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1 Epithermal Deposits PDF
1 Epithermal Deposits PDF
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Epithermal Deposits-Summary Characteristics
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The term epithermal was defined by Lindgren
(1933) based on observations of
– mineralogy of ores and alteration
– textures of ores and alteration
• generally Tertiary and younger, but older examples known (some significant)
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Structural
Ring
fault
Hydrothermal
100 m
(approx.)
Hydrothermal Residual
breccia vuggy silica
Lithologic
Ring fault
Aq u ita rd v D
v v
v v
L L
D
Impermeable
strata D
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Martha Hill, NZ
Golden Cross, NZ
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Emperor, Fiji
1 cm
Structural
Ring
fault
Hydrothermal
100 m
(approx.)
Hydrothermal Residual
breccia vuggy silica
Lithologic
Ring fault
Aq u ita rd v D
v v
v v
L L
D
Impermeable
strata D
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Los Torres, Guanajuato
Lihir, PNG
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Summitville, USA
vuggy quartz:
acid alteration &
rock dissolution
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Structural
Ring
fault
Hydrothermal
100 m
(approx.)
Hydrothermal Residual
breccia vuggy silica
Lithologic
Ring fault
Aq u ita rd v D
v v
v v
L L
D
Impermeable
strata D
Ohakuri, NZ
Disseminated Au in
pumice breccia-
silicified and
adularia-bearing
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Round Mtn, USA
Disseminated Au
Note:
• dimensions of districts (wide variation)
• diverse geometry of ore bodies
• no correlation between resource and district size
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Ore bodies terminate upward
Blind mineralization
Hishikari, Japan
Veins hosted in Shimanto Group
metasediments & overlying andesitic
volcanic rocks
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Epithermal Deposits: Common Characteristics
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Diverse Metal Contents:
Au, Ag (Hg, Cu, Pb, Zn, Sn)
Karangahake, NZ
Classification of sub-types
• there are two major sub-types of epithermal deposits
• different names have been used for them:
Low sulfur/high sulfur – Bonham, 1986
Low sulfidation/high sulfidation – White & Hedenquist, 1990
Adularia-sericite/acid sulfate – Heald et al., 1987
Adularia-sericite/kaolinite-alunite – Berger and Henley, 1989
Low, intermediate & high sulfidation –
Einaudi et al. 2003, Sillitoe & Hedenquist, 2003
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Epithermal Indicator Minerals: Chemical Conditions
Follows classification scheme proposed by Hedenquist, 1987 and White & Hedenquist, (1990, 1995)
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Hybrid terminology combining gangue & sulfide mineralogy
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Hydrothermal systems hosting epithermal environments
Magmatic water-dominated Meteoric water-dominated
clay
quartz, illite, adularia, pyrite
carbonate
pyrite
ore
propylitic propylitic
50-100 m
1-10 m
Examples
Quartz + Alunite ± Pyrophyllite ± Dickite ± Kaolinite (high to intermediate sulfidation)
Hishikari, Japan Round Mtn, USA
Acupan, Philippines Fresnillo, Mexico
Martha Hill, New Zealand El Peñon, Chile
Cerro
quartz,Vanguardia,
alunite Argentina Pajingo, Australia
dickite (kaolinite) quartz, alunite
pyrophyllite, pyrite
smectite
ore
propylitic
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50-100 m
dickite (kaolinite)
vuggy to massive quartz
pyrophyllite
native Au, sulfosalts, pyrite
50-100 m
1-10 m
crustiform-colloform quartz
lattice
quartz
adularia
Ore textures-minerals
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Pachuca-Real del Monte: Vizcaína Vein Surface Expression
Figure 13
Drier, 1982
Pachuca, Mexico
Blind epithermal
quartz-adularia veins
capped by argillic
alteration
vein
argillic
K-spar
propylitic
100 m
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Variable depth intervals of vein ores Pachuca-Real del Monte, Mexico (Geyne et al. 1963)
Emperor, Fiji
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Examples
vuggy quartz
enargite
alunite
Ore textures-minerals
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Lepanto-Philippines (Cu-Au)
Lepanto, Philippines
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Lepanto, Philippines
Lepanto, Philippines
Arribas et al., 1995; Hedenquist et al. 1998; 2001 (Pro Explo Abstract)
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Chinkhuashih, Taiwan
Quartz-alunite-pyrophyllite-kaolinite
epithermal ores: enargite veins
(Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-As), Butte, USA
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Coexisting quartz-alunite-pyrophyllite and quartz-calcite-adularia epithermal
mineralization styles rarely occur in the same deposit: Examples include: Lepanto,
Baguio District, Chinkhuashih, and El Peñon (shown below with barren quartz-alunite
alteration in foreground).
Karangahake
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Coromandel epithermal province, New Zealand
Golden Cross
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T F
qtz-alun-pyrophyllite-kaol qtz-calc-adularia-illite
Genetic Factors
• Water table
• Mineralizing Processes
-boiling, mixing, cooling
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Wide range of fluid compositions (salinities)
Exploration Considerations
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Epithermal Deposits: Common Characteristics
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Epithermal Deposits: Diverse Characteristics
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