Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Porphyry Cu-Mo-Au and Related

Epithermal Au Systems:
Controls on Ore Formation
from Plate to Vein Scales

Bingham
Canyon,
Utah

Jeremy P. Richards
Dept. Earth & Atmospheric Sciences
University of Alberta
Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2E3, Canada
Jeremy.Richards@UAlberta.CA

Part 1: Arc magmatism

Mt Pinatubo
erupting in 1991
www.ottres.ca/tmach/
globalmiles/06jun/
timejun15.html

Arc magmas
Overview

• Mantle wedge processes:


Slab dehydration

Metasomatism of the asthenospheric mantle wedge

Partial melting of the mantle wedge

Character of partial melts
• Slab melting?

Adakites
• Interaction of primitive arc magmas with the crust:
MASH processes.

© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 1
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Adapted from Winter (2001)

© Richards (2012)

Seismic tomographic
image of the
northeastern
Japanese arc
Low P-wave velocities
indicate high temperatures
and partial melting in the
mantle wedge above the
cold, brittle slab.

Zhao, D., Hasegawa, A., and Horiuchi, S., 1992, Tomographic

imaging of P and S wave velocity structure beneath northeastern
Japan: Jour. Geophysical Research, v. 97, p. 19,909–19,928.

Scale shows P-wave velocity

perturbations in %:
red – slow, blue – fast.

Two planes of seismicity in the slab:

Upper plane reflects metabasalt to
blueschist transition;
Lower plane reflects dehydration of
serpentine to form Fo-En + H2O.

Zhang, H., Thurber, C.H., Shelly, D., Ide, S., Beroza, G.C., and
Hasegawa, A., 2004, High-resolution subducting-slab structure
beneath northern Honshu, Japan, revealed by double-difference
tomography: Geology, v. 32, p. 361–364.

© Richards (2012) 2
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Seismic
tomographic
image of the
northeastern
Japanese arc
(Zhao et al.,
1992)
compared with
thermal
numerical
simulation
section across
a typical arc
(Furukawa,
1993).
Modified from Richards
(2003: Econ. Geol., v. 96,
p. 1515–1533)
© Richards (2012)

Slab dehydration:
Breakdown of serpentine, amphibole, talc, chlorite,
lawsonite, zoisite, and chloritoid in hydrated oceanic crust
releases fluids into mantle wedge, causing metasomatism.

From Richards
(2011: Ore
Geol. Reviews,
v. 40, p. 1–26)
© Richards (2012)

Mantle wedge
metasomatism by
slab fluids

Slab fluids:
• Aqueous solutions rich in Cl (4–10 wt.%
NaCl), S, large ion lithophile elements
(LILE: Rb, K, Cs, Ba, and Sr), Li, B, Pb, As,
Sb, Tl, and Cu.
• Oxidizing (seafloor alteration).
© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 3
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Partial melting of the

mantle wedge:
Convection of
metasomatised material
into hotter regions results
in partial melting

Primary melts:
• High-Mg basalts (Arculus, 1994; Thirlwall et al., 1996).
• 1–3 wt.% H2O (Sobolev & Chaussidon, 1996; up to 8 wt.%: Wallace, 2005 ).
• Cl-rich (500–2000 ppm Cl) (Wallace, 2005 )
• S-rich (900–2500 ppm S) (de Hoog et al., 2001; Wallace, 2005 ).
• Oxidized (up to FMQ+2) (Brandon & Draper, 1996).
• Metalliferous (undepleted). © Richards (2012)

Chalcophile and
siderophile metal
(Cu, Au, PGE)
content of primary
arc magmas

Behaviour of chalcophile and siderophile metals

(Cu, Au, PGE) in primary arc magmas is strongly
controlled by the presence and amount of sulfide
phases (melts or minerals) in the mantle, into
which these elements will preferentially partition
(vs. a silicate melt or mineral).

© Richards (2012)

Role of residual sulfides

• In the presence of abundant residual sulfide
phases in the mantle, chalcophile and
siderophile elements will be depleted in a
coexisting silicate melt phase.
• In the absence or breakdown of residual
sulfides, chalcophile and siderophile elements
will become incompatible. This may occur by:
(a) High degrees, or multiple stages of partial
melting; or
(b) Oxidation to sulfate.

© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 4
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Role of oxygen fugacity

• Increasing magmatic oxidation state will result in a shift
from sulfide to sulfate species-dominance, and if the
system is saturated in S, from the presence of sulfide
phases to sulfate phases.
• Botcharnikov et al. (2011) have shown that Au solubility in
a hydrous silicate magma increases to a maximum near
the sulfide–sulfate transition (~ΔlogFMQ = 1–2), reflecting
the fact that chalcophile and siderophile elements
dissolve in the melt as sulfide species, and magmatic
sulfide solubility increases with fO2 under reducing
conditions.

Botcharnikov, R.E., Linnen, R.L., Wilke, M., Holtz, F., Jugo, P.J., and
Berndt, J., 2011, High gold concentrations in sulphide-bearing magma
under oxidizing conditions: Nature Geoscience, in press.

© Richards (2012)

Role of oxygen fugacity

• But at higher oxidation states (>ΔlogFMQ = 2), Au
solubility drops because sulfide is no longer present in
the melt in sufficient abundance.
• Thus, Botcharnikov et al. conclude that there is an
optimal interval of magmatic oxidation state for Au (and
presumably Cu) transport near ΔlogFMQ = 1–2.
• This oxidation state is, coincidentally, also the typical fO2
found in porphyry-related arc magmas.
• Mineralogically, this, and the requirement for high
magmatic water content, is reflected in the characteristic
presence of amphibole (± biotite) and magnetite in fertile
(Cu, Au) magmatic systems.

© Richards (2012)

High oxidation state

and S content of arc
magmas, and related
porphyry Cu deposits:
Sulfur is predominantly
dissolved in arc magmas
as SO42–, so magmatic
sulfides are not formed in
abundance.
Chalcophile and
siderophile elements
therefore behave
incompatibly, and remain
in the melt until late-stage
volatile exsolution.
Hedenquist & Richards (1998, Rev.
Econ. Geol. v. 10, p. 235–256)

© Richards (2012) 5
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Magmatic oxidation state of arc-

related magmas is reflected in
Fe-Ti-oxide compositions:
Ishiharaʼs (1981) magnetite and
ilmenite series magmas.
Similar, but not identical to Chappel &
Whiteʼs (1974) I- and S-type granites.
Magmatic oxidation state affects
stability of sulfide vs. sulfate. In more
reduced magmas (ilmenite-series)
more abundant sulfides in the source
may retain chalcophile elements, so
melts tend to be more lithophile
element-enriched (Sn-W, F, Be).

Ishihara, S., 1981, The granitoid series and mineralization:

Economic Geology 75th Anniversary Volume, p. 458–484.

Partitioning of chalcophile metals between magma and sulfide

Cu-rich magmas
can form in the
presence of up
to 1 wt.% S in
the mantle
source
(R ≥ 100).

Au-rich magmas
form when
residual sulfide
abundance falls
below ~10 ppm
(R ≥ 105).

Modified from
Richards (2009:
Geology, 37:247–250)

© Richards (2012)

Subduction
During normal arc
processes, minor
amounts of residual
sulfide in the mantle or
lower crust retain highly
siderophile elements
such as Au, but do not
significantly deplete the
magma in more
abundant elements
such as Cu:
Porphyry Cu potential
magmas, high
sulfidation epithermal
Cu-Au deposits.
© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 6
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Post-subduction or collisional
tectonic settings:
Potential for generation of Au-rich magmas by
breakdown of residual Au-rich sulfides in mantle or
lower crustal sources.
These magmas will have relatively low sulfur contents
(low fS2), and resulting ore deposits will tend to be
relatively S-poor.
Porphyry Au and low sulfidation epithermal Au deposits.

