Brandon Choquette, D. Kontak, Édouard Côté-Lavoie, M. Fayek
Windfall is a world-class Archean intrusion-related Au deposit (7.4+ Moz of Au) located in the underexplored Urban-Barry greenstone belt (Quebec, Canada). The deposit remains an enigmatic Au setting—its intrusion-related features contrast with the more common orogenic deposit type in the Au-endowed Abitibi greenstone belt. Mineralization consists of quartz-pyrite-carbonate ± tourmaline veins and stockworks that cut sericite-pyrite ± silica ± tourmaline ± fuchsite replacement zones, all of which overprint a swarm of 2697.6 ± 2.6 Ma quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes. That the ore zones and quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes are cut by a later set of 2697.6 ± 0.4 Ma quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes constrains mineralization temporally and spatially to intrusive activity. To further address the deposit genesis, ore petrology integrated with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry analysis and cathodoluminescence imaging, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry mapping of pyrite, fluid inclusion studies, and in situ secondary ion mass spectrometry isotopic studies (O, S) were completed. Ore-related sulfides are dominated by pyrite with lesser arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, tennantite-tetrahedrite, galena, gold, electrum, and minor Sb-rich and telluride alloys. Four pyrite generations (Py1-Py4) occur, with elemental maps indicating primary Au is related to As-rich Py2 that is also enriched in Ag-Sb-Hg-Cu-Zn-Pb-Bi-Te. The δ34Spyrite values are similar for Py1 to Py3, with an inferred δ34Sfluid of ~5‰ consistent with a magmatic reservoir, whereas δ18Oquartz for both igneous (avg = 8.4‰, n = 28) and vein (5.7–14.6‰, n = 53) material suggests mixing of a magmatic fluid with an 18O-poor reservoir. Fluid inclusion studies from pre- to postmineralization veins indicate the predominance of a carbonic (±CH4) fluid, with rare aqueous-carbonic (CO2 = 5–98 mol %) and variably saline aqueous types. Whereas the data are considered to best reflect an intrusion-related deposit model, we note that some data, such as the carbonic-rich nature of fluid inclusions and large range in δ18Oquartz, are equivocal in regard to their meaning, and thus further studies are needed to resolve some aspects of this ore system.
{"title":"A Fluid Chemical Study of the World-Class, Intrusion-Related Archean Windfall Gold Deposit, Quebec, Canada","authors":"Brandon Choquette, D. Kontak, Édouard Côté-Lavoie, M. Fayek","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.5033","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5033","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Windfall is a world-class Archean intrusion-related Au deposit (7.4+ Moz of Au) located in the underexplored Urban-Barry greenstone belt (Quebec, Canada). The deposit remains an enigmatic Au setting—its intrusion-related features contrast with the more common orogenic deposit type in the Au-endowed Abitibi greenstone belt. Mineralization consists of quartz-pyrite-carbonate ± tourmaline veins and stockworks that cut sericite-pyrite ± silica ± tourmaline ± fuchsite replacement zones, all of which overprint a swarm of 2697.6 ± 2.6 Ma quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes. That the ore zones and quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes are cut by a later set of 2697.6 ± 0.4 Ma quartz-feldspar porphyry dikes constrains mineralization temporally and spatially to intrusive activity. To further address the deposit genesis, ore petrology integrated with scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectrometry analysis and cathodoluminescence imaging, laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry mapping of pyrite, fluid inclusion studies, and in situ secondary ion mass spectrometry isotopic studies (O, S) were completed. Ore-related sulfides are dominated by pyrite with lesser arsenopyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, tennantite-tetrahedrite, galena, gold, electrum, and minor Sb-rich and telluride alloys. Four pyrite generations (Py1-Py4) occur, with elemental maps indicating primary Au is related to As-rich Py2 that is also enriched in Ag-Sb-Hg-Cu-Zn-Pb-Bi-Te. The δ34Spyrite values are similar for Py1 to Py3, with an inferred δ34Sfluid of ~5‰ consistent with a magmatic reservoir, whereas δ18Oquartz for both igneous (avg = 8.4‰, n = 28) and vein (5.7–14.6‰, n = 53) material suggests mixing of a magmatic fluid with an 18O-poor reservoir. Fluid inclusion studies from pre- to postmineralization veins indicate the predominance of a carbonic (±CH4) fluid, with rare aqueous-carbonic (CO2 = 5–98 mol %) and variably saline aqueous types. Whereas the data are considered to best reflect an intrusion-related deposit model, we note that some data, such as the carbonic-rich nature of fluid inclusions and large range in δ18Oquartz, are equivocal in regard to their meaning, and thus further studies are needed to resolve some aspects of this ore system.","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"88268288","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Wei Hong, A. Fabris, T. Wise, A. Collins, Sarah E. Gilbert, D. Selby, S. Curtis, A. Reid
