GENETIC CLASSIFICATION OF BRECCIAS

Introduction Breccia Classification Summary

5
Why Breccias are Important Alteration
(temporally
Complex origins and relationships Diagram Energy Diameter Fragment Rock flour Juvenile Surface associated with
Classification of breccia facies is often on a case by case basis Code Breccia Category Source Mobile Phase Geometry (m) form matrix component Other features connection brecciation)
The below classification is based on Lawless, et al 1998 which is itself
based on Sillitoe 1985. 4 3 2 1
Single or
multiple Angular- Local to Sheeted contacts, Sericite,
Magmatic- Magma Magmatic subvertical subrounded, common shingle breccia, tourmaline, K-
1 hydrothermal (directly) volatiles pipes up to 2,000 locally rounded (<50%) None exfoliated fragments None silicate
•Divisions are based on inferred role of magma and/or aqueous fluids in Explosion
breccia formation.
5 2 Magma
crater,
breccia
•There is a continuum between different types of breccias (through Pipe-like, Commonly apron,

7 2 Phreatic
circulating
groundwaters) Groundwater
irregular, pebble
dikes
Angular to
up to ~500 rounded
present
<50% None
Exfoliated fragments, hydrothermal
sinter fragments activity Silicification, clay
•Often cannot tell which breccia type you are in until you see certain
textures and have a better handle on geometry and relationships to
No juvenile clasts,
geology (ie intrusions) adjacent to the breccia. SO, this is NOT a field 3 wall-rock blocks,
classification!! Magma up to Subrounded to Present base surge deposits, Maar, tuff

•Commonly get different types of breccias within a system are separated

1 3 Magmatic-phreatic (indirectly) Groundwater Diatreme ~3,000 rounded (<90%) None accretionary lapilli ring, domes Minor

spatially or temporally, also, can get breccias (eg diatremes) occurring at Wall-rock blocks,
different levels in the systems overprinting deeper formed, older breccias 4 base surge deposits,
due to erosion/telescoping/etc Tuff matrix, locally exfoliated
Magma 1,000 - Subrounded to Present cognate fragments, Maar, tuff
4 Phreatomagmatic (directly) Groundwater Diatreme 3,000 rounded (<90%) lithics accretionary lapilli ring, domes Minor
•Breccias are often part of a protracted history of magmatic, hydrothermal, Tuff matrix, Pyroclastic
tectonic activity pumice, Wall-rock blocks, fall & flow
5 Magma Magmatic Diatreme, Subrounded to cognate locally exfoliated deposits,
•Breccias can be genetically related to mineralisation (e.g. magmatic 5 Magmatic (directly) volatiles volcanic vent 500 - 5,000 rounded Present lithics fragments domes Minor
Irregular
hydrothermal – porphyry systems, Kidston breccia pipe etc, phreatic and 66 Intrusion Intrusion Magma patches up to ~100 Angular Absent None Intrusive rock matrix None Variable (minor)
epithermal mineralisation), or just spatially associated because it is a Regional Steep tabular Angular to Present
good host, or is spatially associated, as occurring within an active 77
6
Tectonic tectonism N/A bodies up to ~50 subrounded (<100%) None Slickensides, gouge None Variable (minor)
magmatic-hydrothermal environment

4. Phreatommagmatic Breccias formed due to the direct interaction 6. Intrusion Breccias

1. Magmatic Hydrothermal of magma and external water. Also known as diatreme breccias. Breccias associated with the emplacement of an
Also referred to as “carapace breccias”, these are the product intrusive body, but not associated magmatic-
of juvenile hydrothermal fluids exsolved from magmas. hydrothermal fluids.

Accretionary lapilli,
Wau gold district,

Quartz tourmaline breccia with

Schematic Diagram showing end-member Breccia Environments of Formation PNG

exfoliated fragments, Wheal Remfry Contact zone between

clay mine, Cornwall, UK 2. Phreatic Breccias caused by the expansion of steam and gas 3. Magmatic Phreatic Breccias caused by the flashing porphyritic andesite (top)
from circulating groundwater, but driven by magmatic heat. Involvement of /expansion of groundwater that is heated by a magma. No direct and a more mafic later
magmatic volatiles is unimportant. Also referred to as hydrothermal intrusive, highlighting brittle
contact between the magma and the water. fracturing and plucking of
eruption breccias. Diatreme breccia, wall rock into the magma.
Ntina pit, Placer Au
mine, Philippines
Accretionary lapilli, cryptic rounded shapes
Characteristic “shingle texture” thought to form from accretion of dust onto
breccia, Wheal Remfry clay mine, water droplets in expanding eruptive
Cornwall, UK explosive clouds, Lepanto, Philippines

