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Breccia Types: Hydrothermal, Fault, Volcanic, ETC

Technical Report · June 2016

DOI: 10.13140/RG.2.1.5159.1286

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Mohammad Hassan Karimpour

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 Breccia

M.H Karimpour 2016

6/10/2016
Intense kaolinite-silica-? marcasite altered andesitic volcanics
displaying possible hydrothermal eruption breccia textures, Higanteng
Bato, TRIMA 2 (DJK, 1989)
Pervasively silica-pyrite altered hydrothermal breccia,
Higanteng Bato, TRIMA 2
 Breccia

6/10/2016
6/10/2016
Breccia
Fault
6/10/2016
29/05/2002 Kuh-e-Zar Gold project, NE Iran
6/10/2016
6/10/2016
 Breccias Associated With Porphyry Copper,
Molybdenum and Gold Deposits:

Table modified from Appendix by Seedorf, Economic

Geology 100th Anniversary Volume.

Comments and additional notes added by W.W. Atkinson,

Jr. Nov. 23, 2009

Breccia Type:

1. Igneous Cemented Breccias. Referred by some as "igneous

breccias", by others as "intrusive breccias". Igneous matrix
breccias. Clasts may be the same igneous rock, the wall rocks of
the breccia body or foreign rocks.

2. Open-Space Filling, Hydrothermally-cemented breccias.

Also called "hydrothermal breccias". These include
magmatic-hydrothermal, open-space filling breccias, as well as
cement formed at lower temperatures, in some cases epithermal
veins along faults, with tectonic breccia. The cement consists of
hydrothermal minerals.

3. Breccias with a rock flour matrix. Phreatic, rock flour

breccias, that may be poorly cemented or strongly cemented
hydrothermally. These should be diatremes, that erupt at the
surface.

4. Heterolithic, matrix-supported breccias with a

subordinate juvenile component
Heterolithic, rock flour matrix, direct interaction of magma and
an external source of water, phreatomagmatic. This is the
breccia common in pebble dikes.

5. Clast-rich breccias with predominantly juvenile

fragments.
Clast-rich, explosive, vented to surface. Not much difference
with types 3 and 4. These usually have a rock-flour matrix.

6. Tabular bodies of breccia with angular wall-rock

fragments in a matrix of crushed rock.
Fault breccias, crushed matrix. This type overlaps with 2 and
possibly with 3 and 4.

(Categories 3, 4 and 5 could be the same type of breccias,

seen at different levels of exposure! This would give us just
four categories: Igneous, Magmatic-hydrothermal, phreatic
and fault breccias.)

In each of the following categories, the number refers

to the 6 types of breccia listed above.

Matrix:
1. No rock flour or voids.
2. Originally voids with variable quantities of rock flour.
Usually very low amounts of rock flour.
3. Variable rock flour and open space; frequently flow banding,
and in many cases, layering due to sedimentation in a fluid-rich
matrix.
4. Fine-grained rock flour and juvenile tuffaceous component
(also broken and unbroken quartz, biotite, feldspar crystals)
5. Rock flour and abundant juvenile tuffaceous component,
pumice.
6. Crushed rock, <30% matrix, may have slickensides, local
voids.

Cement:
1. Crystallized, uncomminuted intrusive igneous rock.
2. Open-space filling, hydrothermal gangue and ore minerals;
some space may not be filled.
3. Generally unaltered, uncommon hydrothermal minerals
(sulfides, quartz).
4. Minimal open space.
5. Rock flour.
6. Ranges from none to completely filled, from rock fragments
and rock flour to hydrothermal minerals as a hydrothermal vein.

Fragments:
Composition and Support:
1. May be the same composition as the matrix. Wall rock
fragments common; clast- to matrix-supported.
2. Commonly monolithologic (wall-rock); clast- to matrix-
supported.
3. Heterolithologic to monolithologic; clast- to matrix-
supported.
4. Matrix-rich (typically 50-90%); multi-phase;
heterolithic, matrix-supported clasts of wall rock and juvenile,
poorly vesiculated magma and local pumice.
5. Generally clast-dominated; heterolithic; intrusive
fragments (dacite, rhyolite) common; clast- to matrix-supported.
6. Wall rock; clast- to matrix-supported; <30% matrix.
 Rounding:
1. Angular to sub-rounded.
2. Angular to rounded; exfoliated "shingle breccia"
uncommon.
3. Angular to rounded; exfoliated fragments common.
4. Sub-angular to rounded; polishing common, local
exfoliated fragments.
5. Sub-angular to rounded; local hypogene exfoliation.

