EGRU News July 2015

NEWSLETTEREconomic Geology Research CentreCollege of Science, Technology and EngineeringJames Cook UniversityTownsville, QueenslandAustralia

Issue: July 2015

IN THIS ISSUE:

NE Qld Prospectivity Project Update

2014 EGRU Annual Report

2 EGRU News July 2015

EGRU 2015

EGRU Board

dirEctor’s rEport 5

NE Qld prospEctivity projEct 7

suBprojEct updatEs 8

oNE-day sEmiNar 14

short coursE & Workshop rEports

orE tExturEs & BrEccias iN miNEralisEd systEms 15

cloNcurry iocG short coursE 16

advaNcEd FiEld traiNiNG 19

EGru visitors 18

EGru staFF & studENt updatEs 20

thEsis aBstracts 24

2014 aNNual rEport 29

upcomiNG EvENts Back covEr

EGRU News July 2015 3

In this issue

Cover photo: Welcome Breccia, Charters Towers Province, Queensland, Australia. Photo courtesy of Dr Rob Holm, JCU.Photo page 3: View over the Corella Formation, Cloncurry District. Photo courtesy of Professor Tom Blenkinsop, Cardiff University

EGru coNtacts

EGRU DIRECTORAssociate Professor Zhaoshan ChangTel: 61 7 4781 6434Email: [email protected]

EGRU MANAGERJudy BottingTel: 61 7 4781 4726Email: [email protected]

EGRU COMMUNICATIONS OFFICERKaylene CamutiTel: 61 7 4781 4726Email: [email protected]

WEB: http://www.jcu.edu.au/egru/Economic Geology Research Centre (EGRU)

College of Science, Technology

and Engineering

James Cook UniversityTownsville, QLD, 4814, Australia

Major Research Projects

NE QLD Prospectivity ProjectAssociate Professor Zhaoshan ChangTel: 61 7 4781 6434Email: [email protected]

Geita Gold ProjectProfessor Paul DirksTel: 61 7 4781 5047Email: [email protected]

Adamantine Energy & Heritage Oil ProjectsDr Eric Roberts Tel: 61 7 4781 6947Email: [email protected]

Rare Earths ProjectAssociate Professor Carl SpandlerTel: 61 7 4781 6911Email: [email protected]

Antamina ProjectAssociate Professor Zhaoshan ChangTel: 61 7 4781 6434Email: [email protected]

LEVEL 1

South 32

Evolution Mining

Mount Isa Mines

LEVEL 2

MMG

Newmont

LEVEL 3Anglo American Carpentaria GoldChinova Resources FMR InvestmentsMap to Mine Mineral Resources Authority PNGTerra Search

LEVEL 4CSA Gnomic Exploration ServicesTeck

EGru mEmBErs

EGRU CHAIRMANTrevor ShawMount Isa Mines

DEPUTY CHAIR Kaylene CamutiLantana Exploration

DIRECTORA/Prof. Zhaoshan ChangCollege of Science, Technology and Engineering

Dan GoddardSouth 32

Roric SmithEvolution Mining

Jim MorrisonConsultant

Simon BeamsTerra Search Pty Ltd

Nick LisowiecCarpentaria Gold

Stewart ParkerConsultant

John NetheryNedex Pty Ltd

Ron FurnellRocsol Pty Ltd

Prof. Noel WhiteConsultantAdjunct JCU

Prof. Paul DirksDeanCollege of Science, Technology and Engineering

A/Prof. Carl SpandlerHead of Discipline - GeologyCollege of Science, Technology and Engineering

8 21 19

mailto:[email protected]



http://www.jcu.edu.au/egru







From the EGRU Director


EGRU 2015

EGru rEsEarch

GEOLOGY AND GEOCHEMISTRY OF ORE DEPOSITS AND IGNEOUS SYSTEMS

ResearchersA/Prof. Zhaoshan ChangDr Jan Marten HuizengaDr Christa PlaczekA/Prof. Carl SpandlerDr Cassian PirardDr Yanbo ChengDr Isaac CorralAdjuncts (overseas)Prof. Noel WhiteProf. Lawrence MeinertProf. Jeffrey HendenquistProf Antonio ArribasA/Prof Doug KirwanLocationsNorth East QueenslandMount Isa - Cloncurrry Districts, QldWA, SA, NTChinaIranPeruPhilippines

STRUCTURE AND TECTONICS OF ORE DEPOSITS AND RELATED SYSTEMSResearchersProf. Paul DirksDr Eric RobertsDr Ioan SanislavDr Rob HolmAdjunctsEmeritus Prof. Bob HendersonDr Mike Rubenach

LocationsNorth East QueenslandCloncurry District, QldTanzaniaZimbabweVanuatuNew ZealandPapua New GuineaSolomon Islands

COMPUTATION MODELLING APPLIED TO EXPLORATION AND MINING GEOLOGY

ResearchersA/Prof. John CarranzaDr Arianne FordAdjunctsProf. Tom BlenkinsopDr John McLellan

LocationsNorth East QueenslandPhilippinesIranSouth AfricaChina

EGru rEsEarch thEmEs

dirEctor’s rEportEGRU continued to grow in the past year, with an ex-panding team of researchers and increasing industry interaction. Recent EGRU short courses and seminars, that focussed on mineralisation in the western and east-ern terranes of north Queensland, and were organised in collaboration with industry, were highly successful and reached full capacity.

A three-year major collaborative research project with the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ) began in 2014 and recently presented the first-year findings. The project aims to characterise and assess the prospectiv-ity of intrusion-related hydrothermal mineral systems in north-east Queensland, and has funding of around $1.8 million from the GSQ and a cash contribution of $150,000 from Evolution Mining. The project’s end-of-first-year seminar in Townsville on the 27 May attracted around 110 participants. The seminar presented recent research results and also provided an informal forum for EGRU researchers and industry geologists to discuss the exploration potential of north-east Queensland. Updates on the project are included in this issue.

The north-east Queensland project has attracted three new Research Fellows to the EGRU team:

Dr. Yanbo Cheng (W-Sn-Mo Deposits and Magma Fer-tility of north-east Queensland);

Dr. Isaac Corral (Porphyry-Epithermal Deposits and Magma Fertility of north-east Queensland); and

Dr. Arianne Ford (GIS-based Prospectivity Analysis).

Postgraduate and honours student numbers have also continued to grow, with 11 new PhD and MSc students and 13 new Honours students in 2015. In 2014 12 Hon-ours students completed their degrees, and thesis ab-stracts from some of the recently completed Honours and PhD students are included in this issue of EGRU News. A list of current postgraduate research students and their research projects is also included on page 23.

In addition to its growing research effort, EGRU has continued to provide professional development oppor-tunities in the form of short courses and workshops, pre-sented both internally and externally. The EGRU courses are endorsed by the AIG and AusIMM and delegates at-tending the courses can earn Professional Development points from their professional bodies.

In March this year, in response to advice from the EGRU Board to run short courses close to industry operations,

EGRU organized a 3-day IOCG short course in Cloncurry with strong support from Mt Isa Mines / Glencore-Xstrata and Dr. Richard Lilly. The course was welcomed by industry geologists, and the number of partici-pants reached full capaci-ty. A report on the IOCG short course by Emma Beattie is included in this issue.

This year EGRU has also presented a MGM short course on Advanced Techniques in Mining and Mineral Explo-ration (20-28 April) and a MGM course on Advanced Field Training (29 June to 6 July). The MTEC Honours course on Ore Textures and Breccias (22-26 June) again attracted student participation to full capacity.

I was also pleased to present a short course on Skarn Deposits with Larry Meinert at the AusIMM PacRim 2015 Congress in Hong Kong, and to teach Skarn and High-Sulphidation Epithermal Deposits modules at the SEG-SGA workshop on Ore Deposit Models and Explo-ration, held in China in November 2014. We will be run-ning the Skarn Deposits short course again at the SEG 2015 conference in Hobart this September.

EGRU staff have kept high international profiles and sev-eral are editors, associate editors or guest editors of inter-national journals, including:

Zhaoshan Chang (Mineralium Deposita, Acta Geolog-ica Sinica – English edition, an SEG Special Publica-tion volume);

John Carranza (Ore Geology Reviews, Journal of Ge-ochemical Exploration, Resources Geology, Computers & Geosciences, Geochemistry (Exploration, Environ-ment, Analysis), Natural Resources Research);

Yanbo Cheng (Special Issue of the Journal of Asian Earth Sciences);

Bob Henderson (Aust Journal of Earth Sciences);

Carl Spandler (Special Issue of the Journal of Asian Earth Sciences);

Eric Roberts (Scientific Data (Nature), Palaios).

Associate Professor Zhaoshan Chang

continued on page 6


NE Qld Prospectivity Project


From the EGRU Director

prospEctivity oF iNtrusioN-rElatEd hydrothErmal miNErals systEms iNNorth East QuEENslaNd

In June 2014 EGRU launched a three-year $1.8m collaborative research project directed at enhancing the mineral exploration potential of north-east Queensland.

