ECONOMIC GEOLOGY

AND THE

BULLETIN OF THE SOCIETY

ECONOMIC GEOLOGISTS

Vor,. 61 SEPTEMBER--OCTOBER,1966 No. 6

THE GENESIS OF THE MOUNT GOLDSWORTHY IRON ORE

DEPOSITS OF NORTHWEST AUSTRALIA

R. T. BRANDT

CONTENTS

PAGE

Abstract ............................................................. 999

Introduction ......................................................... 1000
Iron ore deposits..................................................... 1000
Lode type deposits................................................ 1001
Crust type deposits................................................ 1001
Derived type deposits ............................................. 1002
The Mount GoldsworthyOrebodies ................................. 1002
Genesis of the ores ................................................... 1004
Locletype deposits................................................. 1004
Crust type and derived type deposits................................ 1004
Comparisonswith other iron ore deposits.............................. 1006
Hamersley Iron Province, Western Australia ........................ 1006
Western Australia, general ......................................... 1006
Middlebackranges, South Australia ................................. 1007
Minas Gerais, Brazil .............................................. 1008
Cerro Bolivar, Venezuela .......................................... 1008
Fort Gouraud, Mauritania ......................................... 1008
Conclusion .......................................................... 1008
Acknowledgment ..................................................... 1009
References .......................................................... 1009

ABSTRACT

The iron ore depositsof Mount Goldsworthy and the Port Hedland
district occur in, or in association with, banded iron formation of
Archeart age. The deposits are classified into three different types:
(a) Lodetype, (b) Crusttype, (d) Derivedtype.
Lode type depositsare deep, conformablelensesof massive hematite
within the bandediron formation. They were formerly regardedby the
999
1000 R. T. BRANDT

writer (1) as ancientsupergene

depositsformedin early Precambrian
times, foldedwith the host rocks and preservedby prolongedburial under
youngerstrata. In the light of further fieldevidencethis opinionhasbeen
revised and the hypothesisnow favored is hydrothermal-metamorphic
reconcentrationof iron in the bedsduring or after Precambrianfolding.
Crust type depositsare relativelyshallowsurfacecrustsof hematite
and goethiteformed by supergeneiron enrichmentof the outcropof the
iron formation. They are much more numerousand much younger than
lodetypedepositsandoriginatedby prolongeddownwardleachingof silica
from the host rock, probablyduring a past period of higher rainfall.
Derived type depositsconsistof iron oxides transported,either as
detritus or in solution or both, and re-depositedaway from their source
area. They are productsof mechanicaland chemicalweathering of the
iron formation, which achieved,simultaneouslywith the leaching of the
silica, the transportation and re-deposition of large amounts of iron.
The depositsrange from iron-cementeddetrital accumulationsto flat
sheets and mesas of chemically precipitated "limonite." The latter
variety are thought to have been formed under the same climatic condi-
tions and at the sametime as the principal crust type deposits.
Recent geological literature contains descriptions of other iron ore
depositsthat appear similar in character and origin to those here de-
scribed, and could be grouped under the same genetic headings. It is
thought that an important percentage of the world's iron ore deposits
in Precambrian rocks can be placed in the three categoriesused here.

INTRODUCTION

THE iron ore depositsof Mount Goldsworthy,in the Port Hedland districtof
North-WesternAustralia,havebeenknownsincethe beginningof the century
but were not investigatedwith a view to exploitationuntil 1960. Intensive
explorationwork in the succeeding years has proved their commercialvalue
and productionof iron ore from the principal depositis due to begin in 1966.
Geologicaldescriptionsof the Mount Goldsworthydepositshave been
given in two previouspublications(9, 1) and only the briefest summaryis
needed here.
Geologicallythe Port Hedland district is part of the Western Australia
Archean shield. The iron ores occur in banded iron formation (generally
known in Western Australia as jaspilite) that forms part of a thick Archean
volcanic-sedimentary succession.The rocksare closelyfolded and strongly
faulted, having been compressedinto arcuate synclinalbelts and complex
knotsof foldingbetweenlarge ovoidmassesof graniteand gneiss. Someof
the graniteis intrusiveinto the beds.
The presentland surfaceon the Archeanrocksis a flat plain diversifiedby
low but ruggedrangesof hills. Remnantsof flat-lying Mesozoicstrata are
preservedas isolatedmonadocks on the plain, and the presenterosionsurface
is regardedas an ancientone, resurrectedin Tertiary times from beneatha
Mesozoiccoverand not muchmodifiedby erosionsince.

