• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.54 no.1
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• pp.49-60
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• 2021

The Geumhwa Au-Ag deposit is located within the Cretaceous Gyeongsang basin. Mineral paragenesis can be divided into two stages (stage I and II) by major tectonic fracturing. Stage II is economically barren. Stage I, at which the precipitation of major ore minerals occurred, is further divided into three substages(early, middle and late) with paragenetic time based on minor fractures and discernible mineral assemblages: early substage, marked by deposition of pyrite with minor wolframite; middle substage, characterized by introduction of electrum and base-metal sulfides with Cu-As and/or Cu-Sb sulfosalts; late substage, marked by hematite and Bi-sulfosalts with secondary minerals. Changes in vein mineralogy reflect decreases in temperature and sulfur fugacity with a concomitant increase in oxygen fugacity. Fluid inclusion data indicate progressive decreases in temperature and salinity within each substage with increasing paragenetic time. During the early portion of stage I, high-temperature (≥410℃), high-salinity fluids (up to ≈44 equiv. wt. % NaCl) formed by condensation during decompression of a magmatic vapor phase. During waning of early substage, high-temperature, high-salinity fluids gave way to progressively cooler, more dilute fluids associated with main Au-Ag mineralization (middle) and finally to ≈180℃ and ≥0.7 equiv. wt. % NaCl fluids associated with hematite and sulfosalts (± secondary) mineralization (late substage). These trends are interpreted to indicate progressive mixing of high- and medium to low-salinity hydrothermal fluids with cooler, more dilute, oxidizing meteoric waters. The Geumhwa Au-Ag deposit may represent a vein-type system transitional between porphyry-type and epithermal-type.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.179-198
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• 2013

The Boziguoer A-type granitoids in Baicheng County, Xinjiang, belong to the northern margin of the Tarim platform as well as the neighboring EW-oriented alkaline intrusive rocks. The rocks comprise an aegirine or arfvedsonite quartz alkali feldspar syenite, an aegirine or arfvedsonite alkali feldspar granite, and a biotite alkali feldspar syenite. The major rock-forming minerals are albite, K-feldspar, quartz, arfvedsonite, aegirine, and siderophyllite. The accessory minerals are mainly zircon, pyrochlore, thorite, fluorite, monazite, bastnaesite, xenotime, and astrophyllite. The chemical composition of the alkaline granitoids show that $SiO_2$ varies from 64.55% to 72.29% with a mean value of 67.32%, $Na_2O+K_2O$ is high (9.85~11.87%) with a mean of 11.14%, $K_2O$ is 2.39%~5.47% (mean = 4.73%), the $K_2O/Na_2O$ ratios are 0.31~0.96, $Al_2O_3$ ranges from 12.58% to 15.44%, and total $FeO^T$ is between 2.35% and 5.65%. CaO, MgO, MnO, and $TiO_2$ are low. The REE content is high and the total ${\sum}REE$ is $(263{\sim}1219){\times}10^{-6}$ (mean = $776{\times}10^{-6}$), showing LREE enrichment HREE depletion with strong negative Eu anomalies. In addition, the chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the alkaline granitoids belong to the "seagull" pattern of the right-type. The Zr content is $(113{\sim}1246){\times}10^{-6}$ (mean = $594{\times}10^{-6}$), Zr+Nb+Ce+Y is between $(478{\sim}2203){\times}10^{-6}$ with a mean of $1362{\times}10^{-6}$. Furthermore, the alkaline granitoids have high HFSE (Ga, Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf) content and low LILE (Ba, K, and Sr) content. The Nb/Ta ratio varies from 7.23 to 32.59 (mean = 16.59) and the Zr/Hf ratio is 16.69~58.04 (mean = 36.80). The zircons are depleted in LREE and enriched in HREE. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns of the zircons are of the "seagull" pattern of the left-inclined type with strong negative Eu anomaly and without a Ce anomaly. The Boziguoer A-type granitoids share similar features with A1-type granites. The average temperature of the granitic magma was estimated at $832{\sim}839^{\circ}C$. The Boziguoer A-type granitoids show crust-mantle mixing and may have formed in an anorogenic intraplate tectonic setting under high-temperature, anhydrous, and low oxygen fugacity conditions.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.211-220
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• 2002