The project, which aims to characterise and assess the prospectivity of intrusion-related hydrothermal mineral systems in north-east Queensland, is a collaboration between EGRU researchers, the Geological Survey of Queensland (GSQ), and industry geoscientists.

The project is funded by the GSQ (Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Queensland) under the Future Resources Program, and by a generous cash contribution from Evolution Mining.

EGRU’s north-east Queensland Prospectivity project consists of seven subprojects:

� Magma-Related Hydrothermal Mineral Systems of the Northern Bowen Basin

� Geology of the Mt Carlton High-Sulphidation Epithermal Deposit

� Magma Fertility, Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Setting of Carboniferous and Permian Magmatic Complexes

� Metallogeny of Sn-W-Mo-Cu Mineral Systems

� Comprehensive Prospectivity Analysis

� Regional Alteration Mapping Using Remote Sensing Methods

� Geochemical Signatures of Intrusion-Related Mineral Systems

During the first year of the project a number of researchers joined the EGRU research team, work began on the subprojects (and continued right through the wet season), and the first year milestones were reached. The following articles provide updates on the subprojects and summarise the results to date.

dirEctor’s rEport (continued from page 5)

Many EGRU staff are also active in international organi-sations, including:

Zhaoshan Chang (SEG Publication Board and Inter-national Lecturer Sub-committee; IAGOD Chair of the Skarn Deposits Working Group);

John Carranza (IAMG Publication Committee);

Carl Spandler (Treasurer of the GSA Specialist Group in Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrology);

Bob Henderson (Chair of the GSA Award Commit-tee).

Other EGRU developments include the new Class 350 clean lab for high-precision solution isotope analysis, which is now fully functioning and can provide Sr and Pb isotopes analyses. Methods for Sm-Nd isotopes and Cu, Fe and Zn isotopes are also being developed. In addi-tion, the zircon separation and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating facilities, with the option of obtaining Hf isotope anal-yses on the same grains, are now open for collaborative and commercial clients. Full lists of facilities and analyt-ical capacities are included on pages 31 and 33.

EGRU is also expanding into engineering fields, with the inclusion of Associate Professors Siva Sivakugan (geo-technical engineering) and Ling Yin (drilling materials),

and Drs Dave Holmes (geophysics and oil reservoir nu-merical simulation) and Bithin Datta (water contami-nants and quality) as EGRU associate researchers.

The SEG Student Chapter has also been active, and ear-lier this year had the privilege of hosting Professor Neil Williams as the SEG Thayer Lindsley lecturer, and also as the AusIMM Haddon Forrester King Medalist, in col-laboration with the AusIMM North Queensland Branch. The Student Chapter is also organizing a field trip to New Zealand this November; for details please contact [email protected].

In response to the strong growth EGRU recently creat-ed a Communications Officer position. Kaylene Camuti, Chair of the AIG Education Committee and past AIG President (2012-14), is kindly helping EGRU in this role.

Planning for the next FUTORES (Future Understanding of Tectonics, Ores, Resources, Environment and Sustain-ability) conference is also underway, following the very successful first FUTORES conference in 2013 which at-tracted 245 participants from 15 countries. FUTORES-II will be held in Townsville from the 4 - 7 June 2017.

EGRU is growing larger and stronger. We thank the uni-versity and the college, and the minerals industry - particu-larly our members - for the strong support. We will keep working hard to contribute to our industry and society.

Townsville, Australia4 - 7 June 2017

For your calendar.......

A conference about the

Future Understanding of Tectonics, Ores, Resources, Environment and Sustainability







Samples of Lizzie Creek volcanics for geochemistry and geochronology were collected in the Mt Carlton district, and to the south-east near Collinsville. Results from the whole rock major and trace element geochemical analy-ses suggest the volcanics formed in a volcanic arc setting.

Geochonology was completed on zircons (U-Pb), al-unite from Mt Carlton (Ar-Ar), and molybdenite from the Capsize porphyry (Re-Os). The new age data include the following results, and indicate that alteration and mineralisation events overlap with the age of the host volcanics:

� Most of the Lizzie Creek volcanic rocks have dates ranging from 288 ± 4 Ma to 283 +5/-3 Ma (based on this study and previous work by Fanning et al., 2009 and Cross et al., 2012).

� The alunite from Mt Carlton gave a date of 284.3 ± 2.0 Ma.

� The molybdenite from Capsize gave a date of around 285.7 ± 1.2 Ma.

Samples of a high sulphidation lithocap that crops out for at least 15km along the Capsize Trend, north of the Mt Carlton mine, were collected for Short Wave Infrared Reflectance (SWIR) analysis. Preliminary results show variations in alunite compositions that suggest the major fluid source / heat centre for the lithocap is located about halfway between the Capsize and Capsize East porphy-ry-style occurrences.

Future work will include:

� Geological characterisation of additional deposits in the northern Bowen Basin.

� Age dating of alteration and mineralisation phases in other deposits.

�Age dating of host rocks and associated intrusions.

� Collection of SWIR spectra and mineral chemistry data from alteration minerals to identify potential vectors to fluid / heat sources.

References cited:Fanning, C.M., Withnall, I.W., Hutton, L.J., Bultitude, R.J., Gnielinski, F., and Rienks, I.P., 2009, Appendix - SHRIMP U-Pb zircon ages from Central Queensland: Queensland Geology, v. 12, p. 463 - 573.

Cross, A.J., Bultitude, R.J., and Purdy, D.J., 2012, Summary of results for the joint GSQ-GA geochronology project: Ayr, Bowen, Eulo, Mount Coolon, Proserpine and Warwick 1:250000 sheet areas, record no. 2012/19, Geological Survey of Queensland, Brisbane.

Magma-Related Hydrothermal Mineral Systems of the Northern Bowen BasinIsaac Corral, Zhaoshan Chang, Carl Spandler, Paul Dirks, Helge Behnsen, Fredrik Sahlström, Robert Henderson

The Bowen Basin is an elongate, north-south trending, asymmetrical basin extending from northern New South Wales through central Queensland, covering an area of approximately 200,000 km2. A number of tectonic mod-els have been proposed for the formation of the Bowen Basin complex, and the geodynamic setting during early development is still poorly understood. Epithermal and porphyry mineralisation occurs widely in the northern part of the basin and near the western and eastern mar-gins, associated with the early Permian Lizzie Creek Vol-canic Group (Bowen Basin basement).

During the three-year period of the research project, this subproject aims to:

� Document the geological characteristics of the min-eralisation.

� Determine the age and tectonic setting of minerali-sation.

� Examine the tectonic evolution of the region, the timing of the mineralisation in the tectonic evolu-tion, and how the various mineralisation styles are linked.

� Investigate the regional uplift history, which is im-portant to the preservation of mineralisation and for the estimation of the depth of potential deposits.

� Evaluate the potential for mineralization under the sedimentary cover of the Bowen Basin.

Work to date has focused on the Mt Carlton district in the northern Bowen Basin, approximately 50km north-west of Collinsville. The study area will be increased each year and will cover all the main mineral occurrences of the northern Bowen Basin.Several mineral deposits have been identified in the Mt Carlton district. Mineralisation includes high, low and intermediate sulphidation style, porphyry style, and mes-othermal and polymetallic veins. The most significant deposit in the district is the Mt Carlton high sulphidation Au-Ag (-Cu) deposit, which is currently being mined. This deposit is hosted in the Lizzie Creek volcanics and is sur-rounded by several porphyry and epithermal prospects.

suBprojEct updatEs Geology of the Mt Carlton High-Sulphidation Epithermal DepositFredrik Sahlström, Zhaoshan Chang, Paul Dirks, Isaac Corral, Mark Stokes

The lithocap at Mt Carlton hosts significant high-sul-phidation Au-Ag-(Cu) epithermal mineralisation, and is the site of the current mining operation. Recent work carried out in this subproject has focussed on character-ising the geology of the Mt Carlton deposit.The Mt Carlton deposit, located approximately 150km south of Townsville, is hosted in rocks of the Early Per-mian Lizzie Creek Volcanic Group. In the Mt Carlton area the Group comprises andesitic to rhyodacitic vol-canics and sediments, which are deposited on top of a monzogranite basement. Hydrothermal alteration and mineralisation are controlled by the protolith, and the most intense alteration and the ore bodies are confined to the rhyodacite units. Preliminary structural analysis of the deposit indicates it has undergone top-to-east shearing after formation. This deformation has affected the geometry of the volcanic sequence, and may have displaced deeper porphyry min-eralisation relative to the currently mined lithocap. The early silicic to advanced argillic alteration and lat-er mineralisation occurred in three stages, with an ini-tial high-sulphidation Au-Ag-Cu stage, followed by two intermediate sulphidation stages rich in Zn-Pb-Au and Cu-Au, respectively. These stages are:

� Stage 1: Widespread advanced argillic alteration, dominated by silica, alunite and dickite. � Stage 2a: High sulphidation Au-Ag-Cu minerali-sation, dominated by enargite and pyrite occurring in breccias, veins, and disseminated. Native gold is locally abundant. � Stage 2b: Intermediate-sulphidation Zn-Pb-Au mineralisation dominated by sphalerite, which is accompanied by abundant pyrite and galena and local barite. As with Stage 2a, native gold is locally abundant. � Stage 2c: Intermediate sulphidation Cu-Au mineral-isation. This is a newly recognised stage of miner-alisation that is dominated by tennantite, and cuts the Stage 2b mineralisation. Additional common but less abundant minerals include chalcopyrite, ga-lena, chalcocite and barite. Native gold also occurs locally.

