Introduction to Ore-Forming Processes

Introduction: Mineral Resources:.

Introduction And Aims.

What Makes A Viable Mineral Deposit?.

Some Useful Definitions And Compilations.

Natural Resources, Sustainability And Environmental Responsibility.

Summary And Further Reading.

Part I: Igneous Processes:.

1. Igneous Ore-Forming Processes:.

Introduction.

Magmas And Metallogeny.

Why Are Some Magmas More Fertile Than Others?…The ‘Inheritance Factor’.

Partial Melting And Crystal Fractionation As Ore Forming Processes.

Liquid Immiscibility As An Ore-Forming Process.

A More Detailed Consideration Of Mineralization In Mafic Magmas.

A Model For Mineralization In Layered Mafic Intrusions.

Summary And Further Reading.

2. Magmatic-Hydrothermal Ore-Forming Processes:.

Introduction.

Some Physical And Chemical Properties Of Water.

Formation Of A Magmatic Aqueous Phase.

The Composition And Characteristics Of Magmatic-Hydrothermal Solutions.

A Note On Pegmatites And Their Significance To Granite-Related Ore-Forming Processes.

Fluid-Melt Trace Element Partitioning.

Water Content And Depth Of Emplacement Of Granites: Relationships To Ore-Forming Processes.

Models For The Formation Of Porphyry-Type Cu, Mo And W Deposits.

Fluid Flow In And Around Granite Plutons.

Skarn Deposits.

Near-Surface Magmatic-Hydrothermal Processes: The ‘Epithermal Family Of Au-Ag-(Cu) Deposits.

The Role Of Hydrothermal Fluids In Mineralized Mafic Rocks.

Summary And Further Reading.

Part II: Hydrothermal Processes:.

3. Hydrothermal Ore-Forming Processes:.

Introduction.

Other Fluids In The Earth’s Crust And Their Origins.

The Movement Of Hydrothermal Fluids In The Earth’s Crust.

Further Factors Affecting Metal Solubility.

Precipation Mechanisms For Metals In Solution.

More On Fluid/Rock Interaction: An Introduction To Hydrothermal Alteration.

Metal Zoning And Paragenetic Sequence.

Modern Analogues Of Ore-Forming Processes: The VMS-SEDEX Continuum.

Mineral Deposits Associated With Aquo-Carbonic Metamorphic Fluids.

Ore Deposits Associated With Connate Fluids.

Ore Deposits Associated With Near Surface Meteoric Fluids (Ground Water).

Summary And Further Reading.

Part III: Sedimentary/Surficial Processes:.

4. Surficial and Supergene Ore-Forming Processes:.

Introduction.

Principles.

Lateritic Deposits.

Clay Deposits.

Calcrete-Hosted Deposits.

Supergene Enrichment Of Cu And Other Metals In Near-Surface Deposits.

Summary And Further Reading.

5. Sedimentary Ore-Forming Processes:.

Introduction.

Clastic Sedimentation And Heavy Mineral Concentration: Placer Deposits.

Chemical Sedimentation: Banded Iron Formation, Phosphorites, And Evaporites.

Fossil Fuels: Oil/Gas Formation And Coalification.

Summary And Further Reading.

Part IV: Global Tectonics And Metallogeny:.

6. Ore Deposits in a Global Tectonic Context:.

Introduction.

Patterns In The Distribution Of Mineral Deposits.

Continental Growth Rates.

Crustal Evolution And Metallogenesis.

Metallogeny Through Time.

Plate Tectonics And Ore Deposits: A Summary.

Summary And Further Reading.

References.

Index