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A QUANTIFIED METHOD FOR SEPARATING THE ALTERATION ZONES IN PORPHYRY COPPER SYSTEMS (BASED ON THE FLUID INCLUSION DATA)

O. Asghari, A. Hezarkhani

First published: 2007DOI pendingView metrics

Abstract

The Sungun porphyry copper deposit (PCD) is located in East Azarbaijan, in the NW of Iran. The Sungun porphyries occur as stocks and dikes ranging in composition from quartz monzodiorite through quartz monzonite. Four types of hypogene alteration are developed at Sungun, potassic, phyllic, propylitic and argillic. Based upon their phase content, four types of fluid inclusions are common at Sungun (1) vapor, mono-phase (2) vapor-rich, two-phase, (3) liquid-rich twophase, and (4) multi-phase. Halite is the principal solid phase in the latest one. We used multiphase inclusions to calculate the point pressure and hydrothermal fluid density. Discriminant analysis is a multivariate statistical method which could be applied to separate the alteration zones "e.g., based on the fluid inclusions data". Six variables have been measured and calculated for each separated sample, including the homogenization temperature, salinity, pressure, depth, density and the Cu grade. To find the linear combination of these variables which produces the maximum difference between the defined alterations, we defined a function that produced a significant difference, a critical score (R0=1.83) and mahalanobi’s distance (RPotassic-Rphyllic=4.02) that is introduced as transition zone. By using this function we can allocate the new fluid inclusions "with unknown origin" to one of the two original alteration of potassic or phyllic. In other words, new samples, not containing index minerals, could then be categorized as potassic, phyllic or potassic-phyllic on the basis of the linear discriminant function of their variables.

Publication details

Title
A QUANTIFIED METHOD FOR SEPARATING THE ALTERATION ZONES IN PORPHYRY COPPER SYSTEMS (BASED ON THE FLUID INCLUSION DATA)
Authors
O. Asghari, A. Hezarkhani
Proceedings
7th International Scientific Conference - SGEM2007
Publisher
SGEM Scientific GeoConference
Year
2007
Pages
Not available yet
ISSN
1314-2704
ISBN
954-918181-2
Language
en
Publication type
Conference Paper
Keywords
AlterationDiscriminant analysisFluid InclusionPorphyry copper deposit
References11

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  2. Brown, P. E., 1989, FLINCOR: a microcomputer program for the reduction and investigation of fluid inclusion data. Am. Mineral. 74, 1390–1393.

  3. Calagari, A.A., Pattrick, R.A.D., Polya, D.A., 2001. Veinlets and micro veinlets studies in Sungun porphyry copper deposit, East Azarbaidjan, Iran. Quarterly Journal of Geosciences 10 (39/40), 70–79.Geological Survey of Iran.

  4. Emami, M.H., Babakhani, A.R., 1991. Studies of geology, petrology, and litho- geochemistry of Sungun Cu–Mo deposit, Iranian Ministry of Mines and Metals, p.

  5. Etminan, H., 1977. The discovery of porphyry copper–molybdenum mineralization adjacent to Sungun village in the northwest of Ahar and a proposed program for its detailed exploration. Confidential Report, Geological Report, Geological Survey of Iran, p. 26

  6. Hezarkhani, A., (2006), Petrology of Intrusive rocks within the Sungun Porphyry Copper Deposit, Azarbaijan, Iran. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences. V. 73, P. 326-

  7. Hezarkhani, A., Williams-Jones, A.E., 1998. Controls of alteration and mineralization in the Sungun porphyry copper deposit, Iran: Evidence from fluid inclusions and stable isotopes. Economic Geology 93, 651–670.

  8. John C. Davis, 2002, Statistics and data analysis in geology, third edition, john wiley & sons publication, p. 638.

  9. McLachlan, G. J. (1992), ‘Discriminant Analysis and statistical Pattern Recognition’, John Wiley, New York.

  10. Mehrpartou, M., 1993. Contributions to the geology, geochemistry, Ore genesis and fluid inclusion investigations on Sungun Cu-Mo porphyry deposit, northwest of Iran. Unpublished PhD Thesis. University of Hamburg, Germany, p. 245

  11. Nash, J.T., 1976. Fluid inclusion petrology, data from porphyry copper deposits and applications to exploration. United States Geological Survey, Professional Paper,

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