The wavelength position of the SWIR 1480nm alunite absorption feature in the Mt Carlton lithocap, along with the distribution of hydrothermal breccia, suggest fluid flow from the north-east (the V2 open pit) towards the south-west (the A39 open pit).

Future work planned for this subproject includes: � Field observations and core logging to refine the volcanic stratigraphy. �Alunite dating to determine the age of the deposit. � Identifying deposit characteristics that can act as surface vectors to the causative intrusion, e.g. breccias, alteration zoning, metal zonation, mineral chemistry. � Isotope and fluid inclusion studies to determine fluid chemistry and temperature zoning.

Mount Carlton mineralisation:Top: Stage 2a high sulphidation enargite

and pyrite in veins within alunite.Centre: Stage 2a

native gold in enargite.Bottom: Stage 2c tennantite and

chalcopyrite cutting Stage 2b galena.Images courtesy of Fredrik Sahlström

enargite

Au

dickite

tetrahedrite

galena

chalcopyrite

sphalerite





Magma Fertility Related to Au-Cu Mineralisation in North QueenslandHelge Behnsen, Carl Spandler, Zhaoshan Chang, Isaac Corral, Robert Henderson

The concept of using geochemical proxies to deter-mine magma fertility is not new, but it has not yet been applied to extrusive volcanic rocks. This subproject applies and tests a recently developed magma fertility concept by Loucks (2014) which uses whole-rock Sr/Y vs SiO2 and V/Sc vs SiO2 ratios to discriminate the com-position of causative intrusions in porphyry systems. In this subproject the element ratios will be applied as prox-ies for changes in the fractional crystallization sequences of the porphyry-related volcanic rocks, and will be tested with extrusive volcanic rocks proximal to the Mt. Carl-ton Au-Ag-Cu deposit, and with rocks of the same vol-canic group distal from mineralization. Preliminary results show that the proximal volcanics, in general, have higher Sr/Y ratios than distal volcanics with the same SiO2 content, although the boundary be-tween fertile and infertile rocks is shifted slightly towards lower Sr/Y ratios (compared to the boundary in intrusive rocks). This is believed to be caused by weak alteration of plagioclase in the proximal volcanics with a resultant partial loss of Sr. The V/Sc ratios also act as a general discriminator, with the fertile-infertile boundary the same as that of Loucks (2014). This may be due to the preservation of magmat-ic magnetite in most of the weakly altered rocks result-ing in the V/Sc ratio being unaffected by alteration. In summary the preliminary investigation indicates that the Loucks (2014) parameters can be applied to volcanic rocks in north Queensland. The results and observations of this study will be sub-sequently incorporated into the Prospectivity subproject to develop a tool to identify potential future exploration targets for this type of mineralization in north Queens-land. Reference cited:Loucks, R. R., 2014, Distinctive composition of copper-ore-forming arc-magmas: Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 61, p. 5-16.

Magma Fertility Related to Sn-W Mineralisation in the Herberton DistrictYanbo Cheng, Zhaoshan Chang, Carl Spandler, Robert Henderson, Gavin Clarke

The Sn-W deposits of north-east Queensland have the following characteristics:

� Mineralisation is hosted in Hodgkinson Formation

metasediments and spatially associated with late Pal-aeozoic Kennedy igneous rocks (S type in the north and I type in the south). � Mineralisation in the Herberton district is of greis-en type or pegmatite type, close to the heat source (granite), whereas in the Mt Carbine district the ores occur as quartz veins hosted by Hodgkinson Forma-tion and no granite has been observed at surface or intersected by drilling. � The southern part (Herberton district) has been up-lifted and exhumed more than the northern parts (Mt Carbine district).

Metal zonation patterns in country rocks of the Herber-ton Sn-W belt are very similar to zoning patterns recog-nised in south China. That is, Sn mineralisation is proxi-mal, progressing outwards to W and Cu mineralization, and then to the distal Pb±Zn mineralization. Volcanic rocks in the Herberton Sn-W district – the dominantly rhyolitic Slaughter Yard Creek and Feath-erbed volcanics - are being used to test earlier fertility discrimination parameters (elemental concentration, fractionation degree, redox) and to develop new dis-criminators. Volcanics, both proximal and distal to known miner-alization, have been analysed and also dated using zir-con U-Pb. Major and trace element geochemistry of the Featherbed and Slaughter Yard Creek rhyolites indicate they are related to subduction and probably formed on a continental arc.Amongst the fertilitity discrimination parameters ap-plied to the volcanics, the Sn/Ba ratio has been found to be the most effective in distinguishing proximal and dis-tal volcanic rocks, followed by Sn/Sr. Other parameters tested, including Rb/Sr, K/Rb, Fe2O3/FeO, Nb/Ta, Sn/Ta, Zr/Hf, V/Sc, Sr/Y, and deltaO, were found to be less effective or ineffective discriminators. The effectiveness of the Sn/Ba ratio as a discriminator probably indicates that magma fertility for Sn is related to a very high degree of fractionation, involving the en-richment of Sn in residual melts and the crystal fraction-ation of K-feldspar. Some rhyolite samples close to known mineralization (Slaughter Yard Creek volcanics, between Herberton and Watsonville) were also found to have high Ag contents, up to around 2 ppm. This suggests that explorers in this area should also consider assaying for Ag, in addition to Sn, as there are giant Sn-Ag deposits in other parts of the world, e.g., the Cerro Rico Sn-Ag deposit, Bolivia. The U-Pb age dating of the volcanic rocks has given the following results:

� Old Featherbed Rhyolite, Herberton District: 325±4 to 318±4 Ma; � Young Featherbed Rhyolite: 306±2 to 280±4 Ma; � Slaughteryard Creek Rhyolite: 299±4 to 281±3 Ma.

The new ages have much smaller uncertainties than pre-vious Rb-Sr and K-Ar ages. The new age data also indi-cate the three volcanic groups have large age ranges, and the young Featherbed Rhyolite has a similar age range to the Slaughter Yard Creek Rhyolite.This subproject includes studies of the Watershed and Mt Carbine W deposits (see below). Future work in the sub-project will also include a study of the Baal Gammon Sn-Cu-Ag-In deposit near Herberton, which is one of the largest Indium deposits in the world.

Geological Characteristics and Origin of the Watershed W DepositJaime Poblete, Zhaoshan Chang, Yanbo Cheng, Martin Griessmann (Vital Metals)

The Watershed tungsten vein deposit (49.32 Mt @ 0.14% WO3) in far north Queensland is hosted by a se-quence of folded slates, locally calcareous psammites and quartzites of the Ordovician – Devonian Hodgkinson Formation. Multiple felsic dykes of the Permian S-type Whypalla Supersuite granites occur cutting the metased-iments. Scheelite is the sole ore mineral and occurs in vein ha-loes, within quartz – feldspar- pyrrhotite – (arsenopy-rite) veins, and sparsely disseminated at locations away from veins.Alteration and mineralization at Watershed occurred in five main stages:

� Stage 0: strongly folded and discontinuous quartz-calcite-mica veins; � Stage 1: calc-silicate alteration of psammitic rocks; � Stage 2: sinuous quartz-feldspar-biotite veins with biotite haloes and minor scheelite-pyrrhotite miner-alization; � Stage 3: sinous-planar quartz-feldspar-calcite-mus-covite veins with white mica haloes and scheel-ite-pyrrhorite-arsenopyrite mineralization; � Stage 4: planar-‘ladder’ quartz-feldspar veins with white mica haloes and scheelite-pyrrhotite mineral-ization.

Veins from Stage 3 include at least six sub-stages and are the main hosts of scheelite mineralisation. Tungsten-rich veins are strongly lithologically controlled, occurring extensively in calc-silicate altered psammite breccia; in contrast, the slate and slate breccia do not host much

economic mineralization. Illite (white mica) crystallinity values determined from Short Wavelength InfraRed spectra range up to a value of 8, indicating fluid temperature of approximately 450°C along the main fluid conduits. White-mica crystallinity correlates positively with tungsten grade.

