Phanerozoic Environments, Associations and Deposits

1017 Pages·1985·33.012 MB·1-1002\1017

by  Peter Laznicka (Eds.)

Further titles in this series
1. I.L. ELLIOTT and W.K. FLETCHER (Editors)
GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION 1974
2. P.M.D. BRADSHAW (Editor)
CONCEPTUAL MODELS IN EXPLORATION GEOCHEMISTRY
The Canadian Cordillera and Canadian Shield
3. G.J.S. GOVETTand M.H. GOVETT (Editors)
WORLD MINERAL SUPPLIES
Assessment and Perspective
4. R.T.SHUEY
SEMICONDUCTING ORE MINERALS
5. J.S. SUMNER
PRINCIPLES OF INDUCED POLARIZATION FOR GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION
6. R.A. RICH, H.D. HOLLAND and U. PETERSEN
HYDROTHERMAL URANIUM DEPOSITS
7. J.G. MORSE (Editor)
NUCLEAR METHODS IN MINERAL EXPLORATION AND PRODUCTION
8. M. KU$ VART and M. BOH ME R
PROSPECTING AND EXPLORATION FOR MINERAL DEPOSITS
9. C.R.M. BUTT and I.G.P. WILDING (Editors)
GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION 1976
10. G.B.FETTWEIS
WORLD COAL RESOURCES
Methods of Assessment and Results
11. R.G. TAYLOR
GEOLOGY OF TIN DEPOSITS
12. H.K.GUPTA
GEOTHERMAL RESOURCES
An Energy Alternative
13. C.R.M. BUTT and R.E. SMITH (Editors)
CONCEPTUAL MODELS IN EXPLORATION GEOCHEMISTRY, 4
Australia
14. G.BARDOSSY
KARSTIC BAUXITES
15. A.W. ROSE and H. GUNDLACH (Editors)
GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION 1980
16. R.W.BOYLE
GEOCHEMICAL PROSPECTING FOR THORIUM AND URANIUM DEPOSITS
17. G.R.PARSLOW (Editor)
GEOCHEMICAL EXPLORATION 1982
18. M.KUZVART
INDUSTRIAL MINERALS AND ROCKS
DEVELOPMENTS IN ECONOMIC GEOLOGY, 19
empirical
metallogeny
Depositional Environments,
Lithologic Associations
and Metallic Ores
Vol. 1: Phanerozoic Environments,
Associations and Deposits
PART A
Peter Laznicka
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg,
Man. R3T2N2, Canada
ELSEVIER, Amsterdam - Oxford - New York - Tokyo 1985
ELSEVIER SCIENCE PUBLISHERS B.V.
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ISBN 044442530-6 (Vol. 19A)
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ISBN 044442554-3 (Set)
ISBN 044441250-6 (Series)
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V
DEDICATION
Dedicated to the prospectors who use science and logic to
find a mine.
nocBHmeHo reojioraM-pa3Befl^HKaM, KOTopbie Hcnojib3yK>T HayKy
H JIOTHKy K OTKpHTHH pyflHBIX MeCTOpO^eHHH .
Dedie aux prospecteurs qui utilisent la science et la
logique pour decouvrir les gisements metalliques.
Dedicado a los exploradores que utilizan la ciencia y la
logica para el descubrimiento de yacimientos metalicos.
Den Prospektoren gewidmet, die Wissenschaft und Logik
niitzen, um Erzlagerstatten zu finden.
Dedicato a tutti i geologi che usano la scienza e la
logica per scoprire i giacimenti metallic!.
Esta obra e dedicada aos prospectores que usam a ciencia
e a logica para encontrar uma mina.
Venovano geologum-prospektorum kteri uzivaji vedu
a logiku k objevu rudnich lozisek.
Bagi para pemburu cebakan yang menggunakan ilmu dan
penalaran.
...and to my family,
co-workers in many ways.
XXVI
Plate 0.
The international tradition
of metal mining.
TOP LEFT: Indian porter at
Cerro de Pasco, Peru.
TOP RIGHT: Gold miners in
the Sado Island mines, Japan.
BOTTOM: Silver miners in
Annaberg, Saxony.
xxvii
PREFACE AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
"It is not as embarassing to know little
about a subject as it is to not realize
that such a subject exists at all".
(Quoted from a letter of a former student).
