Paired stable isotopes (O, C) and clumped isotope thermometry of magnesite and silica veins in the New Caledonia Peridotite Nappe

The stable isotope compositions of veins provide information on the conditions of fluid–rock interaction and on the origin of fluids and temperatures. In New Caledonia, magnesite and silica veins occur throughout the Peridotite Nappe. In this work, we present stable isotope and clumped isotope data in order to constrain the conditions of fluid circulation and the relationship between fluid circulation and nickel ore-forming laterization focusing on the Koniambo Massif. For magnesite veins occurring at the base of the nappe, the high δ18O values between 27.8‰ and 29.5‰ attest to a low temperature formation. Clumped isotope analyses on magnesite give temperatures between 26 °C and 42 °C that are consistent with amorphous silica–magnesite oxygen isotope equilibrium. The meteoric origin of the fluid is indicated by calculated δ18Owater values between −3.4‰ to +1.5‰. Amorphous silica associated with …