9406259 Ruiz We propose to assess the effects of deuteric and hydrothermal fluids in PGE mineralization by using Os isotopes as a monitor of crustal interactions in the system. Bulk analyses by negative ionization mass spectrometry (NTIMS) will be performed on country rocks and crustal xenoliths, as possible representatives of the crustal component in the Bushveld. Re-Os analysis of PGE-enriched layers and adjacent silicates will also be obtained; preliminary results by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) show heterogeneities in these horizons, particularly where deuteric and hydrothermal effects are evident. But in situ Os isotope and PGE analysis of PGE phases by laser ablation ICP-MS are required to document the various inputs of these processes. The data obtained in this study will allow us to place some constraints on the magmatic, deuteric and hydrothermal contributions to PGE mineralization in the Bushveld Complex.
