Exoskarn
Skarn alteration of the country rock, generally
carbonate
May be classified according to the dominant
mineralogy
Most of the worlds major skarn deposits are in
calcic exoskarns
Usually show a zoning of both silicate and ore
minerals
Endoskarn
Skarn alteration of intrusive rock
In classic carbonate intrusive contact, this would be the intrusive
rock altered to calc-silicate
May show zoning from potassic minerals (primary?) to calcic at
contact
proximal
distal
brown
GARNET
green-yellow
light color
(high-Mg)
PYROXENE
dark color
(high-Fe)
Retrograde skarn
stage
Cooling, involvement of meteoric fluids, oxidizing, CO2-rich
prograde anhydrous minerals substituted by hydrous silicates (e.g.,
chlorite, epidote, amphibole), iron oxides (magnetite, hematite),
calcite, quartz
5 CaFeSi2O6 + H2O + 3CO2 --> Ca2Fe5Si8O22(OH)2 + 3CaCO3 + 2SiO2
hedenbergite
actinolite
Retrograde Alteration
Skarn types
Calcic skarns: Ca- and Ca-Fe(-Mg)-silicates (wollastonite,
vesuvianite, andradite, hedenbergite)
Magnesian skarns: Mg- and Ca-Mg(-Fe)-silicates and
oxides/hydroxides (forsterite, diopside, talc, brucite,
periclase, magnetite)
Skarn types
Reduced skarns
Fe2+-bearing silicates (hedenbergite>>andradite)
FeO(aq) + 2SiO2(aq) + CaCO3 --> CaFeSi2O6 + CO2
diopside
Oxidized skarns
Fe3+-bearing silicates (andradite>> hedenbergite)
2FeO(aq) + 3SiO2(aq) + 3CaCO3 + 1/2O2 --> Ca3Fe2(SiO4)3 + 3CO2
andradite
Magma chemistry
Magma fO2
Hematite
fO2
Titanite
Magnetite
Ilmenite
Oxidized environment
Ca-sil (gar)
Px hfels
Calcareous
siltstone
px
limestone
dolomite
px
ol
gar
ol
Space-Time zonation
Mineralogy
Gar/px ratio
Gar color + composition
Px color + composition
Distal pyroxenoidvesuvianite
Metal ratios
Proximal: CuMoW
Distal: Mn-Pb-Zn-AgAu
Skarn Mineralogy
Present in almost all skarns
Other Common
More Local
Garnet
Olivine
Scapolite
Pyroxene
Wollastonite
Zeolite
Amphibole
Epidote
plagioclase
Quartz
Actinolite
Copper Skarns
Many (associated with porphyry copper deposits)
Calc-alkaline
Granodiorite to monzogranite stocks
Continental margins
Mesozoic and tertiary western Americas
Carboniferous arcs in western Russia
Island arcs
Quartz diorite to monzogranite
Cu skarn zonation