Applied mineral exploration methods, hydrothermal fluids, baro-acoustic decrepitation, CO2 rich fluids
Newest Topics:

New model 216 decreptiometer

Exploration of the Mt. Boppy Au deposit, NSW

Forensic tests on soil samples

Viewpoints:

Do IOCG deposits form from CO2 fluids?

How CO2 inclusions form from aqueous fluids (UPDATED)

Understanding heterogeneous fluids : why gold is not transported in CO2-only fluids

Gold-quartz deposits form from aqueous - CO2 fluids: NOT from CO2-only fluids


Discussions why H2 analysis by mass spectrometry is wrong



News:

Gold at Okote, Ethiopia

Kalgoorlie Au data

Sangan skarn Fe deposits, Iran

Studies of 6 Pegmatite deposits

A study of the Gejiu tin mine, China


Exploration using palaeo-hydrothermal fluids

Using opaque minerals to understand ore fluids


Understanding baro-acoustic decrepitation.

An introduction to fluid inclusions and mineral exploration applications.



 Interesting Conferences:

-----2023-----

ECROFI Iceland
     July 2-6

AOGS Singapore
    30 Jul - 4 Aug 2023


SGA Zurich Aug 2023


Comprehensive Geology Conference Calendar


Fluid inclusions in mineral exploration

The baro-acoustic decrepitation method

Kingsley Burlinson

A presentation at the AAG meeting in Santiago, Chile, 2001

Santiago title


An instrument to record acoustic decrepitation of fluid inclusions has been developed, incorporating a standard desktop computer with additional control electronics. The instrument provides about 15 analyses per day on crushed samples so that fluid inclusion data can be obtained for use in exploration programmes at modest cost. The presence of CO2-rich inclusions can be easily discerned and suites of samples can be compared empirically to discriminate between mineralised and barren samples. Although quartz is the most common mineral used, opaque minerals such as feldspars, iron oxides and sulphides can also be analysed using this technique.

instrument

Acoustic decrepitation of quartz samples containing CO2-rich fluid inclusions gives a distinctive peak at low temperatures from 150o to 300oC, whereas samples lacking CO2-rich inclusions show little or no acoustic decrepitation at these temperatures.  The reason for this is explained here.

decrep features

This provides an approximate but quick means of determining the CO2 contents of fluid inclusions, which is particularly relevant in Au exploration. The relationship between CO2-rich fluids and gold mineralization has been well documented in many deposits including the Abitibi in Canada, the Kalgoorlie region in West Australia and the Victorian goldfields, Australia.


advantages of decrep


Exploration uses


victory wa

At the Victory mine near Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, several different generations of quartz veins are defined on the basis of orientation and some workers interpret the Au mineralization to be related specifically to the horizontal quartz vein sets. Acoustic decrepitation shows that both horizontal and vertical quartz veins within the ore zones contain CO2-rich fluids, whereas veins remote from the known ore zones rarely contain CO2-rich fluids, regardless of their orientations. Determination of CO2 contents by acoustic decrepitation would be a better guide to mineralization than reliance on the physical orientation of the quartz veins in this deposit.

victory mine, wa

Almost all quartz vein samples contain abundant fluid inclusions and give intense decrepitation responses. Even in zones of pervasive silicification where the inclusions are typically very small, good decrepitation responses are usually obtained. In contrast, chert and jasperoid (low temperature silicification of carbonate rocks) give negligible decrepitation and this distinction can be useful in discriminating between the hydrothermal or supergene origin of quartz samples.


timmins decrep




cosmo chert


Decrepitation results from the Cosmo Howley mine, NT, Australia show intense decrepitation and the presence of abundant CO2 rich fluid inclusions. This fluid inclusion assemblage only occurs in hydrothermal quartz and NOT in cherts, which have wrongly been assumed to be the host rock.The decrepitation data shows that genetic models of this mine which assume a low temperature synsedimentary chert origin are wrong and that this deposit is in fact a mesothermal deposit formed from CO2 rich, high pressure fluids.


cosmo howley mine   NT


At the Enterprise Au mine at Pine creek, NT, Australia, decrepitation again shows the abundance of CO2 rich fluid inclusions. In early microthermometric studies, the mine operators failed to notice this important fluid feature as they were not careful enough with their microscope work. Decrepitation reliably and quickly measures these fluids as it is computer controlled and not subject to errors committed by bored, tired or overworked microscopists!


enterprise min, nt


CO2 is also a major fluid component at the Getchell and Twin Creeks mines in Nevada, USA.

getchell mine, Nv



feox

The acoustic decrepitation method can also be used on opaque minerals, where normal microthermometric methods are inapplicable. Haematite-magnetite systems with and without Au mineralization have been studied at Tennant Creek, NT, Australia; Nevada, USA and the Abitibi province, Canada.

magnetites

At Tennant Creek, Au occurs in massive haematite-magnetite-chlorite host rocks and acoustic decrepitation shows marked variations at small scales, indicating complex inhomogeneity of fluids within single ironstone bodies which were previously thought to have been of uniform origin. Many of the haematite samples from these deposits show intense decrepitation, indicating abundant fluid inclusions. Had this haematite been derived by supergene oxidation of precursor magnetite, as has been proposed in some studies, the original inclusions in the magnetite would have been eradicated. Thus much of the haematite in these deposits must be of primary origin.


tennant ck NT



beaver title


At the Upper Beaver mine in the Abitibi province, Canada, auriferous magnetite displays intense acoustic decrepitation but magnetite from nearby barren ironstones lacks decrepitation.


upper beaver

Samples from non-auriferous magnetite and ironstones in Nevada may show decrepitation, but many are inactive. In contrast, skarn magnetite associated with low grade Au-Cu mineralization at Lyon, Nevada shows moderately intense decrepitation with major variations between samples several metres apart, similar to the variability seen in the samples from Tennant Creek.

magnetite skarns - various

Although there is little understanding of fluid inclusions in opaque minerals, acoustic decrepitation shows that the iron oxide systems can be quite complex and this technique can aid in discriminating between otherwise indistinguishable ironstones during exploration.


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