Minor and Trace Element Chemistry of Gold: Controls and Implications for Gold Deposits Within the Superior Province, Canada

Abstract Gold is one of the most studied metals in human history, yet more research is required to better understand the behavior of major, minor, and trace elements in native gold to advance our understanding of gold systems. The Superior craton in Ontario, Canada, provides an excellent study area for gold systems because of the abundance and distribution of world class gold deposits. The present study constrains the geochemical signature of native gold using scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry, electron probe microanalysis, and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-microscopy to characterize 238 samples from 70 gold deposits and occurrences. Generally, Ag, Cu, and Hg occur over 100 ppm, with Sb, Pd, Cd, and Bi typically occurring as trace elements between 0.001 and 100 ppm. The geochemical signature of gold is variable at the craton scale, but it is consistent at the gold district scale. These spatially distinct trace element signatures are independent of local host rock and deposit types, with the exception of Pd, which suggests an affinity for gold from magmatic-hydrothermal deposits. The regional control on the Sb, Hg, Cd, and Cu in gold has implications for ore-forming processes and how these metals are sourced in gold deposits. These elemental signatures also have important practical applications for industry; for example, in using elemental vectors in exploration that reflect local gold composition and/or in metallurgical processing.