,
cause25 percentwaterloss.Thusif takingthe steamloss withoutcleargeneticevidence, it is difficultto conclude that
intoaccount(assuming 30%waterlossasa maximum), the otherformsof veincalcite(e.g.,granular)cannotformin
silicaconcentration in sucha fluid mayreachabout1,070 boilingenvironments, or thatbladedcalciteformsexclusively
ppm,whichisequivalent tothesolubility of amorphous silica in boilingzones.
atabout220C. Therefore, thepresence ofthequartztextures Calcitebecomes moresoluble withdecreasing temperature
 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS 1853

Fzc.9. Primary calciteandpartialreplacement of calcite.

a. Primary-bladed calcite:a network of intersecting
bladed
calciteseparated by polyhedralcavities,identicalmorphology with lattice-bladedpseudomorphs in Figure4a. Komata
mine,Coromandel, NewZealand. b. Rhombic cleavagetraces:aftercalciteis replaced by silica,rhombic cleavagetraces
areoccasionallypreserved bythedistribution ofbrownish-colored impurities.Notenocalcite isleftinthissample. Barambah
Creek,Queensland. Crossed polars.c. Partialreplacement of bladedcalcite: bladedcalciteis beingreplaced by quartz
alongparallelpartings, identicalmorphology with ghost-bladed pseudomorphs in Figure4d. Red Dome,Queensland.
Crossed polars.d. Partialreplacement of granularcalcite:granularcalciteis beingreplaced by fine-grained quartzalong
parallelpartings,identicalwithparallel-bladedpseudomorphs in Figure4f. Yandan, Queensland. Crossed polars.
e. Partial
replacement of granular calcite:
partialreplacement of granular calciteby quartzalongradialacicular structurein the
crystal.
Standard lode,Cracow,Queensland. Crossedpolars.f. Partialreplacement of granular calcite:granularcalciteis
partlyreplaced byrandomly dispersedslender subhedral-euhedral quartzcrystals.Rose's Pridelode,Cracow, Queensland.
Crossed polars.Scalebars= 0.2 min.
1854 SCIENTIFIC COMMUNICATIONS

butlesssoluble asthepartialpressure ofCO2decreases (Ellis, regarding the hypothesis of colloidal goldtransport, it is a

1959).Henceboilingmayprecipitate or dissolve calcite,de- mechanism worthyof furtherinvestigation.
pendingon the composition of the hydrothermal solution, Conclusions
thepressure atwhichboiling isinitiated, thedropintempera-
tureandpressure andwhetherthe system is openor closed. A descriptive classification of quartztextures hasbeende-
In gas-rich, opensystems, boilingdramatically reduces the veloped froma reviewoftheliteratureandtheexamination of
partialpressure of CO2.At relatively lowtemperatures, the manysamples fromepithermal veinsin Queensland. Thirteen
lossof C02 will causesignificant enrichment of CaC03in texturaltypeshavebeendefined,mostof themhavebeen
the fluiddueto the highsolubility of calcite.Consequently,interpreted genetically andgrouped intothreemajorclasses:
boilinginitiatedfromgas-rich andopensystems at relatively (1)primarygrowthtextures, (2)reerystallization textures, and
low temperatures favorsprecipitation of largeamounts of (3) replacement textures. It hasbeenrecognized thatsome
calcite.If theseearlyprecipitated calcitecrystals arenotim- specific quartztextures canbeusedasanindicator of boiling
mediately segregated fromresidualfluids,theyare readily in epithermal environments, andthereisapositive correlation
dissolved andreplaced bysilicaminerals whenthefluidcools betweengoldmineralization andthe quartztextures indica-
further,formingvarious replacement textures. tiveof silicagelprecursors.
Thus,if a fluidundergoes boilingwhichresults in theloss Thisstudyprovides thegroundwork forfurthersystematic
of CO2withoutrapidcooling (e.g.,isothermal boiling), or if a evaluation of the distribution of quartz textures andtextural
fluidisheated byhotterrocks, thefluidmaybesupersaturated assemblages in selected epithermal systems. A textural zoning
with respectto calcitebut undersaturated with respectto model,whichcanbe usedto determine theverticalposition
quartz.In thiscondition, calcite precipitates aloneandislater withinan epithermal system andto predictthe likelylocus
replaced by silicaminerals, forminglattice-bladed, parallel- of gold mineralization, will be proposed in another paper.
bladed, orsaccharoidal textures--depending onthemorphol- Acknowledgments
ogyof carbonate precursors andthedevelopment ofcleavages
andfractures, as discussed previously. On the otherhand, Thisstudywasa partof projectP247"Epithermal Gold
wherethefluidundergoes boiling whichinduces boththeloss Deposits in Queensland" sponsored by Australian Mineral
ofCO2andrapidcooling (e.g.,isoenthalpic orsubisoenthalpic Industries Research Association. The support fromthe staff
boiling,cf.ReedandSpycher, 1985),thefluidcouldbesuper- and students of the Earth Sciences Department at James
saturated with bothcalciteand quartzor evenamorphous Cook University, sponsor companies, and AMIRA is grate-
silica.
In thiscase,calcite andquartzoramorphous silica
pre- fully acknowledged. Two Economic Geology reviewers are
cipitatesimultaneously, forming ghost-bladed orpseudoacicu- sincerely thanked for their constructive comments.
lartextures whencalcite islaterreplaced bysilica. REFERENCES

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