Mt Carbine W Deposit and Regional W-Sn Mineralisation in the Herberton – Watershed DistrictYanbo Cheng, Zhaoshan Chang, Jaime Poblete, Robert Henderson, Gavin Clarke

Preliminary paragenesis studies at Mt Carbine, us-ing drill core and outcrop samples, indicate the deposit formed in four main stages preceded by a pre-minerali-sation regional event:

� Stage 0: curvy, discontinuous (deformed) quartz veins in Hodgkinson Formation, without minerali-zation; � Stage 1: straight and continuous quartz ± wolfram-ite ± scheelite ± K feldspar ± biotite ± tourmaline ± apatite veins with both wolframite and scheelite; � Stage 2: straight and continuous quartz ± chlorite ± scheelite ± muscovite veins, with only scheelite; � Stage 3: straight and continuous quartz ± chlorite ± muscovite ± molybdenite ± arsenopyrite ± chalco-pyrite ± pyrite ± pyrrhotite ± sphalerite ± cassiterite veins without W mineralization; � Stage 4: straight and continuous quartz ± calcite ± fluorite veins without mineralization.

Future work at Mt Carbine will be aimed at: � Establishing the geochronological framework of magmatism and mineralization;

Stage 3 sulphides - mainly chalcopyrite - cutting pale cream Stage 2 scheelite. Mt Carbine drill core - field of view approximately 6 cm. Photo courtesy of Dr Yanbo Cheng.

continued on page 13





.. Analysis of geochemistry data allows for the inter-pretation of processes affecting geology, alteration, land-scape evolution, and mineralization in a given region. As part of the National Geochemical Survey of Australia un-dertaken by Geoscience Australia in 2007-08, a compre-hensive database was compiled, containing a full range of major and trace element analyses for catchment outlet sediments across Australia (e.g. de Caritat and Cooper, 2011; de Caritat et al., 2011). Samples were collected at both the top (0-10 cm depth) and bottom (60-80 cm depth) of the outlet, and analyzed at different grain sizes (<2 mm and <75 µm). Sample locations from north-east Queensland were extracted from the database, and lev-elled to account for the depth of sample and grain size, resulting in 73 unique sample locations contained within the north-east Queensland study area.

After levelling the data, a concentration-area analysis (e.g. Carranza, 2010; Xie et al., 2008) was applied to de-termine thresholds between background and anomalous concentrations for a set of elements of interest for the intrusion related mineral systems in north-east Queens-land. Initial thresholds were examined for Au, Sn, and W. Results for the bottom of sample 2 mm grain size data are discussed further, however it should be noted that anal-ysis of other sample depth and grain sizes showed very similar trends.

Concentration-area analysis for both the Sn and W val-ues in the database highlighted two thresholds which could be seen in the data, which represent breaks be-tween the background values, and a weaker and a strong-er anomaly. Analysis of the Sn data highlights a thresh-old of 1.808 ppm for the weak anomaly, and a threshold of 3.6475 ppm for the strong anomaly. Analysis of the W data shows a threshold of 1.361 for the weak anoma-ly, and 2.861 ppm for the strong anomaly. Attribution of the corresponding catchments as either background (be-low anomaly threshold) or anomalous (above anomaly threshold) indicates which catchments contain anoma-lous samples.

The Au anomaly threshold of 0.0012 ppm was able to identify a number of catchments containing known eco-nomic gold deposits. However it is noted that the results indicate that the catchment containing the Yandan, Wir-ralie, and Mount Coolon deposits is not anomalous.Fig-ures 1-3 show the results for Sn, W and Au respectively.

It is interesting to note that although the mineral oc-currence database (Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, 2014) used to extract the tin-tung-sten deposits does not definitively discriminate between the tin-rich and tungsten-rich deposits particularly well, the results shown in Figures 1 and 2 clearly delineate distinct tin and tungsten districts in north-east Queens-

Geochemical Vectors towards Intrusion Related Mineral Systems in North-East QueenslandArianne Ford, John Carranza

Figure 1. Sn anomalous catchments Figure 2. W anomalous catchments

continued on page 13

Mt Carbine W Deposit (continued from page 11)

� Refining the paragenetic sequence related to miner-alisation. � Characterising fluid inclusions in the high grade mineralised veins. �Determining metal zonation patterns. � Characterising ore forming fluids using H – O – S isotopes.

Prospectivity Analysis, Regional Alteration Mapping, Geochemical Signatures of Intrusion-Related Mineal SystemsArianne Ford, John Carranza

The preliminary GIS-based prospectivity analysis using existing data on orogenic Au systems and intrusion-re-lated hydrothermal systems has successfully predicted

the locations of known deposits in north-east Queens-land. As the other subprojects progress and generate new data, these data will be incorporated into the da-tabase. New prospectivity analyses will be carried out using these new data, along with new concepts in un-derstanding the geological setting and the processes as-sociated with mineralisation in north-east Queensland.

The regional alteration mapping project based on remote sensing iscurrently waiting for results from CSIRO on a separate GSQ project.

The Geochemical Signatures project has progressed us-ing the Queensland open file exploration geochemistry data base. Additional multi-element geochemical data were obtained from the Geoscience Australia (GA) “Na-tional Geochemical Survey of Australia Project”. Further multi-element and isotopic geochemical data are being extracted from the JCU Earth Science thesis collection. An article on this sub-project, with results based on the GA geochemical data, is included on page 12.

land. A number of catchments with Sn enrichment are clearly defined to the south and west of the Atherton Ta-blelands (Figure 1), which corresponds to the Herberton Sn district which contains the Wolfram Camp deposit. Whereas catchments with W enrichment are seen to the north and west of Cairns and Port Douglas (Figure 2),

which corresponds to the area containing the Watershed and Mount Carbine tungsten deposits.

The anomalous catchments may be representative of potential trap sites within the intrusion related mineral system. When integrated with other digital geoscience datasets, the anomalous geochemistry values for a catch-ment can represent evidence for the trap process when implementing a prospectivity model for a given mineral system.

References cited:Carranza, E. J. M., 2010, Catchment basin modelling of stream sedi-ment anomalies revisited: incorporation of EDA and fractal analysis: Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment Analysis, v. 10, p. 365-381.

de Caritat, P., and Cooper, M., 2011, National Geochemical Survey of Australia: The Geochemical Atlas of Australia: Record 2011/020, Geo-science Australia, Canberra.

de Caritat, P., Cooper, M., Jaireth, S., and Bastrakov, E. N., 2011, Na-tional Geochemical Survey of Australia: Preliminary Implications for Energy and Mineral Exploration: Record 2011/029, Geoscience Aus-tralia, Canberra.

Queensland Department of Natural Resources and Mines, 2014, Min-eral Occurrence and Geology Observations 2014. URL: https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industry/mining/geoscience-data-information/dig-ital-data/mineral-occurrence

Xie, S., Cheng, Q., Ke, X., Bao, Z., Wang, C., and Quan, H., 2008, Iden-tification of geochemical anomaly by multifractal analysis: Journal of China University of Geosciences, v. 19, p. 334-342.

Geochemical Vectors (continued from page12)

Figure 3. Au anomalous catchments

anomalous.Figures

anomalous.Figures

https://www.business.qld.gov.au/industry/mining/geoscience-data-information/digital-data/mineral




Short Courses & Workshops



NE QuEENslaNd prospEctivity projEct oNE-day sEmiNar

In late May EGRU hosted a free one-day seminar on the North Queensland Prospectivity Project. Presentations from the GSQ, EGRU researchers, and industry geolo-gists provided updates on GSQ-funded collaborative projects in north-east Quensland.

More than 120 delegates came along to listen to the pres-entations and to discuss results and future work on the project. EGRU presentations covered both regional and deposit-scale topics, including:

� Magma fertility concepts, and results applied to north-east Queensland Cu-Au and Sn-W deposits.

� Metallogeny of the Bowen Basin.

� Regional Sn-W Mineralisation.

� Geology of the Watershed and Mt Carbine W deposits.

� Geology and Structure of the Mt Carlton High-Sulphida-tion Au-Ag-(Cu) deposit.

� Mineral Prospectivity Analysis of north-east Queensland

Presentations from industry geologists focussed on the Charters Towers Province and included:

� Geology and Metallogeny of the Charters Towers Province.

� Geochemical and Geophysical signatures of Intrusion-Related Mineral Systems.

� Genetic Models for the Ravenswood District.

The presentations and the new data generated by the Pro-spectivity Project inspired discussion amongst the explorers and researchers attending the seminar, with ideas for new geological concepts and new approaches to exploration be-ing vigorously debated during tea breaks and post-seminar drinks.

For Your Calendar.....

Alumni Eventhosted by EGRU

at SEG 2015 in Hobart

Past and present JCU students and staff are invited to join EGRU staff and students

for drinks and canapés.

