AT4-4: Mineral chemistry as an exploration tool for ore deposits.

Conveners: Fernando Barra, Universidad de Chile. Irene del Real, Universidad Austral de Chile. Martin Reich, Universidad de Chile. fbarrapantoja@ing.uchile.cl

Description: In recent years, several studies have been carried out using trace element chemistry in various mineral phases as an innovative tool in the exploration of mineral deposits. These studies are mainly divided into two large groups: minerals indicating mineralization or tracers of mineralized centers (“mineral vectoring”) and minerals indicating fertility or metallic potential. A growing number of minerals have been incorporated into the so-called “indicators minerals” (IM) particularly in the exploration of porphyry copper. These include oxides, phosphates, sulfates, and silicates, such as magnetite, rutile, titanite, epidote, chlorite, tourmaline, jarosite, alunite, and zircon.

We invite the geological community to present contributions focused on the investigation of mineral chemistry and/or isotopic geochemistry of gangue and ore mineral phases that contribute to the development of these new exploration tools and to the better understanding of the processes involved in the formation of mineral deposits.