Vent explosion, Ukinrek Maar,

Alaska, 1964

Low Sulphidation vein breccia with milled to

Pebble dyke, Mt Bischolf Sn mine,
Tasmania, Australia sub-angular fragments, evidence of re- Tuff apron of pyroclastic material
Schematic X section showing progressive
development of a maar, with intrusion
7. Tectonic Breccias associated with
Tourmaline breccia, Kidston Breccia brecciation, Woolgar Australia including accretionary lapilli, surrounding
Pipe, Queensland Australia
following existing zone of weakness (fault) regional and local tectonism, brittle and ductile
maar volcano, Ukinrek Maar, Alaska USA
faulting.

Pronounced brittle fracture of

existing quartz vein by fault,
Schematic X Section of with later hydrothermal
Kerkil low sulphidation 5. Magmatic Breccias generated by the explosive decompression of alteration, Kangaroo Hills Tin
breccia system (Kalimantan, magmatic volatiles. These breccias include vent breccias and magmatic field, Qld Australia
Indonesia) showing alteration diatremes.
Energite breccia, Lepanto zonation and breccia Schematic cross section through
Cu–Au mine, Philippines distribution typical maar diatreme showing
central diatreme breccia, cap of
lake sediments and surrounding Altered rhyolitic autoclastic
tuff apron breccia, with clay
alteration of matrix and Tectonic breccia, Malibu fault,
clast margins, Oga California USA
Peninsula, Japan

