Hedenquist 2018 - Epithermal Features at Shallow Depth

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Epithermal features at shallow depth: implications for exploration

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Conference Paper · August 2018
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Jeffrey Hedenquist
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IAGOD: Plenary Salta, August 2018
– Potential at depth –
– Exposed – Sl
Ya
Wa RMt
– Eroded –
Vi To
Waldemar Lindgren, 1922:

“epithermal” = over, above;
<1 km deep (<300 oC)
Arcs Extension
HS IS LS LS (alkalic)
Hedenquist et al., 1996, 2000
Epithermal features at shallow depth:

implications for exploration
Surficial processes and products: fumaroles, hot

springs in various settings
Shallow levels of erosion
Lithocaps in volcanic arcs
Volcanic-hosted veins in arcs and rifts
“Advanced argillic alteration”: 4 origins, 10s, 100s
and ~1000 m deep
Jeffrey W. Hedenquist
Slide presentation available
Ottawa, Canada
on line at ResearchGate
SEG Honorary Lecturer
IAGOD: Salta 2018
Jeffrey W. Hedenquist 1
Epithermal systems: tectonic setting

Intrusion-centered global budget: ~40% Au, ~70% Cu (porphyry)
bonanza
Cu-Au
High & Intermediate Low

sulfidation
sense...
or - Grapefruit, apples
oranges
– define characteristics
Modified from R. Goldfarb, after Groves et al. (2005)
Arc-hosted porphyry “systems” Lithocap-hosted

high-sulfidation Au-Ag-Cu
Lacustrine beds
Epithermal Intermediate
environment sulfidation IS
Au-Ag±Pb-Zn
Diatreme
Base of
related
advanced argillic IS veins,
lithocap polymetal
Porphyry
Cu-Au
Sillitoe, 2010
Economic Geology
Alteration environments Residual qtz + py (vuggy)

steam-
heated 3 supergene
2 1
Quartz-alunite
Intermediate
sulfidation Au-
Ag (Pb-Zn) vns
4
“Advanced argillic alteration”
Base of lithocap Diatreme- distinct formation environments
related IS 1. Hypogene (pH ~1, HCl +
H2SO4), barren lithocap
Lithocap: lithologic
(potential ore host)
horizon of hypogene
residual qtz, advanced 2. Steam-heated (pH~2.5, H2S
argillic alteration Porphyry oxidation àH2SO4), vadose
Cu (Au) horizon, kaol-alunite (barren)
Sillitoe, 2010
3. Supergene (pH low, pyrite
oxidation à H2SO4 + Feox)
vadose horizon, kaol-alun
4. Cooling of white mica to
pyrophyllite (porphyry top)
Hypogene vapor condensation and

products; lithocap alteration: 1
Sampling of 770oC vapor

with acidic gases
Hypogene magmatic vapor
Satsuma Iwojima rhyolite dome, Kyushu
GSJ
Etapa de lixiviation, 1st :

sterile (<10 ~ 50 ppb Au)
cristobalite (≤97% SiO2),

alunite, <2 – 29 ppb Au
residual vuggy
Summitville residual quartz, barren
vuggy quartz
quartz-alunite
pH ~1.5 springs,
vapor condensates
Volcan Poás,
Costa Rica
pH ≤0.5
Acid lake around dacite

dome: colloidal silica,
laminated siliceous
sediments at
paleosurface
Yanacocha,
Peru
Chaquicocha
Nansatsu district, Japan (~1 Moz Au):

lithocap-hosted Iwato high sulfidation deposit
(Maruyama pit); supergene oxidized
alunite residual
vuggy
quartz
pH ~2-4 pH ~1
>0.5
g/t Au.
Urashima et al., 1981
alunite
dickite
First recognition of lithocap control:

where mineralized, highest grades in feeders
Tuff breccia
Nansatsu Group
Steam-heated process and products: 2
White Island, New Zealand: High to low T fumaroles
Steam-heated acid sulfate waters: can

also occur over hypogene acidic fluids
High-temperature hypogene
~110 C vapors, ≤800 C with HCl, SO2
Steam-heated zone,
~100 C (CO2, H2S)
Arribas et al., 2005

La Coipa, Chile, lithocap-hosted HS deposit
dacite dome
>6 Moz Au eq.
dacite dome
kaol + alun
“adv arg”
Steam-heated blanket over top
Falda
Esperanza
Puren
20 km
La Coipa
Puren, Chile
Steam-heated kaol-alun blanket (Hg...)

