tei gclee clip) Porcine porphyry deposits; RMN uRe Ge Rsee' mre els ltea eq Melee Lento leti) Ric) | DaWid R. Cooke. & Andrew G.S. Dayjes* | Talk Outline Breccias - Descriptive Methodology Genetic Classes Overview of Breccia Types in Magmatic- Hydrothermal Systems Implications for Ore Formation and Exploration © Brecciation Rocks break when they fall, cool, grind, explode, corrode, etc. This means that breccias can form in many geological environments: Sedimentary Volcanic Tectonic Magmatic Hydrothermal Jneous cemented bree: rachyandeste dass set in quartz monzonite porphyry cemet, cit by ‘quartz:"~nite velo th orthease alter>"n halos. © Breccia Description and Interpretation Breccias should be described in terms of: ‘composition (matrix, cement, clasts) texture (clast-supported, jigsaw fit, etc) morphology (pipe, vein, bed, etc.) contact relationships Genetic nomenclature should only be applied with caution after a breccia has been fully described Push-up, fall-down, or break-apart breccia?© Breccia Description Ideal combinati 5 +4 +3 Alteration Internal ‘organisation = AFB HC 1) Geometry pipe, cone, dyke, vein, bed, irregular, tabular... Contact relationships: sharp, gradational, faulted, irregular, planar, concordant, discordant Bat Cave breccia pipe, Northem ‘Arieona. (Wenrich, 1985) © Descriptive Names for Breccias +3 +2 +1 Internal Components Gransize Geometry organisaton. «= AVB4C 2) Grain microbreccia (< 2mm) or breccia (> 2mm)... 3) Components ‘A: clasts monomict or polymict Composition: lithic, vein, breccia, juvenile magmatic, accretionary lapilli, mineralised, altered Morphology: angular, subangular, subround, round, faceted, tabular, equant +3 +2 +1 Components Grainsiee Geometry AtBtC 3) Components (cont.) B: matrix rock flour, crystal fragments, lithic fragments, vein fragments texture: banded, laminated, massive grainsize - mud, sit, sand, gravel, pebble, cobble C: cement texture: cockade, massive, drusy, etc. Ore & gangue mineralogy, & grainsize cS) D: open space (vugs) ©) Descriptive Names for Breccias 5 +4 +3 +2 +1 Internal Components Gainsie Geometry organisation = A+B4C 4) Internal Organisation Clast abundance, clast, matrix or cement- supported last distribution: jigsaw-fit, rotated, chaotic Massive (non-graded) or graded Stratified or unstratified 5) Alteration Clasts, matrix or cement Alteration paragenesis sxcte tre pic kur mats mca, BY ede tale ate[@) Breccia Facies Associations a. Ueent ouaurigh dase Renan recor supported oes Pec aE Wasco EU eau polymict Ese ckee Loa Ea teak er na oteeel Ses et peau erie ee ag © Diorite breccia complex Volcanic Breccias © Breccia Genesis ¢ More than one Process can be involved in breccia formation Hydrothermal Breccias Magmatic Breccias ere ¢ This overlap means eee that genetic Phreatic breccias eaiteel a terminology is breccia location generally applied inconsistently Fault breccias, & ©) Breccias in Magmatic-Hydrothermal Systems 1 - Magmatic-hydrothermal rersing Volatile-saturated intrusion undergoes catastrophic brittle failure due to hydrostatic pressure ‘exceeding lithostatic load and the + Permeability enhancement erie ares of Halak through the formation of a subsurface breccia body allows for focussed fluid flow ‘+ Can precipitate abundant, / well-mineralised cemnent which contains hypersaline & vapour-rich fluid inclusions * Rock flour matrix/and clasts may be altered to high | temperature mineral | assemblages (e.g. biotite) \ © Containment and focussing of volatiles => birth of a magmatic- hydrothermal ore denosit© a eee Breccias Cee Saeed Serer crn) eee ast © Rio Blanco Largest known breccia-hosted copper-molybdenum porphyry system Located 70 km NE of Santiago, Chile Biotite Breccia Ore at Rio Blanco is hosted in biotite-cemented and biotite- altered rock flour matrix breccias (‘magmatic’ breccia)Tourmaline Breccia Ore at Sur-Sur, La Union and Los Bronces is hosted in tourmaline-cemented breccias pay Amaya Eee © Breccia-Enhanced Permeability aad Eels Upwelling magmatic- magmatic gas hydrothermal brines eee! precipitate ore ed Cartan ‘San Francisco Batholith ~5 km paleodepth ~ 2 - Phreatomagmatic “le Maar iatrerta breccias Vat mes conole * Rock