Type 3. Magmatic-phreatic Breccias

Type 1. Magmatic-Hydrothermal Breccias caused by the flashing/expansion of groundwaters that is heated by a magma. No direct contact between the magma and the water (unlike phreatomagmatic breccias) and the groundwater does not
Also referred to as “carapace breccias”, these are the product of juvenile hydrothermal fluids exsolved from magmas. circulate to a shallower level before brecciation can occur (unlike phreatic breccias). Magmatic-phreatic breccias are difficult to differentiate from phreatomagmatic breccias and some bodies identified as the
• Genesis: Fractionation of intrusive magma may lead to the exsolution of an immiscible volatile phase (‘second boiling’), which exceeds lithostatic pressure resulting in latter may actually be magmatic-phreatic breccias. Altered polymict volcanic Tectonic breccia, showing
varying degrees of hydraulic fracturing. This process may occur multiple times as further magmatic fractionation and exsolution occur. • Genesis: Similar to phreatomagmatic breccias but not involving direct magma-water contact. An intruding magma leads to an increase in the temperature of ambient groundwater at a shallower level than Subaerial rhyolitic lava dome with breccia. With strong qtz- fragmentation and imbrication
• Geometry: Commonly sub- vertical pipe to tabular bodies. Single or multiple bodies and phases. the magma, causing the groundwater to flash/expand and overcome lithostatic pressure. The fluid pressure generated is enough to cause brecciation at the site of heating, rather than driving the circulation
• Diameter: 50-300m, locally >1,000m. of groundwater to shallower levels were confining pressures are low enough that boiling and brecciation can occur. Multiple stages of brecciation may occur. carapace of autobreccia ser-chl alteration, Hellyer of wallrock clasts into foliation
• Breccia Characteristics: Angular to sub-rounded (locally rounded) clasts of country rock ± intrusions within a matrix of hydrothermal infill with local minor clastic • Geometry: Subvertical pipe-like bodies (similar to phreatomagmatic breccias), magmatic-phreatic diatremes. Breccia complexes may be formed by the coalescing and overprinting of adjacent breccia Mine, Tas, Australia
matrix. Infill minerals commonly indicative of high temperature and salinity (e.g. tourmaline, feldspar). bodies
• Geological Setting and Relationships: Spatially associated with intrusions but extending sub-vertically away. May grade downwards into cupolas of intrusives with • Diameter: up to >2,000m
or without intrusion breccias or pegmatites. May grade upwards into breccia pipes and then to veins through decreasingly fractured country rocks. May occur at any • Breccia Textures: Similar to phreatomagmatic breccias (i.e. generally polymictic, matrix supported with rounded to subrounded clasts) but lacking any juvenile clasts.
depth from >5km to ~1-2km depth. • Distinguishing Features: As for phreatomagmatic breccias. Distinguished from magmatic breccias by the lack of juvenile clasts and the separation of the root of the breccia body from coeval intrusions.
• Surface Expression: None Generally larger or deeper-seated and with evidence of higher temperatures than phreatic breccias.
• Associated Ore Deposits: Commonly closely spatially ± genetically associated with intrusion-related deposits and porphyry Cu-(Au/Mo) deposits (e.g. Kidston • Geological Setting: Similar to phreatomagmatic breccias. Base of the breccia body is separated from coeval intrusions. The breccia body gives way laterally to decreasingly fractured wallrock, though Type 5. Magmatic Breccias Type 6. Intrusion Breccias
breccia-hosted Au, Australia; Los Bronces porphyry Cu-Au, Chile; Ok Tedi porphyry Cu-Au, PNG; Galore Creek porphyry Cu-Mo, Canada). Brecciation is typically pre- boundaries between milled breccia and fractured wallrock may be sharp. Breccias generated by the explosive decompression of magmatic volatiles. These breccias include vent breccias and magmatic diatremes. Breccias associated with the emplacement of an intrusive body, but not associated
to inter-mineral and may be genetically associated with mineralisation. Mineralisation in breccia-pipe hosted deposits commonly occurs near the margins, while in • Surface Expression: Similar to phreatomagmatic breccias. Maars or post-breccia domes may occur at surface. Blind breccia bodies are known. • Genesis: Exsolution of volatiles from a hydrous magma results in explosive pressure release at the top of a near-surface magma magmatic-hydrothermal fluids.
porphyry systems, mineralisation is more common within the breccia itself. • Associated Ore Deposits: Similar relationship to porphyry and epithermal deposits as phreatomagmatic breccias. Gold deposits at Boulder County, USA and Cerro Violeta and Cerro Colorado, Chile may chamber and overlying rock. Magmatic breccias are essentially the near-surface equivalents of magmatic-hydrothermal breccias. • Genesis: Passive, mechanical brecciation associated with movement (intrusion) of
be associated with magmatic-phreatic breccias. Gold mineralisation at Kelly gold mine, Philippines is associated with an event interpreted as magmatic-phreatic in origin. • Geometry: Subvertical diatremes/pipes to upwardly-flaring funnels. magma and incorporation of country rock.
• Diameter: 500 to 5,000m, up to >1,000m vertical extent. • Geometry: Variably oriented lenses and patchy zones at intrusive margins
Type 2. Phreatic Breccias • Breccia Characteristics: Subrounded to rounded clasts of dominantly juvenile material within a matrix of variably comminuted vitric and • Diameter: up to ~100m
Breccias caused by the expansion of steam and gas from circulating groundwater, but driven by magmatic heat. Involvement of magmatic volatiles is unimportant. Also Type 4. Phreatomagmatic Breccias lithic material (i.e. lapilli to tuffaceous rock flour). Generally breccias are clast supported. Near-surface breccias may contain recycled • Breccia Textures: Angular fragments of country rock (metamorphics, earlier
Breccias formed due to the direct interaction of magma and external water. Also known as diatreme breccias. volcanic bombs, slumped blocks of vent-wall material. intrusions, early crystallised intrusion) within a crystalline igneous matrix.
referred to as hydrothermal eruption breccias.
• Genesis: Contact between a rising magma and groundwater results in flashing of water to steam and the explosive fragmentation of country rock. Fluidisation of material may occur, resulting in mixing of • Geological Setting and Relationships: Magmatic breccias occur within volcanic vents and magmatic diatremes (i.e. excavative volcanic Gradational to fractured wallrock (± dykes) on one side and intrusive rock (±