5.30 - 7.00 pm Tuesday 29th SeptemberWrest Point Hotel, Hobart

RSVP 25th Septemberhttps://alumni.jcu.edu.au/EGRU

Delegates at the One-Day SeminarFrom the top:

Dennis Fortoski, Chris Williamson &Stewart Parker

Jaime Poblete, Isaac CorralZhaoshan Chang, Vladimir Lisitsin

Mark Stokes, Jan Martin Huizenga &Michael Pocock

Tony Parsons, Simon Beams

In June this year EGRU offered a one-week short course on ore textures and breccias as part of the Minerals Ter-tiary Education Council (MTEC) Minerals Geoscience Honours Program. The course was presented by Dr Gavin Clarke (JCU Adjunct) and Associate Professor Zhaoshan Chang (EGRU Director). The MTEC program is designed to provide skills and knowlege relevant to work in the mining and exploration industry. The Ore Textures and Breccias course offered a series of lectures accompanied by hands-on practical sessions with drill core and a wide range of hand speci-mens (examples shown below). The course included case studies and examples from Gras-berg, Oyu Tolgoi, Butte, Olympic Dam and Ernest Henry. The short course reached full capacity and attracted 42 students from eight universities around Austral-ia: Adelaide, Melbourne, Monash, JCU, UTAS, UWA, ANU and Curtin.

orE tExturEs & BrEccias iNmiNEralisEd systEms:

porphyry & skarN dEposits

Brecciated quartz vein with tourmaline alteration of rock

flour matrix, illustrating breccia textures and alteration relation-

ships. Ewan district tin field, north-east Queensland.

Skarn altered clasts of igneous rock with garnet altered rims and garnet and calcite infill of breccia cavities.

Red Dome Au-Cu deposit, Chillagoe, north-east Queensland.(Photos courtesy of Dr Gavin Clarke)

Breccia with green pyroxene altered clasts rimmed by brown

garnets in a breccia infill of quartz. Big Gossan Skarn,

Grasburg, West Papua.

Presenters: Dr Gavin Clarke

Associate Professor Zhaoshan ChangCollege of Science, Technology and Engineering, JCU

Sessions focussed on:

� Characterising ore textures � Identifying different breccia textures � Distinguishing between infill and alteration textures � Determining paragenetic sequences � Recognising textures in drill core � Recognising alteration and mineralisation styles in

porphyry, skarn and related magmetic hydrother-mal deposits.

� Recognising spatial zoning patterns and altera-tion-mineralisation paragenesis in porphyry and skarn deposits, and determining a sample’s position in the zonation.

� Understanding the physical and chemical factors that affect the formation of porphyry, skarn and related magmatic hydrothermal deposits.

https://alumni.jcu.edu.au/EGRU



cloNcurry iocG short coursE

The EGRU IOCG short course in February attracted over 50 geologists from projects across the district and Australia, with 15 different organisations and companies represented. Also in attendance was a rag-tag bunch of students (including myself), subsidising the opportunity by driving minibuses and flipping sausages.

Prior to the conference, we spent a day at Eloise Copper Mine – a small, privately-owned copper exporter 60km southeast of Cloncurry. Geology superintendent Sara and former JCU student Brendan gave up the best part of their day to show us the deposit model, the core shed and the ROM pad. Naturally the vehicle was much heav-ier when it left site than when we arrived!

The next morning the conference was opened by Dr Zhaoshan Chang, Director of EGRU. He provided an overview of IOCG classi-fication in the context of Olympic Dam and other early work done on the category. The five things all ‘Iron Oxide Copper Gold’ (IOCG) deposits share are 1) Economic quantities of Cu ± Au, 2) Hydrother-mal veins and breccias, 3) Replacement textures in specific structural sites, 4) The presence of magnetite or hematite, or Fe-Ti levels elevated beyond average crustal abundance, and 5) No clear spatial association to igneous intrusions. I must add a sixth observation: All ‘IOCGs’ seem to have a bunch of geologists arguing over genesis, structural controls and how to classify them; a dilemma that personifies the nature of our discipline. The purpose of the conference was to describe the diverse aspects of the Cloncurry mineral system, through presentations on the general area and specific deposits.

Pat Williams set the regional context, and gave an over-view of historic work done on Ernest Henry – the arche-typical IOCG (with I, O, C and G all present). Several presenters followed, including JCU Honours student Mi-chael Fuss, who explained his research on fluids in the Ernest Henry carbonates.

Richard Lilly of MIM-Glencore gave an excellent over-view of the Ernest Henry discovery and undercover ex-

ploration in the district, describing the original airborne surveys which defined several signifi-cant magnetic anoma-lies under cover north of the town. The biggest of these anomalies is now known as Ernest Hen-ry, but experience has shown that not all these anomalies are mineralised.

George Case then followed with a description of his PhD findings for E1 and Monakoff; two successfully exploit-ed magnetic high anomalies. Rob Duncan was the last presenter, and gave a comprehensive overview of the Sel-

wyn-Mt Dore Corridor.

Specific deposits and ex-ploration projects were the focus of the second day. Richard Lilly kicked it off with a presentation on the Great Australia Deposit, discovered and developed by the orig-inal Mr. Ernest Henry, responsible for Cloncur-

ry’s beginning. We also learned about Osborne Mine, the new Minotaur discovery (Artemis) and received an update on the Roseby Corridor mineralisation including Little Eva and Turkey Creek.

The remainder of the three day conference included mine site tours and core viewing. Mine visits included CopperChem’s Great Australia mine, The Lorena Au mine and Glencore’s Ernest Henry Mine. Core viewing also took place at these sites with extensive discussions. Many thanks are due to all of the personnel at these op-erations who enabled the tours to go ahead.

Several hours were also spent looking over core at the Mount Isa Mines Resource Development Cloncurry Bar-racks and the Exco core yard. Core included trays from Chinova’s Starra, Osborne and SWAN deposits, Mino-taur’s Artemis discovery and Altona’s Little Eva deposit. Many of the deposits share remarkable textural similari-ties including the district’s signature red rock alteration.

Emma BeattieCollege of Science, Technology and Engineering, JCU

IOCG: Iron Oxide Copper Gold deposits OR Inconvenient Ongoing Categorisation Glitch

What is an IOCG? How should we define and constrain the category? And what to do with those inconvenient deposits

that are only IO..s, ..CGs, or simply ..Gs? This was one of the topics addressed at the EGRU short course - IOCG Deposits: The Cloncurry Experience -

held in the Cloncurry District in February.

continued on page 17 4




Because Richard Lilly is a man with unlimited energy, he not only helped organise the event, but hosted crick-et matches each evening, amidst cooking and talking about rocks. This lead to the prestigious Barracks Crick-et Awards (BCA). The Champagne Moment Trophy went to Claudio Sheriff (Sandfire Resources) for taking a caught-and-bowled reflex catch with his armpit, after the ball deflected off a power cable.

The Most Memorable Moment (MMM) Award was won by JCU honours student Ross Christie, for turning the ball into the cricket-equivalent of breccia. For their achievements, Claudio received a ‘bazooka’ hand-lens, while Ross inherited Terry, the Glencore garden gnome.

Richard closed the conference on a philosophical note. He discussed how the different types of deposits through-out the Cloncurry Mineral System could be described as curries, at different stages. Deposits like Ernest Henry

are the gourmet main, with all the expected components (I, O, C and G). Also on the menu are specialty foods like Artemis, with its iron sulphides rather than oxides (ISCG), and the left overs of the ore fluid may look like Lorena, with nothing but gold in highly reduced rocks (…G). The focus of new research, he suggested, could be to develop a regionally - correlated study of the various fluid systems that shaped, in Michael Rubinach’s words, ‘the world’s most metasomatised rocks’. Richard also sug-gested that we might refer to the deposits in the district simply as ‘The Cloncurry Mineral System’ and seek to understand how they are all linked, rather than simply labelling them ‘IOCGs’.

For students, it was a great opportunity to learn more about the region and meet people who are passionate about rocks. With thanks to Richard Lilly, Zhaoshan Chang and Judy Botting for all your work in organising and hosting the event.

cloNcurry iocG short coursE (continued from page 16)

Photo courtesy of Ernest Henry Mine

Drill core & cricket at the Cloncurry IOCG short course


EGRU Visitors

18 EGRU News July 2015 EGRU News July 2015 19


advaNcEd FiEld traiNiNG

Course Leader: Professor Tom Blenkinsop

Cardiff University, Wales Adjunct Professor

College of Science, Technology and Engineering, JCU

Early in July a group of nine Minerals Geoscience Mas-ters students, five industry geologists and several mem-bers of JCU academic staff, gathered at Roxmere field camp near Cloncurry. The group, led by Professor Tom Blenkinsop, was there to take part in an intensive 8-day course in advanced field skills.

The course offered participants the opportunity to develop and enhance esssential exploration-related field skills in complexly deformed and altered rocks. Course partici-pants carried out surface mapping of contacts, alteration zones and structures, and integrated the mapping with paragenesis and exploration models.

Field locations included the Mary Kathleen area, where excellent geological exposures provide an ideal platform to undertake metasomatic alteration recognition and structural geology mapping in the context of skarn hosted U-REE prospects.

