Epithermal

Features 1

27 West Hill Park, Highgate Village, 6ND

Sillitoe, controls and in

eds .. il1ineral Deposit Af-odeling: Geological

Abstract
of rnadels for epithermal precious-rnetal L'olcanic settings are of particular
controls and shallow

with alkalic
rhyoctacLtrc Tachs.

mineroliz~

mineability. determined
induced permeability. Effective
volcanic rin_g fractures,
jUxtq)or,e(1 against aquitards)~ and hydrothertnally

oeerlern barren. acid-leacrJ3d which may be

si licified horizons; trt-e mechanism of silica en.richment
z1cid-leac}1-ed zones giL'e to sinters where rnain
howt?uer j are aboL-'e HS systern. s.
alunite-kaolinite {advanced argilliC> assem-
zones and as products of supergene oxidation.
j

Resume
Trois aspects des modeles de de
interessent

etre
dA:s roches rhJ'olitiques
alkalines, et ceux qui

1991 been

403

-
SILLlTOE

from
from
, Heald et

the presence of amounts of meteoric

whereas the meteoric-water-dominated LS fluids are
a lesser mag-
either acid volatiles lo\v-

strike or down
have not been de-
af

summarized in
from fluids

or acid-sul-
or adularia-sericite mas-
IS 1) and SIve wall-rock silicification that contains tellurides
Field characteristics of the two

have

404

r
 EPIT::rlERMAL MODELS

are found in
central and

and favour formation of the former. such

elevated salinities have been documented for some
as at El Bronce and Faride

the western Pacific and was discussed further

for that same and Albino and
for western North i\merica.

Table I
nomenclature for

Sericite I illite Chlorite - co Icite

Quartz - alunite

1. Schematic alteration
zoning outward

Crustified

carbonaTes :adularia
!: barite / fluorite

metres

405
 EPITHER'V1AL MODELS

Most are not observed to be

level subvolcanic miner-
alization because of their shallow
direct and

characterized
may be inferred elsewhere.
HS

A
STRATOVOLCANO

Cu-Au/Cu-Mo

B c relations between
and sub-
HS

sil-
or
sil-
Sn- Zn- base-metaZ-rich "xeno-
ard stochworh

ERODED
LITHOLOGY STRATOVOLCANO

Diorite - Granodiorite

-Au/Cu-Mo

407
SILLITOE

epithermal may be telescoped ove

intrusion-hosted mineralization
Such

New Guinea.

conditions
under which are formed. Much of the
may be attributed to the
differences in the host rocks. Rock per-
controls the sites of fluid flow and result-
ormlX-
be
Ii -

are gen-
tens to

as in environments ore Ln
such as the western Pacific island arcs, rise to conventional vein

Table III
Field characteristics of

Principal volcanic host rock Sub-alkalic, rhyolite Sub-alkalic. andesitB-

Sulphide content {principally Lvw «5 Low «5 voL;;h) Relatively high (> 10 voL
sphalerite. galena)

Diagnostic alteration minerals RDscoelite, and Sericite illite and (adularia

fluorite (except in basic adularia

Quartz type Chalcecionic and Chalcedonic and crystalline Crystalline

Principal vein (gangue) texture Cr'.lstiform Crus1iform c<lmb-tex:ured.

crtldely ba nded

Sulphide-gang-ue relations Dissen:inated grains. IJisseminated grains, :\lasslve or seml-!nassive

concentrated preferentially concentrated preferentially bands mating "lNith
in cert.ain bands in certain quartz bands sulphide-poor g2.ngue

Base-metal content High several

Gold fineness high

;\Iinor components Te Se conUTIon Se and Te generally

Type exam pies En:peror (Fiji), Round :VJountB.ln (;.Jevadat Comstock (Nevada),
Creek (Colorado) (California), Umuna (Papua New
(Japan)

408
 EPITHERIv1AL MODELS

ever~ incremental dilation and rnineraliza- and Nevada

tion may result in veins tens of metres wide
as at faults that delimit calderas or diatremes lo-
calize a number of and
Intersections between district-wide

RING FAULT

Massive vein Vein swarm Stockwork (lV/-CIn(lll'!