Paleozoic porphyry-style hydrothermal alteration and mineralization has previously been recognized within the Delamerian orogen, South Australia, where porphyry prospects include Anabama Hill, Netley Hill, and Bendigo. However, limited exploration due in part to thick postmineralization cover hinders the understanding of the temporal context, metallogenic setting, and mineral potential of the porphyry systems along the Proterozoic continental margin of Australia. In this study, we have characterized the hydrothermal alteration and mineralization of these porphyry occurrences. Zircon U-Pb, molybdenite Re-Os, and white mica Rb-Sr ages have been determined to constrain the timing for emplacement of magmatic intrusions, precipitation of metal-bearing sulfides, and duration of hydrothermal alteration in the Delamerian orogenic belt. Zircon U-Pb laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses of nine granitoids reveal that the intrusive rocks were emplaced mostly between 485 and 465 Ma, whereas three intrusions at Bendigo have zircon U-Pb ages of 490 to 480 Ma. Molybdenite isotope dilution-negative thermal ion mass spectrometry (ID-NTIMS) Re-Os dating of the four prospects identifies two porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization events at 480 and 470 to 460 Ma, respectively. Nineteen white mica Rb-Sr LA-ICP-MS/MS (tandem mass spectrometers) analyses return an age range between 455 and 435 Ma for phyllic alteration at the Anabama Hill and Netley Hill prospects, whereas intense white mica-quartz-pyrite alteration at Bendigo prospect appears to have developed between 470 and 460 Ma. These geochronologic results indicate that the Delamerian porphyry systems postdated subduction-related magmatism in the region (514–490 Ma) but instead formed within an inverted back-arc regime, where mineralized magmas and fluids ascended along favorable lithospheric-scale structures, probably due to asthenospheric upwelling triggered by mafic delamination. Porphyritic stocks, dikes, and aplites with ages of 470 to 460 Ma are the most likely hosts to porphyry-style mineralization in the Delamerian orogen that appears to have formed simultaneously with the oldest known porphyry systems in the intraoceanic Macquarie arc (e.g., Marsden, E43, and Milly Milly; 467–455 Ma). These results emphasize the significance and potential of Early-Middle Ordovician intrusive systems to host such a type of magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization in the Delamerian orogen.
{"title":"Metallogenic Setting and Temporal Evolution of Porphyry Cu-Mo Mineralization and Alteration in the Delamerian Orogen, South Australia: Insights From Zircon U-Pb, Molybdenite Re-Os, and In Situ White Mica Rb-Sr Geochronology","authors":"Wei Hong, A. Fabris, T. Wise, A. Collins, Sarah E. Gilbert, D. Selby, S. Curtis, A. Reid","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.5012","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5012","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Paleozoic porphyry-style hydrothermal alteration and mineralization has previously been recognized within the Delamerian orogen, South Australia, where porphyry prospects include Anabama Hill, Netley Hill, and Bendigo. However, limited exploration due in part to thick postmineralization cover hinders the understanding of the temporal context, metallogenic setting, and mineral potential of the porphyry systems along the Proterozoic continental margin of Australia. In this study, we have characterized the hydrothermal alteration and mineralization of these porphyry occurrences. Zircon U-Pb, molybdenite Re-Os, and white mica Rb-Sr ages have been determined to constrain the timing for emplacement of magmatic intrusions, precipitation of metal-bearing sulfides, and duration of hydrothermal alteration in the Delamerian orogenic belt. Zircon U-Pb laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) analyses of nine granitoids reveal that the intrusive rocks were emplaced mostly between 485 and 465 Ma, whereas three intrusions at Bendigo have zircon U-Pb ages of 490 to 480 Ma. Molybdenite isotope dilution-negative thermal ion mass spectrometry (ID-NTIMS) Re-Os dating of the four prospects identifies two porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization events at 480 and 470 to 460 Ma, respectively. Nineteen white mica Rb-Sr LA-ICP-MS/MS (tandem mass spectrometers) analyses return an age range between 455 and 435 Ma for phyllic alteration at the Anabama Hill and Netley Hill prospects, whereas intense white mica-quartz-pyrite alteration at Bendigo prospect appears to have developed between 470 and 460 Ma. These geochronologic results indicate that the Delamerian porphyry systems postdated subduction-related magmatism in the region (514–490 Ma) but instead formed within an inverted back-arc regime, where mineralized magmas and fluids ascended along favorable lithospheric-scale structures, probably due to asthenospheric upwelling triggered by mafic delamination. Porphyritic stocks, dikes, and aplites with ages of 470 to 460 Ma are the most likely hosts to porphyry-style mineralization in the Delamerian orogen that appears to have formed simultaneously with the oldest known porphyry systems in the intraoceanic Macquarie arc (e.g., Marsden, E43, and Milly Milly; 467–455 Ma). These results emphasize the significance and potential of Early-Middle Ordovician intrusive systems to host such a type of magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization in the Delamerian orogen.","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"54 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76886304","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Alexander D. Farrar, D. Cooke, J. Hronsky, D. G. Wood, Sebastian B. Benavides, M. Cracknell, James F. Banyard, Santiago Gigola, T. Ireland, Simon M. Jones, J. Piquer