The course also examined aspects of IOCG geology in the Eastern Succession, which is a world-renowned host terrane for a variety of IOCG styles of mineralisation. Field work emphasised the characterisation and map-ping of breccias and fluid systems and focussed on the field aspects of exploration for IOCG deposits.

EGRU offers its Advanced Field Training course every two years. The course invariably attracts a near-capacity number of participants.

Parasitic folds in calc-silicates in the Mary Kathleen Mine

Skarn breccia at Mary Kathleen mine, with garnet infill around albitised clasts.

advaNcEd FiEld tEchNiQuEs iN miNiNG & ExploratioN GEoloGy

Course Leaders:

Associate Professor John CarranzaDr Arianne FordDr Ioan Sanislav

Associate Professor Zhaoshan ChangGeorge Case

College of Science, Technology and Engineering, JCU

John McLellanPrincipal Geoscientist, GMEX

The EGRU nine-day course on Advanced Field Tech-niques was held in April as part of the Minerals Geosci-ence Masters. Ten participants took part in the course, which included modules on:

� Fractal analysis � Structural geology � Kinematic and dynamic analysis �Numerical modelling � 3D Ore Modelling

(Photographs courtesy of Professor Tom Blenkinsop)

In January this year EGRU and JCU hosted a delegation from the China University of Geosciences (CUG). CUG is internationally renowned and is considered to have the best geology and geological engineering programs amongst Chinese universities.

The delegation, led by CUG President Yanxin Wang, was in Townsville to sign documents and formalise a collab-orative agreement with JCU.The collaboration is envisaged to include a provision for selected Chinese undergraduate students starting at CUG to come to JCU and study for two years, in what is known in the tertiary sector as a “2 plus 2” arrangement.This means JCU will recognise the students’ two years of previous study, and offer them two years at JCU toward the earning of their degree. The students will be paying international students fees while studying at JCU.The delegation also discussed and explored collaborative research opportunities for the two universities, and the agreement will also look to strengthen the conjoint PhD programs between the institutions.According to JCU Acting Vice Chancellor, Professor Robyn McGuiggan, the collaboration will help lift JCU’s profile in China and internationally. It will also place JCU in the band with the world’s first class universities as part of the International University Consortium in Earth Science, which includes Stanford University and Moscow State University.CUG President Professor Yanxin Wang said: “JCU’s geol-ogy and mineral exploration studies are cutting edge and world renowned. We look forward to collaborations with JCU at all levels, from staff collaboration to PhD projects and undergraduate education.”

chiNa uNivErsity oF GEosciENcEs

proFEssor NEil Williams

Professor Neill Williams, the longest serving CEO of Ge-oscience Australia and a current Professorial Fellow at the University of Wollongong, presented two lectures at JCU in May as part of the SEG Thayer Lindsley Lecture Tour and the AusIMM Haddon Forester King Lecture Tour. The lectures were titled:

Deep Mineral Exploration – The Next Economic Geology FrontierThayer Lindsley Lecturer 2014 – SEG Student Chapter Special Guest Seminar

Is There a Future for Mineral Exploration in Australia?AusIMM Haddon Forester King Lecture

Both lectures focused on the future of mineral explo-ration in Australia and attracted local industry geolo-gists along with EGRU staff and students. The lectures presented an overview of past and possible future ex-ploration trends, raised serious issues for future ex-plorers in Australia – both technical and managerial

China University of Geosciences, President Professor Yanxin Wang (front left) and JCU Acting Vice Chancellor, Profes-sor Robyn McGuiggan (front right) sign an agreement for a unique collaboration between the two institutions. They were joined by other members of the CUG delegation, A/Prof. Li-jun Zhang, Vice Dean of International Education College, and A/Prof. Feng Xu, Vice Dean of Graduate School, and by JCU Director of Business Development, John Chandler, and EGRU Director A/Prof Zhaoshan Chang.

Professor Neil Williams with George Case, President of the JCU SEG Student Chapter (left) and A/Prof Zhaoshan Chang, Director of EGRU (right).

- and generated a lively period of questions and dis-cussions from the audiences.


EGRU Staff & Students

NEW staFF

Isaac CorralPostdoctoral Research Fellow

Isaac joined EGRU in De-cember 2014 to work on the geology, metallogeny and magma fertility of the Northern Bowen Basin in north-east Queensland. His research focuses on the rela-tionship between volcanism, magmatism and mineraliza-tion in volcanic arcs. Isaac has a BSc (Hons) in geology (2005, Autonomous

University of Barcelona), an MSc in Exploration and Characterization of sedimentary reservoirs (2008, Uni-versity of Barcelona – Autonomous University of Bar-celona), and a PhD in Exploration of porphyry-related

epithermal deposits (2013, Autonomous University of Barcelona). He started his professional career as a geo-technical geologist for Tecnipou S.L., in Barcelona, and later joined the Autonomous University of Barcelona teaching ore deposit geology. During both his MSc and PhD Isaac worked in exploration geology for high sul-phidation epithermal gold-copper deposits. Isaac’s PhD focused on the Cerro Quema Au-Cu depos-it (Azuero Peninsula, Panama) where he carried out a multidisciplinary study including geologic and altera-tion mapping, stratigraphy, whole rock geochemistry, stable isotope geochemistry, Ar/Ar geochronology, and fluid inclusion microthermometry, in order to constrain the relationship between magmatism-volcanism and gold-copper mineralization. After completing his PhD Isaac worked for Emerita Resources Corp as an explora-tion geologist, where he was involved in gold exploration in the Extremadura and Andalusian regions (western and southern Spain).

Arianne FordPostdoctoral Research Fellow

Arianne graduated with a BSc (Honours) in Comput-er Science from James Cook University in 2003, before going on to complete a PhD in Economic Geology, also from James Cook Universi-ty, graduating in 2008. From January 2008 until October 2014, she worked at the Cen-tre for Exploration Targeting at the University of Western Australia as a Research Assis-

tant Professor, before accepting an offer to return to James Cook University as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Arianne has worked on developing GIS-based mineral potential maps for varying styles of mineralization around the world using a mineral systems approach. Projects have involved spatial data analysis and target generation for mineralization in Western Australia, Mongolia, Brazil, Ar-gentina, Colombia, Central Africa, and Indonesia through

both industry and government collaborations. The main objective of this research direction has been to integrate multiple geoscience datasets in order to improve the un-derstanding of the mineral system, generate pre-compet-itive datasets, and delineate targets at multiple scales for follow-up work by project collaborators. Additionally, Arianne maintains a more general interest in spatial sta-tistics, quantitative resource assessment and researching and developing methods to overcome practical challenges faced in computer-based exploration targeting, particular-ly in quantifying uncertainty. Currently Arianne is working on a project supported by the Geological Survey of Queensland to improve the availability of pre-competitive datasets by developing GIS-based mineral potential maps for intrusion-related miner-al systems in the Kennedy Igneous Province in Northeast Queensland. Arianne has published papers in peer reviewed interna-tional journals, presented research at major international conferences, and contributes to running training courses in GIS for students, government, and industry. In her spare time, Arianne is likely to be found scuba div-ing and taking underwater photos!




studENt aWards

NEW studENtsHelge BehsenPhd Student

Helge joined EGRU in No-vember last year to start a PhD with Carl Spandler on the mobility of rare earth el-ements in crustal fluids. His project will also contribute to the collaborative JCU-GSQ North East Queensland Pro-spectivity Project.

Helge was born in southern Germany and spent the last seven years in Bavaria, first obtaining a BSc and then an MSc in Geology at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg. His MSc thesis project involved the study of rare earth element concentrations in an al-kaline complex in South Africa. Helge’s PhD project will focus on gaining new insights into the genesis, magma fertility and isotopic characteristics of volcanic rocks of the north-east Queensland Kennedy Igneous Associa-tion, including volcanic rocks proximal and distal to the Mt Carlton Au-Ag-Cu deposit. The project will aim to place the volcanic rocks within the overall context of the geological history of the Kennedy Igneous Association (age, magma source, evolution, etc.) and possible asso-ciated porphyry-style deposits at depth, and also to de-velop vectors to point towards and identify “hidden” ore deposits in the future.

Michael CalderPhd Student

Michael joined EGRU in late 2014 to work on his PhD project on the zonation, par-agenesis and fluid evolution from the root to top of the Far Southeast-Lepanto por-phyry-epithermal system, Mankayan district, Philip-

pines. He has a Bachelors degree in Earth and Environ-mental Sciences and a Masters degree in Geology from the University of Geneva, Switzerland.

Michael’s Masters’ thesis was a study of the geological en-vironment and the genetic constraints of the Shamlugh VMS deposit in the Alaverdi district, Northern Arme-nia. His interest in geology stems from his fascination with mountains gained while spending time in the Alps in his native Switzerland. Michael is also an avid rock climber and has been a rock climbing instructor for over 5 years.

