Epithermal precious metal deposits are uncommon within the Archean rock record, as are detailed descriptions of their associated features and modes of formation. The Vent prospect is a Neoarchean Au–Ag occurrence within the Eastern Wabigoon Subprovince of the Superior Province in Ontario. It is hosted by aphyric, and quartz ± feldspar-porphyritic aphanitic dacitic flows that show remnants of spine-like structures within blocky flow top breccia facies that lack visible hyaloclastite, consistent with subaerial emplacement. Numerous phreatic breccia dikes containing rounded, heterolithic, fragments in a fine rock flour and locally altered matrix intrude the dacitic host rocks, supporting a subaerial setting. Discordant replacement and stringer Au- and Ag-bearing pyrite mineralization is associated with a decimeter-scale, zoned, discordant sequence of metamorphic associations consisting of a) quartz-pyrite; b) kyanite-quartz; c) muscovite-kyanite; and d) muscovite. The geochemical characteristics of these metamorphic associations reflect intense pre-metamorphic acidic alteration. These lithofacies, alteration characteristics, and mineralization styles are consistent with a subaerial volcanic edifice altered by acidic hydrothermal fluids, which periodically brecciated the edifice. We propose that the features that characterize the Vent prospect are consistent with those of Phanerozoic epithermal systems. New U–Pb zircon geochronology of the host dacites indicate formation at ca. 2720 Ma, suggesting that the Vent prospect may represent one of the oldest identified epithermal deposits preserved in the ancient rock record. The recognition of epithermal mineralization in Archean greenstone belts underlain by Mesoarchean crust, such as those of the Eastern Wabigoon, opens up the possibility of potential for gold and silver in other underexplored Archean greenstone belts.

浅成热液贵金属矿床在太古代岩石记录中并不常见，对其相关特征和形成模式的详细描述也不常见。Vent 远景区是安大略省苏必利尔省 Eastern Wabigoon 子省内的新太古宙 Au-Ag 矿床。它由非非物质和石英±长石-斑状隐晶质辉长岩流承载，在块状流顶部角砾岩相中显示出脊柱状结构的残余物，缺乏可见的透明碎屑岩，与地下放置一致。许多裂质角砾岩脉在细岩粉和局部蚀变的基质中含有圆形的异石碎片，侵入了辉长岩主岩，支持了地下环境。不一致的取代和含细丝的含金和银黄铁矿化与分米级、分区、不一致的变质组合序列有关，包括 a） 石英-黄铁矿;b） 蓝晶石石英;c） 白云母-蓝晶石;d） 白云母。这些变质结合的地球化学特征反映了强烈的变质前酸性蚀变。这些岩相、蚀变特征和矿化类型与被酸性热液流体蚀变的地下火山岩结构一致，酸性热液流体周期性地使结构角砾岩形成。我们提出，表征 Vent 前景的特征与显生代浅成热液系统的特征一致。主锆石的新 U-Pb 锆石地质年代学表明形成于约 2720 马，这表明 Vent 远景区可能代表了古代岩石记录中保存的最古老的已确定的浅成热液矿床之一。 在中太古代地壳下方的太古代绿岩带（例如 Eastern Wabigoon 的绿岩带）中发现了浅成热液矿化，这为其他未充分开发的太古代绿岩带提供了金银潜力的可能性。