IRON ORE DEPOSITS

The bandediron formation(or jaspilite) containsbetween20 and 45 per-

cent of iron, mostlyas hematite. It is regardedas the protoreor sourcerock
 GENESIS OF AUSTRALIAN IRON ORE DEPOSITS 1001

of the iron, which,by bothhypogene and supergeneprocesses, becamecon-

centratedlocallyto form commercialgradedeposits.Three distincttypesof
deposit occurandhavebeengiventhefollowing names:(a) Lodetype,(b)
Crusttype,(c) Derivedtype.
Lode TypeDeposits.--Lodetypedeposits are deep,relativelynarrow,con-
formablelenses of massivehematitewithinsteeplydippingbandedironforma-
tion. The depositsareassociated
withtectonicstructuresandhavesharpcon-
tactswith the enclosingrocks. At the extremitiesof the lensesthe hematite
tendsto splitup intoa numberof thinnerbedsthat fingerout into iron forma-
tion. Thebandedstructure of theironformationis commonly preservedin the
hematite,demonstratingthe replacementoriginof the latter. Locallythereis
evidenceof mobilizationduringthe replacement, the bandedstructurebeing
brokenup and the silica expelledand re-deposited as veins of crystalline
quartz. The iron formationin contactwith the hematitehas in manyplaces
beenconverted to a soft,limonite-stained
clayrock,composedof clayminerals
and fine quartz, which has cometo be known as "mudstone." This rock,
which changeslaterallyinto normal,hard bandediron formation,is sug-
gestiveof an envelopeof hydrothermalargillic wall rock alterationsurround-
ing the deposit. There is alsoevidence
of an intermittentouterenvelopeof
silicification,
in whichtheironformationhasbeenconverted to a lightcolored,
patchy,iron-poorchert. Thesefeaturesare indicativeof a hypogene origin
for the iron ore.
The ore of lode type depositsis massive,granularand specularhematite,
generallyfinelyporous. The compositionrangeis 65-69% Fe, 0.2-4.0% SiO2,
0.4-2.5% Al_oO3, 0.01-0.06%P, and0.1-1.5% combined water. Manganese
is presentbut seldomexceeds1 percent. Other impuritiesare insignificant.
The ratio of silicato aluminais more or lessinverselyproportionalto the
iron content,beinghighestin the lowestgradeore and lessthan unity in the
highestgrade. The phosphorus contentis generallylessthan 0.05 percent,
but somelocalpatchesof abnormallyhighphosphorus occurand their distri-
butionpatternis not yet understood.
In the upperpartsof the deposits therehasbeenconsiderablesupergene
hydrationand cavitationof the ore, attributable
to downwardleachingby
surfacewaters. This has resultedin a downgradingof the iron and an
increasein the contentof waterand otherimpurities.The effectextends,in
certainnarrowzones,to depthsof severalhundredfeetandis thoughtto have
beenfacilitatedby the presence,
in the'ore, of small amountsof argillic
material.
CrustTypeDeposits.--Crust typedepositsare shallowcappingsof hema-
tite andgoethiteformedontheupturnededgesof steeplydippingironforma-
tion protorebeds. They are of supergene origin,formedby the downward
leachingof silicafrom the uppermostparts of the protorebeds,with simul-
taneoushydrationand redistribution of muchof the iron. They havealso
beencalled"outcropreplacement type"deposits(9).
The deposits generallyhavehorizontaldimensions considerablygreater
than their depth, which is limited to one or two hundredfeet. The lower
profileof the ore is gradational
and irregular,dueto iron enrichment
pene-
1002 R. T. BRANDT

