Collaborative Research: Testing the hypothesis that iron oxide - copper - gold (IOCG) deposits and iron oxide - apatite (IOA) deposits evolve as parts of the same mineral system

合作研究：检验氧化铁-铜-金（IOCG）矿床和氧化铁-磷灰石（IOA）矿床作为同一矿物系统的一部分演化的假设

• 批准号: 1924177
• 负责人: Ryan Mathur
• 金额: $ 7.37万
• 依托单位: Juniata College
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2019
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2019-09-01 至 2022-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1924177&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Testing; hypothesis; iron

The sustainability of the human race depends on finding the natural resources necessary to maintain the built infrastructure of the developed world and to build capacity in developing countries. Metals such as iron, copper and gold are among the most important natural resources used by society as they are embedded throughout our built environment. Iron is used to make steel. Copper is used to generate electricity, and copper and gold are used to move electrical current through all electronic products including smart phones, computers, televisions, electric vehicles, airplanes and all medical devices. Two of the most important sources of iron, copper, and gold are mineral deposits known as iron oxide-copper-gold and iron oxide-apatite deposits. Geologists do not yet fully understand the genesis of these mineral deposit types. The lack of a genetic model limits our ability to find new deposits that are necessary to satisfy growing demand for these metals. In this study, we will investigate the formation of both deposit types in Chile and use the results to improve our understanding of a general recipe that can be used to predict the location of undiscovered deposits. The project involves underrepresented graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Michigan and Juniata College and will build new collaborations with the mining industry and academic partners in Chile. The science team will also participate in educational capacity building in West Africa each year. Iron oxide - copper -gold (IOCG) and iron oxide - apatite (IOA) deposits are two of the most controversial ore deposit types in economic geology. Despite having been mined for at least hundreds of years, there is no consensus for how the deposits formed. Despite clear time-space relationships among IOCG and IOA deposits in many districts worldwide, there is no consensus that the deposit types are genetically related. Despite clear time-space relationships with igneous activity, there is no consensus that either deposit type is genetically linked to silicate magma. There is consensus that IOCG deposits formed by purely hydrothermal processes, but the source of the ore fluid(s) is debated. There is no consensus for the formation of IOA deposits, with two very different genetic models proposed: 1) liquid immiscibility, a purely igneous process; and 2) a hydrothermal model that invokes basinal or magmatic brines. The most controversy centers on whether or not the two deposit types are genetically related, wherein a continuum is hypothesized to exist from shallow-level S-Cu-Au-Fe-rich IOCG mineralization that transitions to deeper S-Cu-Au-poor, Fe-rich IOA mineralization. In this study, we will investigate mineralization in the world-class Candelaria IOCG deposit and surrounding Punta del Cobre district in the Chilean iron belt where access to deep (1,000m) exploration drill core will allow us to test the hypothesis that these seemingly separate ore deposit types evolve from the same mineralizing fluid. This project has the potential to significantly change our understanding of IOCG and IOA deposits and has transformative implications for exploration strategies for these deposit types, which are increasingly important strategic sources of their namesake metals as well as rare earth elements (REE), U, P, V, Ag, Co, Bi and Nb, all of which make our built environment - education, medicine, transportation - possible. The project involves underrepresented graduate and undergraduate students at the University of Michigan and Juniata College and will build new collaborations with the mining industry and academic partners in Chile. The science team will also participate in educational capacity building in West Africa each year.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

人类的可持续性取决于找到必要的自然资源，以维持发达国家已建成的基础设施，并在发展中国家建设能力。铁、铜和金等金属是社会使用的最重要的自然资源，因为它们嵌入到我们的建筑环境中。铁被用来炼钢。铜被用来发电，铜和金被用来在包括智能手机、电脑、电视、电动汽车、飞机和所有医疗设备在内的所有电子产品中输送电流。铁、铜和金的两个最重要的来源是称为氧化铁-铜-金和氧化铁-磷灰石的矿藏。地质学家还没有完全了解这些矿床类型的成因。缺乏遗传模型限制了我们寻找新矿藏的能力，这些矿藏是满足对这些金属日益增长的需求所必需的。在这项研究中，我们将调查智利这两种类型矿床的形成，并利用这一结果来提高我们对可用于预测未发现矿床位置的一般配方的理解。该项目涉及密歇根大学和朱尼亚塔学院代表人数不足的研究生和本科生，并将与智利的采矿业和学术合作伙伴建立新的合作关系。科学团队每年还将参与西非的教育能力建设。铁氧化物-铜金(IOCG)矿床和铁氧化物-磷灰石(IOA)矿床是经济地质学中最具争议的两种矿床类型。尽管已经开采了至少数百年，但对于这些矿藏是如何形成的，人们并没有达成共识。尽管在全球许多地区，IOCG和IOA矿藏之间存在明显的时空关系，但对于这两种矿藏类型在成因上是否有关联，并没有达成共识。尽管与火成岩活动有明确的时空关系，但这两种矿床类型在成因上都与硅酸盐岩浆有关，这一点并没有达成共识。人们一致认为IOCG矿床是由纯热液作用形成的，但成矿流体的来源(S)存在争议。对于IOA矿床的形成没有达成共识，提出了两种截然不同的成因模式：1)液态不混溶，一种纯粹的火成岩作用；2)一种利用盆地或岩浆卤水的热液模式。最具争议的是这两种矿床类型是否存在成因联系，假设从浅层的S-铜-金-铁的富IOCG矿化过渡到更深的S-铜-金-金的富铁的IOA矿化。在这项研究中，我们将研究世界级Candelaria IOCG矿床及其周围智利铁带Punta del Cobre地区的矿化作用，在那里，接近深(1000米)的勘探钻探岩心将使我们能够检验这样一种假设，即这些看似不同的矿床类型是从相同的成矿流体演化而来的。该项目有可能显著改变我们对IOCG和IOA矿床的理解，并对这些矿床类型的勘探战略产生革命性影响，这些类型的矿床是其同名金属以及稀土元素(REE)、U、P、V、Ag、Co、Bi和Nb的日益重要的战略来源，所有这些都使我们的建设环境-教育、医药、交通-成为可能。该项目涉及密歇根大学和朱尼亚塔学院代表人数不足的研究生和本科生，并将与智利的采矿业和学术合作伙伴建立新的合作关系。该科学团队还将每年参与西非的教育能力建设。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

A Chemical Separation and Measuring Technique for Titanium Isotopes for Titanium Ores and Iron-Rich Minerals

钛矿及富铁矿物钛同位素化学分离及测定技术

• DOI: 10.3390/min12050644
• 发表时间: 2022
• 期刊: Minerals
• 影响因子: 2.5
• 作者: Mathur, Ryan;Emproto, Christopher;Simon, Adam C.;Godfrey, Linda;Knaack, Charles;Vervoort, Jeffery D.
• 通讯作者: Vervoort, Jeffery D.

Integrated O, Fe, and Ti isotopic analysis elucidates multiple metal and fluid sources for magnetite from the Ernest Henry Iron oxide copper gold (IOCG) Deposit, Queensland, Australia

• DOI: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2022.105170
• 发表时间: 2022-11
• 期刊: Ore Geology Reviews
• 影响因子: 3.3
• 作者: Christopher R. Emproto;R. Mathur;A. Simon;I. Bindeman;L. Godfrey;C. Dhnaram;V. Lisitsin