Geochemical Differentiation of "Ore Solutions"

Abstract

Assuming a hypothetical mean ocean water to represent the "parental ore solution", possible effects of such chemical variables as pH, metal concentration, and salinity on the resultant ore-forming processes were examined on the basis of available thermochemical data of related hydrothermal systems. On this basis, a variety of geochemical processes responsible for the differentiation of ore types in nature was discussed.
Applications of the results to the Kuroko ores of Miocene age in Japan and Recent submarine sulfide ores on the Red Sea floor suggest the prevalence of slightly alkaline hydrothermal process and/or some insigni-ficant metal-leaching process for the former type of mineralization and the less alkaline hydrothermal process and/or some significant salt-leaching process for the latter type of mineralization.