Porphyry deposit
A large, low-grade deposit formed above a shallow magmatic intrusion, usually in a subduction arc. Fluids released by the magma fracture the rock and deposit metals as veinlets and disseminations, over volumes measured in billions of tonnes. It is the world’s main source of copper and molybdenum.
Composition
Metals: Cu, Mo, Au (Ag, Re). Minerals: chalcopyrite, bornite, molybdenite, pyrite, magnetite; potassic, phyllic and propylitic alteration halos.
Sources
In the atlas
- Escondida Chile
- Chuquicamata Chile
- Bingham Canyon United States
- Hongshan-Hongniu China
- Mikheevskoe Russia
- Northparkes Australia
- Grasberg Indonesia
- Henderson United States
- Climax United States
- El Teniente Chile
- Bingham Canyon United States
- Qulong China
- Sharang China
- Jiru China
- Zhuonuo China
- Chagele China
- Jigongcun China
- Sar Cheshmeh Iran
- Malanjkhand India
- Llallagua Bolivia
- San Rafael Peru
- Oyu Tolgoi Mongolia
- Batu Hijau Indonesia
- Cañariaco Peru
- Pebble United States