H2S + 2 O2 = H2SO4 (within vadose zone)
Puren Norte: 1.5 Moz SiO2, Fe+++ chalcedony blanket
Puren Norte IS veins,

1.5 Moz Au eq. (Ag, Zn, Cu)
vadose zone: steam-heated blanket
Shallow geochemical anomalies (Ag…)
Tambillos, Peru Chalcedony horizon at

paleowater table, below
(now eroded) steam-heated
blanket of alunite-kaolinite
Kaolinite, alunite…
southern Latin America
SH kaolinite chalcedony
after dacite clasts
opal cement
Discovery and geology of Salares Norte, Chile
THE DISCOVERY AND GEOLOGY OF THE SALARES NORTE

EPITHERMAL GOLD-SILVER DEPOSIT, NORTHERN CHILE
AME ROUNDUP 2017, VANCOUVER
Nathan Brewer, Francisco Azevedo, Diego Huete Verdugo, Teresa Guevara, Fernando Rojas,
Juanita Rodriguez Melo, Christian Lagos, Claudio Cerda, Constanza Moreno, Regina
Baumgartner, Alex Trueman and Andrew Foley
Brewer et al., 2017
Salares Norte
Rio Baker
Dacite Dome
Looking NW
Alunite and kaolinite in orange and yellow; steam-heated silica in pale blue;
based on Aster data.
Brewer et al., 2017
Salares Norte
NW – Looking NW
SW NE
STH
STH Supergene
AAA Oxidation limit
300 m
SIC
SI
4,370
ARM AAA
AKD
ARS
ARI
Steam Quartz -
LEGEND STH AAA ARS Illite/smectite ARM Smectite (Argillic)
Heated Alunite
Chalcedonic Kaolinite -
SIC AKD PO Potassic Unaltered
silica Dickite UNA
Rock
SI Massive and ARI Illite PR Propylitic
cream silica
northern Latin America: vein

prospects in mine districts
Supergene weathering, sulfide oxidation: 3
Supergene alunite: Arribas et al., 1995

Rodalquilar, Spain
Supergene alunite Supergene oxidation of refractory

pyrite: critical to economics!
Yanacocha, Peru: Cerro Chaquicocha (>4 Moz at 5 g/t Au)

Hypogene quartz-alunite overprinted Photo and discovery:
by supergene oxidation Tony Longo
Acid crater lake

laminated seds Chaquicocha
Alta
High Au 25 m
below barren SG2
Au below
barren SG3
Hydrothermal
breccia
Chaquicocha
Norte
Gold in SG3
SG = “granular silica” (supergene
oxidized qtz-alunite-pyrite)
Teal and Benavides, 2010 Cerro Chaquicocha

barren granular qtz; Au
supergene oxidized Qz-Al-Py
qtz-alun-(py), w/ structure-
controlled residual qtz
200 m
Arc volcano-hosted active hydrothermal

systems and epithermal veins
To NE Iwoyama Shinmoedake,
~1200 m 2011-2018
Ebino eruptions
Ogiri
geothermal
station sinter,
~400 m
To SE neutral pH
Shinmoedake
Iwoyama,
1768 dome
Ebino
pH ≥0.8 Kirishima andesite
massif, Kyushu, Japan
846 m 150 oC Isotherms measured at sea level
KT-2
pH ≥0.8
Ebino
KT-5
Iwoyama
1200 m
679 m
NKT-8
pH 3.0
250 oC Shinmoedake
200
150
sinter, 100
400 m 50
533 m
3 km
Hedenquist et al., 2018, after Taguchi et al., 1984 and others
Hishikari
Kirishima
volcano
Kushikino veins
Iwato 50 km
Watanabe (2004)
Kushikino veins, Kyushu (55 t Au):
Mt Kamuridake, looking NE, capped by barren

residual qtz, pyrophyllite-diaspore alteration
Kushikino IS ore:
2-3 km west,
qtz-adularia-calcite-Au veins
Volcanic setting of Kushikino IS deposit, Kyushu