In the central Andes, giant porphyry copper deposits of similar ages group into discrete geographic clusters that are regularly spaced and aligned within orogen-parallel belts. This clustering highlights how exceptional geologic processes affected localized regions of the lithosphere during mineralization and that the spatial and temporal distribution of giant porphyry deposits is nonrandom. Development of favorable regions of lithosphere for significant metal concentration are linked to the overlap of structural pathways that focus fluid and magma flow from the mantle to upper crust during high-horizontal-compressive-strain events. These structural pathways are notoriously difficult to identify in the field due to their often-subtle surficial manifestations and continental scale. Field mapping at multiple scales in northwest Argentina and southern Peru, as well as regional structural traverses throughout the central Andes, indicates the presence of regional-scale structural corridors 5 to 25 km wide and hundreds of km long that consist of myriad fault planes. The variable width and diffuse surface expression of these corridors is interpreted to reflect the upward propagation of underlying zones of basement weakness through younger supracrustal sequences in the overriding plate. Such structural corridors are (1) apparent at multiple scales of investigation, (2) long-lived, (3) preferentially reactivated though time, and (4) evident in geophysical data sets. This structural architecture formed in response to the interplay of pre-Cenozoic tectonics and the orientation of inherited structural weaknesses. These fault systems persist in the upper crust as steep zones of enhanced permeability that can preferentially reactivate as pathways for ascending hydrous magmas and fluids during major deformation events. Linear orogen-parallel structural belts cogenetic with the magmatic arc provide the first-order control to giant porphyry copper deposit distribution. The second-order control is the intersection of orogen-oblique structural corridors with the orogen-parallel belts, localizing deposit clusters at these intersections. Such regions are inferred to have been zones of deep permeability, with vertical translithospheric pathways activated during high-strain tectonic events that affected the intra-arc stress field.
{"title":"A Model for the Lithospheric Architecture of the Central Andes and the Localization of Giant Porphyry Copper Deposit Clusters","authors":"Alexander D. Farrar, D. Cooke, J. Hronsky, D. G. Wood, Sebastian B. Benavides, M. Cracknell, James F. Banyard, Santiago Gigola, T. Ireland, Simon M. Jones, J. Piquer","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.5010","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5010","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 In the central Andes, giant porphyry copper deposits of similar ages group into discrete geographic clusters that are regularly spaced and aligned within orogen-parallel belts. This clustering highlights how exceptional geologic processes affected localized regions of the lithosphere during mineralization and that the spatial and temporal distribution of giant porphyry deposits is nonrandom. Development of favorable regions of lithosphere for significant metal concentration are linked to the overlap of structural pathways that focus fluid and magma flow from the mantle to upper crust during high-horizontal-compressive-strain events. These structural pathways are notoriously difficult to identify in the field due to their often-subtle surficial manifestations and continental scale. Field mapping at multiple scales in northwest Argentina and southern Peru, as well as regional structural traverses throughout the central Andes, indicates the presence of regional-scale structural corridors 5 to 25 km wide and hundreds of km long that consist of myriad fault planes. The variable width and diffuse surface expression of these corridors is interpreted to reflect the upward propagation of underlying zones of basement weakness through younger supracrustal sequences in the overriding plate. Such structural corridors are (1) apparent at multiple scales of investigation, (2) long-lived, (3) preferentially reactivated though time, and (4) evident in geophysical data sets. This structural architecture formed in response to the interplay of pre-Cenozoic tectonics and the orientation of inherited structural weaknesses. These fault systems persist in the upper crust as steep zones of enhanced permeability that can preferentially reactivate as pathways for ascending hydrous magmas and fluids during major deformation events. Linear orogen-parallel structural belts cogenetic with the magmatic arc provide the first-order control to giant porphyry copper deposit distribution. The second-order control is the intersection of orogen-oblique structural corridors with the orogen-parallel belts, localizing deposit clusters at these intersections. Such regions are inferred to have been zones of deep permeability, with vertical translithospheric pathways activated during high-strain tectonic events that affected the intra-arc stress field.","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"12 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86575122","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Simon M. Jones, Jonathan Cloutier, A. Prave, T. Raub, E. Stüeken, H. Stein, Gang Yang, A. Boyce
