The Nurukawa kuroko ore deposits was discovered on the west of Lake Towada on the border of Aomori and Akita Prefectures, northern Honshu, Japan, as the result of systematic exploration program from 1979 to 1984. This report is a summary of story of the discovery, the geology and the ore deposits.
In the east of this area, the old Towada Ginzan deposits which mined from late 19th century to early this century has been known, and also the Namariyama Ginzan deposits were discovered in 1968. Both deposits are of the kuroko type.
In 1982, a possible existance of the new kuroko deposits was indicated by the study of old Towada Ginzan deposits, detailed geological survey, geochemical study of the alteration of low Na
2O content in pre-mineralization acidic volcanics, and geophyisical exploration of IP method.
Based on the information obtained by these study, drillings for investigation on the geologic structure and a systematic drilling program was planned and carried out. Consequently Nurukawa No. 1 to No. 5 ore bodies were discovered by underground and surface drillings between late in 1982 and September 1984.
The geology of the area is mainly characterized by active dacite lava and dacitic pylocastics of the Miocene Tertiary, which are divided into four units named Nabekurazawa, Lower Hayasemori, Upper Hayasemori, and Tobe formations in ascending order.
The ore deposits occur at the top of the Lower Hayasemori formation and consists of five ore bodies of black ore. The ore is also divided into two types on the basis of their mode of occurtences. The one is bedded, and associated with silicious network ore, disseminated ore and gypsum ores. The other is fragmental, and associated with gypsum ores.
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