Volcanism: 3.6-3.9 Ma
Muscovite (halo to pyrophyllite): 3.4-3.8 Ma
Adularia-Au: 3.4-3.7 Ma Temp. oC 100 200 300
Izawa and Zeng, 2001
500 m elev
50-150 m
0m
2 km
1 km
Kushikino alteration
A: chl-mont (propylitic)
B: chl-cc-illite-mont
C: kaol-(overprint of
mont-illite-chl, cc gone)
steam-heated blanket
>3 g/t Au
Matsuhisa et al., 1985
Blanket of Hypogene pyroph-zuny-

steam-heated diaspore hi-T alteration m
kaolinite alteration SO2 à H2SO4, HCl 500
H2S + 2O2 à H2SO4
hypogene
-500
magmatic
vapor
-1000
Morishita and Takeno, 2008 km
Hot springs, sinters and extension-

related (low sulfidation) veins
Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: rift behind an arc

Looking northeast: volcanic arc to east, volcanic rift to west
basalt dike
andesite cone
rhyolite dome
Waiotapu
geothermal system
Broadlands
Ohaaki pool, geothermal
neutral pH, system
sinter
Champagne Pool, Waiotapu (to S): Silica sinter around eruption crater
Broadlands
1 cm
900 yr
900 yr
Silica sinter
Steam-heated zone,
1 cm hanging wall
Champagne Pool sinter
Diagnostic textures of
sinters: evaporative
Jones et al., 2001) GNS
growths, algal stromatolites
McLaughlin, California, 3.5 Moz Missing link: epithermal

Au (1979): sheeted LS veins veins w/ gold up to sinter
below sinter, old Hg mine
Hydro-
thermal
breccia
with
sinter
Sheeted
vein Sherlock et al. (1995)
Steam-heated
alteration
25 m
Hishikari, southern Kyushu
Footprint of
440 t Au deposit
1 Ma now
0.7 Ma
Hishikari,
Kyushu
1000 - 4000
g/t Au
~20 g/t Au
<1 g/t Au
Lateral outflow due to hydraulic gradient.

Likely no hot spring sinter over upflow;
(eroded) steam-heated horizon?
NW SE
Paleosurface
chlorite-smectite
chlorite
Boiling + gas loss

Ascent à gold deposition
along fractures
Hishikari, Kyushu
chlorite-
smectite,
smectite
kaolinite
500 m
Temp. oC 100 200 300
Musc
Izawa et al., 1990
Big Bend Zone represents

~40% of metal at Kupol
(~6 Moz Au)
Kupol Au, Ag grade variations (long section)
Au
Ag
B. Thomson et al., Kinross, Nov 2013
B. Thomson, P. Fischl et al., Kinross, Nov. 2013
Kupol clay mineral groups
Musc
(ser)
200 m
oC 100 200 300
West-east
cross
section,
north area
First-order epithermal features, and exploration

Level of erosion; alteration nature and distribution
Paleosurface (sinter or lake beds; steam-heated layer)
Mineral assemblages; clay zoning (depth + lateral offset)
Structural and/or lithologic control (kms to m scale...)
Describe observations
Document on maps and sections
Keep mineralogy information; use terminology correctly
Design optimal surveys (geochem, geophysical)
Wide variation, i.e., avoid recipes; orientation surveys key
Basic concepts not changed
Some new tools (and models), but no “magic bullets”
Think laterally – figuratively and literally
“Advanced argillic alteration”: overlapping mineralogy in

different environs – report mineralogy, texture, morphology
Hypogene: magmatic feeder; if permeable lithologic horizon,

mushrooms to form lithocap, core of residual qtz (ore host)
<300 to <150oC: alunite, dickite, kaolinite; pyrophyllite, diaspore roots
Steam-heated: vadose zone (above ground water table)
<110oC (locally descend on fractures): alunite, kaolinite, dickite,
cristobalite (opal) at base, fine pyrite below
Supergene (weathering): vadose zone; post hydrothermal
<30oC: alunite, kaolinite, amorphous clays (allophane), Fe hydroxides
Muscovite overprint: porphyry to lithocap transition
<350~250oC: muscovite±andalusite to pyrophyllite, diaspore, dickite, etc.
“Advanced argillic alteration” (aluminosilicates: Meyer and Hemley, 1967):

variable kaolinite, dickite, halloysite, pyrophyllite, andalusite; zunyite and topaz
(F); diaspore plus alunite, APS (aluminum-phosphate-sulfate), anhydrite
Residual quartz (vuggy quartz): aluminum leached (not AA sensu stricto)
BP depth m 0 50 150 400 1000