© Richards (2012)

Post-subduction
Thermal relaxation
after subduction
ceases may cause
second-stage partial
melting of the
metasomatized
asthenosphere or
lithosphere, leading
to final breakdown of
residual sulfides and
release of highly
siderophile elements
(e.g., Au) to the melt:
Au potential magmas

© Richards (2012)

Slab melting
to produce
oxidized
adakites:
Porphyry Cu-
Au-potential
magmas?

Slab melts (adakites) might be very efficient in oxidizing

mantle sulfide to sulfate, thereby releasing highly siderophile
elements to the melt (Mungall, 2002). This could explain
some Au-rich PCDs, but is unlikely to apply to normal PCDs
where the involvement of slab melts is unproven.
© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 7
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Are slab melts (adakites) involved in normal

porphyry Cu formation?
• Baldwin & Pearce (1982) showed that “productive” porphyry
intrusions in the El Salvador–Potrerillos district displayed
low Y (< 10 ppm) and MnO (< 0.07 wt.%) concentrations
compared with “non-productive” plutons. They suggested
that this could reflect either retention of these elements in
residual phases during partial melting, or fractionation.
• More recently, Thiéblemont et al. (1997) and Oyarzun et al.
(2001) have suggested that productive porphyry magmas
resemble adakites in having low Y contents and high Sr/Y
ratios. Oyarzun et al. (2001) specifically attributed this
characteristic to slab-melting processes, in which a garnet-
bearing (eclogitic) residue in the slab retains Y and HREE.
© Richards (2012)

Adakites continued...

Geochemical characteristic of adakites:

SiO2 ≥ 56 %, Al2O3 ≥ 15%: Intermediate compositions (basalt parent).
MgO usually < 3%: Not in equilibrium with peridotitic mantle.
Y ≤ 18 ppm, Yb ≤ 1.9 ppm: Residual garnet in source (eclogite).
Low HFSE: Subduction signature.
Sr usually > 400 ppm: Absence of significant plagioclase fractionation.
87Sr/86Sr usually < 0.7040: Lack of crustal contamination.
(Defant & Drummond, 1990)

Defant, M.J., and Drummond, M.S., 1990, Derivation of

some modern arc magmas by melting of young
subducted lithosphere: Nature, v. 347, p. 662–665.

© Richards (2012)

Adakites continued...

Defant & Drummond (1990) suggested that these

compositions could be generated by melting of a
young (< 25 m.y.-old) eclogitic slab.
However, they restricted their study to island arcs
because they recognized the potential of
generating “lower Y and Yb values by source
contamination” of normal arc magmas in
continental settings.

© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 8
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Adakites continued...
• In the Central Andes, “adakitic” magma signatures are most
likely generated by deep crustal MASH processes, with
fractionation of garnet and/or amphibole (e.g., Feeley et al.,
1994; Kay et al., 1999; Richards et al., 2001).
• Castillo et al. (1999) showed how “adakitic” magmas from the
Philippines were generated by crustal AFC processes, not by
slab melting.
• See also recent papers by Garrison and Davidson (Garrison,
J.M., and Davidson, J.P., 2003, Dubious case for slab melting in the
Northern Volcanic Zone of the Andes: Geology, v. 31, p. 565–568), and
Richards and Kerrich (Richards, J.P., and Kerrich, R., 2007, Adakite-
like rocks: Their diverse origins and questionable role in metallogenesis:
Economic Geology, v. 102, p. 537–576).

© Richards (2012)

Derivation of
“adakitic”
compositions
through
fractionation
processes,
especially
involving
amphibole
(also titanite)
(Castillo et
al., 1999)

Castillo, P.R., Janney, P.E., and Solidum, R.U., 1999, Petrology and geochemistry of Camiguin Island, southern Philippines:
insights to the source of adakites and other lavas in a complex arc setting: Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., v. 134, p. 33–51.

Derivation of
“adakitic”
compositions
through
fractionation
processes,
especially
involving
amphibole
(also titanite)
(Castillo et
al., 1999)

Castillo, P.R., Janney, P.E., and Solidum, R.U., 1999, Petrology and geochemistry of Camiguin Island, southern Philippines:
insights to the source of adakites and other lavas in a complex arc setting: Contrib. Mineral. Petrol., v. 134, p. 33–51.

