Structural Controls on Epithermal

Au-Ag Systems

Quito, Ecuador
June 2003

Peter Lewis Lewis Geoscience Services Inc.

Vancouver, Canada

Zacatecas L EWIS G EOSCIENCE

UNESCO /2001
SEG metallogeny 2003
El Limon, Nicaragua (low-sulf.)

Famatina, Argentina (high-sulf.)

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 Round Mtn., NV (low-sulf.)
(Hedenquist et al., 1994)

El Sauzal, Mexico (high-sulf.)

Zacatecas L EWIS G EOSCIENCE

UNESCO /2001
SEG metallogeny 2003
 La Virgen, Peru (high-sulf.)

La Colorada, Mex. (Pb-Zn-Ag)

Zacatecas L EWIS G EOSCIENCE

UNESCO /2001
SEG metallogeny 2003
 Themes in brittle ore environments:

 Seismogenic region of the crust: first-order controls on fluid

transport and ore formation are bulk permeability and focused flow
along brittle structures

 Mechanical anisotropy of host rock sequence

• influences orientations, magnitudes of local principal stresses
• controls fracture density / structural permeability
• controls orientation of brittle structures

 Pre-existing structure features

•fluid channeling along long-lived crustal structures
•reactivation complicates structural interpretation

Zacatecas L EWIS G EOSCIENCE

UNESCO /2001
SEG metallogeny 2003
 Themes in brittle ore environments:

 Mineralization is localized along favorably-oriented segments of structures

• determined by slip direction + geometry of structure
• dilational zones

 Pore fluid pressure levels control style, geometry of mineralization

• transitions from lithostatic to hydrostatic pressure regimes
• fluid-pressure enhanced fracturing, dilatency
• cyclicity of pore fluid pressures, deformation
• elevated fluid pressure enhances reactivation potential

 Mineralization commonly on secondary structures,

rather than principal surface of displacement
•higher permeability?
•rock/fluid ratios

Zacatecas L EWIS G EOSCIENCE

UNESCO /2001
SEG metallogeny 2003
 From
Hagemann and
Cassidy, 2000

Zacatecas L EWIS G EOSCIENCE

UNESCO /2001
SEG metallogeny 2003
 Course Topics

• Faults structural regimes, and fault geometry

Practical Exercises
• Fault reactivation and pore fluid pressures

Case studies
• Fluid transport in the epithermal environment

• Structural ore controls in the epithermal environment

• Mapping of structures in brittle deformation

environments

Zacatecas L EWIS G EOSCIENCE

UNESCO /2001
SEG metallogeny 2003