trating to differentdepthsin differentlaminae. The ore is a mixture of fine-

grainedhematiteand goethite,is very porousand cavernous,stronglybanded,
and splitseasilyinto thin slabsalongthe bedding.
The near-surface ore is generallyof low grade,containinga high propor-
tion of goethite,but commonlyexhibitsa very thin surfaceskinof hematiteor
maghemite,due to dehydrationon exposedsurfaces. Farther down the
gradeimprovesas the proportionof hematiteincreases, until, near the base
of the deposit,the contentof silicarisesrapidlyas the ore passes
downwards
into enrichedprotoreandfinallyunalterediron formation.
Crusttype deposits are muchmorenumerousthan lodetype deposits and
havea lower and wider rangein gradeof 57-66% Fe, 1.0-11.0% SiO=, 1.0-
3.0% A120•,0.02-0.5% P (averageabout0.07%), and 1.0-7.0% combined
water. Abundantmaterialof lower gradethan this exists,but it is classedas
enrichedprotore,not iron ore.
Derived Type Deposits.--Thesedeposits,also known as "detrital type"
(9), wereformedby erosionand transportation of iron oxidematerial,either
as detritusor in solutionor both,and its re-deposition
eithernear or far from
its sourcearea. The varietiesrangefrom conglomerates of detritalorigin to
extensivesheetsof chemicallyprecipitatedlimonitecontainingfew, if any,
detrital fragments.
The largestdepositsof this groupare the pisoliticlimonites,.which
are of
little importancein the Port Hedlanddistrictbut are of considerable extent
elsewhere(6). They are composed of massiveand pisoliticlimonite,with a
very smallamountof interstitalhematiteand generallya thin surfaceskin
of hematiteor maghemite.Detrital fragmentsare rare or absent. The com-
positionrangeof thesedeposits
is 53-58% Fe, with 5.0-11.0% SiOo.+ Al.•Oa,
0.02-0.055 P and9.0-12.0% combined
water.
Derived type depositscomposedof detrital material have iron contents
depending on the proportionof hematitetheycontain,whichappearsto be a
functionof their age. The oldestknowndeposit,whichis of Proterozoicage,
is almostentirelyhematite. The youngerdet)osits
are very largelylimonite.
The Mount GoldsworthyOrebodies.--The geologyand structureof the
Mount Goldsworthyorebodieshas beendescribedin other publications(9.
1). A diagrammatic sectionacrossthe two principalorebodies is shownin
Figure 1. No. 1 orebodyis of lodetypeand No. 3 orebodyis of crusttype.
No. 1 orebodyis a steeplens of massivehematiteof unknowndepth,
boundedon the north sideby a major transcurrentfault and on the south
sideby thebeddingof theadjacentironformation.North of the orebodyis a
considerable thickness of structureless "mudstone," which is believed to
representiron formation,sheared,granulatedand hydrothermally
altered,
with its bandedstructuredestroyed
andmostof the silicasegregated
into pods,
veinsand large randommassesof chert. Deep drillholespenetratingthe
"mudstone" have intersected contorted relics of banded iron formation
preservedwithin it.
On the south side of No. 1 orebodythe hematitehas a sharp and con-
Cormablecontact with iron formation that has been partially convertedto
 GENESIS OF AUSTRALIAN IRON ORE DEPOSITS 1003

"mudstone"up to about 50 feet from the contact. There is hardly any

disturbance of structure.
No. 3 orebodyconsistsof lower grade, partly hydratedore that passes
gradationallydownwardsinto enrichedprotore. No structuralcontrol is

NORTH SOUT

/No.1OREBODY
I

/No.
3OREBODY

I • •,/i '"Ii/./i
"' 'i' '• 'I
?- ///////,///
•7/',// , /
APPROX. SCALE:
? 11•0 1100 I 6100 I 6100
FEET

REFERENCE

• Hemaffie
rehigh
ß ,grad•
ßS$-S9'1.
Fe
• Henretire
ore
, •r gre•
, 57-66'1.
Fe.
.• •zed
g•e •d•mefite
.
• •s•ec•rt.

