| Title | Mineralogy and chemistry of tourmaline in the Woodjam porphyry deposits, British Columbia |
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| Author | Chapman, J B |
| Source | Geological Association of Canada-Mineralogical Association of Canada, Joint Annual Meeting, Abstracts Volume vol. 37, 2014 p. 54-55  Open Access |
| Links | Online - En ligne (PDF 8.75 MB)
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| Year | 2014 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20130600 |
| Publisher | Geological Association of Canada |
| Publisher | Mineralogical Association of Canada |
| Meeting | GAC-MAC Joint annual meeting; Fredericton, NB; CA; May 2014 |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | on-line; digital |
| Related | This publication is related to Mineralogy and chemistry of
tourmaline in the Woodjam porphyry deposits, British Columbia |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | British Columbia |
| NTS | 93A; 93B |
| Lat/Long WENS | -124.0000 -120.0000 53.0000 52.0000 |
| Subjects | igneous and metamorphic petrology; geochemistry; intrusive rocks; igneous rocks; tourmaline; porphyry deposits; mineralization; alteration; Woodjam deposit |
| Program | Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI-4) Intrusion/Porphyry Ore Systems |
| Released | 2014 01 01 |
| Abstract | Tourmaline is a common accessory and gangue mineral in a diverse range of hydrothermal oreforming systems covering a broad spectrum of pressure, temperature and chemical conditions, reflecting
tourmaline's wide stability range. Previous studies, dating back into the 1960s, have shown that tourmaline can very closely track changes in physicochemical conditions within the fluid from which it is precipitated. Tourmaline's refractory and
resistant physical properties mean that the mineral is able to preserve this information through numerous subsequent phases of metamorphism, alteration and weathering; in many cases tourmaline may be the only robust remaining record of original
hydrothermal processes. Although tourmaline's utility in mineral exploration has been demonstrated, very few studies have attempted to measure concentrations of the ore metals themselves. In general, these limitations have been imposed by the common
use of EPMA alone to interrogate mineral chemistry at high spatial resolution.
In many porphyry-related deposits of the South American Cordillera, tourmaline occurrences are abundant and extensive, and have attracted much interest for use during
mineral deposit exploration. However, owing to various factors including differences in their tectonic settings and magma chemistries, porphyry-related deposits of the Canadian Cordillera rarely report significant tourmaline among their mineral
inventory. Consequently, studies of tourmaline associated with Canadian deposits are limited, and almost no data exist on tourmaline occurrences associated with alkalic or hybrid alkalic-calc-alkalic systems. In this study we report mineralogical and
LA-ICP-MS trace element analyses of tourmaline minerals from within the hybrid alkalic and calc-alkalic Woodjam porphyry Cu-Au deposits of central British Columbia. These minerals display significant variation in both their major and trace element
compositions, reflecting both temporal and spatial evolution of the magmatichydrothermal fluids from which the deposit formed. Tourmaline associated with hightemperature potassic alteration has greater schorl (i.e. Fe-rich) component and trace
element abundances characteristic of the core of a porphyry hydrothermal system, while tourmaline recovered in association with distal, lower-temperature, albite-rich alteration has an increased dravitic (i.e. Mg-rich) component and a distinct trace
element suite. Tourmaline recovered in intimate association with chalcopyrite mineralization has a pronounced blue colour and increased copper content. Hence, within the Woodjam and other similar deposits it may be possible to use tourmaline
mineralogy and chemistry as a vector to mineralization. In addition, careful analysis of tourmaline recovered from surficial samples (till, soil, etc.) may provide detailed information on the type and abundance of any concealed mineralized body.
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| GEOSCAN ID | 295888 |
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