The Xiaoxinancha Cu-Au deposit in the Jilin province, located in NNE 800 km of Beijing, is hosted by diorite. The ore mineralization of Xiaoxinancha Cu-Au deposit show a stockwork occurrence that is concentrated on the potassic and phyllic alteration zones. The Xiaoxinancha Cu-Au deposit in the south is being mined with its reserves grading 0.8% Cu, 3.64 g/t Au and 16.8 g/t Ag and in the north, grading 0.63% Cu, 3.80 g/t Au and 6.8 glt Ag. The alteration assemblage occurs as a supergene blanket over deposit. Hydrothermal alteration at the Xiaoxinancha Cu-Au deposit is centered about the stock and was extensively related to the emplacement of the stock. Early hydrothermal alteration was dominantly potassic and followed by propylitic alteration. Chalcocite, often associated with hematite, account for the ore-grade copper, while chalcopyrite, bornite, quartz, epidote, chlorite and calcite constitute the typical gangue assemblage. Other minor opaque phases include pyrite, marcasite, native gold, electrum, hessite, hedleyite, volynskite, galenobismutite, covellite and goethite. Fluid inclusion data indicate that the formation of this porphyry copper deposit is thought to be a result of cooling followed by mixing with dilute and cooler meteoric water with time. In stage II vein, early boiling occurred at 497$^{\circ}$C was succeeded by the occurrence of halite-bearing type III fluid inclusion with homogenization temperature as much as 100$^{\circ}$C lower. The salinities of type 1II fluid inclusion in stage II vein are 54.3 to 66.9 wt.% NaCI + KCI equiv. at 383$^{\circ}$ to 495$^{\circ}$C, indicating the formation depth less than 1 km. Type I cupriferous fluids in stage III vein have the homogenization temperatures and salinity of 168$^{\circ}$ to 365$^{\circ}$C and 1.1 to 9.0 wt.% NaCI equiv. These fluid inclusions in stage III veins were trapped in quartz veins containing highly fractured breccia, indicating the predominance of boiling evidence. This corresponds to hydrostatic pressure of 50 to 80 bars. The $\delta$$^{34}S$ value of sulfide minerals increase slightly with paragenetic time and yield calculated $\delta$$^{34}S_{H2S}$ values of 0.8 to 3.7$\textperthousand$. There is no mineralogical evidence that fugacity of oxygen decreased, and it is thought that the oxygen fugacity of the mineralizing fluids have been buffered through reaction with magnetite. We interpreted the range of the calculated $\delta$$^{34}S_{H2S}$ values for sulfides to represent the incorporation of sulfur from two sources into the Xiaoxinancha Cu-Au hydrothermal fluids: (1) an isotopically light source with a $\delta$$^{34}S$ value of I to 2$\textperthousand$, probably a Mesozoic granitoid related to the ore mineralization. We can infer from the fact that diorite as the host rock in the Xiaoxinancha Cu-Au deposit area intruded plagiogranite; (2) an isotopically heavier source with a $\delta$$^{34}S$ value of > 4.0$\textperthousand$, probably the local porphyry.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.623-633
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• 1995

The Beonam deposits which is located in south-western part of Sobaeksan massif are emplaced along $N20{\sim}30^{\circ}E$ trending fissures in Precambrian Sobaeksan gneiss complex. Surrounding granites are inferred to be differentiated and formed from calc-alkaline magma which was generated from remelting or partial melting of the crustral material having igneous composition. The Sr isotope data of ore minerals showing significantly low initial Sr value relative to those of surrounding granite batholiths suggest that the ore-bearing fluid formed the Beonam Au-Ag mine are isotopically distinct from those of the wall rocks, and it indicates that there is no evidence of genetic relationship between ore-bearing fluids and surrounding granites, although further study should be needed. The results of paragenetic studies suggest three stages of hydrothermal mineralization; stage I: base-metal sulfides stage, stage II: late base-metal sulfides, electrum and silver-bearing sulfosalts stage, stage III: minor silverbearing minerals, barren quartz and carbonates stage. The temperature, salinity and pressure of the Beonam deposits estimated from mineral assemblage, chemical composition, fluid inclusion and sulfur isotope geothermometry are as follows; stage I: $200{\sim}315^{\circ}C$, 3.5~6.5 NaCl eq. wt%, 0.28~0.61 Kbar, stage II: $150{\sim}235^{\circ}C$, 4.5~7.4 NaCl eq. wt%, 0.11~0.15 Kbar. The estimated oxygen and sulfur fugacity during first stage mineralization, based on phase relation of associated minerals, range from $10^{35.1}{\sim}10^{-39.7}$ atm. and $10^{-11.0}{\sim}10^{-13.4}$ atm., respectively. All these evidences suggest that the Beonam deposits are polymetallic meso-epithermal ore deposits.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.205-220
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• 2002