White Pine, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is an archetypal sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposit. The Midcontinent rift system is one of only seven basins globally that host a giant sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposit. Despite many similarities with other deposits of this type, White Pine displays some important differences, including the late Mesoproterozoic age, a thick basalt sequence, an apparent lack of evaporites, and a lacustrine depositional setting. This study analyzes paleofluid flow related to the formation of White Pine and places a particular emphasis on structural and diagenetic fluid pathways. Most of the ore is located in a 30-m-wide zone spanning the Copper Harbor Formation red beds and the overlying Nonesuch Formation shales. Sedimentation of these units was accompanied by subtle synsedimentary faulting. Premineralization phases include calcite concretions and nodules, illite and hematite grain coatings, isopachous chlorite rims, emplacement of liquid petroleum (now pyrobitumen), and bleaching. Mineralization introduced native copper into the footwall sandstones and a zoned suite of native copper and sulfur-poor copper sulfide minerals across a migrating redox front in the overlying shales where copper minerals nucleated on authigenic and detrital chlorite grains. Postmineralization phases include quartz cement, calcite cement, and calcite veins that partially overlapped inversion of synsedimentary faults. Contrary to previous studies, we identified evidence for only one phase of mineralization. An Re-Os chalcocite age of 1067 ± 11 Ma places mineralization 11 to 17 m.y. after host-rock deposition. Sulfide δ34S values of –14.0 to 29.9‰ suggest an important contribution from sour gas and thermochemical sulfate reduction of seawater. Carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope compositions of five calcite generations range from –15.1 to –1.3‰ and 10.4 to 41.3‰, respectively, and record early meteoric pore water displaced by later seawater. White Pine is both a sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposit and a paleo-oil field. Synsedimentary faults controlled the sedimentological character of the upper Copper Harbor Formation, and together these imparted a strong control on fluid flow and later diagenetic processes. Early oxidized meteoric fluids were displaced by liquid petroleum and sour gas, which were in turn succeeded by metal-rich but sulfate-poor oxidized seawater. Burial compaction during deposition of the overlying Freda Formation drove fluids through White Pine due to its situation on a paleotopographic high near the basin margin. Mineralization occurred at ~125°C at depths of ~2.0 km and spanned incipient basin inversion related to the distal effects of Grenvillian orogenesis. The hightenor copper mineral assemblage is the product of an abundant supply of metal from basaltic volcanic detritus in the Copper Harbor Formation and low seawater sulfate concentrations in late Mesoproterozoic oceans. This demons
{"title":"Fluid Flow, Alteration, and Timing of Cu-Ag Mineralization at the White Pine Sediment-Hosted Copper Deposit, Michigan, USA","authors":"Simon M. Jones, Jonathan Cloutier, A. Prave, T. Raub, E. Stüeken, H. Stein, Gang Yang, A. Boyce","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.5013","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5013","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 White Pine, located in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, is an archetypal sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposit. The Midcontinent rift system is one of only seven basins globally that host a giant sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposit. Despite many similarities with other deposits of this type, White Pine displays some important differences, including the late Mesoproterozoic age, a thick basalt sequence, an apparent lack of evaporites, and a lacustrine depositional setting. This study analyzes paleofluid flow related to the formation of White Pine and places a particular emphasis on structural and diagenetic fluid pathways.\u0000 Most of the ore is located in a 30-m-wide zone spanning the Copper Harbor Formation red beds and the overlying Nonesuch Formation shales. Sedimentation of these units was accompanied by subtle synsedimentary faulting. Premineralization phases include calcite concretions and nodules, illite and hematite grain coatings, isopachous chlorite rims, emplacement of liquid petroleum (now pyrobitumen), and bleaching. Mineralization introduced native copper into the footwall sandstones and a zoned suite of native copper and sulfur-poor copper sulfide minerals across a migrating redox front in the overlying shales where copper minerals nucleated on authigenic and detrital chlorite grains. Postmineralization phases include quartz cement, calcite cement, and calcite veins that partially overlapped inversion of synsedimentary faults. Contrary to previous studies, we identified evidence for only one phase of mineralization. An Re-Os chalcocite age of 1067 ± 11 Ma places mineralization 11 to 17 m.y. after host-rock deposition. Sulfide δ34S values of –14.0 to 29.9‰ suggest an important contribution from sour gas and thermochemical sulfate reduction of seawater. Carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) isotope compositions of five calcite generations range from –15.1 to –1.3‰ and 10.4 to 41.3‰, respectively, and record early meteoric pore water displaced by later seawater.