EPITHERMAL QUARTZ TEXTURE

WORKSHOP

1. Classification and interpretation of textures

2. Texture associations and the zoning model

3 Lodes
3. L d and
d shoots-the
h t th facies
f i model
d l

4 Test drive using general & local examples

4.
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 EPITHERMAL QUARTZ TEXTURES
CLASSIFICATION
PRIMARY TEXTURES
Those that grow in the
initial stages of crystallisation

RECRYSTALLISATION TEXTURES
Related to the transformation
of amorphous silica to quartz

REPLACEMENT TEXTURES
Partial or complete pseudomorphs
of other minerals by silica/quartz

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PRIMARY TEXTURES
CHALCEDONIC
massive
Those that ggrow first
f banded
in open space
SACCHAROIDAL

And with little or no overprinting CRYSTALLINE

Coarse
deformation,
Medium
recrystallisation, Fine
or replacement
l t zonedd crystals
l

BANDED
crustiform
colloform
cockade

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CHALCEDONY crypto-crystalline
yp y silica
Cant see grains/crystals in hand specimen

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JASPER-banded
JASPER banded chalcedony with hematite

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SACCHAROIDAL-fine crystalline like sugar

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Fibrous crystals here as rosettes

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Crystals fine elongate & clear

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COMB fibre crystals in bands with chalcedony

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Zoned crystals - clear & milky zones due to inclusions

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Colloform – chalcedonyy bands with kidney-shaped
y p surface

top

‐‐‐‐‐‐

side

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CRUSTIFORM - bands change composition & texture
chalcedony (white) and comb bands (purple),
(purple) also colloform

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COCKADE-crustiform bands around fragments

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RECRYSTALLISATION TEXTURES
Related to the transformation
of amorphous silica to quartz

Moss

Plumose

N.B. Saccharoidal quartz can be the end product of the recrystallisation

process

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MOSS-silica gel spheres partly recrystallised chalcedony

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MOSS- aggregates of mm scale spheres (looks like grapes)
silica gel partly recrystallised to chalcedony

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Plumose - fibrous recrystallisation in chalcedony

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 ORIGIN OF RECRYSTALLISATION TEXTURES

Dong et al, 1995; Economic Geology

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REPLACEMENT TEXTURES
Partial or complete pseudomorphs of minerals
by silica/quartz

Mould

Bladed

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MOULD-cavity in the shape of dissolved mineral
fluorite here

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BLADED-barite crystals in irregular lattice pattern

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BLADED primary carbonate, irregular lattice pattern

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LATTICE BLADED
quartz replacing
qu ep c g carbonate
c bo e blades
b des andd fillingg solution
so u o cavities
c v es

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GHOST BLADED- original blades not directly pseudomorphed
red
d hhematite ddefines
f blade
bl d shape
h not the
h quartz grains

Thin section crossed polars

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GHOST BLADED-hematite dust defines blade not quartz crystals

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MASSIVE crystalline
t lli carbonate-blades
b t bl d ddefined
fi d by
b cleavage
l only
l

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PARALLEL BLADED - groups of parallel blades define original crystal shape
replacement of rhombic crystals of carbonate along cleavage

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 PARALLEL BLADED
groups of elongate quartz crystals follow cleavage of original

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ORIGIN OF REPLACEMENT TEXTURES

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ADULARIA - rhombic crystals as bands in veins
pink due to hematite inclusions

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ADULARIA - rhombic crystals in comb vein

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NEEDLE ADULARIA
in colloform bands

Weathers easily to
kaolinite

Kaolinite lost on sawing

Moulds filled with

grinding powder
highlights form

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 WHAT THE TEXTURES IMPLY ABOUT CONDITIONS
Dominantly tensional, open space fill environment overall

CRYSTALLINE: liquid dominated fluid, moderate silica concentration

coarser crystals mean higher pressure and/or slower crystallisation

CHALCEDONIC: gas-dominated, silica-rich fluid, rapid crystallisation

bands mean fluctuating concentrations

CRUSTIFORM, COLLOFORM,
CRUSTIFORM COLLOFORM COCKADE-
COCKADE multi-stage,
lti t open space fill,
fill
fluctuating fluid composition (boiling)

RECRYSTALLISATION- change
g in T,, P conditions &/or metastable p
primary
ypphase

REPLACEMENT- change in fluid composition

AGGREGATE BRECCIA-
BRECCIA tectonic deformation of relatively brittle rock
INFILL BRECCIA- hydrothermal pressure sufficient to break brittle host rock

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EPITHERMAL QUARTZ TEXTURES

ZONING MODEL
&
MINERALISATION TYPES

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Alteration, metals & texture zoning model

CH
CHc
CHb

CHm

CCh

CCx

Xas

Xc
MASSIVE CARBONATE ZONE (CHc)
massive+/-moulds+/-parallel
massive+/ moulds+/ parallel bladed