This book contains a large body of information on Phanerozoic
metallic ore deposits. A second, companion volume will cover metallic
ores of Precambrian age and unusual associations of all ages, and will
contain search tables covering both volumes. In these volumes all
materials containing ferrous, base, rare and precious metals of
economic value are considered metallic ores; they include
accumulations of Ag, Al, As, Au, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ga, Ge,
Hg, Mn, Mo, Nb, Ni, Pb, Pt metals, Re, REE, Sb, Se, Sn, Ta, Te, Th,
Ti, Tl, U, V, W, Zn and Zr. A nonconventional organization of ore
occurrences of the world, by environments in which they presently form
or lithologic associations in which they occur, is used, an
organization so far tried within a limited scope only or in a
framework too rigid to be acceptable here. Considerable effort has
been made to achieve a balanced coverage, both in the selection and
treatment of subjects, and on the regional basis. The work is based
on the literature, consulted in the original in over thirty languages,
and on field work, and it treats locality examples in some one hundred
and fifty countries and regions, many of them checked in the field.
As an academic, I have a deep admiration for the hardy prospectors
of the past as well as the dynamic and imaginative exploration
geologists of the present, and this book has been primarilly prepared
to serve their practical needs. Its organization parallels the
approach usually employed in regional mineral-potential evaluation and
exploration. The book answers the call for empirical data frequently
expressed by the geological community (for example, as reported by J.
Eidel at the 1980 Geological Society of America Meeting). My ideal
was to prepare an all-inclusive book and, although "everything" in
metalliferous geology is an unattainable dream, I believe this work
goes farther than the rest. Given the global coverage, the text
unfortunately can give only an overview and cannot consider details of
individual environments, associations, and deposits. The theory of
rock and ore petrology and related subjects had to be reduced to a
minimum, but this topic is extensively covered in textbooks. My dream
will come true if this book becomes a convenient "first aid" to
exploration practitioners in the bush and in the office, in which at
least some information might be found on almost every imaginable
mineralization style and its setting. In writing this book,
xxviii
I attempted to reverse, temporarily at least, the changing nature of
geologists "from natural scientists with a broad outlook and knowledge
of foreign languages to specialized technicians conversing in one
language and competent in a single field that seems to become smaller
with time" (A.V. Carozzi, 1975, p.6). As, however, Gill (1981) stated
in the introduction to his book, there are serious drawbacks: "The
single-authored approach is intimidating in scale and can result in
loss of thoroughness or authority on individual topics. The
alternatives lack scope or integration or both".
The present compendium is my mid-life project for which I have been
collecting literature and field data since my student days in the
1950fs. I was fortunate to have examined, however briefly, over 2,000
mineralized localities in 85 countries, thus acquiring a rather broad,
first-hand feeling about most mineralized associations and
environments, other than the submarine ones, which are outside of my
means. Much of the factual material, in the form of rock and ore
samples, has been assembled to become part of a "rock library"
(LITHOTHEQUE; Laznicka, 1974, 1975; Fig.l). This information
system, now consisting of over 1,600 sets and 30,000 specimens, was
actively used in all stages of preparation of the present book, often
acting as a final arbiter on interpretation of controversial
lithologic associations or mineralization styles.
In contrast to some of my more fortunate peers who are narrowly
researching in style supported by grants or expense accounts, my
family and 1 bore the brunt of the research expenditures. I operated
on a super-economic basis, biking, hitch-hiking, busing to localities;
sleeping in the bush, on airport floors or in rented cars; and
dining out on canned food. As a fringe benefit, I learned about the
world as it really is. The results came slowly and there were some
setbacks, like being apprehended by police as a suspected spy in one
southeastern European country and having all my notes, maps,
photographs and over 2,000 samples confiscated (I have never had these
returned).
The greatest assistance in easing up, temporarily, the financial
burden of the field travel, came from several mining companies (Amax
Inc., Falconbridge Ltd., B.P.Minerals Ltd., Selection Trust Ltd.,
Western Mining Corporation Pty. and W.M.C. Mineracao, Ltda., for whom
I did short-term seasonal work, consultations, or who purchased
duplicate sets of LITHOTHEQUE. The consulting work itself involved
study of large areas in Canada, Australia, the U.S.A., Mexico, Bolivia
and Brazil, and I invested the earnings into further fieldwork of my
own. I am indebted to former party chiefs, managers and co-workers:
Dave Silversides, Aldo Gambardella, Chris Bates, the late Paul
Andrews, Jim Martin, Antonio de Castro; Drs Tom Pedersen, Ray Lett,
Bill Hancock, Geoff Loftus-Hills, Douglas Haynes, Owen Bavinton, and
others for their support. Particular thanks are due to Don Mustard,
Jim Lalor, and Roy Woodall for encouragement and inspiration.
