Hydrothermal Mineral Deposits : Principles and Fundamental Concepts for the Exploration Geologist

This book is intended primarily for exploration geologists and post­ graduate students attending specialist courses in mineral exploration. Exploration geologists are engaged not only in the search for new mineral deposits, but also in the extension and re-assessment of existing ones. To succeed in these tasks, the exploration geologist is required to be a "generalist" of the Earth sciences rather than a specialist. The exploration geologist needs to be familiar with most aspects of the geology of ore deposits, and detailed knowledge as well as experience play an all important role in the successful exploration for mineral commodities. In order to achieve this, it is essential that the exploration geologist be up to date with the latest developments in the evolution of concepts and ideas in the Earth sciences. This is no easy task, as thousands of publications appear every year in an ever increasing number of journals, periodicals and books. For this reason it is also difficult, at times, to locate appropriate references on a particular mineral deposit type, although this problem is alleviated by the existence of large bibliographic data bases of geological records, abstracts and papers on computers. During my teaching to explorationists and, indeed, during my years of work as an explorationist, the necessity of having a text dealing with the fundamental aspects of hydrothermal mineral deposits has always been compelling. Metallic mineral deposits can be categorised into three great families, namely: (I) magmatic; (2) sedimentary and residual; (3) hydrothermal. This book is intended primarily for exploration geologists and postƯ graduate students attending specialist courses in mineral exploration. Exploration geologists are engaged not only in the search for new mineral deposits, but also in the extension and re-assessment of existing ones. To succeed in these tasks, the exploration geologist is required to be a "generalist" of the Earth sciences rather than a specialist. The exploration geologist needs to be familiar with most aspects of the geology of ore deposits, and detailed knowledge as well as experience play an all important role in the successful exploration for mineral commodities. In order to achieve this, it is essential that the exploration geologist be up to date with the latest developments in the evolution of concepts and ideas in the Earth sciences. This is no easy task, as thousands of publications appear every year in an ever increasing number of journals, periodicals and books. For this reason it is also difficult, at times, to locate appropriate references on a particular mineral deposit type, although this problem is alleviated by the existence of large bibliographic data bases of geological records, abstracts and papers on computers. During my teaching to explorationists and, indeed, during my years of work as an explorationist, the necessity of having a text dealing with the fundamental aspects of hydrothermal mineral deposits has always been compelling. Metallic mineral deposits can be categorised into three great families, namely: (I) magmatic; (2) sedimentary and residual; (3) hydrothermal Front Matter....Pages I-XVIII Introduction....Pages 1-2 Front Matter....Pages 3-3 Water and Solutions....Pages 5-22 Hydrothermal Solutions....Pages 23-41 Hydrothermal Systems....Pages 42-100 Hydrothermal Alteration....Pages 101-155 Front Matter....Pages 157-157 Crustal Evolution, Global Tectonics and Mineral Deposits....Pages 159-196 Geological Processes and Hydrothermal Mineralisation in Plate Tectonic Settings — Mineral Exploration....Pages 197-218 Geotectonic and Metallogenic Analysis of Orogenic Belts....Pages 219-244 Front Matter....Pages 245-245 Alkali Metasomatism and Related Mineral Deposits....Pages 247-279 Greisen Systems....Pages 280-324 Porphyry Systems and Skarns....Pages 325-374 Fossil and Active Geothermal Systems — Epithermal Base and Precious Metal Mineralisation (Including Kuroko-Type Deposits)....Pages 375-449 Hydrothermal Processes in Oceanic Crust and Related Mineral Deposits....Pages 450-506 Hydrothermal Mineral Deposits of Continental Rift Environments....Pages 507-577 Stratabound Carbonate-Hosted Base Metal Deposits....Pages 578-611 Crustal Hydrothermal Fluids and Mesothermal Mineral Deposits....Pages 612-691 Epilogue....Pages 693-695 Back Matter....Pages 697-709 This text deals with concepts in the genesis of hydrothermal ore deposits and describes a number of key mineral deposits worldwide. It looks at the relationship between hydrothermal mineral deposits and global tectonics in order to understand better the natural ore building processes.