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    96 views18 pages

    Einaudi ANACONDA 1997

    Uploaded by

    Oleg Oblassov

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    MAPPING ALTERED AND MINERALIZED ROCKS an introduction to THE "ANACONDA METHOD" Marco T. Einaudi Stanford University 1997 OMT Einaudi, 1907 LAntroduction ‘A. General Aspects B. Key Features of Mapping Scheme (1) The “baseline” (2) Use gridded field sheets (6) The rock side ‘iho contacts faults, veins, density (vol%) of quz veins (8) The ar side Background alteration, Alteration halos. C. Organizational hints for efficient mapping (1) Use a double-sided aluminum clipboard (2) The importance of hard-iead color pencils (@) Mapping vests (5) Make several mapping passes (6) Stand up, facing the rocks lapping outcrops: use multiple overlay ‘A. Base Map. B. Alteration Overiay C. Limonite Overlay. ‘A: Lithologie contacts and structure (recorded on mask sie plot re sik. cp) B. Hypogene mineralization (veins/veinlets & disseminations). (Plot on mack sui) sulfidesfoxtes Fig. 3) Veinlewvein filings ter than sulfidesioxides C. Leached/oxidelsupergene sulfides (plot on rack side). Mineralogy Symbols for degree of leaching D. Alteration of hornblende (and/or biotite) sites (plot on air side) E. Alteration of feldspar sites (plot on ai side) ‘Y. Weathering products: how tomap and recognize them. ‘A. Distinguishing between Hypogene and supergene alteration. B. Leached and oxidized outcrops. (1) Keeping wack ofthe degree of leaching of primary sulfude sites (2) “Glassy limonite, indigenous limonites, (3) Relict sulfides locked in quartz (4) Exotic limonites ‘MA. Reconnaissance: What to retain from the Detailed Mapping Scheme, ‘A. Rock deseription, B. Quartz veins and veinlets C: Limonite assemblages D. Relative abundance of indigenous and exotic Fe and Cu oxides, E. Biotite distribution patterns, especially of "shreddy biotite” F, Magnetite abundance ‘A. Posting sheets and follow-up interpretatior B. The Folio. C. Composite maps: exploration models and drill targeting. SSCCOHCHOHOHOHSSHSSHSHSHHHHOHSHHHOHOHSHSHHSHSHSHOHHHHSOHOLOOS MAPPING ALTERED & MINERALIZED ROCKS MT. Einaudi, Stanford University, March 1997 1 Introduction Color-coded mapping of key features of alteration/mineraization, augmented by quantitative estimates of mineral/vein abundance, measurement of atitudes (strike & dip, or core-axis angle), and relative age between features (Gifferent vein-ypes. or veins/intrusive contacts) is ertical to successful exploration, mine development, and accurate descriptions for a genetic understanding. This style of mapaing should be used to complement standardized numerical mapping designed for computer data bases. A geologist who draws what she sees in the rocks has greater flexibility and freedom of thought than one who is forced 19 pi 10a numerical category. Further, a the stage of ‘map compilation there is no substitute forthe deuiled, color-coded, geological and mineralogical notes compiled on posting sheets ("fact maps"), whose color and textural distinctions allow quick visual correlation of common features berween outcrops. mine benches, o is. The use of standardized colors aso allows a given exploration team or research group to read and understand each ethr's m Although thi ses on mapping in igneous rocks oF porphyry-type environments, the approach is easily ‘modified for application in any deposit cologieu! environment. ‘The approach presented here is adireet evolution of mapping schemes devised da geologists at El Salvador, Chile, and Yerington, Nevada during the 19605; it represents in ‘generated during field work and discussions with John Proffet, John Hunt, Bill Atkinson. and F part a melding of ide joln Dilles. ‘IL, Mapping Vertical Faces: trenches, road cuts, tunnels, benches A, General Aspect The most efficient approach to mapping vertical walls i to project everything o a horizontal plane (for ‘example. at chest height), The hundreds of strike & dip measurements that are taken during a day's mapping are all plotted directly on the map: in otter Words, the map is being produced as you map. Confusion about strikes of faults, contacts ete. doesn't arise as often as it does when drawing in vertical view or when recording data in a notebook. Because you carry past mapping sheets with you as you start a fresh sheet, you know exactly where to goin the next ‘er0ss-cut or trench to find that fault, and geology can be drawn across the drt from one wall to the other or from outcrop to outcrop. (NOTE: (1) some featutes will not project fo chest height, ea flat fault at ankle level; these require notes ‘quick sketch, or a projection (see below). (2) When mapping an underground decline or a surface treneh up a hill, Continue to map at chest height; your map will be an inclined plane, which later can be corrected toa different datum plane depending on the ultimate goal) ‘The essential idea isto record by means ofa calor cade the various features of rock type, structure, veins, alteration minerals and ore minerals (see Eigs. 1&2). Color coding is a means of reducing note-taking to some degree, bat, more importantly, to force the geologist to look more critically at the rocks. Color also serves as a visual stimulant ducing mapping and afterwards during the compilation process ‘Another important aspect of the mapping scheme is that while mapping altered wall rocks, you are