\
veins

100

100 ! - - - - - - - ' 0
metres
Residua! vuggy silica
breccia
contrast - La
in diatreme breccia - lvfon-
RING FAUL tana l'JnneLs

rI Hi InnJmhnl'p

clastic sediment diatreme breccia

In

409
 localized

upon
sure rock environment.

fluids come into contact

decalcification takes
increase in rock per-
calca:-eous matrix was
unit to HS
1991). Shallow

surficial attributes of
divided into acid-leached zones,
which may include silicified
and sinters.

of
terns results in formation of
condenses into cool
then takes

410
 EPITrlERM1\L ~vlODELS

monomineralic cristobalite rock is the zones are thicker where

of intense acid as described arid regions and
et aL for Silica Pit at Steamboat
Nevada. Additional
than alteration zones associated
tite. native and cinnabar. T'he iron mineralization
tend to be concentrated so In areas
extensive lateral flow
deflection

Nevada
other
more underlie acid· leached
LS and HS

above the former tend to

native and may
mal breccias. The silica takes the form of
on of formation
Rocks tr-ansformed to are
Marcasite and are common
A

High- or

of silicified borizons still

leached rock. Silicified horizons
B acid·leached zones

200
in
beneath, rather
described
meTres
at Pueblo

The processes for silicification

at and beneath water tables are
SINTER TE.I?RACE understood. In LS systems, hO\vever.
be combinations of silica
of
, c
L:rw - 5ulorlldaticn vein

Shallow sys·
terns: wah a stable Lcater table controlled
honzons (which may be a water table
m an

Muntean et
n5e to lwt spriT'~s and
accurnulatiorL Note that processes inuoZued in acid to be rather than
gene ra twn (in chaicedonic because of the lower temperature condi-
may tions the same reason. siliCification

411
SILLITOE

zones also tends tn be

Nevada: John et at..
If acid conde mates drain dOwllwaro from the zone of
cause kaolinite alteration

Buckskin Mountain in the National district of

may
metal ill ineralization
survives the acidic as it did at Borealis
and Paradise Peak:

often
been
extensive lateral flow and dilution. It is worth mention
that many described "sinters" are not surface hot-
but laminated 1a-
"C;Ul.HHOUC". that lli'lderwent

the water table

basins. Conse-
to acid-leached

Sinter

table

Coal meteoric water

BASE OF
SUPERGENE
OXIDATION

\
Advanced argillic alteration
' - - - - + - - - - J 200 metre;

412
 EPI'T::r!ERlvlAL MODELS

of the sinter dE;P()SJltllDn

from

of metais
mineralization.
Accumulation of sinter m
renders
diluted or even overvvhelmed sedimentation. Can-
clastic sediments are

As in the case of acid-leached zones, descent of water

tables
vVl"!.hL-h situations. Water-table descent
IS for acid beneath The three advanced
the sinter terrace at Buckskin Mountain lar in thin section and

Table IV
B"'ield characteristics of trilee alunite

Origin Conden..sation or tWlo;O'lWCivn of Shallow acid leaching

deep magmatic volatiles

Texture Coarse crystalline powdery aggregat.es Chalky. porceHanous masses

aggregates

Colour Colourless, white, Generally white White, cream. ye!low·brown

cream. yeilO'v.:, tan, (jarosite staining)

Typical occurrence Replacement of Pervasive Irrefft.l1ar veinlets, nodular

etc.; especialJy masses; local pervasIve

Associated alteration Quartz. dickite. Crist-abaEte, opal, Kaolinite

minerals diaspo~, p:JTopnyllite

Occurrence respect with limonite, but

sulphides illlderlying
oxidation sulphide zone
hypogene limonite (hematite)

Reiationship to orc ore

413
S[LUTOE

able to
Individual

concentrations that
remain concealed~ a..rn unaware of a success-
C!r,nu,o",u beneath acid-leached zones or

not

in search of concealed
not accompany are, on!")""!;-,, In eroded systems should be
,.."HU"""," to ore of the tentative reconstrtlctions of

The

different

Sincere due to Hal

and
valuable comments on the
Kirkham for it

Alan, and Hutton, D_.

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414
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