A Note on the Auriferous Banded Iron-Formation of Kolar Schist Belt

Banded Iron-Formation (BIF) comprising quartz, pyrrhotite/grunerite-actinolite and quartz, magnetitejgrunerite-actinolite occurs widely in Kolar schist belt as narrow (0.5 rom to few tens of metres wide) interbeds within the metamorphosed basic volcanic and acid volcanogenic rocks (' Champion gneiss '). All gradations between these two end members render the BIF bands heterogeneous in composition. The sulphidic BIF horizons occurring near the western margin of the schist belt in association with pillowed metabasaJts are persistent along strike for several kiJometres and are auriferous at places. The BIF horizons occurring towards the eastern margin of the schist belt are narrower) impersistent in strike and are not known to contain gold mineralization.

Two types of mineralization have been recognised in BIF. In sulphide facies BIF, native gold occurs in arsenopyrite which along with pyrrhotite and amphiboles form massive layers alternating with quartz. Here the auriferous sulphide layers are primary, subsequently modified by metamorphism and deformation. In the second type, gold mineralization is confined to syntectonic quartz veins in the sulphidic BIF. A volcanogenic model for the precipitation of auriferous BIF is favoured.