• Genesis: Ground waters circulating above a cooling magma are heated and accent to a shallow subsurface level where flashing can occur, causing fracturing and
clasts and a high degree of milling. Diatremes are commonly the products of multiple stages of magma-water interaction. vents). They are intimately associated with the source magma chamber (below) and may grade into coherent intrusive rock. Passive xenoliths).
brecciation. Often deposition of silica and other minerals decreases permeability, allowing pressure to build up again and re-brecciation to occur.
• Geometry: Pipe to upwardly flared cone shape ascent of magma after brecciation may result in cross-cutting dikes and domes. • Geological Setting: Closely spatially associated with margins of causative
• Geometry: Commonly irregular but usually pipelike. Also pebble dikes.
• Diameter: up to >1500m horizontally and up to >2,500m vertically. • Surface Expression: Volcanic vent with local depression within a composite volcanic cone or a tuff ring or maar volcano above a intrusion. May occur at any depth below the surface where intrusions occur.
• Diameter: up to ~500m
• Breccia Characteristics: Typically subrounded to rounded polymictic clasts of wallrock matrix supported in rock flour with or without hydrothermal cement. . Clasts are commonly hydrothermally altered. magmatic diatreme. • Surface Expression: None
• Breccia Textures: Degree of clast mixing, rounding and proportion of matrix depend on longevity of brecciation. Commonly sub-surface breccias are monomictic to
Accretionary lapilli (fragments coated in a concentric rim of rock flour) are diagnostic of the involvement of water in formation of the breccia. Near the base of the diatreme ‘whispy’ juvenile clasts may occur • Associated Ore Deposits: Not directly genetically associated with mineralisation, but can be spatially associated with pre- or post- • Associated Ore Deposits: Not genetically related to ore deposits. May be
polymictic, clast-supported with angular to rounded clasts. Near surface and surface (eruptive) breccia products tend to contain more matrix, and more polymictic and
and are indicative of the involvement of magma. Towards the top of the diatreme, inclusion of blocks/fragments of fine grained surface sediments and wood may occur within the breccia and suggest a near- breccia porphyry-style mineralisation or post-breccia epithermal mineralisation. E.g. Rio Blanco-Los Bronces, Chile; Toquepala, Peru; spatially associated with any intrusion-related mineralisation.
generally thin and small volume relative to volcanic eruption products. Accretionary lapilli are common near surface. Clasts and matrix are commonly highly altered,
surface position. However, wallrock fragments can undergo considerable vertical transport and large blocks of near-surface material or basement can occur within the breccia body 100’s m below their Ashio, Japan and Casino, Yukon, Canada.
generally to low temperature, low pH minerals, such as silica, clays and sulphur.
• Distinguishing Features: Common low temperature hydrothermal alteration, accretionary lapilli, association with hotspring and fumarolic activity. Exfoliated fragments original position.
and sinter fragments may also occur. • Geological Setting and Relationships: Phreatomagmatic diatremes directly involve magma and commonly terminate down into dikes. The breccia body gives way laterally to decreasingly fractured
• Geological Setting: Typically occurring close to surface (<1-200m below ground) and associated with surface hydrothermal activity such as hotsprings and solfatars. wallrock, though boundaries between milled breccia and fractured wallrock may be sharp. Type 7. Tectonic Breccias
• Surface Expression: Blind deposits may occur but are not common. Small eruption vents flanked by surface breccia deposits, surface hydrothermal activity and low • Surface Expression: Diatremes vent out at maar or tuff ring volcanoes, maars where the vent floor has been excavated below the surrounding ground level. Tuff rings occur above small diatremes that do
Breccias associated with regional and local tectonism.
temperature (steam heated) alteration define the surface expression of these breccias. Phreatic breccias are poorly reserved within the geological record. not penetrate significantly into country rocks.
• Genesis: mechanical brecciation as a result of fault movement and fragmentation of country rock; “break–up breccias”
• Associated Ore Deposits: As hydrothermal fluid circulation is involved in the formation of phreatic breccias, it is not surprising that both clasts and matrix of phreatic • Associated Ore Deposits: Mineralisation is not directly associated with diatremes, but are commonly spatially associated with ore deposits in the porphyry-epithermal environments. Diatremes commonly
• Geometry: Diameter: up to ~50m
breccias are generally highly altered. Phreatic breccias are not generally associated with porphyry deposits, due to their near surface location, or post-date them. post-date porphyry-style (magmatic fluid-related) mineralisation (e.g. Braddon Pipe at El Teniente porphyry Cu-Mo, Chile; Dizon porphyry Cu-Au, Philippines; Guinaoang porphyry Cu-Au, Philippines), and
• Breccia Textures: Angular to sub-rounded as a result of milling, with variable rock flour matrix, clasts of local country rock, imbrication of fragments, slickensides
However, epithermal mineralisation commonly occurs genetically and spatially associated with phreatic breccias. Mineralisation commonly occurs within the breccia are pre- to inter-mineral to meteoric fluid-related (epithermal) mineralisation (e.g. Cripple Creek alkalic low sulfidation Au, USA; Kelian intermediate sulfidation Au, Indonesia; Martabe high sulfidation Au,
• Surface Expression: As pods or linear zones following fault trace, can be recessive or resistant to weathering depending on fault matrix.
cement itself (e.g. Red Mountain high sulfidation Au-Ag-Cu, USA; Hasbrouck Mountain low sulfidation Au-Ag, USA) but can also occur within clasts within breccias (e.g. Indonesia). In breccia-hosted deposits, mineralisation commonly occurs at the margins of the breccia (e.g. Acupan Au, Phillipines; Wau lode and stockwork Au, PNG) but may also occur within diatremes
• Associated Ore Deposits: Orogenic gold deposits, often as overprint to other styles.
Wau Au-Ag stockworks, PNG) or cross-cut breccias (e.g. Buckskin vein-stockwork Au-Ag, USA). (e.g. Cripple Creek, USA; and Montana Tunnels Au-Ag-base, USA).