Principal temperature-
100 200 oC 300
(depth-) dependent
Sg SH K Na
alteration mineralogy APS
HS replacements: silicic host,
quartz-alunite halo (kaolin, dickite,
pyrophyllite, diaspore, topaz);
alunite, barite, anhydrite gangue
Barren lithocaps: silicic core,
quartz-alunite halo, other adv. arg.
Intermed. sulfidation veins: musc

muscovite (“sericite”); quartz
±adularia, carb, rhodochrosite,
barite, anhydrite; local (early?) hi-T
advanced argillic on structures
(kaolin, alunite, dickite, pyrophyllite,
diaspore – similar to lithocap);
variable sulfide content LS: shallow (<200-400 m)
<220-230 oC
Henley and Ellis, 1983; Reyes IS, deeper (~300-800+ m) LS IS ± HS
1990; from Hedenquist et al., 1996 (HS) >220-230 oC) rift arc
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See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.

Epithermal features at shallow depth: implications for exploration

Conference Paper · August 2018

Epithermal gold exploration View project

Porphyry copper genesis and exploration View project

The user has requested enhancement of the downloaded file.

Waldemar Lindgren, 1922:

Hedenquist et al., 1996, 2000

Epithermal features at shallow depth:

Surficial processes and products: fumaroles, hot

Epithermal systems: tectonic setting

High & Intermediate Low

Modified from R. Goldfarb, after Groves et al. (2005)

Arc-hosted porphyry “systems” Lithocap-hosted

Alteration environments Residual qtz + py (vuggy)

Hypogene vapor condensation and

Sampling of 770oC vapor

Etapa de lixiviation, 1st :

cristobalite (≤97% SiO2),

Acid lake around dacite

Nansatsu district, Japan (~1 Moz Au):

Urashima et al., 1981

First recognition of lithocap control:

Steam-heated process and products: 2

White Island, New Zealand: High to low T fumaroles

Steam-heated acid sulfate waters: can

Arribas et al., 2005

>6 Moz Au eq.

Steam-heated kaol-alun blanket (Hg...)

Puren Norte IS veins,

Tambillos, Peru Chalcedony horizon at

southern Latin America

Discovery and geology of Salares Norte, Chile

THE DISCOVERY AND GEOLOGY OF THE SALARES NORTE

Brewer et al., 2017

Brewer et al., 2017

northern Latin America: vein

Supergene weathering, sulfide oxidation: 3

Supergene alunite: Arribas et al., 1995

Supergene alunite Supergene oxidation of refractory

Yanacocha, Peru: Cerro Chaquicocha (>4 Moz at 5 g/t Au)

Acid crater lake

Teal and Benavides, 2010 Cerro Chaquicocha

Arc volcano-hosted active hydrothermal

846 m 150 oC Isotherms measured at sea level

Kushikino veins, Kyushu (55 t Au):

Mt Kamuridake, looking NE, capped by barren

Volcanic setting of Kushikino IS deposit, Kyushu

Izawa and Zeng, 2001

Matsuhisa et al., 1985

Blanket of Hypogene pyroph-zuny-

Morishita and Takeno, 2008 km

Hot springs, sinters and extension-

Taupo Volcanic Zone, New Zealand: rift behind an arc

Champagne Pool sinter

McLaughlin, California, 3.5 Moz Missing link: epithermal

Hishikari, southern Kyushu

Lateral outflow due to hydraulic gradient.

Boiling + gas loss

Temp. oC 100 200 300

Izawa et al., 1990

Big Bend Zone represents

Kupol Au, Ag grade variations (long section)