© Richards (2012) 9
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Adakitic arcs
Gutscher et al. (2000) predicted that shallow
subduction should generate a broad adakitic arc,
extending 300 to 600 km inland from the trench.

Gutscher, M.-A., Maury, R., Eissen, J.-P., and

Bourdon, E., 2000, Can slab melting be caused
by flat subduction? Geology, v. 28, p. 535–538.

© Richards (2012)

Narrow calc-alkaline arc

Generation of a
broad adakitic
arc over 100
km wide
resulting from Broad adakitic arc
slab-melting

Late adakitic arc

Gutscher, M.-A., Maury, R.,

Eissen, J.-P., and Bourdon,
E., 2000, Can slab melting
be caused by flat
subduction? Geology, v. 28,
p. 535–538.
0 km 300 km 600 km

Are adakites involved in porphyry Cu

formation in Chile?

Gutscher et al.ʼs (2000) prediction that shallow

subduction should generate a broad adakitic arc,
extending 300 to 600 km inland from the trench, is not
what is seen in the Eocene–Oligocene porphyry Cu
belt of northern Chile, where the arc formed a narrow
belt (≤50 km-wide) only ~200 km from the trench.

© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 10
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Central
Andean
metallogenic
belts

Modified from Richards (2000:

Soc. Economic Geologists
Newsletter, No. 42, p. 1, 14–20).
Based on maps by Sillitoe
(1992) and Salfity (1985)

© Richards (2012)

Intrusive and volcanic rocks associated with porphyry Cu

deposits in Chile mostly fall well outside the adakite fields
on Y vs. Sr/Y and Yb vs. La/Yb plots.

Richards, J.P., and Kerrich, R., 2007, Adakite-like rocks: Their diverse origins and
questionable role in metallogenesis: Economic Geology, v. 102, p. 537–576.

© Richards (2012)

When plotted against SiO2 as a measure of fractionation,

Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios evolve outside or away from the
adakite fields, suggesting that adakitic compositions, where
they occur, are accidents of fractionation processes.

Adakite

Adakite

Richards, J.P., and Kerrich, R., 2007, Adakite-like rocks: Their diverse origins and
questionable role in metallogenesis: Economic Geology, v. 102, p. 537–576.
© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 11
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Abundances of Y and Yb generally decrease with

fractionation, whereas Sr increases somewhat before
decreasing in evolved rocks, indicating fractionation of HREE
into minerals such as hornblende and titanite, and
fractionation of Sr into relatively late-crystallizing plagioclase.

Y Yb Sr

Richards, J.P., and Kerrich, R., 2007, Adakite-like rocks: Their diverse origins and
questionable role in metallogenesis: Economic Geology, v. 102, p. 537–576.

© Richards (2012)

Abundances of compatible elements such as Mg, Fe, Cr, and Ni

show clear fractionation trends, from high initial values in basaltic
andesitic compositions to low values in felsic rocks. These
trends either miss the adakitic ranges or fractionate into them
(i.e., they are not source signatures).

Richards, J.P., and Kerrich, R., 2007, Adakite-like rocks: Their diverse origins and
questionable role in metallogenesis: Economic Geology, v. 102, p. 537–576.
© Richards (2012)

A specific example is provided by the giant Escondida

porphyry Cu deposit, where the compositions of related
intrusive rocks start outside and fractionate into the adakite
fields, indicating that the source magmas were not adakites.

Richards, J.P., and Kerrich, R., 2007, Adakite-like rocks: Their diverse origins and
questionable role in metallogenesis: Economic Geology, v. 102, p. 537–576.
© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 12
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Another example is provided by the Tampakan porphyry

Cu deposit (Philippines; data from Rohrlach, 2002), where
the compositions of the most primitive igneous rocks
related to the porphyry again fall outside the adakite fields.

Richards, J.P., and Kerrich, R., 2007, Adakite-like rocks: Their diverse origins and
questionable role in metallogenesis: Economic Geology, v. 102, p. 537–576.
© Richards (2012)

The effects of hornblende fractionation can most readily be seen

on normalized REE diagrams, where the preferential partitioning
of middle-REE into amphibole leads to listric-shaped REE patterns
in hydrous magmas that have fractionated abundant amphibole.