flour & milled clasts é abundant s RS q a ‘© Surficial and subsurface breccia deposits | ae imraion 5 ‘+ Bedded and massive breccia G pycrochortmas facies a oo ‘+ Venting of volatiles to the if surface A = death of a porphyry deposit v = shortcut to the epithermal e conn ®)_Diatremes Diatremes are downward-tapering, cone-shaped breccia bodies (paleovolcanic vents) phreatomagmatic and phreatic explosions filled by volcaniclastic debris and collapsed wall rocks subsurface conduits beneath maars US, Geolooical Suryew / photo by R Russell, US. Geolecical Survey / photo by,© Maars Maars are 100 m to greater than 3000 m diameter, monogenetic volcanic craters surrounded by low aspect ratio ‘tuff rings’ wet pyroclastic base surge, fallout and re-sedimented volcaniciastic deposits by Nye, 1994 USS. Geological Survey / photo by D. Dewhurst, 1990 (@8) Diatremes - Volcanological Model of diatremes and magmatic Peers © Subsurface phreatomagmatic breccias * Subsurface and eruptive facies of a maar-diatreme complex + Juvenile magmatic clasts may be preserved * Polyphase breccias + Phreatomagmatic eruptions produce base surge deposits and co-surge falloutEl Teniente - © Braden Breccia World’s largest PCD: 12.4 Gt resource @ 0.63% Cu, 0.02% Mo Part of the deposit has been destroyed by the late stage Braden Breccia Pipe (diatreme complex) Mine Level #6 (2165m asl) ) (Ercan tee 4.7) Ws) i ee cca opts (47) esse) BBB] Wepre yams (3.8) (53m) i} [sieeeereloM Mlle ]tir=1tem me ce lU lente] ey 1 Koln) Ly Semcon Perla ceelt » Se eee ee ee i Pamela lee tetecats fete Tel Rte Phreatic breccias: in-situ EN eocoeer ug Each ont) ee) explosions caused by| eee aie ee es ey hydrothermal fluid] es es cet) Ee eun Cen men CLD) Oe eau eis eu© Phreatic Breccias - Triggers ©) Phreatomagmatic vs. Phreatic Explosions Seismic rupture Overpressuring and failure of hydrothermal seal Instantaneous unloading (landslip, draining of lake, etc.) Phreatomagmatic explosion ‘Temperature increase (magma - pa ner magma - water interaction at eae the explosion site explosion driven by flashing of water to steam magmatic gas contribution is minor juvenile magmatic component Phreatic explosion no direct magma - water contact at explosion site flashing of water to steam no juvenile magmatic component Hydrotiermal explosion {uiggered by draining of lac ake (Mutier et ai, 1971) Magma Emplacement into Active <) Hydrothermal Systems i willl | ‘Champagne pool, Waiotapu ‘geothermal area, NZ Oe Bronce] ‘Magma intrusion triggers hybrid! phreatomagmatic and phreatic explosions 200¢ 300 Catastrophic disruption of and reversible changes to chemical and physical conditions in the existing hydrothermal system — as =e a Be alagh Pp — Sle a! | | = | | _ | ‘Abundant hot fluids in active hydrothermal system, at or ‘near bolling point edi) Brecciation: Implications for Ore Formation 1: Fluid flow in breccia and wall rock Yanacocha i © Brecciation: Implications for Ore Formation 2: Fluid flow focussed within breccia Fluid mixing 2500 m Cripple Creek © Brecciation: Implications for Ore Formation 3: Fluid flow focussed within wallrocks Post Diatreme Majority of mineralisation in Large scale hydrothermal wall rocks ‘explosions and brecciaton Diatreme breccias act as aquitards 4 Hydrothermal brecciation and fluid flow focussed into wall rocks Fluid mixing Phreatomagmatic explosions enhanced hydrothermal system and triggered gold deposition processes 2500 m a controled J mineralisation at Kelian snargine~*brecci> © Possible effects on fluid flow 4: Venting of volatiles and death of a mineralising system Late Stage Diatreme Formationee corey Ceca) Peer DOr poou Eta Ce Peri) Par eis volatile loss / pressure reduction DO 9 Epithermal systems 3. Rebirth: Flow path created to connect ae Ca any Boog Cory © Conclusions Careful documentation of breccia facies and their interrelationships is essential prior to attempting genetic interpretations Brecciation can occur in response to a combination of phenomena, making genetic pigeonholing difficult Fluid flow will be affected profoundly by a major brecciation event Changes to the fluid flow regime will be dependent on the nature of the breccia and the wallrocks