PhD Projects at EGRU (Economic Geology Research Unit),

James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland, Australia

Steam-heated alteration: Identification, genesis, and application in

exploration for epithermal deposits
Supervisor: Dr. Zhaoshan Chang, Prof. Noel White, and Prof. Tom Blenkinsop
October 2012
Introduction/background
Steam-heated alteration consists of a blanket of altered rocks near present-day or paleo-surface.
Around the water table it is typically composed of fine-grained porous to massive silicic rocks
whereas the upper part is typically friable, consisting mainly of fine-grained alunite, kaolinite and
quartz. Ancient steam-heated blankets typically have their friable upper parts weathered away,
leaving behind only the siliceous layer.
Steam-heated blankets formed from acid water produced by condensation of vapors boiled from
geothermal waters in the vadose zone (e.g, Hedenquist et al., 2000). Steam-heated blankets may
occur above high-sulfidation epithermal deposits (HS), and intermediate- or low-sulfidation
epithermal deposits (IS/LS; e.g., Hedenquist et al., 2000). If there were fluctuating levels of the
water table and multiple epithermal mineralisation events, e.g., at Yanacocha, Peru (Longo et al.,
2010), there may be multiple levels of steam-heated blankets.
Stream-heated blankets cause difficulties in exploration for several reasons: 1) Steam-heated
blankets may overlie altered rocks related to epithermal deposits, and so prevent ore-related
alteration from being detected; 2) the very fine-grained silicic rocks may appear similar to massive
silicic rocks closely associated with mineralisation in high-sulfidation epithermal deposits (e.g.,
Chang et al., 2011), or to silica sinter, thereby causing confusion in interpretation; and 3) they may
occur above epithermal deposits of any type, making it difficult to discriminate the potential for
different types of epithermal mineralisation.
Most of the difficulties arise because of difficulties discriminating massive silicic rocks related to
different epithermal deposit types. However in the recent years, there has been significant progress
in technology, such as cathodoluminescence imaging (CL) and laser ablation-inductively coupled
plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), that allow us to examine steam-heated blankets with
better methods and lower detection limits for trace elements (e.g., Gotez et al., 2005; Landtwing et
al., 2005; Rusk et al., 2006; Rusk et al., 2008; Breiter and Muller, 2009; Jourdan et al., 2009; Muller
et al., 2009). With the new technologies we will be able to investigate more primary rock features,
particularly cryptic textures and trace element compositions that are related to physicochemical
parameters such as temperature, pressure, pH and redox state, thereby helping tackle the problems.
Aims and Objectives
In this study we aim to:
1. Find reliable ways to identify steam-heated silicic rocks, and to distinguish them from
silicic rocks associated with different types of epithermal systems (both productive and
barren)

2. Evaluate the potential to use steam-heated blankets to vector towards mineralisation

beneath them
3. Improve the understanding of the genesis of steam-heated alteration based on new data
obtained during the project.
Implications
This study will develop criteria to help explorers to distinguish massive silicic rocks from various
epithermal environments, thereby helping the industry to recognise covered targets. The project will
also endeavour to define vectors in steam-heated blankets to identify mineralised areas beneath the
blanket. If successful, these will enhance exploration efficiency and success rates. The data
obtained will also help to constrain hypotheses about the formation of steam-heated blankets,
thereby refining and improving our understanding of their genesis.
References
Breiter and Mller. 2009. Evolution of rare-metal granitic magmas documented by quartz
chemistry: Eur. J. Mineral., v. 21, p. 335-346.
Chang, Z., Hedenquist, J.W., White, N.C., Cooke, D.R., Roach, M., Deyell, C.L., Garcia, J. Jr.,
Gemmell, J.B., McKnight, S., and Cuison, A.L., 2011, Exploration tools for linked porphyry
and epithermal deposits: Example from the Mankayan intrusion-centered Cu-Au district,
Luzon, Philippines: Economic Geology, p. 1365-1398.
Gotze, et al., 2005. Structure and luminescence characteristics of quartz from pegmatites:
American Mineralogist, v. 90, p. 13-21.
Hedenquist, J.W., Arribas, A., and Gonzalez-Urien, E., 2000, Exploration for epithermal gold
deposits: Reviews in Economic Geology, v. 13, p. 245277.
Jourdan A et al., 2009. Evidence of growth and sector zoning in hydrothermal quartz from
Alpine veins: Eur. J. Mineral., v. 21, p. 219-231.
Landtwing et al., 2005. Relationships between SEM-cathodoluminescence response and trace-
element composition of hydrothermal vein quartz: American Mineralogist, v. 90, p. 122-
131.
Longo, A.A., Dilles, J.H., Grunder, A.L., and Duncan, R., 2010, Evolution of calc-alkaline
volcanism and associated hydrothermal gold deposits at Yanacocha, Peru: Economic
Geology, v. 105, p. 1191-1241.
Mller et al., 2010. Trace elements and cathodoluminescence of quartz in stockwork veins of
Mongolian porphyry-style deposits: Miner Deposita, v. 45, p. 707-727.
Rusk et al., 2006, Intensity of quartz cathodoluminescence and trace-element content in
quartz from the porphyry copper deposit at Butte, Montana: American Mineralogist, v.
91, p. 1300-1312.
Rusk et al., 2008, Trace elements in hydrothermal quartz: Relationships to
cathodoluminescent textures and insights into vein formation: Geology, v. 36, p. 547-
550.