Modified from
Richards, J.P.,
2011, High Sr/Y
arc magmas
and porphyry Cu
±Mo±Au
deposits: Just
add water:
Economic
Geology, v. 106,
p. 1075–1081.

© Richards (2012)

In conclusion, there is little evidence that slab-derived

magmas of adakitic composition are generally or
uniquely involved in porphyry Cu generation. The
evidence does not rule out a slab melt component in
arc magmas and porphyries, but the trace element
evidence used to claim this link is more easily
explained by common MASH and AFC processes in
normal (asthenosphere-derived) arc magmas.

Specifically, hornblende (± titanite) fractionation (low [Y,

Yb]), and suppression of plagioclase crystallization
until late stages (high [Sr], and therefore high Sr/Y)
result from high magma H2O contents. This single
feature is most likely the key factor in potential fertility
of arc magmas:
Hydrous arc magmas → porphyry Cu±Mo±Au potential

© Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 13
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Continental
Arcs:
Interaction of
mantle-derived
magma with
upper plate
lithosphere.

From Richards (2011:

Ore Geol. Reviews, v.
40, p. 1–26)

Calc-alkaline magmatism and the

MASH process
Hildreth & Moorbath (1988) proposed that
the characteristic, uniform compositions of
continental arc magmas are generated
through interaction between primitive arc
magmas and the continental lithosphere, by
processes including:
• Melting of crustal rocks;
• Assimilation of crustal rocks;
• Storage of magma in lower crustal dike/sill
complexes;
• Homogenization to form hybrid calc-
alkaline magmas.
© Richards (2012)

1981

MASH
zone

Hildreth, W., 1981, Gradients in silicic magma chambers: Implications for

lithospheric magmatism: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 86, p. 10,153–10,192.

© Richards (2012) 14
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Modified from Richards (2003,

Tectono-magmatic precursors
for porphyry Cu-(Mo-Au)
deposit formation: Economic
Geology, v. 96, p. 1515–1533).

© Richards (2012)

A slightly modified model

for interaction between
mantle-derived magmas
and crustal materials in
deep crustal “hot zones”
was published recently by
Annen et al. (2006)

Annen, C., Blundy, J.D., and

Sparks, R.S.J., 2006, The
genesis of intermediate and
silicic magmas in deep crustal
hot zones: Journal of
Petrology, v. 47, p. 505–539.

Proterozoic Paleozoic
basement basement

Isotopic evidence of MASH

contributions to Quaternary Central
Andean volcanic rocks

(Wörner et al., 1992)

Wörner, G., Moorbath, S., and Harmon, R.S., 1992,

Andean Cenozoic volcanic centers reflect basement
isotopic domains: Geology, v. 20, p. 1103–1106.

© Richards (2012) 15
Porphyry Short Course — Part 1

Evidence for Paleozoic crustal contributions to Late Eocene

porphyry magmas, Zaldívar (Richards et al., 1999)
Richards, J.P., Noble, S.R., and Pringle, M.S., 1999, A revised
Late Eocene age for porphyry Cu magmatism in the Escondida
area, northern Chile: Economic Geology, v. 94, p. 1231–1247. © Richards (2012)

SUMMARY
• Primary arc magmas are generated by partial melting of
metasomatized mantle wedge.
• Resultant magmas are oxidized, volatile-rich (H2O, S, Cl),
and rich in incompatible elements (LILE) and metals.
• Rare circumstances may lead to slab melting, yielding
adakitic magmas. However, slab melts do not appear to be
unique sources for porphyry Cu magmas.
• Key factor is high magmatic water content, which leads to
hornblende fractionation and suppression of plagioclase
crystallization (high Sr/Y); potentially → porphyry deposits.
• The geochemical charactersitics of Andean magmas,
including those related to porphyry deposits, appear to be
developed through interaction of primitive arc magmas with
the lithosphere: MASH processes. © Richards (2012)

© Richards (2012) 16