Magmatic nickel sulfide mineralization in Zimbabwe: Review of deposits and development of exploration criteria for prospectivity analysis

Significant magmatic nickel sulfide deposits in Zimbabwe occur in Archean greenstone belts and Archean to Proterozoic mafic–ultramafic intrusions, such as Madziwa and the Great Dyke. Here, we review exploration criteria for magmatic nickel sulfide deposits, taking into account nickel sulfide mineral systems in general, Zimbabwe's cratonic evolution and the geological setting of the deposits. We propose that the essential ingredients for nickel sulfide mineral systems in Zimbabwe are (i) proximity to greenstone belts, craton margins and orogenic belts; (ii) large mafic–ultramafic intrusions and their feeders; (iii) crustal contamination of basic–ultrabasic magma with sulfidic crustal lithologies; and (iv) the vicinity to major fault zones that allowed fertile magma to ascend into the upper crust. We suggest that there is potential for new nickel sulfide discoveries, both within and outside the greenstone belts; including the Karoo flood basalt province, the Mashonaland dolerites, and the Limpopo, Magondi and Zambezi orogenic belts.

Research Highlights►Review of Zimbabwe’s geology and NiS deposits. ►Mineral systems approach for Zimbabwe’s NiS. ►Development of exploration criteria for prospectivity analysis. ►Targeting criteria for NiS at different scales. ►Potential for new discoveries both within greenstone belts and outside.