mapping ‘minerals, not alteration types. This means that you are not classifying alteration types as you map (‘hink of all the variations on the theme of advanced argillic or of potassie alteration types!) and, therefore, you are coming closer to the {deal of recording observations rather than interpretations. Map what you see. Notes are used for those features that cannot be recorded in the drawing, such as rock descriptions, relative ages between features (e-g., between faults, veins, veinlets, intrusive contacts), percent total sulfides, percent magnetite, sulfide ratios, and veinlet abundance (e.g., vol % estimate). Notes are written for intervals of the bench face or tunnel where such features are relatively uniform in character (Figs, 1 & 2 B, Key Features of Mapping Scheme Figures | and 2 illustrate the style of mapping being described here, Figure | represents a map of sulfide- bearing rocks, whereas Figure 2 represents amap of the oxidized (weathered) equivalent. The various aspects ofthe mapping scheme are illustrated by these figures and discussed in the paragraphs that follow. Comparison ofthe (wo figures (and Figures 5) also will sllow you to visualize the results of oxidation/weathering of hypogene ores (1) The "baseline" consists ofthe tape laid out at chest height along a drift or trench wall. This baseline is surveyed by branton and plotted on the Field sheet (aking account of iregularties inthe Face relative tothe straight line ofthe tape). (2) Use gridded field sheets to enable rapid plotting of strikes nd dips w “The grids represent N-S and E-W lines, not lines parallel to the rock face you are mappisig long dimension of your map shect (the north arrow points toward the long dimension of your sees ‘your clipboard and for internal consistency. G) Locate your baseline in the center of the field sheet to allow working all sides. Start a new field sheet before you run out of room toward the edge ofthe sheet (4) Before you start mapping, be sure to include coordinates, survey points, locality, Seale and your name (5) Notes and sample locations are written directly on the mapping sheet, rather than in the Feld notebook. This ensures that this information is never separated from the map, ‘The baseline serves to separate your map sheets into two areas: the “air side" and the "rock side" (see (6) The rock sid is used to record faults, vein minerals, veinlet minerals, disseminations of “ore minerals, and lithologic contacts (Fig. 3 and right-hand side of Fig, 4). All through-going features are ploted with true sitike, and the dip is indicated (7) Because of the close relation between the distribution of quartz veins and Cu-Au grades in many porphyry type deposits, a method of quantifying the density (vol %) ofthese veins is highly useful. Experience has shown that consistency between different geologists can be achieved by estimating (for a given set of veins and a given bench interval where the veins are of relatively constant spacing and width): |) the average width of the veins, and 2) the average spacing between center lines. Write these down in your notes asa fraction (e..,"0.5/6" would indicate 0.5 em average width and 6 cm average spacing between center lines). Dividing out the fraction yields percent ofthe rock that is constituted by this vein set (0.5/6= 8 vol %). This approach works wel for porphyry deposits where veins occupy definite sets; the estimate is made for each set. The approach also is better than counting vein widths along a tape or number of veins within a fixed square area, because such a count has to be corrected forthe true width and doesn't record vein widths and spacing. Clearly, the approach is dificult ro apply in rocks where the veins are truly random, but this is less common than is generally believed. For A-B quartz veins, which mos likely (at least the B's) represent open-space filling, you are recording the volume percent of quartz that filled open spaces. For D veins (pyrite veins with quartz~ sericite:pyrite , QSP, halos), record the "vein width’ as the distance between outer edges of the QSP halo: the fraction will epresent the vol % of the rock that is altered to QSP. (8) The airside is used to record alteration minerals and rock type (lef-hand side of Fig. 4). Alteration minerals are recorded by color code in two ways, Background alteration. Narrow "imaginary columns" along the baseline (much as the columns used for different minerals in logging core) are used to record "background" alteration minerals. "Background alteration is defined here as any alteration minerals that occur throughout a given volume of rock and do not appear to be related as halos to individual veins. Pervasive biottization of andesite at El Salvador is one example of background alteration, Note that the term "background" has no temporal connotation Alteration halos. If distinct alteration halos are present on the margins of fractures and vein fillings, these are shown as color-coded lines drawn along the strike ofthe particular vein, but onthe air side ofthe map sheet. For example, a sericitic envelope on a pyrite vein would be shown as a brown line on the ar side. C. Organizational hints for efficient mapping (1) Use a double-sided aluminum clipboard the size of the mapping sheet (8.5 X 11 inches in the US.) with leather pencil holders riveted to one or both sides. Al pencils and scales are kept in this clipboard for easy