Michael CalderSEG Student Research Grant US$2,000Grant funding from the Newmont Mining Corporation Fund established to support worldwide research projects related to the geology, mineralisation and metallogeny of gold deposits.PhD Project: Zonation, paragenesis and fluid evolution from the root to top of the Far Southeast Lepanto porphyry epithermal system, Mankayan district, Philippines

Stephanie MrozekSEG Student Research Grant US$1,500Grant funding from the Hugo Dummett Mineral Discovery Fund to support innovation and technology development in exploration. PhD Project: Uplift history, intrusive sequence, and skarn mineralisation at the giant Antamina Deposit, Peru

Fredrik SahlströmSEG Student Research Grant US$3,700Grant funding from the Hugh McKinstry Fund. PhD Project: Mt Carlton high-sulphidation epithermal deposit, Queensland, Australia: geology, genesis and implications for exploration.

Yanbo ChengPostdoctoral Research Fellow

Yanbo returned to EGRU in December last year as a postdoctoral research fellow studying the geology of Sn-W polymetallic ores in northern Queensland. After complet-ing his PhD at JCU in 2012, on the Sn polymetallic ores of

the Geiju Ore District in south-west China, Yanbo joined the Institute of Mineral Resources at the Chinese Acad-emy of Geological Sciences in Beijng as an Assistant Re-search Professor.

Yanbo’s interests include tin and tungsten mineralisation, the petrogenesis of granitic rocks, the fertility of igneous rocks, and the genesis of the “Critical Metal” ores. Yanbo also specialises in the microanalysis of minerals (texture, composition and isotopes). His current research project is funded by the Geological Survey of Queensland.



Fredrik SahlströmPhD Student

Fredrik was born and raised in Lund, southern Sweden, and moved to Uppsala in central Sweden to start his geology degree at Uppsala University. He did both his BSc and MSc in Uppsala, with thesis work focusing on hydrothermal REE deposits in central Sweden.

Fredrik moved to Australia in the winter of 2014 to start a PhD on epithermal deposits, supervised by Dr Zhaos-han Chang and carried out in collaboration with indus-try. His project is titled “The Mt Carlton high-sulphida-tion epithermal deposit, Queensland, Australia: geology, genesis and implications for exploration”. The project is investigating the geological characteristics and ore form-ing processes at Mt Carlton, using a combination of field and laboratory techniques. The project will aim to im-prove the understanding of epithermal deposits in a re-gional context, and also to generate exploration tools for the project’s industry partners who are actively exploring for further mineralisation in the area. The Mt Carlton study is part of the larger project on intrusion-related hydrothermal mineralisation in northern Queensland, funded by the Geological Survey of Queensland.

NEW studENts

Teimoor Nazari DehkordiPhD Student

Teimoor was born in Iran (Persia) which is known for poetry, rugs and caviar. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Geology at Pay-ame Noor University as the top student of the depart-ment. A year later Teimoor joined Shiraz University to do his Master of Science in Economic Geology.

During his MSc studied Teimoor worked on mantle peridotites of the Neyriz ophiolite located in the south of Iran in which several chromite deposits are actively exploited. This ophiolite is part of an Upper Cretaceous Tethyan ophiolitic belt that extends from Cyprus to Oman through Turkey, Iraq and Iran. Harzburgite and dunite with lesser low-clinopyroxene lherzolite are the most common ultramafic rocks within the belt. The chro-

mite deposits occurring in the mantle-crust transition zone are surrounded by residual dunite and harzburgite. His publications provide constraints on partial melting, melt-rock interaction, and melt fractionation that con-trol the evolution of the uppermost mantle in the ophi-olite column.

In 2013, Teimoor was awarded the prize “The Best Ge-ology Student of Iran” by the Geological Society of Iran. He is the first and the only MSc graduate yet to receive this prize.

In 2014 Teimoor started his PhD studies at James Cook University in Queensland, Australia, thanks to the post-graduate research scholarship generously awarded by Economic Geology Research Centre. His PhD research project is investigating heavy rare earth element miner-alisation in the Browns Range area in Northern Austral-ia in which mineralisation is hosted in brecciated veins cutting sedimentary Proterozoic rocks. The main focus of this project is to investigate mechanisms responsible for mineralisation and to determine the primary source of the rare earth elements.

Brecciated metasediments with pink xenotime matrix (drill core). Photo courtesy of Teimoor Nazari Dehkordi.



Helge Behsen (PhD) Mobility of Rare Earth Elements in Crustal Fluids.Supervisors: A/Prof. Carl Spandler, Prof. Paul Dirks

Michael Calder (PhD) Zonation, paragenesis and fluid evolution from the root to top of the Far Southeast Lepanto porphyry epither-mal system, Mankayan district, Philippines.Supervisors: A/Prof. Zhaoshan Chang, A/Prof. Carl Spandler, Prof. Jeffrey Hendenquist, Prof. Antonio Arribas

George Case (PhD) Ore genesis and alteration paragenesis of the E1 group and Monakoff IOCG deposits, Cloncurry region, north west Queensland.Supervisors: Prof. Tom Blenkinsop, A/Prof. Zhaoshan Chang

Vicky Darlington (PhD) Lawn Hill impact structureSupervisors: Prof. Tom Blenkinsop, Dr Douglas Orchiston

Julie Graham-Ruzicka (PhD) Potential for intrusion-related gold deposits in North Qld,Supervisors: Prof. Tom Blenkinsop

Hannah Hilbert-Wolf (PhD) Sedimentary Triple Dating: Constraining the timing of rifting, uplift, and sedimentation in the Western Branch of the East African Rift, southwestern Tanzania. Supervisors: Dr Eric Roberts, Prof. Paul Dirks

Quaid Jadoon (PhD) Kinematics of tectonic fracture development during regional folding in sandstones of the Kamlil formation, Khushalgarh northern Pakistan.Supervisors: Prof .Tom Blenkinsop, Prof. Paul Dirks, Dr Raphael Wust

Shimba Kwelwa (PhD) Gold Mineralization in the kukuluma Domain in Geita Greenstone Belt.Supervisors: Prof. Paul Dirks, Prof. Tom Blenkinsop, Dr Yvonne Cook, Dr Ioan Sanislav

Asish Mishra (PhD)Rates of Erosion and Weathering in the Tropics.Supervisor: Dr Christa Placzek

Stephanie Mrozek (PhD) Uplift History, Intrusive Sequence, and Skarn Minerali-sation at the Giant Antamina Deposit, Peru.Supervisors: A/Prof. Zhaoshan Chang, A/Prof. Carl Spandler, Prof. Lawrence Meinert

Cassy Mtelela (PhD) Sedimentology and Stratigraphy of the Plio-Pleistocene Lake Beds succession, Rukwa Rift Basin, Tanzania: Im-plications for hydrocarbon prospectivity.Supervisors: Dr Eric Robertsd, Prof. Paul Dirks

Teimoor Nazari Dehkordi (PhD) Rare earths unearthed: Resolving the mystery of how rare earth elements are mobilized and concentrated in continental crust.Supervisors: A/Prof. Carl Spandler, Prof. Paul Dirks

Michael Nugus (PhD) Mechanisms of mineralization in Amphibolite Facies, BIF-hosted gold deposits, using the example of the Golden Pig deposit, SXGB.Supervisors: Prof. Tom Blenkinsop, Prof. Paul Dirks

Prince Owusu Agymang (PhD)Mesozoic Detrital Zircon Provenance of Central Africa: Implications for Jurassic-Cretaceous Tectonics, Paleo-geography and Landscape Evolution.Supervisors: Dr Eric Roberts, A/Prof. Carl Spandler

Jaime Poblete Alvarado (PhD) Geological Characteristics and Origin of the Watershed W Deposit, North Queensland, Australia.Supervisors: A/Prof. Zhaoshan Chang, Prof. Paul Dirks, Dr Jan Martin Huizenga

Fredrik Sahlstrom (PhD) Mt Carlton High-sulphidation epithermal deposit, Queensland Australia: Geological Character genesis and implications for exploration.Supervisors: A/Prof. Zhaoshan Chang, Prof. Paul Dirks

Qihai Shu (PhD) Ore-forming Mechanisms and Spatio-Temporal Frame-work for Intrusion-Related Deposits in northeast China.Supervisors: A/Prof. Zhaoshan Chang, Dr Yong Lai, Dr Jan Huizenga

Paul Slezak (PhD) Understanding the hydrothermal mobility of rare earth elements in the continental crust.Supervisor: A/Prof. Carl Spandler

Mark Stokes (MPhil)Structural characteristics and evolution of Mt Carlton high-sulphidation epithermal deposit, and the implica-tions for exploration.Prof. Paul Dirks, A/Prof. Zhaoshan Chang

Erin Stormont (MPhil) Hydrothermal Breccia Zones in the Proterozoic Clon-curry District (Mt Isa Inlier, Australia): Implications for Fe-Oxide-Cu-Au Mineralisation. Supervisor: Dr Jan Marten Huizenga

