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D. R. Mason
Compositional variations in ferromagnesian minerals from porphyry copper-generating and barren intrusions of the Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea (in Porphyry copper deposits of the southwestern Pacific islands and Australia)
Economic Geology and the Bulletin of the Society of Economic Geologists (August 1978), 73(5):878-890
Abstract:
Electron probe major element analyses are presented for amphiboles and biotites from porphyry copper-generating and barren intrusions in the Western Highlands, Papua New Guinea.Amphibole crystals from mineralized intrusions are characteristically zoned from magnesio-hornblende cores, through actinolitic hornblende, to actinolite rims (Mg enrichment toward rims). The frequent lack of intermediate compositions might record a sudden change in crystallization conditions. Coexisting biotites display less well-marked but qualitatively similar compositional variations (increasing Mg/Mg + Sigma Fe and decreasing Ti toward rims).In contrast, amphiboles and biotites from barren intrusions display variations ranging from common Fe enrichment toward rims (a trend previously considered typical of calcalkaline rock suites) to rare Mg enrichment toward rims (a trend observed only in very felsic differentiates of barren suites).The range of ferromagnesian mineral compositional trends observed in mineralized and barren intrusions is attributed to a range of likely f (sub O 2 ) conditions: in barren intrusions, f (sub O 2 ) was initially low and possibly increased in final stages of crystallization, whereas, in intrusions yielding mineralization, f (sub O 2 ) was initially high and became increasingly higher during crystallization.
Index Terms/Descriptors:
amphibole group; Australasia; biotite; chain silicates; chemical composition; composition; copper ores; data; economic geology; electron probe data; experimental studies; exploration; geochemical methods; geochemistry; igneous rocks; intrusions; major elements; metal ores; mica group; mineral exploration; mineralization; ore deposits; ore guides; Pacific Ocean; Pacific region; Papua New Guinea; plutonic rocks; porphyry copper; possibilities; sheet silicates; silicates; South Pacific; Southwest Pacific; West Pacific; Western Highlands; zoning
Latitude & Longitude:
S6°00'00" -
S4°00'00" and
E141°00'00" -
E144°00'00" (Search for maps and images at Alexandria Digital Library)
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Copyright © 1978 by the GeoScienceWorld.