Epithermal

Photograph taken from Morrison et al. (1991)

Nopember 2008

Schematic diagram of a porphyry Cu system in the root zone of an andesitic stratovolcano

showing mineral zonation and possible relationship to skarn, manto, "mesothermal" or
"intermediate" precious-metal and base-metal vein and replacement, and epithermal
precious-metal deposits.

1. Definisi
2. Klasifikasi
3. Karakteristik:
- Host rock
- Mineral alterasi
- Mineral bijih
- Geokimia
- Tekstur/struktur
4. Contoh endapan epitermal

Epithermal
Metalliferous deposits formed near the surface by
ascending thermal waters and in genetic conjunction
with igneous rocks
Waldemar Lindgren, 1933

near the surface shallow (

1500 m depth)

Epithermal deposit yang dijumpai di lingkungan

volkanik umumnya berumur Tersier.
Q: Mengapa demikian?

Epithermal
* Mineralisasi dikontrol oleh permeabilitas
* Permeabilitas dapat disebabkan oleh struktur,
aktivitas hidrotermal, atau jenis batuan
* Ore fluids merupakan campuran antara air magmatik
dan air meteorik atau air laut atau air connate, etc
dengan proporsi yang bervariasi

Epithermal
* Ore fluids mempunyai temperature = 150 280 0C
(bisa mencapai 350 0C);
salinititas = <1 5 wt% NaCl (bisa mencapai 30 wt%
NaCl)
* Pengendapan/pembentukan mineral terjadi ketika
larutan hidrotermal mengalami pendinginan (cooling)
dan degassing, yang dapat disebabkan oleh fluid
mixing dan/atau boiling dan decompression
* Endapan mineral dijumpai berupa replacement,
dissemination dan open space filling (vein,
stockworks)

Epithermal
Catatan:
Dahulu selalu diasosiasikan dengan aktivitas
batuan beku (magmatik) di lingkungan subduksi
Sekarang ada yang berpendapat bahwa epithermal
deposits termasuk yang terbentuk di dekat
pemukaan (shallow depth) di lingkungan volkanik
bawah laut (VMS) atau di batuan non-volkanic;
misal: vein deposits di batuan sedimen
(e.g. Sillitoe et al., 1996;
Taylor, B.E., 2007. Epithermal gold deposits. Mineral Deposits o f
Canada, Spec.Publ. no. 5, p.113-139)

TYPES AND STYLES OF EPITHERMAL

MINERALIZATION
(A) Open -vein type; (B) Hot -spring type; (C) Disseminated -replacement type.

OPEN-VEIN TYPE

HOT SPRING TYPE

DISSEMINATED-REPLACEMENT TYPE

TYPES AND STYLES OF EPITHERMAL

MINERALIZATION
Berdasarkan sulphidation state dapat
dibagi menjadi 3 subtipe:
1. High sulphidation (HS)
2. Intermediate sulphidation
3. Low sulphidation (LS)

TYPES AND STYLES OF EPITHERMAL

MINERALIZATION
Berdasarkan sulphidation state dapat
dibagi menjadi 3 subtipe:
1. High sulphidation (HS)
sebutan lainnya:
quartz - alunite; alunite - kaolinite;
enargite - Au; high sulphur

Key minerals

TYPES AND STYLES OF EPITHERMAL

MINERALIZATION
Berdasarkan sulphidation state dapat
dibagi menjadi 3 subtipe:
2. Intermediate sulphidation (subvariant of LS)

TYPES AND STYLES OF EPITHERMAL

MINERALIZATION
Berdasarkan sulphidation state dapat
dibagi menjadi 3 subtipe:
3. Low sulphidation (LS)
sebutan lainnya: adularia sericite;
low sulphur
Key minerals

TYPES AND STYLES OF EPITHERMAL

MINERALIZATION
Berdasarkan sulphidation state dapat
dibagi menjadi 3 subtipe:

(from: Taylor, 2007)

Vuggy silica
alteration pada
fragmen breksi
bertekstur
porfiritik

Vuggy silica
alteration pada
tuf lapilli

Vuggy silica
alteration pada
intrusi porfiritik

Photographs taken from Corbett (2002)

(from: Taylor, 2007)

(from: Taylor, 2007)

High-grade (70 g/t gold),

low-sulfidation quartzadularia veins, Hishikari
deposit, Japan (photo by
Sumitomo Co.)

