Source(s) and Distribution of Metals in Porphyry Copper Deposits

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9316051 Bodnar The porphyry copper deposits are major producers of copper as well as molybdenum, zinc, lead, gold, silver, arsenic, selenium and other metals. It is proposed to investigate sources of the metals in porphyry copper deposits by conducting synchrotron XRF (SXRF) analyses of carefully selected fluid inclusions from 6 ore deposits representing a wide range in vertical and lateral positions within the larger magmatic-hydrothermal system. Preliminary SXRF analyses of samples from the Red Mountain and Morenci, AZ, and the Santa Rita, NM., porphyry systems document the feasibility of conducting nondestructive analyses of individual fluid inclusions from these deposits. Most of the samples to be studied have previously been characterized through detailed petrography, microthermometric and geochemical analysis, and their position within the paragenetic sequence and their relationship to hypogene copper mineralization are well understood. Results from this study will improve our understanding of the genesis of this important ore deposit type by identifying which fluids are carrying metals and where these fluids are distributed vertically and laterally within the magmatic-hydrothermal system.