The gold-silver deposits in the Casado district were formed in the sheeted and stockwork quartz veins which fill the fault fractures in volcanic rocks. K-Ar dating of alteration sericite (about 70 Ma) indicates a Late Cretaceous age for ore mineralization. These veins are composed of quartz, adularia, carbonate, and minor of pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, Ag-sulfosalts (argentite, pearceite, Ag-As-Sb-S system), and electrum. These veins are characterized by chalcedonic, comb, crustiform and feathery textures. Based on the hydrothermally altered mineral assemblages, regional alteration zoning associated with mineralization in the Gasado district is defined as four zones; advanced argillic (kaolin mineral-alunite-quartz), argillic (kaolin mineral-quartz), phyllic (quartz-sericite-pyrite) and propylitic (chlorite-carbonate-quartz-feldspar-pyroxene) zone. Phyllic and propylitic zones is distributed over the study area. However, advanced argillic zone is restricted to the shallow surface of the Lighthouse vein. Compositions of electrum ranges from 14.6 to 53.7 atomic % Au, and the depositional condition for mineralization are estimated in terms of both temperature and sulfur fugacity: T=245。$~285^{\circ}C$, logf $s_2$=$10^{-10}$ ~ $10^{-12}$ Fluid inclusion and stable isotope data show that the auriferous fluids were mixed with cool and dilute (158。~253$^{\circ}C$ and 0.9~3.4 equiv. wt. % NaCl) meteoric water ($\delta^{18}$ $O_{water}$=-10.1~8.0$\textperthousand$, $\delta$D=-68~64$\textperthousand$). These results harmonize with the hot-spring type of the low-sulfidation epithermal deposit model, and strongly suggest that Au-Ag mineralization in the Gasado district was formed in low-sulfidation alteration type environment at near paleo-surface.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.87-101
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• 2018

The Manjang deposit developed in the Hwajeonri formation of the Okcheon metamorphic belt consists of the Central and Main orebodies of Cu-bearing hydrothermal vein type and the Western orebody of Fe-skarn type. This study focuses on the Cu mineralization of the Central and Main orebodies to compare with the genetic environments of the Western orebody previously studied. The Central orebody produced pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite as major ore minerals with vein texture, while the Main orebody contains pyrite, arsenopyrite, and chalcopyrite as major ore minerals with vein, massive, and brecciated texture. Sphalerite, galena, magnetite, ilmenite, rutile, cassiterite, wolframite, and stannite are also accompanied. Local occurrence of skarn is dominated by grossular and hedenbergite, reflecting the reduced condition of the skarnization. Geothermometries of sphalerite-stannite in the Central orebody and arsenopyrite-pyrite in the Main orebody indicate the formation temperature of $204-263^{\circ}C$ and $383-415^{\circ}C$, respectively. Sulfur fugacity of $10^{-6}-10^{-7}atm$. in the Main orebody decreased toward the Central orebody. Sulfur isotope compositions of sulfide minerals from the Central and Main orebodies are 4.6-7.9‰ and 4.3-7.0‰, respectively, reflecting magmatic origin with slight influence by host rock. Considering ore mineralogy, texture as well as physicochemical conditions, the Main and Central orebodies of hydrothermal Cu mineralization reflect the characteristics of proximal and distal type ore mineralization, respectively, related to hidden igneous rocks, and they were generated under different hydrothermal systems from the Fe-skarn Western orebody.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.129-139
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• 1999

Hydrothermal gold deposits of the Trabong district in Vietnam occur as single-stage quartz $\pm$ calcite veins (0.3-1.2 m thick) which fill fault fractures in graphite-bearing gneiss and schist of the Chulai Complex and Kham Duc Formation of the Proterozoic age. Ore grades are 1.3 to 92.4 g/ton Au. Ore mineralogy is very simple, consisting mainly of pyrite with minor amounts of base-metal sulfides and electrum. Gold grains occur in two assemblages as follows: (1) early, Fe-rich (7.2-10.4 mole % FeS) sphalerite + electrum (50.4-64.3 atom % Au) assemblage occurring as inclusions in pyrite; (2) late, Fe-poor «4.7 mole % FeS) sphalerite + galena + electrum (47.6-81.7 atom % Au) assemblage occurring along fractures of pyrites. Based on fluid inclusion data and thermochemical considerations of ore mineral assemblages, ore minerals were formed at high temperatures (about $230^{\circ}C$ to $420^{\circ}C$) from $H_{2}O-CO_{2}(-CH_{4})$-NaCI fluids with the sulfur fugacity of about $10^{-6}$ to $10^{-10}$ atm. Fluid inclusion data also indicate that ore mineralization occurred mainly as a result of fluid unmixing accompanying $CO_2$ effervescence. Calculated oxygen and measured hydrogen isotope compositions of mineralizing waters (${\delta}^{18}O_{V-SMOW}$ values = 5.3 to 8.6$\textperthousand$, ${\delta}D_{V-SMOW}$ values = - 60 to - 52$\textperthousand$), along with the sulfur isotope compositions of vein sulfides (${\delta}^{34}S_{CDR}$ values = - 1.2 to 2.8$\textperthousand$) and carbon isotope compositions of inclusion $CO_2$ (${\delta}^{13}C_{PDB}$ values = - 4.7 to - 2.0$\textperthousand$) indicate that the high temperature (mesohypothermal) gold mineralization formed from a magmatic fluid.