XXIX
In my institution, past general assistance came from Professors
H.D.B. Wilson and W.C. Brisbin during their tenure as Heads of the
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Manitoba, between 1967 and
1977. The warm collegial encouragement received afterwards from
Professor J.T. Teller in the difficult period of solitary book
writing, helped considerably to rise my spirits. Partial contribution
by the University of Manitoba towards the cost of research done during
my study leave in 1980/81 is gratefully acknowledged.
Several hundred mining company executives kindly gave permission
and support to visit their operations, and a similar number of mining
and exploration geologists, university personnel, and officers of
geological surveys and U.N. missions spent time with me and
contributed their knowledge and hospitality. To all these colleagues
and friends I have a debt of gratitude. Special thanks are due to Dr.
R. Crossley, Peter Freeman, the Gallon family, Dr. and Mrs. Magnus
Garson, Dr. G. Kautsky, Dr. J. Koufimsky, I. Kusnir, Dr. Jan Kutina,
Prof. Takeshi Nakamura, M. Motys, Prof. K. Padera, N. C. Pathirana,
Dr. 0. Pluskal, Prof. Z. Pouba, Dr. M. Prosova, H. Pudjowalujo, Prof.
R. Reddi, the Sibiya family, Prof. R. L. Stanton, Peter Stuart-Smith,
Dr. Teh Guan Hoe, Dr. and Mrs. Phil Seccombe, Dr. V. Sipek, Dr. J.
Svenek, Dr. K. Tucek, J. Vandenberghe, Dr. B. N. Wahju, and many
additional persons too numerous to name. Professors Chen Guoda, A.M.
Al-Shanti, C. Povoledo; Dr. O.A. Bavinton; Mr. H. Pudjowalujo; and
Mmes. G. Lacroix and L. Baydack, kindly supplied or checked
translations of my dedication.
To produce a camera-ready copy, a requirement of our times, I
purchased word processing equipment and did all the typing, layout,
and drafting. I hope the reader finds these acceptable. The
photographs included are mine unless stated otherwise. My geological
wife Sarka deserves thanks for taking over my share of dishwashing and
other household chores, for looking after Dennis and Paul almost
singlehandedly, and for helping in the field and during the
compilation stage. My late father Dr. Jifi Laznicka helped
considerably to procure the hard-to-get Russian literature.
Dr. K.H. Wolf of Sydney, Australia, the "helpful editor" from the
time of my involvement with the "Handbook of Strata-Bound and
Stratiform Ore Deposits", and a respected friend, volunteered
graciously to undertake the formidable task of reading the entire
work. To him belong my sincere thanks. Elsevier Publishers, and in
particular Drs. H. Frank, Director, are thanked for their remarkable
tolerance regarding the increase in the size of this book, unforseen
in the original contract agreement. Intended initially as a "DC
9"-size modern substitute of the Lindgren (1933) book, a "DC 3" of
economic geologic literature in terms of versatility, the book turned
into a "Boeing 747". Whereas, however, in the Lindgrenfs days the
geological literature of the world amounted to some 50,000 items, the
count is now some 1.5 to 2 million. This provides some justification
of the book size.
im
tITHOTHEQUE £«3£]
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t f *
Jlks
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xxxi
Fig. 1. LITHOTHEQUE ("rock library"), a portable documentation system
covering metallic deposits of the world and their lithologic
associations. At the end of 1984, the system consisted of 1,600 sets
(at 20 samples/set, about 32,000 specimens) and it was extensively
applied to supplement the literature data used in compilation of this
book, to strenghten its realism.
A,B: An average locality set, with samples cemented on an aluminium
plate 18x28 cm.
C: Ore-hosting lithologic associations and selected deposits in part
of the Pine Creek "Geosyncline", Australia.
D: Space-economical, "user-friendly", and instantly accessible
LITHOTHEQUE storage.
E: LITHOTHEQUE is a serious bussiness, but there are exceptions such
as this LITHOTIE (TM), representing lithostratigraphy of the Canadian
Shield. A retirement gift to H.D.(Bruce) Wilson.