\u0000 White Pine is both a sediment-hosted stratiform copper deposit and a paleo-oil field. Synsedimentary faults controlled the sedimentological character of the upper Copper Harbor Formation, and together these imparted a strong control on fluid flow and later diagenetic processes. Early oxidized meteoric fluids were displaced by liquid petroleum and sour gas, which were in turn succeeded by metal-rich but sulfate-poor oxidized seawater. Burial compaction during deposition of the overlying Freda Formation drove fluids through White Pine due to its situation on a paleotopographic high near the basin margin. Mineralization occurred at ~125°C at depths of ~2.0 km and spanned incipient basin inversion related to the distal effects of Grenvillian orogenesis. The hightenor copper mineral assemblage is the product of an abundant supply of metal from basaltic volcanic detritus in the Copper Harbor Formation and low seawater sulfate concentrations in late Mesoproterozoic oceans. This demons","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"47 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"73019662","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-08-01DOI: 10.5382/econgeo.118.5.ip01
{"title":"Interesting Papers in Other Journals","authors":"","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.118.5.ip01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.118.5.ip01","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"19 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135717145","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
F. Cernuschi, J. Dilles, J. Osorio, J. Proffett, K. Kouzmanov
The timing and temperature at which copper-iron and molybdenum sulfide deposition occurs in porphyry deposits remain controversial. Petrologic estimates indicate that veins and wall-rock alteration zones containing copper-iron sulfides form in a wide temperature range from ~350° to 650°C. Most sulfides are hosted in potassium(K)-silicate–altered rock and quartz A veins or in early-halo alteration selvages formed above ~450°C. In contrast, cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging of A veins indicates that copper-iron sulfides are contained within a primary lucent (bright and gray)-CL quartz and are crosscut by microfractures filled with younger dull (dark and medium-gray)-CL quartz in direct contact with copper-iron sulfides. These observations have been interpreted as supporting late copper-iron sulfide introduction together with dull-CL quartz at moderate temperatures of ~300° to 450°C, based on fluid inclusion estimates. We provide new CL, QEMSCAN, and petrographic data and images of vein quartz as well as petrologic data of altered wall rock from Haquira East (Peru), Encuentro (Chile), and Batu Hijau (Indonesia) porphyry deposits, which were formed at conditions ranging from deep to shallow (~2–10 km). At all three deposits, dull-CL quartz in microfractures is ubiquitously observed crosscutting all generations of high-temperature lucent-CL quartz veins. Each lucent-CL vein type hosts distinct sulfide populations, crosscuts the others, and coexists in space within the copper and molybdenum ore zones. Within this ore zone, the dull-CL quartz only contains copper-iron sulfides where it transects old A veins and early halos, molybdenite where it transects young molybdenite-bearing quartz veins, and both copper-iron sulfides and molybdenite in younger B veins. Furthermore, where the dull-CL quartz crosscuts igneous or barren (deep) quartz veins, it typically lacks copper and molybdenum. Therefore, dull-CL quartz has no particular spatial or genetic affinity with copper-iron sulfides or molybdenite. We propose that copper was introduced and precipitated at high temperatures in stability with K-silicate alteration. In shallow porphyry deposits, most copper was introduced with lucent-CL quartz in A veins, likely formed via adiabatic decompression from magmatic lithostatic to hydrostatic conditions at ~450° to 600°C. In deep deposits, most copper is introduced with quartz-poor early halos, likely formed at a temperature range similar to that of A veins but during an early stage of retrograde silica solubility. The inferred timing and temperature of copper precipitation are consistent with available solubility experiments for copper-bearing solutions that suggest copper precipitation may start at a high temperature of ~600°C, and ~90% precipitates before it cools down to ~400°C. Much of the molybdenum is introduced and precipitated with discrete pulses of molybdenite-bearing quartz veins that crosscut and postdate copper-bearing A veins and early halos and,
