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

人类的可持续性取决于找到必要的自然资源，以维持发达世界已建成的基础设施，并建设发展中国家的能力。铁、铜和黄金等金属是社会使用的最重要的自然资源之一，因为它们嵌入到我们的建筑环境中。铁被用来炼钢。铜用于发电，铜和黄金用于通过所有电子产品（包括智能手机，电脑，电视，电动汽车，飞机和所有医疗设备）移动电流。铁、铜和金的两个最重要的来源是被称为氧化铁-铜-金和氧化铁-磷灰石矿床的矿床。地质学家还没有完全了解这些类型的矿物存款的成因。缺乏遗传模型限制了我们寻找新矿床的能力，而这些矿床是满足对这些金属不断增长的需求所必需的。在这项研究中，我们将调查形成的两种存款类型在智利和使用的结果，以提高我们的理解的一般配方，可用于预测未发现的存款的位置。该项目涉及密歇根大学和Juniata学院代表性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。科学团队每年还将参与西非的教育能力建设。 氧化铁-铜-金矿床和氧化铁-磷灰石矿床是经济地质学中争议最大的两种存款类型。尽管已经开采了至少数百年，但对于矿床的形成没有达成共识。尽管世界上许多地区的IOCG和IOA矿床之间存在明确的时空关系，但对于存款类型之间的遗传相关性还没有达成共识。尽管与岩浆活动有着明确的时空关系，但两种存款类型在成因上是否与硅酸盐岩浆有关还没有达成共识。人们一致认为，IOCG矿床是由纯粹的热液过程形成的，但对成矿流体的来源存在争议。对于IOA矿床的形成没有共识，提出了两种非常不同的成因模型：1）液体不可渗透性，一种纯粹的火成岩过程; 2）热液模型，调用盆地或岩浆卤水。最大的争议集中在这两种存款类型是否在成因上相关，其中假设存在一个连续体，从浅层次的S-Cu-Au-Fe-富IOCG矿化过渡到更深的S-Cu-Au-贫，Fe-富IOA矿化。在本研究中，我们将调查智利铁矿带中世界级Candelaria IOCG存款和周围蓬塔del Cobre地区的矿化情况，在该地区，获得深部（1,000米）勘探岩心将使我们能够测试这些看似独立的矿石存款类型从相同的矿化流体演化而来的假设。该项目有可能显著改变我们对IOCG和IOA矿床的理解，并对这些存款类型的勘探战略产生变革性影响，这些类型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筑环境-教育，医疗，运输成为可能。该项目涉及密歇根大学和Juniata学院代表性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。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.