Fig. • DIAORANNA/C SECTION• MOUNT OOLDSWOR/HV

N•. 1 and 3 ORE.DIES

Fig. 1. Diagrammatic Sectionof Mount GoldsworthyNos. 1 and 3 Orebodies.

visibleand no "mudstone"is presenton the margins. However, parts of the

ore are limonitic and of clayey consistency,with the appearanceof having
developedon "mudstone"rather than on jaspilite. It appearspossiblethat
wherethereis somehydrothermalargillicalterationof the protore,this renders
it more susceptibleto supergeneiron enrichmentand aids the formationof
crusttype deposits.
1004 R. T. BRANDT

GENESIS OF THE ORES

Lode Type Deposits.--Lodetype depositsare associatedwith tectonic

structures
of Precambrian ageandhaveno geneticrelationto the presentland
surfaceor water table. The supergene
hydrationand cavitationinherentin
the formation
of crusttypedeposits
is alsoexhibited
in the lodetypes,but
hashada down-grading effectandis clearlya secondary
superposedphe-
nomenon
unconnected
with thegenesis
of theprimaryore.
Similardepositshavebeendescribed in otherpartsof the world,notably
Brazil (4) andMauritania(5). The Brazilianhigh-grade hematitedeposits,
whichappearto be exactparallelsto the Mount Goldsworthy lodetype,are
considered by Dorr to be structurallycontrolledhypogenereplacements of
the protorebedsthat were formedby hot fluidsactivein metamorphism,
the iron havingbeenleachedfrom the protorebedsat depthby hot rising
solutionsand re-depositedin structuralzonesof reducedpressure. Dorr
emphasizes thatthesedepositsreplacebedsthat werealreadyfoldedandthey
are thereforelateor post-tectonic.
On the other hand the paleo-magnetic
studiesof Grossand Strangway
on the hard hematite lenses of Mauritania, which also resemble the Mount
Goldsworthylodetype,haveindicatedthat thesedepositsare pre-tectonic in
originand wereformedwhenthe enclosing bedswere still flat, or nearlyso.
Basedon thesefindingsthe presentwriter, in a previouspublication(1),
tentatively proposeda supergenepretectonicorigin for the Mount Golds-
worthy lode type deposits. This envisagedsupergeneconcentration of iron
along low angle thrust fault zones in gently dipping protore beds during
the early post-Archeanphaseof tectonismand erosion,the depositsafterwards
acquiringtheir presentsteepattitude during folding. The prolongedburial
of the Archean landscape,first under Proterozoic strata and then under
Mesozoicrocks,was thoughtto have been instrumentalin preservingthese
very ancientdepositsfrom erosion.
Dorr (4) dismisses any supergeneor syngenetichypothesisfor the Bra-
zilian depositson two grounds. Firstly, the aluminaand phosphorus contents
of the highestgradehematitesare muchlower than in any known supergene
oresformedfrom the sameprotorebeds. No mechanismis known by which
theseconstituentscould subsequently have been removed. Secondly,had the
depositsbeenformedbeforefolding,foldedstructureswould not be preserved
in them and the beds would have deformedquite differently owing to the
greatercompetence of the hematite. Both theseargumentscould apply to
Mount Goldsworthy.
In view of the strongevidenceof hydrothermalwall rock alterationassoci-
atedwith lodetype deposits,the presentwriter haschangedhis earlieropinion
and now favors Dorr's view that depositsof this type are of hypogene-meta-
morphicorigin and probablypost-tectonic.Thi.swouldnot conflictwith other
field evidenceprovided ore formation took place in the pre-Proterozoicera.
The age of formation has not been determined,however, and the problem
cannot be said to be solved.
Crust Type and Derived Type Deposits.--The crust type depositsof
Mount Goldsworthyand the Port Hedland district are similar in all es-
 GENESISOF AUSTRALIAN IRON ORE DEPOSITS 1005

