ABSTRACT
The sulphur isotope characteristics of complex siderite-Pb-Zn-Sb veins in the Siegerland district, Germany, have been investigated using a laser microprobe technique. Hydrothermal overprinting of siderite-Pb-Zn veins by late-stage fluids caused extensive reaction and remobilisation processes and led to the formation of sulphosalt-rich assemblages. The sulphur isotope composition of remobilised mineral phases is essentially identical to the precursor base metal sulphides, which demonstrates recycling of sulphur. The local inheritance is most significant for diffusion-controlled reaction assemblages, whereas sphalerite and sulphosalts precipitated in fissure veins display greater isotopic variation, related to fluid-mineral fractionation.
