Nanisivik
Nunavut, Borden Peninsula (Baffin Island), Canada
Mississippi Valley TypeZn-Pb-Ag
- Type
- Palaeokarst-filling Mississippi Valley-type (MVT)
Tubular body of banded sulfides (pyrite, sphalerite, galena) and white sparry dolomite filling a karst channel in Proterozoic dolostones of the Society Cliffs Formation, older than 750 Ma. Very heavy and homogeneous sulfur points to complete in situ reduction of marine sulfate by organic matter, whose light carbon is found in ore-stage dolomite. Indicative coordinates.
δ34S in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : V-CDT
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26.97 ± 1.82 ‰ | 23.2 / 31.2 ‰ | 18 | ore pyrite (including late) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 18 samples, Table 1. Sulfide pairs mostly give 90 to 275 °C (90 to 270 °C in the abstract). | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| 26.65 ± 1.35 ‰ | 23.2 / 28.9 ‰ | 30 | ore sphalerite (including late) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 30 samples, Table 1. No trend with mineralisation stage. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| 24.16 ± 1.47 ‰ | 21.5 / 27.2 ‰ | 20 | ore galena (including late) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 20 samples, Table 1. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| 31.3 ± 1.42 ‰ | 30.2 / 32.9 ‰ | 3 | solid bitumen (pyrobitumen) Mean and standard deviation of 3 samples quoted in the text. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| 0.64 ± 9.8 ‰ | −9.6 / 14.3 ‰ | 8 | sedimentary pyrite of the Arctic Bay Formation (drill holes) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 8 samples, Table 3. Highly variable, unrelated to ore sulfur; residual connate water would have been enriched in 34S. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
δ13C in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : V-PDB
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2.63 ± 0.38 ‰ | 1.7 / 3.1 ‰ | 21 | unmineralised host dolostone (Society Cliffs Formation) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 21 samples, Table 2. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| 2.59 ± 2.52 ‰ | −0.8 / 6.3 ‰ | 11 | recrystallised "salt-and-pepper" dolomite of the replacement front Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 11 samples, Table 2. Inverse δ13C-δ18O correlation (r = -0.90); carbon up to +6.3 ‰. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| −4.91 ± 3.84 ‰ | −13.3 / 0.3 ‰ | 12 | reaction-rim dolomite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 12 samples, Table 2. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| −5.12 ± 3.49 ‰ | −12.4 / 2.5 ‰ | 65 | ore-stage white sparry dolomite (zebra) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 65 samples, Table 2. Light carbon from organic matter oxidised during sulfate reduction; up to 80 % of the total range within a single centimetre-thick band. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| −2.96 ± 2.36 ‰ | −5.7 / 2.9 ‰ | 20 | overgrowth calcite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 20 samples, Table 2. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| −29.34 ± 1.09 ‰ | −30.5 / −27.6 ‰ | 5 | vug bitumen Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 5 samples, Table 2. Organic matter of algal dolostones about -27 ‰. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
δ18O in ‰ (per mil) Values of the same system
Standard : V-PDB
| Value | Range | n | Mineral or matrix | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| −3.5 ± 1.59 ‰ | −6.7 / −1.5 ‰ | 21 | unmineralised host dolostone (Society Cliffs Formation) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 21 samples, Table 2. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| −15.9 ± 1.56 ‰ | −18 / −13.7 ‰ | 11 | recrystallised "salt-and-pepper" dolomite of the replacement front Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 11 samples, Table 2. Inverse δ13C-δ18O correlation (r = -0.90); carbon up to +6.3 ‰. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| −12.33 ± 1.39 ‰ | −14.3 / −10.1 ‰ | 12 | reaction-rim dolomite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 12 samples, Table 2. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| −13.27 ± 2.13 ‰ | −17.2 / −8.8 ‰ | 65 | ore-stage white sparry dolomite (zebra) Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 65 samples, Table 2. Light carbon from organic matter oxidised during sulfate reduction; up to 80 % of the total range within a single centimetre-thick band. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
| −13.94 ± 1.64 ‰ | −17 / −11.3 ‰ | 20 | overgrowth calcite Mean and standard deviation recalculated from 20 samples, Table 2. | Ghazban et al. (1990), Carbon and sulfur isotope evidence for in situ reduction of sulfat… |
Deposits of the same type
- Upper Mississippi Valley district United States
- Black Angel (Maarmorilik) Greenland
- Gays River Canada
- Southern Appalachians MVT United States
- Central and East Tennessee MVT United States
- Tri-State district United States
- Northern Arkansas district United States
- Pend Oreille United States
Cite this page
IsoFind Atlas (2026). Nanisivik, isotope signatures. https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/nanisivik/ (accessed 2026-10-13).
@misc{isofind2026nanisivikisotopesignatures,
title = {Nanisivik, isotope signatures},
author = {{IsoFind Atlas}},
year = {2026},
url = {https://www.isofind.tech/isotopes/en/deposits/nanisivik/},
note = {Accessed 2026-10-13}
}Updated : 2026-10-13