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Introduction
Diagram
Energy
Code
Breccia Category Source
1
1
5
7
Mobile Phase
Geometry
Diameter
(m)
Magmatic
volatiles
Single or
multiple
subvertical
pipes
AngularLocal to
subrounded,
common
up to 2,000 locally rounded (<50%)
Magmatichydrothermal
Magma
(directly)
Phreatic
Magma
(through
circulating
groundwaters) Groundwater
By Ned Howard with help from Andrew Ford and David Brookes
Fragment
form
Pipe-like,
irregular, pebble
Angular to
dikes
up to ~500 rounded
Rock flour
matrix
Commonly
present
<50%
Magma
Magmatic-phreatic (indirectly)
Groundwater
Diatreme
up to
~3,000
Subrounded to Present
rounded
(<90%)
4
4
Magma
Phreatomagmatic (directly)
5
5
66
77
1. Magmatic Hydrothermal
Magmatic
Intrusion
Tectonic
Groundwater
Diatreme
Magma
(directly)
Magmatic
volatiles
Intrusion
Regional
tectonism
Magma
Diatreme,
volcanic vent
Irregular
patches
Steep tabular
bodies
N/A
1,000 3,000
Subrounded to Present
rounded
(<90%)
Subrounded to
500 - 5,000 rounded
Present
up to ~100 Angular
Angular to
up to ~50 subrounded
Absent
Present
(<100%)
None
No juvenile clasts,
wall-rock blocks,
base surge deposits, Maar, tuff
accretionary lapilli
ring, domes
Minor
Tuff matrix,
cognate
lithics
Tuff matrix,
pumice,
cognate
lithics
Wall-rock blocks,
base surge deposits,
locally exfoliated
fragments,
Maar, tuff
accretionary lapilli
ring, domes
Pyroclastic
Wall-rock blocks,
fall & flow
locally exfoliated
deposits,
fragments
domes
Minor
None
Variable (minor)
None
Variable (minor)
Accretionary lapilli,
Wau gold district,
PNG
Schematic X Section of
Kerkil low sulphidation
breccia system (Kalimantan,
Indonesia) showing alteration
zonation and breccia
distribution
Type 1. Magmatic-Hydrothermal
Also referred to as carapace breccias, these are the product of juvenile hydrothermal fluids exsolved from magmas.
Genesis: Fractionation of intrusive magma may lead to the exsolution of an immiscible volatile phase (second boiling), which exceeds lithostatic pressure resulting in
varying degrees of hydraulic fracturing. This process may occur multiple times as further magmatic fractionation and exsolution occur.
Geometry: Commonly sub- vertical pipe to tabular bodies. Single or multiple bodies and phases.
Diameter: 50-300m, locally >1,000m.
Breccia Characteristics: Angular to sub-rounded (locally rounded) clasts of country rock intrusions within a matrix of hydrothermal infill with local minor clastic
matrix. Infill minerals commonly indicative of high temperature and salinity (e.g. tourmaline, feldspar).
Geological Setting and Relationships: Spatially associated with intrusions but extending sub-vertically away. May grade downwards into cupolas of intrusives with
or without intrusion breccias or pegmatites. May grade upwards into breccia pipes and then to veins through decreasingly fractured country rocks. May occur at any
depth from >5km to ~1-2km depth.
Surface Expression: None
Associated Ore Deposits: Commonly closely spatially genetically associated with intrusion-related deposits and porphyry Cu-(Au/Mo) deposits (e.g. Kidston
breccia-hosted Au, Australia; Los Bronces porphyry Cu-Au, Chile; Ok Tedi porphyry Cu-Au, PNG; Galore Creek porphyry Cu-Mo, Canada). Brecciation is typically preto inter-mineral and may be genetically associated with mineralisation. Mineralisation in breccia-pipe hosted deposits commonly occurs near the margins, while in
porphyry systems, mineralisation is more common within the breccia itself.
Polymictic, milled
diatreme breccia,
Ntina pit, Placer Au
mine, Philippines
5. Magmatic
Minor
3. Magmatic Phreatic
Silicification, clay
6. Intrusion Breccias
None
None
Sericite,
tourmaline, Ksilicate
Surface
connection
Sheeted contacts,
shingle breccia,
exfoliated fragments None
Explosion
crater,
breccia
apron,
Exfoliated fragments, hydrothermal
sinter fragments
activity
Clearly, the below classification system is not suitable for field use, and
considerable field work is required before it is used. In breccia hosted
hydrothermal systems, it is important that variations in breccia facies are
recognised and their distribution determined. This can help to vector towards
prospective zones within the breccia system. Field classification of breccia facies
should be based on features such as clast composition (mono/polymictic), degree
of rounding, clast:matrix ratio (clast vs matrix supported), matrix composition
(hydrothermal infill vs milled rock) and the presence/absence of important clast
types (e.g. soft-deformed sediments, accretionary lapilli, juvenile whispy clasts).
Juvenile
component Other features
Alteration
(temporally
associated with
brecciation)
7. Tectonic
Breccias generated by the explosive decompression of magmatic volatiles. These breccias include vent breccias and magmatic diatremes.
Genesis: Exsolution of volatiles from a hydrous magma results in explosive pressure release at the top of a near-surface magma
chamber and overlying rock. Magmatic breccias are essentially the near-surface equivalents of magmatic-hydrothermal breccias.
Geometry: Subvertical diatremes/pipes to upwardly-flaring funnels.
Diameter: 500 to 5,000m, up to >1,000m vertical extent.
Breccia Characteristics: Subrounded to rounded clasts of dominantly juvenile material within a matrix of variably comminuted vitric and
lithic material (i.e. lapilli to tuffaceous rock flour). Generally breccias are clast supported. Near-surface breccias may contain recycled
volcanic bombs, slumped blocks of vent-wall material.
Geological Setting and Relationships: Magmatic breccias occur within volcanic vents and magmatic diatremes (i.e. excavative volcanic
vents). They are intimately associated with the source magma chamber (below) and may grade into coherent intrusive rock. Passive
ascent of magma after brecciation may result in cross-cutting dikes and domes.
Surface Expression: Volcanic vent with local depression within a composite volcanic cone or a tuff ring or maar volcano above a
magmatic diatreme.
Associated Ore Deposits: Not directly genetically associated with mineralisation, but can be spatially associated with pre- or postbreccia porphyry-style mineralisation or post-breccia epithermal mineralisation. E.g. Rio Blanco-Los Bronces, Chile; Toquepala, Peru;
Ashio, Japan and Casino, Yukon, Canada.
Breccias associated with the emplacement of an intrusive body, but not associated
magmatic-hydrothermal fluids.
Genesis: Passive, mechanical brecciation associated with movement (intrusion) of
magma and incorporation of country rock.
Geometry: Variably oriented lenses and patchy zones at intrusive margins
Diameter: up to ~100m
Breccia Textures: Angular fragments of country rock (metamorphics, earlier
intrusions, early crystallised intrusion) within a crystalline igneous matrix.
Gradational to fractured wallrock ( dykes) on one side and intrusive rock (
xenoliths).
Geological Setting: Closely spatially associated with margins of causative
intrusion. May occur at any depth below the surface where intrusions occur.
Surface Expression: None
Associated Ore Deposits: Not genetically related to ore deposits. May be
spatially associated with any intrusion-related mineralisation.