Evidence for Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc mineralization in the Cévennes region, Southern France, during Pyrénées orogeny

New paleomagnetic analysis reveals that Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) lead-zinc mineralization in the Cévennes region of southern France occurred during the Lower-Middle Eocene, coinciding with the Pyrénées orogeny. This challenges previous assumptions linking mineralization to Mesozoic continental extension and instead suggests it resulted from large-scale fluid flow associated with tectonic activity. The study combines paleomagnetic data with radiometric (U-Th-Pb) and isotopic (Sm-Nd) analyses of ore-stage fluorite, providing robust evidence for the timing and origin of these deposits.

Leach, D., Premo, W., Lewchuk, M., Henry, B., Le Goff, M., Rouvier, H., Macquar, J.-C., & Thibiéroz, J. (2022). Evidence for Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc mineralization in the Cévennes region, Southern France, during Pyrénées orogeny. Mineral Deposits at the Beginning of the 21st Century, 157–160. https://doi.org/10.1201/9781003077503-39