Abstract Cassiterite, rutile and gahnite from Scuddles VMS primary ore have accumulated residually in silcrete and in ferruginous lateritic zones (duricrust and gravel) that cap the weathering profile at Scuddles. Cassiterite and rutile contain inclusions of base metal sulfides and sulfosalts which are stable under alkaline and reducing conditions in the supergene sulfide enrichment zone, and alkaline to neutral conditions in the supergene oxide enrichment zone. However, cassiterite and rutile have been intensively corroded in the silcrete and lateritic zones under oxidizing conditions by acidic fluids derived by infiltration of acidic meteoric water and the oxidation of sulfide inclusions. This has resulted in releasing a suite of pathfinder elements, including Sn, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Pb, Sb, Bi, W, Mo, Se and Te. The released Cu, Zn and Cd tend to be mobile under these conditions and are leached from the silcrete and lateritic zones. However, these elements are elevated at certain stratigraphic zones in silcrete and form surface anomalies in exposed saprolite. The other, less mobile elements, particularly Pb, Sb, Bi, W and Mo are concentrated in silcrete and ferruginous duricrust to form a variety of secondary microcrystalline phases of mixed or of unestablished mineralogy, including QRAZ (quartz, rutile, anatase, and zircon) and more complex Pb-, Ag-, Bi- and Sb-bearing phases. These pathfinder elements form a narrow, near-surface anomaly that delineates the Scuddles VMS deposit. This paper also reinforces findings that silcrete, ferruginous duricrust and ferruginous gravel are anomalous in pathfinder elements over the Scuddles deposit and, furthermore, are important sampling media in mineral exploration in general, particularly where gossans may not have formed or have been eroded.

中文翻译：

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西澳大利亚 Scuddles VMS 原矿中抗性矿物的堆积和腐蚀形成的风化层地球化学异常

摘要 来自 Scuddles VMS 原生矿石的锡石、金红石和 gahnite 残留在硅质混凝土和铁质红土带（硬壳和砾石）中，这些带覆盖了 Scuddles 的风化剖面。锡石和金红石含有贱金属硫化物和硫盐的包裹体，在表生硫化物富集区碱性和还原条件下稳定，在表生氧化物富集区碱性至中性条件下稳定。然而，锡石和金红石在氧化条件下被酸性大气水的渗透和硫化物包裹体的氧化产生的酸性流体在氧化条件下在含硅混凝土和红土区中被强烈腐蚀。这导致释放了一系列探路元素，包括 Sn、Cu、Zn、Cd、Hg、Pb、Sb、Bi、W、Mo、Se 和 Te。释放的铜，Zn 和 Cd 在这些条件下往往是可移动的，并从硅质混凝土和红土带中浸出。然而，这些元素在硅质混凝土的某些地层带升高，并在暴露的腐泥土中形成表面异常。其他流动性较小的元素，特别是 Pb、Sb、Bi、W 和 Mo 集中在含铁质和铁质硬壳中，形成各种混合或未建立矿物学的次生微晶相，包括 QRAZ（石英、金红石、锐钛矿和锆石） ) 和更复杂的含铅、银、铋和锑相。这些探路者元素形成了一个狭窄的近地表异常，描绘了 Scuddles VMS 矿床。这篇论文还证实了在 Scuddles 矿床上的探路者元素中的硅质混凝土、铁质硬壳和铁质砾石异常的发现，此外，