Student: KEAT LENARITH Date : 26/10/2011

Definition:

Wall Rock Alteration include those mineralogical and chemical change and it caused by the circulating of hydrothermal fluid within the host rock of or bodies. Hydrothermal: -Temperature -Pressure -Fluid compositions

I. Classification of Alteration: 1- Advanced argillic alteration -Characterized by alunite ,pyrite, tourmaline, topaz -Inner or vein ward zone joining or porphyry copper deposits associate with granodiorites. -Low PH (<4) condition -Found shallow precious-metal vein 2- Sericitic alteration -Characterized by sericite, with inclusion of K-feldspar and/or biotite. -Present in nearly all type of hypogene ore-forming environments in aluminous rocks and also in gold quartz and massive sulfide systems. - Sericitization may be closely associated with sulfide ore.

3- Intermediate argillic alteration -Characterized by kaolinite, montmorillonite and calcic plagioclases in intermidiate igneous rocks. -Sulfides are not generally important. -This type of alteration is grading to propylitic toward fresh rock and sericitic toward a vein. 4- Propylitic alteration -Characterized by epidote, albite chlorite, carbonate -Forms near neatral to alkaline conditions -K-feldspars are commonly encountered in propylitic alteration assemblages.

5- Potassium silicate alteration -Characterized by potassium feldspars and mica. -Clay minerals are absent though a small amount of chlorite may be present with green biotite. -Present in Hydrothermal environment and Epithermal deposit. 6- Silicification -Characterized by increasing of quart or opaline silica. -Silicification is commonly most closely associated with sulfide depositions in sulfide ore deposits. -It may be associated with advanced argillic alteration, sericitization, chloritizationetc.

II. Hydrothermal alteration product 1-Porphyry copper deposits The major type of alteration are : porpylitic assemblage, intermediate assemblage, sericitic alteration and potassium silicate assemblage. In some place, the advanced argillic assemblage is also present. 2-Alteration zones surrounding veins in granodioritic host roks The products are around the large veins. Most the types of alteration are presented in zoned alteration araound individual veain in granitic rocks.

3-Alteration associated with ore bodies in limestone host rocks There are three majors types of alteration in limestone. -cation exchange to form dolomite, ankerite -reaction using bases from the carbonate minerals to form contact silicate, including more hydrous phase such as serpentine. - Replacement of the carbonate completely by silicification to either quart or opaline silica. 4-Alteration in epithermal mineral deposits in volcanic rocks Many of base-metal veins and porphyry copperdeposits associate with granodiorite show marginal characteristics of ore same as those developed in epithermal deposits.

These deposits give geological whose ore are principally silver and gold. 4-Alteration in massive and vein sulfide deposits and gold-quartz veins in metamorphic rocks Gold-quartz veins and base-metal sulfide deposits containing pyrrhotite are found in folded and metamorphic geosynclinal rocks. 5-Alteration associate with hematite-bearing vein deposits in metamorphic and andesitic rocks The cabalt-nikel-uranium-silver association in sulfur deficient, but shows oxygen content.

III. The chemical exchange between ore depositing solutions and wall rocks 1.Type of chemical reaction in alteration Several different kind of reaction may be involved in alteration: Hydration or dyhydration, cation metasomatism and anion metasomatism. Probably the most important process of metasomatism in most kind of wall rock alteration is that mineral hydrolysis, or hydrogen metasomatism. For example: the sericitzation of orthoclase in an aqueous solution 3 KAlSi3O8 + 2H+ -> KAl2AlSi3O10 + 2K+ + 6SiO2