Transport and Rotation:

1. Upward and downward clast transport, totally rotated.
2. Upward or downward clast transport, but collapse
common; non-extrusive. Rotation may be minor, but usually
clearly rotated.
3. Mostly upward, totally rotated.
4. Mostly upward, totally rotated.
5. Mostly upward, totally rotated.
6. Generally translated, not much upward or downward
movement, rotation variable.

Size:
1. Variable, but generally < 10 m.
2. >0.01 to <10 m
3. < 1 m
4. Variable, but generally < 10 m
5. Variable
6. Generally <0.5 m; becomes gouge if clasts are < 0.1 mm

Alteration:
1. Variable, but generally minor.
 2. Variable and commonly intense.
3. In some cases unaltered, but usually sericitic, advanced
argillic, or propylitic.
4. Minor: sericite, chlorite, clay.
5. Variable, including potassic and sericitic.
6. Variable, but generally absent or minor.

Mineralization:
1. Only where pervasive, penetrating solutions have
produced disseminated, low-grade mineralization.
2. Many high-grade ore bodies have been mined from this
type. Location of ore shoots is quite variable. Many breccias of
this type have been drilled without finding ore. Many must be
barren.
3. Only where pervasive, penetrating solutions have
produced disseminated, low-grade mineralization.
4. Only where pervasive, penetrating solutions have
produced disseminated, low-grade mineralization.
5. Only where pervasive, penetrating solutions have
produced disseminated, low-grade mineralization. The authors
state that they may be good ore hosts.
6. Many vein deposits are of this type. However, this type
also includes faults, most of which are barren.

BRECCIA BODY

Geometry:
1. Irregular patches, generally around the margin of an
intrusion.
 2. Ovoid to irregular, pipe-like with a domed apex; sheeted
contact with wall rock; breccia dissipates rapidly or sharply into
overlying rocks.
3. Irregular in some cases; dikes, sills and pipes in others;
can envelop intrusive bodies or be controlled by faults or
bedding planes. Also circular to ovoid in plan, sub-vertical to
funnel-shaped bodies; abrupt contact with wall rock; a
diatreme.
4. Circular to ovoid in plan, subvertical to funnel-shaped
bodies; abrupt contact with wall rock; a diatreme.
5. Ovoid in plan, subvertical to funnel-shaped bodies; a
diatreme.
6. Tabular bodies, commonly steep.

Size:
1. Up to ~100 m
2. >100 to <1000 m
3. <500 m
4. Large, with lateral extent >1000 m, and vertical extent
>100 to > 1000 m.
5. >500 to < 1000 m
6. <50 m

Relation to Porphyry System:

1. Not unique to porphyry systems; near walls and roofs of
sub-volcanic stocks; commonly pre-mineral; generally barren.
2. Form during a variety of mineralizing stages; can be
good ore hosts; strong deposit-scale vertical zoning in some
deposits, from shallower, lower temp. assemblages to deeper
high temp. assemblages, although pattern may be composite;
some are rooted in porphyry intrusions or silicate-sulfide
pegmatites.
3. Commonly form relatively late in evolution of porphyry
systems and commonly related to late barren dikes; decrease in
abundance downward in system; generally dilute preexisting
hypogene grade.
4. Less widespread than magmatic-hydrothermal and
phreatic breccias; with exceptions, commonly form relatively
late, and in some cases are shown to root in post-
mineral intrusions; occur near the periphery of orebodies;
generally contain mineralized clasts and dilute hypogene grade.
5. Forms at all stages of development of porphyry system;
may be good ore host.
6. Not unique to porphyry systems; pre-, inter-, and post-
mineral, locally may host ore. Important for locating faults; may
have important influence on distribution of
supergene features.

