gsminmag Mineralogical Magazine Mineralogical Magazine 0026-461X Mineralogical Society 10.1180/minmag.1983.047.345.11 The Interpretation of Pyrrhotine-Pentlandite-Tochilinite-Magnetite-Magnesite Textures in Serpentinites from Mount Keith, Western Australia van de Vusse R. * Department of Geology, University of Western Australia, Nedlands, Western Australia, 6009, Australia Powell Roger Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

Present address: Department of Earth Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK

 12 1983 47 345 501 505 12 7 1983 Copyright © 1983, The Mineralogical Society 1983 Abstract

The ultramafic-hosted disseminated nickel sulphide deposit at Mount Keith, Western Australia, originally consisted of sulphide droplets and chrome spinels interstitial to olivine. During cooling, the sulphide droplets crystallized to pentlandite-pyrrhotine. Hydration and carbonation caused rimming and replacement of pentlandite-pyrrhotine by tochilinite, magnetite, and magnesite. These textures are interpreted in terms of diffusion between serpentinite matrix and the sulphide blebs.