sentialrespectsto the supergeneLake Superiortypedeposits thatare numer-

ousin otherpartsof theworld. Thesedeposits owetheiroriginto chemical
weathering of iron-richprotorebeds. The essential process, whichhasbeen
described in many other publications, is the preferentialleachingof silica
from hostrockscomposed of little elsebut silicaand iron oxide. In the
caseof derivedtypedeposits, erosion andtransportationof iron-richmaterial
playeda majorpartin addition.To explainall theobserved featuresof both
typesof deposit,thefollowing
processes mustbevisualized asactingin unison:
(a) Leachingby downwardpercolating surfacewatersof enormous quantities
of silicafrom the protorebeds,wherebythe bedsin the zoneof weatheringwere
relativelyenrichedin iron oxideup to a maximumlimit imposedby the presence
of combinedwater and other non-leachableimpurities. As there is no evidenceof
re-depositionof silicaexceptin minuteamounts,it is assumed
to havebeencarried
away in solution.
(b) Simultaneoushydration and leaching of smaller amountsof iron, some
of which was re-precipitate.
d within the host rock a short distancefrom its source,
and somewas carried greater distancesand precipitatedas the iron oxide cement
of derived type deposits.
(c) Mechanical erosion of the protore beds. giving rise to derived type
detrital accumulations
cementedby iron oxide depositedfrom solution. After
depositiontheseaccumulationswere subjectto the sameprocessof silica leaching
and iron enrichmentas were the protore bedsin situ.
(d) Superficialdehydrationof goethiteand limoniteto hematiteor maghemite,
forming a thin surfaceskin of ore of rather higher grade than that immediately
underlying it. The hardening and cementationof soft and porous ore at the
surface is universal and could possiblybe attributed in part to seasonalrise of
minute amountsof iron oxide in solutionto the surfaceby capillarity.
The downwardzonalpatternof crusttype depositsdemonstrates the effects
of three of the aboveprocesses.A thin sporadicsurfaceskin of hematiteis
underlain by a zone of maximum hydration in which most of the original
hematite has been converted to goethite and partly redistributed into the
spacesvacatedby the silica. This passesdownwardsinto a more hematite-
rich zone in which silica has been leachedbut there is lesshydration and re-
distributionof iron. Near the baseof the depositthe amountof unleached
silica increasesrapidly downwardsas the ore passesinto enrichedprotore.
The removal or redistributionof such large amountsof material must have
entailedthe downwardpassage of considerablequantitiesof water throughthe
depositover a long periodof time. This appearsto havetakenplacethrough
innumerablechannelwaysfurnishedby the porosity of the depositand the
underlyingaltered rocks. Some structural control would seemto have been
necessaryto guide the solutionsin the first place,but in no known deposit
hasthisyet revealeditself.
Derived type depositscomposed
of iron oxide-cemented
detrital material
are generallyhardenedand slightly enrichedat the surface. The effects of
silica leachingof the fragmentsafter depositioncan sometimesbe observed.
Such depositsmay contain fragments of original iron ore or fragqnentsof
siliceousmaterial that have been iron-enrichedby le.qchingafter deposition.
The ferruginouscementmay have been derived partly from the fragments
themselves and partly from the sourcefrom which the fragnnentscame.
Derived type depositsof the flat mesa type, consistingof massiveand
1006 R. T. BRANDT

pisoliticlimonitewithoutdetritalfragments,are of morecontroversial origin.

MacLeod and Halligan (8) regard the pisoliticlimonitedepositsof the Robe
river area of northwestAustralia as detrital accumulations
thoroughlyleached
and deprived of silica by the same processesand at the same time as the
HamersleyRangecrusttype depositswere formed. Harms and Morgan (6),
on the other hand, considerthem to be bog iron ores formed by chemical
precipitationof hydratediron oxideson the floorsof shallowlakesduring a
period of very wet climate. Whatever their origin, it is clear that cemented
detrital depositsand pisoliticdepositswithout detritusare closelyrelated,as
theformercanbeseento passgradationally intothelatter.
There is no direct evidenceof the age of crust type and derived type de-
posits,but thoseof the Hamersleyiron provinceare considerednot younger
than early Tertiary (8). There are someindicationsthat iron enrichmentmay
be continuingat a very slowrate at the presentday, but in generalthe deposits
appearto be fossil featuresbelongingto a past period, probablyof wetter
climate. The formationof a sizeablecrust type depositprobablyrequireda
considerable time and could have taken place only on a relatively static land
surfacewith a very slow rate of erosionallowering. The evidencepresented
earlier, that the landscapeof today is not greatly differentfrom that of pre-
Mesozoictimes, suggeststhat ore formationcouldhave begunat this remote
period, before burial of the surface under Mesozoic strata, and continued
duringand after removalof thesecoveringbedsin Tertiary times.