{"title":"A Reevaluation of the Timing and Temperature of Copper and Molybdenum Precipitation in Porphyry Deposits","authors":"F. Cernuschi, J. Dilles, J. Osorio, J. Proffett, K. Kouzmanov","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.5032","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5032","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The timing and temperature at which copper-iron and molybdenum sulfide deposition occurs in porphyry deposits remain controversial. Petrologic estimates indicate that veins and wall-rock alteration zones containing copper-iron sulfides form in a wide temperature range from ~350° to 650°C. Most sulfides are hosted in potassium(K)-silicate–altered rock and quartz A veins or in early-halo alteration selvages formed above ~450°C. In contrast, cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging of A veins indicates that copper-iron sulfides are contained within a primary lucent (bright and gray)-CL quartz and are crosscut by microfractures filled with younger dull (dark and medium-gray)-CL quartz in direct contact with copper-iron sulfides. These observations have been interpreted as supporting late copper-iron sulfide introduction together with dull-CL quartz at moderate temperatures of ~300° to 450°C, based on fluid inclusion estimates.\u0000 We provide new CL, QEMSCAN, and petrographic data and images of vein quartz as well as petrologic data of altered wall rock from Haquira East (Peru), Encuentro (Chile), and Batu Hijau (Indonesia) porphyry deposits, which were formed at conditions ranging from deep to shallow (~2–10 km). At all three deposits, dull-CL quartz in microfractures is ubiquitously observed crosscutting all generations of high-temperature lucent-CL quartz veins. Each lucent-CL vein type hosts distinct sulfide populations, crosscuts the others, and coexists in space within the copper and molybdenum ore zones. Within this ore zone, the dull-CL quartz only contains copper-iron sulfides where it transects old A veins and early halos, molybdenite where it transects young molybdenite-bearing quartz veins, and both copper-iron sulfides and molybdenite in younger B veins. Furthermore, where the dull-CL quartz crosscuts igneous or barren (deep) quartz veins, it typically lacks copper and molybdenum. Therefore, dull-CL quartz has no particular spatial or genetic affinity with copper-iron sulfides or molybdenite.\u0000 We propose that copper was introduced and precipitated at high temperatures in stability with K-silicate alteration. In shallow porphyry deposits, most copper was introduced with lucent-CL quartz in A veins, likely formed via adiabatic decompression from magmatic lithostatic to hydrostatic conditions at ~450° to 600°C. In deep deposits, most copper is introduced with quartz-poor early halos, likely formed at a temperature range similar to that of A veins but during an early stage of retrograde silica solubility. The inferred timing and temperature of copper precipitation are consistent with available solubility experiments for copper-bearing solutions that suggest copper precipitation may start at a high temperature of ~600°C, and ~90% precipitates before it cools down to ~400°C. Much of the molybdenum is introduced and precipitated with discrete pulses of molybdenite-bearing quartz veins that crosscut and postdate copper-bearing A veins and early halos and,","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"58 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90054041","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Elias Martins Guerra Prado, C. R. de Souza Filho, Emmanuel John Muico Carranza
Acquiring information about the spatial distribution of ore grade in the subsurface is essential for exploring and discovering mineral resources. This information is derived commonly from the geochemical analysis carried out on drill core samples, which allows the quantification of the concentration of ore elements. However, these surveys are generally time-consuming and expensive, usually leading to information at a low spatial resolution due to large sampling intervals. The use of hyperspectral systems in the mining industry to characterize and quantify minerals in drill cores is increasing due to their efficiency and fast turnaround time. Here, we propose the use of convolutional neural networks on hyperspectral data to estimate Cu concentration in drill cores at the Olympic Dam iron oxide copper-gold deposit. The Cu concentration data obtained by drill core geochemical analysis and the mean spectra between the analyzed intervals obtained from hyperspectral data were used to train the machine learning model. The trained model was then used to estimate the Cu concentration of a test drill core, which was not used to train the model. In addition, the trained model was used to extrapolate the Cu concentration, at a centimetric spatial resolution, to the drill core intervals without geochemical analysis. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the results demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed method, which provided a root mean squared error of 0.48 for the estimation of Cu percentage along drill cores. The results indicate that the method could be beneficial for determining the spatial distribution of ore grade by supporting the selection of zones of interest where more detailed analyses are appropriate, reducing the number of samples needed to characterize and identify the ore zones, and assisting in the estimation of the volume with commercially viable ore, thereby potentially reducing the geochemical assays needed and decreasing the data acquisition time.