• Economic and Environmental Geology
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-14
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• 2008

The Bongsang gold-silver deposit consists of quartz veins that fill along the fault Bone within Cretaceous andesitic lapilli tuff. Mineralization is occurred within fault-breccia zones and can be divided into two stages. Stage I which can be subdivided into early and late depositional stages is main ore mineralization and stage II is barren. Stage I began with deposition of wall-rock alteration minerals and base-metal sulfides, and was deposited by later native silver, Ag-bearing tetrahedrite, polybasite and base-metal sulfides such like pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite and galena. Fluid inclusion data indicate that homogenization temperatures and salinities of stage I range from 137 to $336^{\circ}C$ and from 0.0 to 10.6 wt.% NaCl, respectively. It suggests that ore forming fluids were cooled and diluted with the mixing of meteoric water. Also, temperature and sulfur fugacity deduced mineral assemblages of late stage I are $<210^{\circ}C\;and\;<10^{-15.4}$ atm, respectively. Sulfur(3.4%o) isotope composition indicates that ore sulfur was mainly derived from a magmatic source as well as the host rocks. The calculated oxygen{2.9%o, 10.3%o(quartz: 7.9%o, 8.9%o, calcite: 2.9%o, 10.3%o)}, hydrogen(-75%o) and carbon(-7.0%o, -5.9%o) isotope compositions indicate that hydrothermal fluids may be meteoric origin with some degree of mixing of another meteoric water for paragenetic time.

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.20 no.1 s.51
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• pp.35-46
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• 2007

Shinyemi skarn deposits occur as Fe-Mo skarn type and Pb-Zn-Cu hydrothermal replacement type along the contact between Cretaceous Shinyemi granitoids and Cambro-Ordovician mixed limestone and dolostone sequence of the Choseon Supergroup. In the lower part of Western Shinyemi ore body two stages of skarn formation have been observed: the early, stage I (magnesian) skarn with Fe mineralization and the late, stage II(calcic) skarn with Mo mineralization. The stage I skarn spatially is overprinted by stage II skarn. The stage I skarn is predominantly composed of olivine, magnetite and diopside whereas, the stage II skarn is dominated by hedenbergite and garnet. The skarnification process occurred in two stages, both prograde and retrograde for stage I and stage II skarns. In stage I, the prograde skarns, mainly composed of anhydrous silicate minerals, were formed at relatively higher temperatures (about $400\;to\;550^{\circ}C$) under low $CO_{2}$ fugacity ($X_{CO2}<0.1$) conditions. On the other hand, the retrograde skarns that consisted of hydrous minerals were formed at lower temperatures (about $300\;to\;400^{\circ}C$).

• Journal of the Mineralogical Society of Korea
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.299-312
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• 2013

Magnetite, a major constituent mineral of the Hongcheon carbonatite-phoscorite complex, was produced over three stages in each rock type and decreased in quantity toward the late stage. Electron microprobe analyses for magnetite revealed that Ti and V were detected in traces, but showed increasing tendency from early to late stage. On the contrary, Mg and Mn decreased distinctly, and it is the general differentiation trend of carbonatitic magma. Al also showed decreasing tendency in carbonatite and phoscorite, and Cr was mostly below detection limit except late phoscorite. In early stage, $Fe^{2+}$ was largely replaced by $Mg{2+}$ and $Mn^{2+}$, and $Fe^{3+}$ by $Al^{3+}$ in magnetite, but it has nearly pure composition in late stage. Tendency of increase in V and decrease in Mn toward late stage represents that magma differentiation progressed under the condition of decreasing oxygen fugacity. Low concentrations of Mg, Al, Cr and Ti, as well as the absence of olivine and phlogopite, suggest that the Hongcheon carbonatite-phoscorite complex was generated from depleted magma. Especially, lower concentrations of Mg in magnetite compared to other typical carbonatite-phoscorite complex, and abundant occurrence of Fe-carbonate minerals and quartz in late stage, suggest that magma differentiation of the Hongcheon carbonatite-phoscorite proceeded to the latest stage.