COMPARISONS WITH OTHER IRON ORE DEPOSITS

A number of papershave been publishedrecentlyon iron ore depositsin

Western Australia and elsewhere. In many casesthe descriptionsgiven by
the writers suggestthat certaintypesof depositthat havebeengivendifferent
namesin differentlocalitieshave originsin commonand can be grout)edto-
getherunder the samegeneticheadings. Someof theseare listedin Table I,
in which other depositsconsideredanalogousto thoseof the Port Hedland
districtare groupedwith themin the samecategories.
Hamersley Iron Province, I47esternAustralia.--The iron ore depositsof
this extensiveiron provinceoccurin, or in association with, bandediron for-
mationof Proterozoicage that is compositionally similar to the Archean iron
formation of Mount Goldsworthybut structurally rather different. The
hematite-richdepositsare essentiallysimilar to the Mount Goldsworthycrust
type,thoughmuchmoreextensive,and are considered to havethe salneorigin.
Lode type depositshave not been identified. Some differencesof opinion
exist on the origin of the derived type pisolitic limonites. MacLeod and
Halligan (8) maintain that they are leacheddetrital accumulations,while
Harms and Morgan (6) incline to the view that they are chemicallypre-
cipitatedbogiron deposits.
I47esternAustralia, General.--In a review of iron ore depositsthroughout
WesternAustralia,MacLeod (7) classes the crust tyr•eder•ositsof the Ham-
ersleyiron provinceas "Hamersleytype," the pisoliticlimonitesas "Robe
type" (beingbestdevelopedin the Roberiver area of the Hamersleyprovince)
 GENESIS OF AUSTRALIAN IRON ORE DEPOSITS 1007

and the deepdepositsin Archeaniron formation(includingMount Golds-

worthy) as "Shieldtype." The latter are attributedto metamorphic
and
metasomaticprocesses
modifiedby supergeneactionandare described
asdeep
and generallyconcordantwith bedding. This is a fair descriptionof the
Mount Goldsworthylodetype.

Tfi.BI• I

CO.M]?ARISONS
WITH OTHER IRON ORE DEPOSITS

I•AAITY TIrPE OF DEPOSIT RE•'RENCE

Mount I•de Orust Deri•d

;oldswo•y Ty• Type T•
Hemtire

- •ke •- or O•a. Macmod &

ior T•e. H•i•
(1965).
Piso•
•Y Limonite.
•ON
•RO•E, Te•ia•

[U•T•LIA - Hi• • or C•a.

Hemrite. et •.
(1964).
Te•la•
Limo•.

Pis•c Ha• &

- - L•onite. Morg•
(•964).

•STE•{ Shield Ha•rsley Ro• •c•

A•T•IA T• Ty• Type ( 1964)
•D•BAOK Hemtire- •en &
P•IGES, •e t ite - - Whitehe•
BO• O•. (1965).
A•IA

High G• _ - ,Dorr
He•tite ( 1965 );
MIN•

B•%ZIL. Grade O•. No• &

Che•cal Do•
gtmct• O•a. (1964).
O•a.

•O Cm•l •e.
Ruc•ck
•LIV•R, - Ca•a. ( 1963
)
FORT Hard Soft Ha• G•ss &
•, Hematite. Hematite. He•tite St•
•IT•IA. T•. (1961 ).

