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Hydrothermal deposits of economically valuable and recoverable minerals are generally considered scarce, meaning such deposits are very small relative to the total area of earth's surface. [ 2 ] Each of these deposit types is usually considered to represent a distinctive deposit group with common features and in a similar four-dimensional ...
Epithermal — mineral ore deposits formed at low temperatures (50–200 °C) near the Earth's surface (<1500 m), that fill veins, breccias, and stockworks. [2] Telethermal — mineral ore deposits formed at shallow depth and relatively low temperatures, with little or no wall-rock alteration, presumably far from the source of hydrothermal ...
The sulphide minerals are a class of minerals containing sulphide (S 2−) or disulphide (S 2− 2) as the major anion. Some sulfide minerals are economically important as metal ores . The sulphide class also includes the selenides , the tellurides , the arsenides , the antimonides , the bismuthinides, the sulpharsenides and the sulphosalts .
Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits, also known as VMS ore deposits, are a type of metal sulfide ore deposit, mainly copper-zinc which are associated with and produced by volcanic-associated hydrothermal events in submarine environments. [2] [3] [4] These deposits are also sometimes called volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) deposits
Iron ore (banded iron formation) Manganese ore – psilomelane (size: 6.7 × 5.8 × 5.1 cm) Lead ore – galena and anglesite (size: 4.8 × 4.0 × 3.0 cm). Ore is natural rock or sediment that contains one or more valuable minerals, typically including metals, concentrated above background levels, and that is economically viable to mine and process.
The ore fluids of MVT deposits are typically low temperature (100 °C–150 °C) and have the composition of basinal brines (10–30 wt.% NaCl equivalent) with pH's of 4.5–5 (buffered by host carbonates). This hydrothermal fluid may or may not carry the required sulfur to form sulfide minerals.
The dispersal of hydrothermal fluids throughout the global ocean at active vent sites creates hydrothermal plumes. Hydrothermal deposits are rocks and mineral ore deposits formed by the action of hydrothermal vents. Hydrothermal vents exist because the Earth is both geologically active and has large amounts of water on its surface and within ...
Eventually a point is reached where the minerals start to crystallise out. [2] Minerals formed in this way are called primary, or hypogene, minerals. Sulfur is a common component of the fluids, and most of the common ore metals, lead , zinc , copper , silver , molybdenum and mercury , occur chiefly as sulfide and sulfosalt minerals. [ 3 ]