EA2111 Geological Resources

Greisen Sn-W, skarn and pegmatite

deposits

Lecture 15
 Greisen (German “greissen” - to split)
Definition: Hydrothermal alteration assemblage in granitic rock. Specifically
quartz-muscovite with one of more F- or B-bearing minerals (most commonly
fluorite, topaz or tourmaline).

Differs from Phyllitic alteration by

the presence of F- or B-bearing
minerals, a general lack of pyrite
and by development of coarse
grained muscovite rather than fine
grained sericite.

Tourmaline veins in granite (Cligga Head, Cornwall)

Tectonic settings of granite-related ore
deposits

Found in orogenic belts

experiencing
compression or post-
collision extension.

Depth of intrusion and

magma chemistry are
important factors in the
types of metal deposits
that form.

Sn-W deposits formed

in reduced granites at
intermediate depths.

Rare metal pegmatites

tend to form in deep
crustal granite systems.
Magma compositions and porphyry systems

Cu-Au porphyries associated

with mafic or bimodal mafic-
intermediate magmas.

Cu and Cu-Mo porphyries

derived from intermediate
magmas.

Mo and Mo-W porphyries

linked to very felsic magmas.

Sn-W granites are highly

fractionated and strongly
reduced with ilmenite as the
primary Fe oxide.

From: Sillitoe (2010)

S-type granites

• Derived from partial melting of a

sedimentary protolith.
• Peraluminous so Al > (Ca+Na+K)
• Muscovite-rich granites
• They lack amphibole as a mafic
mineral.
• Reduced - Low Fe3+/Fe2+ magmas
• Ilmenite ([Fe,Mg)2TiO4]) rather
than rutile (TiO2) or titanite
(CaTiSiO5) is the main Ti-bearing
mineral.
• Sn and W are incompatible in
ilmenite and concentrate in the
final melt.
 Schematic greisen ore system

Hydrothermal system is developed in the upper few hundred metres of a granite batholith, around
a cupola and its associated wall rock. Sheeted and stockwork veins are present above the cupola.
Quartz-tourmaline veins in granite (Cligga Head)
Quartz-tourmaline veins in granite (Cligga Head)
 Alteration and metal zonation in greisens

Maps and sections of tungsten vein deposits illustrating mineral and alteration zoning. (A) Chicote Grande
deposit, Bolivia; (B) Xihuashan, China (from Cox and Bagby, 1986).
Metal districts and the Cornubian batholith
 Settings of mineralization in Cornwall

After Hosking (1969)

Davison (1927) developed a model of zonation (tin/tungsten/arsenic mineralisation
passing out into copper, then lead/zinc, and finally antimony/manganese/iron
mineralisation) giving rise to a concentric arrangement of mineralisation radiating out
from the exposed granite cupolas. The classic example is the St Agnes mining district.

Dines (1934) provided field evidence against this, noting that the various zones were
considerably flatter than the granite contact and that the higher the zone, the greater
its lateral extent. Dines also suggested that the appearance of certain minerals in
particular zones was temperature dependent and determined by the temperature
gradient between the granite and the surface.
Mineral zones of the St Agnes district
 Tourmaline

Black variety – “Schorl”

From Klein and Phillpotts 2013 “Earth Materials”

 Sn-W pegmatites and veins

Wolframite-bearing quart-feldspar-tourmaline
pegmatite (South Crofty mine, Cornwall)

Black Sn-W bearing veins cut by barren quartz-

feldspar veins (South Crofty mine, Cornwall)
Section through an idealized Cornish Sn vein

Section showing the relative position of gossan, supergene and hypogene ores. Adapted from the Camborne-Redruth
mining district. (After Hosking (1988).
 Weathered greisenized granite

China clay extraction (Wheal Martin) – Cornwall fieldtrip in 2012

Porphyry-epithermal-skarn systems
 Skarn-hosted deposits
Definition: ore deposit in carbonate-bearing rocks that have been hydrothermally
altered to calc-silicate minerals (± magnetite ± Mg-bearing silicates). Mineralization
is typically found within ~ 1km of the contact with the igneous intrusion and may be
present in fractures or disseminated through the altered rock.
 Skarn deposit characteristics and types

• High grade but low tonnage (restricted to the immediate

vicinity of the intrusion)
• Cu, Cu-Au and Au-rich skarns
– Ertsberg (PNG), Carr Fork – Bingham (USA)
• W and Sn-W skarns
– King Island (Tasmania), Cantung (Canada)
• Sn skarns
– South China tin belt
• Fe (magnetite) skarns
– Cadelaria district (Peru)
• Other rare types (Li, Be, Ta, PGE).
 Dry contact metamorphism

• Basic (anhydrous) intrusions into

unreactive country rocks.
• Isochemical recrystallization and
growth of new metamorphic
minerals in the contact aureole.

• Nothing extra added or removed

from the intrusion or the country
rocks.

Image from Larry Meinert, GEUS tungsten workshop 2013

 Skarn formation

• Hydrous magmas and/or highly

reactive country rocks.
• New metamorphic minerals
develop in the contact aureole in
response to elements being
added/removed.
• Ore metals generally added by
the intrusion.
• Metals precipitated from the ore
fluids by reaction with the
country rocks.
• True skarns form close to the
intrusion.
• Skarnoids form via distal
replacement of country rocks.

Image from Larry Meinert, GEUS tungsten workshop 2013

 Skarn formation

Image from Larry Meinert, GEUS tungsten workshop 2013

 A rare mafic skarn (Platreef footwall)

Mafic magma intruded into siliceous dolomites

4 (Mg,Ca)CO3 dolomite + 3 SiO2 chert = Mg2SiO4 olivine + CaMgSi2O6 diopside + 4 CO2

Tectonic settings of granite-related ore
deposits

Found in orogenic belts

experiencing
compression or post-
collision extension.

Depth of intrusion and

magma chemistry are
important factors in the
types of metal deposits
that form.

Sn-W deposits formed

in reduced granites at
intermediate depths.

Rare metal pegmatites

tend to form in deep
crustal granite systems.
Model formation pegmatite rare deposits.

KEY:
1— coarse-and medium-biotite granite;
2—fine-and medium-grained muscovitized granite
3—aplite-like, aplite;
4 — oligoclase-microcline pegmatite
5—graphic pegmatite (qtz-K feldspar)
6—microcline in blocks with beryl and columbite
7—microcline-albite with tantalite, cassiterite, beryl
(rarely spodumene),
8—albitic (productive) with tantalite, cassiterite,
beryl, pollucite, spodumene, lepidolite
9—albite (cleavelandite)-spodumene, with tantalite,
amblygonite, petalite, polychromatic tourmaline;
10—faults;
11, 13—direction of the fluid movement;
12 —ore-controlling deep fault.
 Minerals from rare metal pegmatites

Lepidolite (Li-mica)
Topaz

Gem tourmaline Beryl (emerald)

 Bikita Lithium Mine, Zimbabwe

Largest single Li deposit in the world. Announced expansion plans in 2017 to double production.
The removal of Robert Mugabe as President of Zimbabwe will make attracting investment easier.
 Further Reading
• Mineralization in Cornwall – The Cornubian orefield
(http://myweb.tiscali.co.uk/geologyofcornwall/Mineralisation.htm).
• Elliot et al. (2000) Vein and greisen Sn and W deposits. USGS Report.