The Proceedings of the Eighth International Conference on Creationism (2018)

And would it be possible to have rapid transport of small amounts of fluids to produce the 210 Po radiohalos and deposit the ore veins over long periods (or intermittent periods) of time? In response there are several key factors to remember. First, it is only due to the accelerated U decay that a large “pulse” of Po isotopes was generated, and that was primarily only during the year of the Flood. Second, the heat sources to drive the large flows of hydrothermal fluids were the crystallizing granite plutons. Since they cooled rapidly (Snelling 2008a), then these heat sources and the large flows of hydrothermal fluids were also only short-lived within the Flood year, especially as the fossiliferous sediment layers the granite plutons intrude had to be first deposited during the Flood year. So all these factors combine to constrain the timescale for the formation of both Po radiohalos and ore veins. In conclusion, it is evident from this study that Po radiohalos could be used successfully as a pathfinder tool in the exploration for hydrothermal ore veins related to granites, in new areas within districts with known granite-related hydrothermal ore veins, and even in new districts with prospective granites. However, further work to develop this tool is encouraged, including more extensive collections of samples, perhaps even on a grid over a prospective granite, as it would bring the significance of Po radiohalos to the attention of the conventional geological community. Furthermore, the large numbers of Po radiohalos in the Mole Granite associated with the hydrothermal ore veins within and in close proximity to that granite are also a confirmation of the hydrothermal fluid transport model for the formation of Po radiohalos. And by implication this constrains the timeframe for deposition of the ore veins themselves. Since the same hydrothermal fluid flows responsible for the Po radiohalos within that granite were responsible for forming the ore veins associated with it, then the ore veins must have formed in the same very rapid timescale as that for the formation of the Po radiohalos, that is, within weeks, a timescale fully compatible with the biblical chronology of earth history. CONCLUSIONS Both the Hillgrove andMole Granites of the NewEngland Batholith of eastern Australia have economically-exploited hydrothermal ore veins associated with them. However, only the Mole Granite was found to contain extremely high numbers of Po radiohalos (1323-1542) in the three samples of it in close proximity to known ore veins. In stark contrast, the one Mole Granite sample distant from known ore veins contained only low-moderate numbers of Po radiohalos (156, or almost 90% fewer). On the other hand, two samples of the Hillgrove Granite proximal to its associated ore veins and one sample distal to them all contained moderate- high numbers of Po radiohalos (247-320), numbers similar to those in barren granite plutons elsewhere in the batholith. But unlike the Mole Granite samples associated with ore veins which had 210 Po: 238 U radiohalos ratios of 1.4:1 to 2.5:1, all the Hillgrove Granite samples had 210 Po: 238 U radiohalos ratios of 0.6:1 to 0.9:1, that is, more 238 U radiohalos than 210 Po radiohalos. This was not only attributable to the protolith of the S-type Hillgrove Granite potentially having fewer zircons with less U, but because the ore veins were not produced from the hydrothermal fluids expelled from that cooling pluton. Rather, the Hillgrove ore veins were precipitated from hydrothermal fluids as distant granitoid plutons cooled in a later magmatic event. Thus, the extremely high numbers of Po radiohalos in those Mole Granite samples proximal to known ore veins successfully indicated their proximity to those ore veins. It logically follows, therefore, that the Po radiohalos proved to be a reliable pathfinder for the hydrothermal ore veins associated with the sampled granite which produced and hosted those ore veins. This strategy was then applied to the Stanthorpe Granite, which historically has one exploited hydrothermal Sn-Cu vein deposit and yielded alluvial Sn. Two samples with high to very high numbers of Po radiohalos (382-540) in contrast to low numbers of 238 U radiohalos potentially pinpoint areas within that granite that could be subjected to follow- up exploration for possible hydrothermal Sn ore veins, nearby and/ or at depth. It is recommended that further work to develop this tool is encouraged, including more extensive collections of samples, perhaps even on a grid over a prospective granite. Nevertheless, since the same hydrothermal fluid flows responsible for the Po radiohalos within the Mole Granite were responsible for forming the ore veins associated with it, then the ore veins must have formed in the same very rapid timescale as that for the formation of the Po radiohalos, that is, within weeks, a timescale fully compatible with the biblical chronology of earth history. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The assistance of Mark Armitage in processing the samples and scanning them for radiohalos was appreciated. REFERENCES Ashley, P.M., N.D.J. Cook, R.L. Hill, and A.J.R. Kent. 1994. Shoshonitic lamprophyre dykes and their relation to mesothermal Au-Sb veins at Hillgrove, New South Wales, Australia . Lithos 32:249-272. Ashley, P.M., and D. Craw. 2004. Structural controls on hydrothermal alteration and gold-antimony mineralization in the Hillgrove area, NSW, Australia. Mineralium Deposita 39:223-239. Audétat, A., D. Günther, and C.A. Heinrich. 2000a. 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Implications of fluid inclusion data on the origin of the Hillgrove gold-antimony deposits, N.S.W. Proceedings of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 289:195-203. Gentry, R.V. 1973. Radioactive halos. Annual Review of Nuclear Science 23:347-362. Gentry, R.V. 1974. Radiohalos in a radiochronological and cosmological perspective. Science 184:62-66. Snelling ◀ Radiohalos as an exploration pathfinder ▶ 2018 ICC 579