The Mantoverde iron oxide Cu-Au deposit (Chile): Characteristics, genesis and relationship with Andean magnetite(-apatite) systems

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The iron oxide (Cu-U-Au-REE) deposit class is accepted as an empirical category of ore deposits classification. This class includes Fe deposits that are barren in respect to Cu and Au (e.g. magnetite ±apatite deposits such as Kiruna, Sweden) and deposits that contain these two latter metals (i.e. iron oxide Cu-Au deposits or IOCG deposits). The aim of the proposed research project is to determine the ages and investigate the characteristics, controls, and origin of the Mantoverde IOCG deposit and selected magnetite(-apatite) deposits in northern Chile. The project will address unresolved questions such as: ¿ the source, composition and evolution of ore-forming fluids, ¿ the source of the metals, ¿ the ore forming processes, ¿ the role of coeval magmatism, ¿ the types and characteristics of alteration and their spatial distribution relative to the ore, ¿ the precise ages of alteration and mineralization, and ¿ the possible relationships between Cu-Au bearing (IOCG) systems and Fe-oxide-only systems. The ultimate goal of the investigation is to elucidate the processes, which control the Cu-Au mineralization in these iron oxide-rich systems.