(from: Taylor, 2007)

Adularia (salmon pink) bersama chalcedony

dan quartz- Cracow Queensland.

(from: Taylor, 2007)

Crustiform (alternating) dan colloform ( botryoidal)

antara quartz (gray & purple) dan chalcedony
(blue & white)

Breksi hidrotermal dengan intergrowth

marcasite, pyrite, sphalerite, galena dan
quartz di antara fragment breksi Cirotan
Indonesia

(from: Taylor, 2007)

Fruta del Norte LS deposit, Ecuador, Quartz and Native Gold

Tekstur dan Struktur

From Dong et al. (1995)

Low Sulfidation Textures

The HAURAKI goldfield in the Coromandel volcanic
zone North Island, New Zealand, contains about 50
epithermal Au-Ag deposits in a north-southoriented
belt, 200 km long by up to 40 km wide, extending from
Great Barrier .The deposits are quartz calcite
adularia illite. The goldfield mined and unmined
resources are over 218,000 kg (7 Moz)
A.
B.
C.

D.
E.
F.

G.

Crustiform quartz vein, Martha, Waihi.

Platy calcite coated by quartz, Martha, Waihi.
Boxwork bladed quartz after calcite with fine grained euhedral quartz overgrowths, Martha,
Waihi.
Jigsaw breccia in the footwall of theEmpire
vein, Golden Cross.
Quartz vein breccia with rounded milled clasts,
Empire vein, Golden Cross.
Crustiform quartz and sulfide vein with bands
of visible electrum overgrown by 1 - to 3-mm
band of chalcopyrite with lesser electrum.
Crustiform vein with dark bands of sphalerite,
galena, chalcopyrite, pyrite, and electrum,
Talisman mine, Karangahake. H.
Photomicrograph of electrum (bright yellow),
sphalerite (medium gray),galena (white),
chalcopyrite (medium yellow), and quartz
(dark gray) from one of the dark bands shown
in (G).

Tekstur dan Struktur

Quartz comb structure

Zoned euhedral quartz

from Morrison et al. (1991)

Form of Deposits
Low Sulfidation
(adularia/ sericite )

High Sulfidation
(Acid sulfate)

Open-space veins dominant

Disseminated ore mostly minor
Replacement ore minor
Stockwork ore common

Veins subordinate, locally common

Disseminated ore dominant
Replacement ore common
Stockwork ore minor
Epithermal deposits are
extremely variable in form
because of the low pressure,
hydrostatic condition of
formation. Form depends on
permeability differences in the
host rocks. Rock permeability
controls the site of fluid flow and
resulting Precious metals
precipitation. Rock permeability
may be provided structurally,
hydrothermally and lithologically

Grade and
Tonnage

(from: Taylor, 2007)

Porphyry

Epithermal

Grade and
Tonnage
(comparison)

Skarn

H O stable
isotope

(from: Taylor, 2007)

Contoh Endapan Epithermal

Cirotan, Jawa Barat

Contoh Endapan Epithermal

Cirotan, Jawa Barat
Au-rich Low sulphidation

from Marcoux and Milesi (1994)

Contoh Endapan Epithermal

Cirotan, Jawa Barat

from Marcoux and Milesi (1994)

Contoh Endapan Epithermal

Hickeys Pond prospect area,
Southern Newfoundland
(Au-Fe-rich High sulphidation)

from OBrien et al. (1999)

Contoh Endapan Epithermal

Cirotan, Jawa Barat

from OBrien et al. (1999)

TamaT