Miner Deposita (2011) 46:429–430
DOI 10.1007/s00126-011-0368-1
PREFACE
A thematic issue on the geological setting and genesis
of volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits
Rodney L. Allen & Fernando Tornos & Jan M. Peter
Received: 1 June 2011 / Accepted: 8 June 2011 / Published online: 10 July 2011
# Springer-Verlag 2011
Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits are strata-
bound accumulations of sulfide minerals that precipitat-
ed at or near the sea floor in spatial, temporal and in
many cases genetic association with volcanism. VMS
deposits occur in rocks of Archaean to Recent age and
are also actively forming at present-day hydrothermal
vent sites on the modern sea floor. The deposits occur
in many countries throughout the world and are one of
the most important sources of zinc, copper, lead, silver
and gold.
Most ancient VMS deposits occur in clusters (referred to
as mining camps or districts) that are scattered along belts
of submarine volcanic and sedimentary rocks. These belts
formed adjacent to, and generally parallel to, plate margins.
Many of the belts represent the relics of volcanic arcs that
have undergone a period of major crustal extension,
resulting in the creation of one or more intra-arc or back-
Editorial handling: B. Lehmann
R. L. Allen
Exploration Department, Boliden Mineral,
Garpenberg 776 98, Sweden
R. L. Allen (*)
Luleå University of Technology,
971 81 Luleå, Sweden
e-mail: Rodney.Allen@ltu.se
F. Tornos
Instituto Geológico y Minero de España,
Rios Rosas 23,
28003 Madrid, Spain
J. M. Peter
Geological Survey of Canada,
601 Booth Street,
Ottawa K1A 0E8 ON, Canada
arc marine basins. The VMS deposits occur within these
extensional basins, at one or a few key time-stratigraphic
horizons (referred to as ore horizons) across which there
may be major changes in rock type, depositional environ-
ment, magma composition and style and intensity of
hydrothermal alteration.
VMS deposits have been the focus of much research.
However, due to their economic importance and the
continued scientific interest in resolving several key
questions (see below), they continue to be a focus of new
research. This special issue is a contribution from the
“Global VMS Project”, which ran from 2002 to 2009. This
project was born from the European Union GEODE project
(Geodynamics and Ore Deposit Evolution) with the idea of
engaging a global network of scientists to compare and
contrast the major VMS mining districts of the world and
also modern seafloor systems. Central themes in the project
were a greater understanding of different styles of VMS
deposits, why deposits occur on specific “ore horizons”,
how to distinguish these horizons and to determine what are
the essential features that indicate where ores occur along
these horizons. The project was set up during 2001–2002
with seed funding from the Georange consortium in
Sweden and subsequently in 2004 became an International
Geoscience Programme project (IGCP-502) of the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
and the International Union of Geological Sciences. During
its 8-year life, the project was sponsored by numerous
government organisations, universities and mineral explo-
ration companies, whom we thank sincerely; a list of the
major sponsors and short project reports can be found on
the project web site at http://www.ltu.se/research/Forskning
samnen/Malmgeologi/Forskningsprojekt/International-Geo
science-Programme-Projekt-502. The Global VMS Project
built up a network of 221 geoscientists from 43 countries
430
Michael Solomon, 2005
and organised 29 scientific meetings, workshops and short
courses. The project fostered scientific collaborations with
developing nations and sponsored many Ph.D. and M.Sc.
students to attend project meetings and workshops. The
highlight of the project was a series of field workshops in
11 of the world's VMS mining regions (Skellefte, Sweden;
Iberian Pyrite Belt, Spain and Portugal; East Pontide Belt,
Turkey; Bathurst, Canada; Damara Orogen, South Africa
and Namibia; NE Honshu Arc, Japan; Central Ural
Mountains, Russia; Caledonian belt, Wales and Ireland;
Bergslagen, Sweden; Rudny Altai, Kazakhstan and Russia;
Hercynian fold belt, Morocco). These field workshops were
the breeding ground for many new ideas and scientific
collaborations and enabled an informed comparison of
major VMS districts.
This contribution by the Global VMS Project is a selection
of papers on key issues and controversies in the geological
setting and genesis of VMS deposits. Several of the papers
focus on the role of magmatism and tectonics in the genesis of
Miner Deposita (2011) 46:429–430
Abdelhay Belkabir
VMS deposits. Other papers focus on the importance of
depositional environment, gold content and post-depositional
deformation. We hope that this thematic issue will raise
awareness of some key issues in understanding the origin,
location and timing of VMS deposits and will fuel continued
discussion and research.
Dedication to Michael Solomon and Abdelhay Belkabir
We dedicate this collection of papers to the memory of
Michael Solomon and Abdelhay Belkabir, who were
important members of our scientific network on VMS
deposits and were also loved colleagues and friends.
Both colleagues died recently as a result of natural
causes: Mike after a long and very distinguished career
in universities, government and industry, mainly in
Australia, and Abdelhay at the height of a bright but
far too short career in Morocco.