{"title":"Ore-Grade Estimation from Hyperspectral Data Using Convolutional Neural Networks: A Case Study at the Olympic Dam Iron Oxide Copper-Gold Deposit, Australia","authors":"Elias Martins Guerra Prado, C. R. de Souza Filho, Emmanuel John Muico Carranza","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.5023","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5023","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 Acquiring information about the spatial distribution of ore grade in the subsurface is essential for exploring and discovering mineral resources. This information is derived commonly from the geochemical analysis carried out on drill core samples, which allows the quantification of the concentration of ore elements. However, these surveys are generally time-consuming and expensive, usually leading to information at a low spatial resolution due to large sampling intervals. The use of hyperspectral systems in the mining industry to characterize and quantify minerals in drill cores is increasing due to their efficiency and fast turnaround time. Here, we propose the use of convolutional neural networks on hyperspectral data to estimate Cu concentration in drill cores at the Olympic Dam iron oxide copper-gold deposit. The Cu concentration data obtained by drill core geochemical analysis and the mean spectra between the analyzed intervals obtained from hyperspectral data were used to train the machine learning model. The trained model was then used to estimate the Cu concentration of a test drill core, which was not used to train the model. In addition, the trained model was used to extrapolate the Cu concentration, at a centimetric spatial resolution, to the drill core intervals without geochemical analysis. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations of the results demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed method, which provided a root mean squared error of 0.48 for the estimation of Cu percentage along drill cores. The results indicate that the method could be beneficial for determining the spatial distribution of ore grade by supporting the selection of zones of interest where more detailed analyses are appropriate, reducing the number of samples needed to characterize and identify the ore zones, and assisting in the estimation of the volume with commercially viable ore, thereby potentially reducing the geochemical assays needed and decreasing the data acquisition time.","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"14 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81381446","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
M. S. Mohammedyasin, J. Magnall, S. Gleeson, H. Schulz, A. Schleicher, J. Stammeier, Bodo-Carlo Ehling
The Southern Permian basin in central Europe contains a number of important high-grade sediment-hosted Cu deposits. Laterally extensive stratabound Cu and Zn-Pb sulfide mineralized rocks are located at a major stratigraphic redox boundary, where coarse-grained continental sandstones of the uppermost Rotliegend Group are overlain by carbonaceous mudstones (T1) and limestones (Ca1) of the Zechstein Formation. This study investigates the diagenetic evolution and style of sulfide mineralization in three drill cores that intersect Cu and Zn-Pb sulfide mineralized rocks at three locations (Sangerhausen, Allstedt, and Wallendorf) in the Saale subbasin (Eastern Germany), which is located at the southern margin of the Southern Permian basin. We combine macro- to microscale petrographic data (binocular, transmitted and reflected light, and scanning electron microscopy) with quantitative X-ray diffractometry and bulk-rock geochemical analyses. Petrographic results show extensive, primary-porosity-occluding, early diagenetic calcite cementation that predates both the diagenetic alteration of detrital clasts and sulfide mineralization. The highest-grade Cu and Zn-Pb sulfides (bornite, sphalerite, and galena) replace the calcite cement, with subordinate replacement of dolomite and detrital clasts. Quantitative mineralogical and geochemical data demonstrate that the highest base metal (Cu, Zn, and Pb) concentrations are associated with carbonate-rich samples, mostly as disseminated mineralization in the middle T1. Bulk-rock geochemical results show enrichment and covariation of redox-sensitive trace elements (RSTEs, e.g., Mo) with total organic carbon content toward the lower T1, consistent with highly reducing depositional conditions. Overall, the distribution and dissolution of calcite cement across this stratigraphic redox boundary provided the main control on the lateral migration of base metal-bearing fluids and high-grade Cu and Zn-Pb sulfide mineralization in the Saale subbasin.
{"title":"Diagenetic History and Timing of Cu and Zn-Pb Sulfide Mineralization in the Permian Kupferschiefer System, Saale Subbasin, Eastern Germany","authors":"M. S. Mohammedyasin, J. Magnall, S. Gleeson, H. Schulz, A. Schleicher, J. Stammeier, Bodo-Carlo Ehling","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.5015","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5015","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The Southern Permian basin in central Europe contains a number of important high-grade sediment-hosted Cu deposits. Laterally extensive stratabound Cu and Zn-Pb sulfide mineralized rocks are located at a major stratigraphic redox boundary, where coarse-grained continental sandstones of the uppermost Rotliegend Group are overlain by carbonaceous mudstones (T1) and limestones (Ca1) of the Zechstein Formation. This study investigates the diagenetic evolution and style of sulfide mineralization in three drill cores that intersect Cu and Zn-Pb sulfide