access, Place rubber erasers on the ends of each pencil for easy retrieval of pencils out oftheir leather sleeves! (2) The importance of a hard-lead color pencils which can be sharpened to a fine point cannot be ‘overemphasized. Pencils available in the U.S. which meet these standards include Eagle Verithin (or Berol Verithin) and Staedtler Mars-Lumochrom... (Caveat: in tropical climates, leads tend to become soft; in field mapping places severe limitations on the quality of your drawing even if water-proof paper is used. But, ry anyway! Keep = blotter in your aluminum clip-board facing your map sheet, and keep the clipboard closed and in your mapping vest when not in use]. Sharpening pencils is an art: keep a sharp knife (same one you use to scratch rocks) to expose 2 cof lead, tape a piece of sandpaper to the back inside of your clipboard for sharpening the point. and do final shazpenin, by rubbing the point at a small angle on a piece of paper within your clipboard. (3) Mapping vests that have pockets large enough for an aluminum clipboard to fit in loosely ax critical to the success of the mapping method described above. Loose fit is important because the mapping method requires a constant back-and-forth between map sheet and rocks: every time you have finished marking a feature o* you map sheet, the clipboard is “dumped” back into its pocket, your hands are free, and you can get back to breaking rain obviously Your vest "organizes" your work environme fon the ground. ‘The clipboard is never damped (4) Applying color. F highly mineralized zones) and great care needs» = the rock side can become very densely spaced (especially in en t9 maintain color separation with very sharp pencils. A key technique in this regard is 10 post-ore julls, youngest veins), then follow with ‘mapping the older features. In this way, offsec atures by younger features can be shown easily as you map ‘and much less erasing is involved! Also, 2s you apply color to represent a vein, apply first the color of the most sdpundant mineral asa dashed line; te lessee miners) colors are then applied between the dashes of the first and no calor is applied on top of another (5) Make several rapping passes for any given outcrop or length of bench face or core; in other words, partition your work. I find that I need at east three passes 10 complete all the observations and note-takins that I need ‘The first pass should be the one in which you get down on paper the major features of the outcrop: descriptions of lithology, lithotogic contacts (indicate whether intrusive, conformable, stratigraphic, or faulted), major faults, and major through-going veins. In subsequent passes you begin to add detail. Ina second pass, map veins and veinets, diagrammatically showing the relative age of different vein types (plot the youngest veins fist), and add alteration haloes, and background alteration. The third pas can be devoted 0 sulfide (or oxide) minerals, their ebundance, and relative proportions (6) Standup. facing the rocks, while marking a feature on your map sheet. This reduces the odds of plotting a wrong strike, because you are oriented with your rocks and your map sheet. Fast, efficient, and accurate mapping is your goal; to achieve this goal, the best mappers do not sit down with ther backs tothe fave. (Saves time and saves your pants!) (7) In regional explocation, I recommend tat prior to commencing & mapping project ata small scale (say, |:5,000) that some key representative outcrops be mapped first ata large scale (say, 1:250). The reason is that mapping ata large scale gives the geologist the opportunity to spend some time looking at the rocks in deta and this enables him to develop an idea of the Key features ofa given prospect. Armed with tis information. he ean then move out more confidently at higher speed at a smaller scale. In mapping sub-horizontal exposures (i.., outcrops), color codes for alteration, veins, and ore minerals (limonites) are used 38 above but are applied’ successive overlays. Color separation is maintained by ploting: + lithologic contacts, faults, veins, and other structure on a base map (Fig. 6, Base Map): + pervasive (or background) alteration and altezation halos on the frst overlay (Fig. 6, Overlay #1); + and ore minerals or their oxidation products ona second overlay (Fig. 6, Overlay #2). Notes for tnese various features are written on their respective overlays A. Base Map, ‘The limit of outcrop is sketched first on the base map (along with any additional “culture” such as teenches, paths, adits, mine dumps, etc) and the major features of structure and lithology are mapped in. Rock-type symbols can be assigned to various units, and these symbols can be applied in black pencil (rather than assigning a color-code to rock types) along the outer perimeter of the outcrop outline, Veins are plotted directly on the base map, using color codes for dominant vein-filling minerals, Notes can be written outside the outcrop area, B,Alleration Overlay. On Overlay A, lines are used 10 identity alteration halos on veins shown on the base map. Care should be taken to ensure that the alteration color-code is applied directly over the vera shown on the base. ‘Tis points out the need to plo the veins fzst onthe base map, then quickly apply the alteration-halo color over that vein on overlay #1. For example, on Fig. 6, the NE-

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