Mineral Chemistry: Tool for Vectoring towards Mineral Deposits

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2025 | Viewed by 834

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Interests: mineral chemistry; LA-ICP-MS; geochronology

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES), University of Tasmania, Private Bag 79, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Interests: ore deposits; mineral chemistry; lithocap; porphyry Cu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
1. Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences (CODES), University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
2. Geoscience Australia, Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave. and Hindmarsh Drive, Symonston, ACT 2609, Australia
Interests: ore deposits; mineral chemistry; VHMS
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Mineral chemistry is transforming the way in which mining companies explore for mineral deposits via the utilization of vectoring and fertility studies. In the past, these methods have mostly been employed during exploration for porphyry Cu deposits due to the distinctive composition of the magmas involved and extensive alteration zones relative to other deposit types. For example, detrital zircon studies can assist with the identification of regions with oxidized intrusives of a particular age, while epidote and chlorite mineral chemistry from the propylitic alteration zone, often referred to as “green rocks”, can be used to evaluate the fertility of the system and calculate distances to the heat source.

Recent studies have also shown that mineral chemistry can be employed as an effective tool when exploring for other deposit types, such as IOCG, skarn and VHMS. In addition, it has been demonstrated that indirect proxies such as hyperspectral signatures could also be utilized to infer mineral chemistry. The integration of machine learning techniques has aided the classification and domaining of various datasets, including LA-ICP-MS imaging results.

However, a deeper understanding of the mechanisms that can affect the mineral chemistry remains a necessity. Previous studies have demonstrated that mineral chemistry is influenced by other mineral phases co-crystallising from the same magma or hydrothermal fluid. For example, zircon chemistry can be significantly affected by co-precipitating apatite and titanite, while epidote and chlorite chemistries are influenced by the presence of inclusions (rutile, titanite, etc.) and co-existing sulphides.

This Special Issue welcomes contributions focused on mineral chemistry from magmatic and hydrothermal minerals and its application in aiding the exploration for various deposit types. Studies on improvements of previously published proxies and novel approaches are also welcome.

Dr. Ivan Belousov
Dr. Lejun Zhang
Dr. Jonathan Cloutier
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • mineral chemistry
  • vectoring
  • fertility
  • porphyry Cu
  • IOCG
  • orogenic Au
  • VHMS
  • LA ICP MS

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 4251 KiB  
Article
Testing Pyrrhotite Trace Element Chemistry as a Vector Towards the Mineralization in the Sullivan Deposit, B.C.
by Naci Sertug Senol, Daniel David Gregory, Indrani Mukherjee, Nelson Román, Roisin Kyne and Kaleb S. Boucher
Minerals 2025, 15(5), 534; https://doi.org/10.3390/min15050534 - 17 May 2025
Viewed by 189
Abstract
Mineral exploration methods are expensive and time-consuming, especially in recent times, where many near-surface deposits have been found and exploited. To overcome these challenges, new strategies must be developed. Here, we test whether the trace element chemistry of pyrrhotite changes systematically with distance [...] Read more.
Mineral exploration methods are expensive and time-consuming, especially in recent times, where many near-surface deposits have been found and exploited. To overcome these challenges, new strategies must be developed. Here, we test whether the trace element chemistry of pyrrhotite changes systematically with distance from mineralization at the Sullivan deposit, British Columbia. If so, this could provide an additional tool to search for new ore bodies. Forty samples of the hanging wall, footwall, and mineralization hosting stratigraphy (host horizon) were collected from seven drill holes, both proximal and distal to the Sullivan deposit. These samples were analyzed using reflected light microscopy, an electron microprobe, and LA-ICPMS (laser ablation, inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry). A total of three hundred and ninety LA-ICPMS analyses were used to build machine learning classifiers (cluster analysis and random forests) to determine whether an unknown pyrrhotite sample was from the mineralized horizon and, if so, whether it was proximal or distal to the mineralization. Our study found that the trace element abundance in pyrrhotite was higher in the footwall and hanging wall compared to the host horizon, and within the host horizon, was higher distal to the mineralization. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mineral Chemistry: Tool for Vectoring towards Mineral Deposits)
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