mineralized rocks at three locations (Sangerhausen, Allstedt, and Wallendorf) in the Saale subbasin (Eastern Germany), which is located at the southern margin of the Southern Permian basin. We combine macro- to microscale petrographic data (binocular, transmitted and reflected light, and scanning electron microscopy) with quantitative X-ray diffractometry and bulk-rock geochemical analyses. Petrographic results show extensive, primary-porosity-occluding, early diagenetic calcite cementation that predates both the diagenetic alteration of detrital clasts and sulfide mineralization. The highest-grade Cu and Zn-Pb sulfides (bornite, sphalerite, and galena) replace the calcite cement, with subordinate replacement of dolomite and detrital clasts. Quantitative mineralogical and geochemical data demonstrate that the highest base metal (Cu, Zn, and Pb) concentrations are associated with carbonate-rich samples, mostly as disseminated mineralization in the middle T1. Bulk-rock geochemical results show enrichment and covariation of redox-sensitive trace elements (RSTEs, e.g., Mo) with total organic carbon content toward the lower T1, consistent with highly reducing depositional conditions. Overall, the distribution and dissolution of calcite cement across this stratigraphic redox boundary provided the main control on the lateral migration of base metal-bearing fluids and high-grade Cu and Zn-Pb sulfide mineralization in the Saale subbasin.","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"38 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2023-06-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91009627","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-01DOI: 10.5382/econgeo.118.4.ip01
{"title":"Interesting Papers in Other Journals","authors":"","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.118.4.ip01","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.118.4.ip01","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"18 1","pages":"0"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135575419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
C. Dana, A. Agangi, A. Idrus, C. Chelle-Michou, Chunkit Lai, Mizuki Ishida, M. Guillong, I. González-Álvarez, R. Takahashi, Moei Yano, K. Mimura, J. Ohta, Y. Kato, Doly R. Simbolon, X. Xia
The Ruwai skarn deposit is the largest polymetallic skarn deposit in Borneo and is located in the Schwaner Mountains. The skarns and massive orebodies are hosted in marble of the Jurassic Ketapang Complex, which was intruded by Cretaceous Sukadana granitoids. The prograde-stage garnet and retrograde-stage titanite yielded U-Pb ages of 97.0 ± 1.8 to 94.2 ± 10.3 Ma and 96.0 ± 2.9 to 95.0 ± 2.0 Ma, respectively. These ages are similar to Re-Os ages obtained on sulfides (96.0 ± 2.3 Ma) and magnetite (99.3 ± 3.6 Ma). The U-Pb zircon ages reveal that magmatism at Ruwai occurred in three phases, including the Early Cretaceous (ca. 145.7 and 106.7–105.7 Ma; andesite-dacite), Late Cretaceous (ca. 99.7–97.1 Ma; diorite-granodiorite), and late Miocene (ca. 10.94–9.51 Ma; diorite-dolerite). Based on geochemical and stable isotopic data (C-O-S) the Ruwai skarn ores are interpreted to have formed from oxidized fluids at ca. 160 to 670°C. The ore-forming fluids and metals were mostly magmatic in origin but with significant crustal input. Ruwai skarn mineralization occurred in the Late Cretaceous, associated with Paleo-Pacific subduction beneath Sundaland after the Southwest Borneo accretion. Ruwai is the first occurrence of Cretaceous mineralization recognized in the Central Borneo metallogenic belt.
{"title":"The Age and Origin of the Ruwai Polymetallic Skarn Deposit, Indonesia: Evidence of Cretaceous Mineralization in the Central Borneo Metallogenic Belt","authors":"C. Dana, A. Agangi, A. Idrus, C. Chelle-Michou, Chunkit Lai, Mizuki Ishida, M. Guillong, I. González-Álvarez, R. Takahashi, Moei Yano, K. Mimura, J. Ohta, Y. Kato, Doly R. Simbolon, X. Xia","doi":"10.5382/econgeo.5009","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.5009","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000 The Ruwai skarn deposit is the largest polymetallic skarn deposit in Borneo and is located in the Schwaner Mountains. The skarns and massive orebodies are hosted in marble of the Jurassic Ketapang Complex, which was intruded by Cretaceous Sukadana granitoids. The prograde-stage garnet and retrograde-stage titanite yielded U-Pb ages of 97.0 ± 1.8 to 94.2 ± 10.3 Ma and 96.0 ± 2.9 to 95.0 ± 2.0 Ma, respectively. These ages are similar to Re-Os ages obtained on sulfides (96.0 ± 2.3 Ma) and magnetite (99.3 ± 3.6 Ma). The U-Pb zircon ages reveal that magmatism at Ruwai occurred in three phases, including the Early Cretaceous (ca. 145.7 and 106.7–105.7 Ma; andesite-dacite), Late Cretaceous (ca. 99.7–97.1 Ma; diorite-granodiorite), and late Miocene (ca. 10.94–9.51 Ma; diorite-dolerite). Based on geochemical and stable isotopic data (C-O-S) the Ruwai skarn ores are interpreted to have formed from oxidized fluids at ca. 160 to 670°C. The ore-forming fluids and metals were mostly magmatic in origin but with significant crustal input. Ruwai skarn mineralization occurred in the Late Cretaceous, associated with Paleo-Pacific subduction beneath Sundaland after the Southwest Borneo accretion. Ruwai is the first occurrence of Cretaceous mineralization recognized in the Central Borneo metallogenic belt.","PeriodicalId":11469,"journal":{"name":"Economic Geology","volume":"19 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":5.8,"publicationDate":"2023-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85147850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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