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The demand in mineral resources is increasing rapidly, but there is a lack of transparency in the trade of concentrated raw mineral materials because of speculation and involvement in the finance of armed conflicts. Because of the distance between primary extraction and the final production sites it is difficult to check the origin of these products. An identity card is required for mineral commodities, so that trading in the industry can be verified and the traceability of concentrates ensured. This problem may be considered as an inversion process: studying the products sold to identify the original ore. The discriminant parameters are mineralogical composition, identification of textural microfacies of the target minerals, "pseudo-paragenetic sequence", and the contents and distribution of minor elements of target minerals. For base metal, the selected target minerals are pyrite, for its ubiquity, sphalerite for its ability to host numerous discriminant and potentially valuable minor elements in its lattice and chalcopyrite for its proximity with the two other minerals. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov distance and the Colin-White test are used to compare the chemical composition of the three target minerals. The application to Volcanic Massive Sulfide ore deposits shows that it is possible to distinguish pyrite, sphalerite and chalcopyrite between two ore deposits in the Iberian Pyrite Belt province and seven ore deposits from the Urals province using the selected characteristics. Ore deposits from different provinces may be discriminated using the identity cards, as well as different deposits in the same province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] “Memory loss” method measures the characteristics variations of ore during mineral processing. [•] “Memory loss” method can be a tool to characterize a given mineralogical processing. [•] Calculations require chemical compositions and residence time at each mineral processing steps. [•] Establish a database of the characteristic parameters of different processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Petrographic, structural and geochemical analysis combined with SEM and XRD were performed on the Boumaadine Fe–Mn–Pb–Cu (±Au) mineralization of Jbel Skindis in the eastern High Atlas, (Morocco). The results indicate a polyphasic process of mineralization, which produced orebodies with distinct features and different chemical conditions formation. The earliest mineralization formed replacement and disseminated Fe–Mn–Pb orebodies under oxidizing conditions, with a mineral assemblage composed of coronadite, plumboferrite, cesarolite, specularite and calcite, in association with a large-scale hydrothermal alteration consisting essentially of Fe–Mn minerals, i.e., ferroan dolomite, hematite, jacobsite and limonite. The second event was formed under reducing conditions that generate some veins filled mainly by sulfides (galena, with minor pyrite and chalcopyrite), in addition of calcite and dolomite. The mineralization is hosted in Lower Liassic dolostones and is linked to the structural evolution of the study area. Fractures related to the displacement of the Boumaadine fault seem to control the disposition and the localization of the alteration and the mineralization: (i) the Fe–Mn–Pb oxides are related to a NE-SW conjugate fault system generated during the first phase of deformation, with a horizontal principal stress striking NNW-SSE, and (ii) the sulfide mineralization occurs mainly as filling conjugate fractures of two preferentially directions striking N80–90 and N150-165 with a slight dip (15–40°) to the NE. These latter were caused by a dextral movement along the Boumaadine fault, generated during the late phase of deformation with a NW-SE bearing horizontal principal stress. The deep-seated Boumaadine fault has acted as pathways for the rising fluids, and supports the origin of lead and other metals from the Paleozoic basement. The Triassic evaporitic sequence along the Boumaadine fault has also contributed to the chemical composition of the fluid, and represents the potential source of both the salinity and sulfur. The oxide-sulfide mineralogical assemblage and its associated alteration emphasize a polyphasic hydrothermal activity with distinct physicochemical conditions; an iron-manganese rich, and highly oxidizing brine is considered to be responsible for the Fe–Mn alteration and for the deposit of the oxide assemblage. Furthermore, a mixing of the oxidizing fluid with a meteoric reducing fluid could have resulted in the sulfide-rich ore. • The deposits indicate a polyphasic process of mineralization. • The earliest mineralization formed replacement and disseminated Fe-Mn-Pb orebodies under oxidizing conditions. • The second event was formed under reducing conditions that generate veins filled mainly by sulfides. • The mineralization is structurally controlled, in relation to the major alpine compressional events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To understand the processes and timing of their formation, six non-sulfide Zn–Pb ore deposits were investigated in the Moroccan High Atlas. Sulfide and non-sulfide ores are hosted in Lower Jurassic reefal to para-reefal limestone. Zn (Pb) carbonates, Zn silicates and associated hydrated phases directly replace the stratabound primary ore bodies or fill cavities along fractures related to the Atlasic compression. Field observation has been complemented by a multidisciplinary approach (e.g. XRD, Raman, SEM, EPMA) for the mineralogical characterization. All six ore deposits present similar paragenesis revealing three successive stages for ore deposition: 1) formation of the protore sulfides, 2) early supergene weathering with formation of Zn–Pb-bearing carbonates and iron oxi-hydroxides and 3) late supergene weathering with deposition of Zn-carbonates, Zn-silicates and hydrated phases. Direct replacement of primary sulfides is accompanied by precipitation of zinc non-sulfide minerals in cavities or internal sediments filling. The proposed three-step scenario can be placed within the tectonic evolution of the Moroccan High Atlas belt. Deposition of primary sulfides is contemporaneous with opening of the Tethyan and Atlantic oceans. During the Tertiary, intracontinental deformation has given rise to the High Atlas fold-and-thrust belt and to regional uplift. As a result, Zn–Pb sulfides, hosted in carbonates experienced oxidation under an arid climate to form karst-related Zn–Pb non-sulfide ore bodies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cell Based Association is an innovative mineral favorability procedure designed to answer special needs of the mining industry in data wise critical situations where usual favorability methods may not yield satisfactory results. Those situations relate to input data quality (e.g. clustered points, mixed and scarce data, approximate location) or some assumptions that are considered unreasonable (e.g. map areas relevance, conditional independence). The principle of CBA consists in replacing polygons