Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits

(VMS/VHMS)
Volcanogenic massive sulfide ore deposits (VMS )
are a type of metal sulfide ore deposit,
mainly Cu-Zn-Pb which are associatedwith and
created by volcanic-associated hydrothermal events
in submarine environments.
These deposits are also sometimes called
volcanic-hosted massive
sulfide (VHMS) deposits. Because?
Introduction
They are predominantly layered accumulations of sulfide
minerals that precipitate from hydrothermal fluids on or
below the seafloor in a wide
range of ancient and modern geological settings. In
modern oceans they are synonymous with sulfurous
plumes called black smokers.
Smokers
Morphology

 VMS deposits have a wide variety of morphologies,

with mound shaped and bowl shaped deposits most
typical. The bowl-shaped formations formed due to
venting of hydrothermal solutions into submarine
depressions - in many cases, this type of deposit can
be confused with sedimentary exhalative deposits. The
mound-shaped deposits formed in a way similar to
that of modern massive sulfide deposits - via
production of a hydrothermal mound formed by
successive black smoker chimneys. Deposits that have
formed in environments dominated by sedimentary
rocks or highly permeable volcanic rocks can show a
tabular morphology that mimics the geometry of the
surrounding rocks.
 VMS deposits have an ideal form of a conical area of highly
altered volcanic or volcanogenic sedimentary rock within the
feeder zone, which is called the stringer sulfide or stockwork
zone, overlain by a mound of massive exhalites, and flanked by
stratiform exhalative sulfides known as the apron.
 The stockwork zone typically consists of vein-hosted sulfides
(mostly chalcopyrite, pyrite, and pyrrhotite) with quartz, chlorite
and lesser carbonates and barite.
 The mound zone consists of laminated massive to brecciated
pyrite, sphalerite (+/-galena), hematite, and barite. The mound
can be up to several tens of metres thick and several hundred
metres in diameter.
 The apron zone is generally more oxidised, with stratiform,
laminated sulfidic sediments, similar to SEDEX ores, and is
generally manganese, barium and hematite enriched, with
cherts, jaspers and chemical sediments common.
Tectonic settings and distribution

 VMS deposits are found

 1. at divergent plate margins (ophiolite-associated deposits
Known as Cyprous/Cupreous deposits)
2.Convergent plate margins in island arcs known as Primitive
 3. back arc basins spreading centres margins (Kuroko
deposits)
4. Associated with forearc /trench enviroment/Bisshi

 No preferred time distribution for VMS deposits, which range

in age from about 3500 Ma in the Pilbara craton (NW Australia)
to the modern sulfide deposits of the East Pacific Rise.
Examples

 Examples
 Kidd Creek
 Bisshi

 Noranda

 Kuroko Deposits

 Cyprus

 Red Sea and modern Black Smokers

Kesler, 1994
Favourable horizons

 large portion of the deposits in an area occur close

to a single stratigraphic horizon.

 within a stratigraphic horizon, the localization of

individual VMS lenses seems to be strongly related
to structural controls in the substrate

 synvolcanic faults, rhyolite domes or topographic

depressions, caldera rims, subvolcanic intrusions
Types of VMS deposits

 •Based on tectonic environment

 Kuroko-type/Polymetallic

 Cyprus/Cupreous

 Besshi/Kieslager
 Primitive
Zonation in VMS deposits

 Increase in Zn:Cu ratio upward and outward

from the core of the massive sulfide lens
Reflects the effects of local physicochemical
gradients on mineral precipitation and
alteration by an ore fluid. Progressive local
cooling of the solutions rather than other
physicochemical changes such as dilution,
oxidation, or pH change causes the Cu-
dominant to Zn-dominant zonation.
ZONNING IN VMS
 Galena and sphalerite are more abundant in the upper half of the
ore bodies where as chalcopyrite increases towards the footwall
and grades downward into chalcopyrite stockwork ore

 Houston and Large (1989) showed that gold tends to have two
distinct occurrences:

 Au-Zn-Pb-Ag association found in the upper part of zinc-rich

massive sulfide lenses

 Au-Cu association in the majority of massive sulfide deposits;

commonly present in the stockwork and lower portions of
copper-rich deposits
Zonation of alteration pipes
 In terms of silicate mineralogy the alteration pipes in Cu-Zn deposits
are characterized by chloritic cores and sericitic margins

 Mg enrichment (i.e. chlorite) in the core of the alteration pipe is often

observed

 In Cyprus chloritic cores are surrounded by illite or illite-smectite

peripheries

 In some cases illite alteration dominates the entire alteration pipe

 Quartz-sericite alteration dominates alteration below Kuroko deposits

and chlorite is ubiquitous in footwall rocks for at least several
kilometers away from the sulfide mineralization
Origin
 Source of ore fluids
 Majority of geological informations point

towards a broadly syn-depositional origin for

these deposits.
 A. Based on koroku type deposits fluid

inclusions, salinity , T and O2 isotopes, the

ore fluids were dominantly sea water with a
small meteoric and magmatic contibution.
 Same results for cyprous very close to

modern sea water.

Source of ore fluids

 stable isotopes of Ancient ores and modern

hydrothermal systems along MOR indicate
that much ore fluids were sea water
circulated deeper up to 5km
Nature of ore forming fluids:

 Base metals were transported as chlorides

information derived by extreme chlorinity and
low sulphide-ion activity suggesting of active
hydrothermal brine systems and fluid
inclusion studies.
Heat source
 Meteoric water and sea water circulated deep
into the underlying sediments and volcanics,
the circulation being driven by convection
due to igneous heating( underlying sills, rift
ridge enviroment)
 also helped by deep subsidence,
 compaction and low grade metamorphism.
Source of metals and S
 Mostly metals were contributed by leaching of
metals from the rocks through which the
deeply circulated, weakly acidic,heated
solutions passed.
 As these solns were higly Cl which strongly

reduced the conditions allowing the

breakdown of the silicate mineral structures
thus release trace metals.
 Metals were transported by solns upwards

towards submarine vent.

Source of Metals and S
 Deposition is resulted
by.................................
 Sulphur:1. Sea water sulphate by reduction to

sulphide by either interaction wid

hydrothermal solns and ferrous components
or by organic or inorganic reduction of coevel
sea water sulphate at the site of deposition
 . Some time magmatic source.
Gentic model
Massive sulphide deposits associated with
volcanics were formed by hyd fluids generated
mainly by deep convective circulation of marine
nd meteo waters rather by magmatic
differentiation.
The introduction of the metalferous fluids is
considered to be syn-or slightly postdepositional.
this wd result in sulphide chemical pptn in mounds
near vents on sea floor and by diagenetic reaction
wid already lithified sediments and by sea
floor(footwal) pore space infill rather than by
large scale replacement of the rock
 Early formed sulphides might be deformed or
brecciated by subsequent hydrothermal
activity.
 Downslope movement of the ore forming

solns wd result in the formation of distal

deposits.
 The movement of the ore forming solns

through the sulphide mound wd result in

metal zoning with dominantly cu towards the
base and zinc higher up.