GENETIC INTERPRETATION:
1. Mechanical or hydraulic fragmentation and incorporation
of wall clasts by intruding magma.
2. Expansion of hydrothermal fluids; magma withdrawal;
accumulation of exsolved fluids at apex followed by collapse
(good geologic evidence for this type of origin); also phase
separation (boiling) of previously introduced
hydrothermal fluids due to addition of heat or
decompression.
3. Magmatic heat from rising magmas causes pre-existing
fluids in pores and fractures to flash explosively from liquid to
vapor, resulting in brecciation; may lead to an
eruption, which is variously known as a phreatic eruption,
steam-blast eruption, hydroexplosion, or hydrothermal eruption;
magmatic fluid component required for cases exhibiting sericitic
or advanced argillic alteration.
4. Hydromagmatic product formed by direct interaction of
magma and an external source of water leading to brecciation of
wall rock and incorporation of magma; vent produced by
volcanic explosion.
5. Explosive ejection of lithic debris, inward slumping,
dome emplacement; contrasts with magmatic-hydrothermal
breccia by venting to surface.
6. Fault-related.

BROADLY COMPARABLE GENETIC CATEGORY OF

SILLITOE (1985)

1. Intrusion breccia.
2. Magmatic-hydrothermal breccia.
3. Phreatic breccia.
4. Phreatomagmatic breccia.
5. Magmatic breccia.
6. Tectonic breccia; transitional to cataclasite as matrix
content and induration increase.

VARIETIES:

1. (None given)
2. Varieties:
Potassic assemblages.
Muscovite greisen.
Sericitic ± silicic assemblage’s ± tourmaline.
Advanced argillic assemblages.
 Sodic assemblages.
Calcic-potassic assemblages.
Calc-silicate assemblages.
3. Continuous bodies; heterolithic, rounded clasts more
common (pebble dikes and pebble pipes); evidence for long
transport (>1000m) of clasts.
Irregular bodies; generally monolithologic, little evidence for
significant transport of clasts.
4. None given
5. None given.
6. None given.

EXAMPLES & REFERENCES:

1. Agua Rica Argentina, Los Pelambres, Chile (igneous breccia,
Atkinson, 1996)
Bandera, Papua New Guinea (igneous or intrusión breccias
(Watmuff, 1978)
2.
Potassic Assemblages:
Cananea district, Sonora (Maria and La Colorada), Perry, 1961;
Wodzicki, 2001); Copper Basin, Arizona (Johnson and Lowell,
1961); Copper Creek, Arizona (Kuhn, 1941; Marsh, 2001);
Cumobabi, Sonora (Scherkenbach, et al., 1985); Sur-Sur breccia,
Río Blanco- Los Bronces, Chile (Vargas et al., 1999).
Muscovite Greisen:
Copper Flat, New Mexico (Seedorf et al.,unpub. data, 1983)
Copper Creek, Arizona (Childs-Aldwinkle pipe, Marsh, 2001)
Sericitic ± silicic assemblages ± tourmaline:
Cananea (La Colorada, Perry, 1961); Río Blanco- Los Bronces,
Chile, (La Americana, Central and Sur-Sur breccias, Warnaars,
 et al., 1985, Vargas et al., 1999), San Pedro de Cachiyuyo,
Chile, Sillitoe & Sawkins, 1971.
Advanced argillic assemblages:
Lobo, Chile (Vila & Sillitoe, 1991.
Calc-silicate (skarn) assemblages:
Victoria, Nevada (Atkinson, et al., 1982)
3. Continuous Bodies:Bisbee, Arizona (Bryant, 1968), El
Salvador, Chile (Gustafson & Hunt, 1975); Mt. Emmons,
Colorado (Thomas & Gales, 1982), Río Blanco-Los Bronces,
Chile (Skewes et al., 2003)
Irregular Bodies: Central City, Colorado, The Patch (Bastin &
Hill, 1917; Sims et al, 1963).
Urad, Colorado (Junk and Rubble Rock breccias, Wallace, et al.,
1978.
4. El Teniente, Chile, Braden Pipe (Skewes et al., 2002);
Agua Rica, Argentina (crater infill breccia, Landtwing, et al.,
2002)
5. Redwell Basin, Colorado (Sharp, 1978, Thomas & Gales,
1982)
6. Agua Rica, Argentina (fault breccias, Landtwing, et al., 2002)

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