of geological units with a square cell grid (hence the ‘cell-based’). Each cell contains a range of units (‘association’) that are binary coded in terms of their presence (1) or absence (0) within study area. The loss of resolution inherent to this procedure is compensated by the enriched information contained in each cell owing to the notion of (lithological) association. Lithological associations are considered as binary spectra and as such are classified using Ascendant Hierarchical Clustering (AHC) thus obtaining a synthetic map of lithological associations. The prospectivity map shows as favourable the cells of the same AHC classes that the ones including mineral occurrences. It was observed that CBA can distinguish between different ore deposit varieties from a blended mineral occurrences data set. CBA can theoretically include any spatialized data (e.g. geophysics, structural data) as an extra variable to specify classification and narrow favourable areas. Doing so would make it an independent favorability mapping procedure and is still under development. Cell size in a grid is a critical parameter of the procedure; it must be compatible with the looked-for phenomena and should have a sufficient lithological variability. In addition to its use for producing favorability maps, a CBA-derived map could help in understanding the background information contained in geological maps. CBA can also be applied to other fields, such as agriculture and urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to uses paleomagnetic and anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) methods to recognize the initial deposit position and to track the paleoflow at the origin of an iron skarn-related deposit. The Yamansu deposit is located in eastern Tianshan. This province has a substantial mining potential for Fe–(Cu) skarn, Cu–Ni and V–Ti orthomagmatic deposits, and orogenic Au lodes. Recent publication dates the Yamansu deposit at 323 Ma, and uses this deposit to define a model of Submarine Volcanogenic Iron Oxide (SVIO) deposits (Hou et al., 2014a,b). In the proposed model the Yamansu stratoïd ore bodies formed horizontally within the central venting part of a large submarine composite volcano in a back-arc environment. However, at Yamansu the ore bodies are tilted vertically by the large scale dextral strike-slip faulting during the Permian. The Carboniferous positions are thus overprinted and unknown. Understanding the initial geometry and structures of the Yamansu deposit is then necessary to test and/or improve the proposed SVIO model. Field observations evidence an emplacement of the basalt as sill and their alteration into skarn. Magnetic mineralogy results show that the magnetic remanence and susceptibility are carried by magnetite. Paleomagnetic measurements on massive garnet skarn and basaltic sill distinguish two groups of samples. The higher coercivity samples give a mean remanence direction that is compatible with regional Late Carboniferous directions after bedding correction. This result indicates that both the basaltic sill and the massive garnet skarn were horizontal when formed. The AMS results agree with the paleomagnetic data because the magnetic foliations after bedding correction are horizontal and the well-defined magnetic lineation suggests the existence of a horizontal fluid flow during metasomatism. These results indicate that the basaltic sill horizontally intruded the Carboniferous limestones intercalated within the volcanic pile. Metasomatic iron-rich fluid probably ascended along a pre-existing fault and was injected horizontally into the limestone and sill, and then caused extensive skarnization and deposited the magnetite before tilting due to the Permian right-lateral strike-slip. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Structural controls are critical during magmatic-to-hydrothermal transition in the formation of intrusion-related gold deposits. They may explain why only some parts of intrusions are mineralized and why only very few intrusions host large deposits. Moreover, most of these gold deposits postdate peak regional metamorphism and were formed in zones of relatively low strain. Indeed, the efficiency of structural gold traps is highest along favourably oriented intrusion/host-rock contacts where mechanical instability maintains high permeability in the cracked thermal aureole. This may be reinforced by melt injections from an underlying root zone. We present a structural analysis of the deformation features of a granite-pluton roof; large-scale dykes and a network of gold veins are intensively developed in this roof, recording a succession of mechanical instabilities. Our gravity survey underlines the presence of a pluton feeder zone located just beneath the mineralized network. It is argued that interferences between regional stress and melt injection in the feeder zone favoured the development of the network by strain located close to the granite roof. This stresses the role of mechanical instabilities triggered by the combined effects of regional stress and melt dynamics in determining the location and size of this type of gold deposit. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Whilst petrology, geochemistry and metal content of small mafic/ultramafic Ni–Cu bearing complexes have been extensively studied, their structural controls and emplacement mechanisms are still poorly documented. This study addresses the last two points with the Huangshan Ni–Cu ore belt (Chinese Eastern Tianshan) as a case study. The Huangshan intrusions are Early Permian; a period when the Tianshan orogenic belt recorded major right-lateral wrench tectonics, characterized by crustal-scale shear zones. Detailed mapping, petro-structural analysis and strain rate calculation within and around the intrusions allow us to establish that the Huangshan Ni–Cu-bearing mafic/ultramafic complexes are not layered intrusions. Instead, they emplaced by injection of several mafic/ultramafic magma batches within kilometre-scale tension gashes generated by Permian dextral shearing, and should be considered as synkinematic sheeted intrusions. Finite strain analysis across the Huangshan-Kangguer shear zone provides rather high shear strain rates (∼4.5). Considering the location and alignment of the Ni–Cu-bearing mafic/ultramafic bodies along regional shear zones throughout Eastern Tianshan, it appears that wrench tectonics most likely controlled and focussed the intrusion of parent magmas. As a consequence, rifting related to post-orogenic extension is not required to account for Permian magmatic features of the Tianshan Belt. Finally, the Huangshan Ni–Cu bearing mafic/ultramafic intrusions are neither parts of an ophiolitic suture, nor of a dunite-cored Alaskan-type ore deposit, as postulated in some previous studies. In the light of these new results, we believe that structural controls and emplacement mechanisms of many Ni–Cu sulphides deposits hosted by small intrusions (particularly funnel-shaped ones) should be (re-)evaluated from a structural and geophysical point of view. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]