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LATTICE BLADED ZONE (CHb) ( )
lattice bladed + chalcedony

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MASSIVE CHALCEDONIC ZONE (CHm)
Chalcedonyy + plumose
C p

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 CRUSTIFORM-COLLOFORM UPPER ZONE (CCh)
Banded massive & moss chalcedony-moss
chalcedony moss adularia-
adularia sulfide bands

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 CRUSTIFORM-COLLOFORM LOWER ZONE (CCx)
Grey crystalline more than white chalcedonic bands +/- sulfide, carbonate

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 CRYSTALLINE QUARTZ ZONE
fibrous crystalline quartz, cockade, crustiform

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 CRYSTALLINE QUARTZ DEEP ZONE
massive medium comb quartz+/- crustiform, base metal sulfides

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Zoning model – fluid types

Gas
(H2O,CO2,S)
acid

Boiling
(gas + liquid,
fluctuates)

Liquid
(+ salts)
alkaline
COCKADE SULFIDE HIGH GRADE ORE - CCx ZONE

Cirotan, Indonesia
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 Jandam
CCh zone
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secondary free gold after sulfo-salt bands & primary gold bands

Scott lode, Pajingo, Queensland fruta del norte, Ecuador

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 HI-GRADE GOLD IN CCh ZONE

SLEEPER, NEVADA
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 Ore in chalcedonic-upper crustiform colloform zone (CCh)
with sulfide & adularia bands

Cracow, Queensland
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GOOD ORE IN BANDED Mn CARBONATE-CCh ZONE

Mangani, Sumatra

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GOOD ORE IN COCKADE BRECCIA

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CLASSICAL EPITHERMAL MULTIPHASE BRECCIA ORE

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EPITHERMAL ZONING MODEL – ore locations
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LODES AND SHOOTS
LODE: a geological zone that envelopes the mineralisation

usuallyy with a locallyy distinctive combination of tectonic and hydrothermal

y features

e.g. a shear zone with silica-pyrite alteration and quartz veins

SHOOT: a zone that most closely envelopes the ore

e.g. banded, recrystallised and brecciated quartz veins and stockworks

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Dilatational Regime

Principal extensional fault orientation

 PES Stratigraphy
Palaeosurface
Quartz-gold mineralisation @ mineralisation

Southern Cross
Formation
Southern Cross Upper Epiclastics
Formation

( S Do o
ta r n
AL arenaceous of ga r
ER basalt
PO
ST
Ho a F
IN tuffaceous pe or
M MI
NE Fo mat
ST RA
r m ion
at i
PO Felsic Lava Flow L on
?)
Felsic Ignimbrite obsidian
4
44
Lower Epiclastics

D it
Dacite

Greywacke Mt. Janet Andesite

(Stones Creek Volcanics?)
fault

Dacitic Ignimbrite
Raymond Formation
(Molly Darling Sandstone?) Molly Darling Sandstone
(Raymond Formation?)

Andesitic tuff and shale

Volcanilithic Wacke Andesite and Rhyolite

(Scartwater Formation?) (Stones Creek Volcanics?)
Basement
SCOTT LODE & SHOOT

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PES LODES‐mapped and inferred

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Pajingo ‐ Surface Quartz Textures
 LODES AND SHOOTS

LODE
A structure with hydrothermal features
with or without mineralisation

SHOOT
The part of the lode that has coherent ore
grade

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 TECTONIC-HYDROTHERMAL FACIES MODEL

Lode
L d
•normal fault structure
enclosing hydrothermal phases
•Dominantlyy altered cataclasite
•Overprinted by stringer veins L d b
Lode‐bounding
di ffault
lt
•Broadens to stockwork
where it steepens
•Stockwork vein breccia shoulder
•Stockwork‐vein Silica‐pyrite
py cataclasite
•Gives way to massive vein
and footwall sheeted veins
In the steepest part of the lode Stringer‐stockwork

Shoot
•Portion of lode with ore Stockwork‐breccia
•In the massive vein and breccia

This model is half a shoot Massive vein

The bottom half is the inverted
mirror image off the
h top

View as section or plan

Sericite & silica‐sulfide sheeted stringer veins horsetail veins in si‐sf
barren anomalous low grade

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Vein network & dike in silica‐sulfide breccia

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Horse‐tail veins, banded & multi‐phase moderate grade

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PES Lodes & Shoots
Vera Nancy fault geometry
„ Restraining-releasing bend
cross sectional
ti l geometries
ti
„ Controls
„ esp. Horizontal permeability
„ Fluid conditions / component
solubilities
PES faults
Fault parameters

Linking
sp ays
splays

Hangingwall
splays
Footwall
splays

„ Geometry and kinematics of structure important

because of implications for permeability and fluid