MiddlebackRan#es,Southzqustralia.---These
deposits,described
by Owen
andWhitehead(10), are muchmorecomplexthanthoseof MountGolds-
worthy,butastheyoccurin Precambrianjaspiliteandaredeep,structurally
controlled
and attributableto hypogene
processes of formation,they can
legitimately
be placedin the samecategory
as the MountGoldsworthy lode
type.
1008 R. T. BRANDT

Minas Gerais,Bragil.--TheseBraziliandeposits, describedby Dorr (3 and

4), bear the most strikingresemblances to the three Port Hedlanddistrict
types. The Brazilianhighgradehematites appearto haveall the featuresof
the Mount Goldsworthylode type, but, beingmuch more numerous,are as-
sociatedwith a great variety of structuresand not only with faults. The
supergene intermediate-gradeoresand structurecangasare exactlyanalogous
to the Mount Goldsworthy• crust type, structurecangabeing a completely
hydratedsuperficialform of crust type ore that is not commonlyseenin
the Port Hedland district. The normal and chemical cangas of Brazil are
the equivalents
of the detritaland chemically
precipitated
derivedtype ores
respectively.
Cerro Bolivar, Venezuela.--TheCerro Bolivarores (11) are of supergene
originand,like the Braziliansupergene
ores,are stronglydifferentiated
into
anupperhydrated zone(crustalore) anda lowerhematitic
zone(friableore).
Both thesetypesare thereforeequivalentto the Mount Goldsworthy crust
type. Derivedtypeoresof bothdetritaland chemical characteroccurand
are known as cangas.
Fort Gouraud,Mauritania.--The hard hematiteores of Mauritania (5),
havethefeaturesof lodetypedeposits andare considered,on paleo~magnetic
grounds, to be pre-tectonic
in origin,unlikethe similarBrazilianhigh-grade
hematiteswhichare thoughtto be post-tectonic.This conflictingevidenceof
time of formationremainsan enigma. The softhematites of Mauritaniaare
described by the authorsas shallow,non-concordant depositson steeply
dipping beds,owingtheiroriginto surface leachingof gangue minerals from
theironformation.Thisgeneraldescription wouldfit theMountGoldsworthy
crusttype. Thesedeposits are saidto begenerallysoft,butcapped by a few
feetof hardhematite,and havea chaoticstructuredueto solutionand slump-
ing. No mention is madeof anylimonite, an unexpected featurein deposits
formedby aqueous solution
processes.
It mustbe assumed
thatunderthe
prevailing
climaticconditions
the near-surface
dehydration
of goethiteto
hematitewasvery rapid.
CONCLUSION

Studiesof theironoredeposits
of MountGoldsworthy
andthe Port Hed-
land districthave revealedthe existenceof three typesof deposit. The lode
typeowesitsorigintoprocessesofconcentration,
probably
hypogene,thatwere
activein thedistantgeological
pastandarenowextinct. The crusttypeand
derivedtypewereformed muchlaterbysupergene
processes
thatmay,in some
places,
bestillactiveat thepresentday.
Thedescriptionsof otherironoredeposits
publishedin geological
litera-
ture,particularly
in recentliterature,
suggest
thatthisthreefold
classification
andthe postulated
geneticprocesses
involvedare by no meansuniquebut
maybeapplicable
to manyotherironorefieldsin whichdeposits
of ironore
occur in Precambrian rocks.
Understandably
thereisnouniformityof terminology
between
oneironore
fieldandanotherandan attempthasbeenmadeaboveto groupcertaintypes
knownby differentnamesin differentpartsof the worldunderthe same
 GENESIS OF AUSTRALIAN IRON ORE DEPOSITS 1009

three geneticheadings. The list and classification are very far from com-
plete, but it is thoughtthat an important percentageof the world's iron ore
resources may fall into thesethreecategories.

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

The writer wishesto thank the managementof GoldsworthyMining Pry.

Ltd. for permissionto publishthis paper.
CHIEF GEOLOGIST,GOLDSWORTHYMINING PTY LTD.,
PORTHEDLAND, W. AUSTRALIA,
March 17, 1966
REFERENCES

1. Brandt, R. T., 1964, The iron ore deposits of the Mount Goldsworthy area, Port Hedland
District, Western Australia: Aus. I.M. and M. Proc., No. 211, p. 157.
2. Campana, B., Hughes, F. E., Burns, W. G., Whitcher, I. G., and Muceniekas, E., 1964,
Discovery of the Hamersley iron deposits: Aus. I.M. and M. Proc., No. 210, p. 1.
3. Dorr, J. Van N., II, 1964, Supergene iron ores of Minas Gerais, Brazil: EcoN. GEo•..,
v. 59, p. 1203.
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