Christopher Todd (MPhil) Sedimentary History of the Porcupine Gorge National Park and Application of U Pb Detrital Zircon Geochro-nology for Correlation of Cretaceous and Jurassic Strata in Northern Queensland..Supervisor: Dr Eric Roberts

Matthew Van Ryt (MPhil) Geochemical characterisation of gold mineralisation in Geita Hill (Geita Greenstone Belt,Tanzania).Supervisor: Dr Ioan Sanislav

postGraduatE studENt

rEsEarch projEcts


Selected Thesis Abstracts

Geological Characteristics and Ore Genesis of the Buck Reef West Gold Deposit, Ravenswood, Queensland, Australia

David Derham (Honours 2014)Supervisors: Associate Professor Zhaoshan Chang (JCU), Dr Nick Lisowiec (Resolute)

The Buck Reef West (BRW) Au deposit (~0.4Moz pro-duction) is located in the historical Ravenswood gold-field, approximately 90km south of Townsville in northeast Queensland, Australia. BRW is hosted in the Ravenswood Batholith, predominately within the Siluri-an to Devonian granitoids of the Pama Igneous Associ-ation. The ore body is hosted directly in and around the ENE striking, sub vertical, steeply south dipping, Buck Reef Fault zone (BRF). Locally, the BRF separates Siluri-an-Devonian Jessop’s Creek Tonalite (JCT) on the hang-ing-wall (south) side, and an unnamed, assumed equiv-alent aged granodiorite body in the footwall, however this relationship is only seen on the western half of the deposit. Several sub-rounded bodies of diorite to gabbro occur in the region, notably at the northern end of the Sarsfield open pit along strike of the BRF. Several genera-tions of pre mineralisation aplite, pegmatite, microgran-ite and rare andesite dykes cross cut the local host rocks. Ore occurs within the fault itself as breccia infill, and in a network of quartz sulfide veins that cross cut the BRF, and surrounding wall rock.

Hydrothermal fluids evolved from fluids around were 300-400°C, with slightly elevated ƒO₂ values, and result-ed in (Stage 1) chlorite and (Stage 2) fine grained quartz ± chlorite alteration of rock flour within the BRF. Weakly alkaline fluids resulted in (Stage 3) narrow epidote veins occurring mostly at depth proximal to BRF. The first stage of sulfide mineralisation, resulted from relatively reduced (low ƒO₂) near-neutral pH fluids. This produced (Stage 4) quartz-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite veins and brec-cia infill, containing elevated Te concentrations mostly associated with the General Grant and Duke of Edin-burgh vein systems towards the eastern end of the de-posit. Slightly oxidized (moderate ƒO₂) fluids produced (Stage 5) which resulted in the alteration of pyrrhotite, to marcasite and lesser melnikovite coeval with the pre-cipitation of rounded pyrite grains. Lower temperature (200-300°C), near-neutral pH, moderate ƒO₂, ore stage fluids precipitated (Stage 6) as veins and breccia infill. Infill phases consisted of quartz-pyrite-sphalerite-chal-copyrite-native bismuth-and gold as electrum and native Au. Voids created during Stage 5 increased permeabili-ty and locally increase gold grades at the pyrrhotite-py-rite-marcasite reaction interface. Later fluids precipitated

(Stage 7) arsenopyrite with bladed siderite (with up to 30% rhodochrosite), radial marcasite, fine grained py-rite and minor Pb-Sb-sulfosalts. C-O isotopes from this stage suggest a magmatic-hydrothermal fluid source with significant contamination from an organic carbon source. This is consistent with S isotopes which also sup-ports the increasing interaction of magmatic fluids with an organic carbon source (Bertelli, 2008). The last stage of hydrothermal influx is from relatively oxidized fluids associated with the development of moderate to steeply westward dipping clay-sericite-carbonate faults, exhibit-ing a ~southeast net-slip vector. These late faults contain abundant calcite which precipitated from a meteoric fluid.

Pyrrhotite is observed at the BRW deposit in anomalous-ly higher amounts relative to surrounding orebodies. An increase in epidote and potassic alteration along strike of the Buck Reef Fault towards Sarsfield suggest both a redox and temperature gradient between the two de-posits. Similar paragenetic sequences suggests that both are likely related to the same hydrothermal system. The difference being that the relatively reducing host rocks at BRW resulted in abundant pyrrhotite, whereas oxidiz-ing gabbro and diorite bodies at the northern end of the Sarsfield deposit, resulted in a less reduced assemblage.

Short Wave Infra-Red (SWIR), and microprobe data shows an increase in the 2250nm absorption peak of chlorite and the 2200nm absorption peak of white mica towards mineralised zones, corresponding to more Fe-rich chlorite and Fe-Mg-rich sericite in the ore stage vein selvages.

A Te-bearing phase with Bi/Te ratio of ~2 occurs ex-clusively in the eastern half of the deposit. This phase is weakly associated with gold mineralisation, and likely formed with (Stage 4) at elevated temperatures. A high Bi-rich phase with Bi/Te ratio of ~10 occurs throughout the entire deposit area and correlates strongly with high gold values. This phase is shown to be native bismuth. This phase precipitated with the ore stage assemblage, synchronous with the development of the Sunset vein system to the west, and reactivation of earlier veins de-veloped in the eastern half of the deposit. Texturally the ore stage assemblage consists of intimately intergrown native bismuth, galena, electrum, chalcopyrite and sphalerite. The textural relationships can be explained by the liquid bismuth collector model as the gold con-centration mechanism, with decreasing temperature and like increasing salinity and ƒO₂, the likely depositional mechanism.Reference cited:Bertelli, M., Baker, T. and Williams, P., 2008. Petrographic report - Ravenswood-Mount Wright Gold Deposits. Unpublished report for Carpentaria Gold Pty Ltd.s



Isotopic (87Sr / 86Sr, δ13C and δ18O) Indicators of Fluid Source from Carbonates in the Ernest Henry Deposit, Queensland, Australia: Implications for Genesis and Exploration Michael Fuss (Honours 2014)Supervisors: Associate Professor Zhaoshan Chang (JCU), Dr Christa Plazeck (JCU), Dr Richard Lilly (MIM Glencore)

The Ernest Henry iron-oxide copper gold (IOCG) de-posit is located in the Eastern Fold Belt of the Mount Isa Inlier, Australia. It is a breccia-hosted hydrothermal deposit with K-feldspar altered clasts cemented by bi-otite-carbonates-magnetite-sulfides. The origin of the brecciation and mineralisation is controversial. Fore-most among the proposed mechanisms for ore genesis at Ernest Henry is that CO2 release directly from the en-riched mantle, or indirectly from mafic magmas, played an important role in breccia formation and in scaveng-ing ore components from local wallrocks, particular-ly mafic rocks. This hypothesis is mainly based on the interpretation of regional stable δ13C and δ18O isotopes from carbonates within the whole Eastern Fold Belt, in-cluding limited samples from Ernest Henry.

In this study, the proposed mantle hypothesis is evalu-ated by examining the 87Sr / 86Sr, δ13C and δ18O isotopes of carbonates. Thirty four samples are analysed from the cement of the ore breccia, distal crackle breccia and in the peripheral veins in the surrounding host rocks of the same stage carbonate as the breccia infill. A few samples from later barren carbonate veins cutting across breccia and mineralisation are also analysed. In addition, sam-ples of wallrocks, including regional carbonate rocks and silicate rocks in the immediate vicinity, are also analysed. The project also aims to investigate whether the isotope compositions have spatial zonation that are applicable to exploration. For this purpose the samples have semi-regular spacing along a long section through the Ernest Henry orebody and extending ~2km south and ~2km north of the Ernest Henry orebody, covering near-mine exploration targets EHMT, Erebus and Third Umpire.

The ratios of 87Sr / 86Sr obtained in this study show that the mineralizing fluids for Ernest Henry have varied isotope values with a strong crustal signature, with the 87Sr / 86Sr ratios for the carbonates ranging from 0.7094 to 0.7435. The source of 87Sr enrichment is interpreted to be from an alkali or high-K felsic igneous source. It is proposed that intrusions similar to the alkaline, K-rich Williams and Naraku batholiths are a source of this enrichment. The exact intrusion related to Ernest Henry may still be located below Ernest Henry and is not yet exposed. The source for the low 87Sr / 86Sr signature could have been produced by the local host rocks, andesitic Mt Fort Con-

stantine metavolcanics (87Sr / 86Sr ratios = 0.707-0.711, calculated according to present-day measured values and ages), and/or the regional Corella Formation mar-ble (87Sr / 86Sr ratios = 0.709-0.717). In summary, the ore stage carbonate was perhaps precipitated from fluids as the results of mixing between magmatic fluids derived from an alkali or high-K felsic magma, and fluids that have leached out Sr and Ca from Mt Fort Constantine metavolcanics and/or Corella Formation marble.

Fluids in equilibrium with Ernest Henry carbonates have wide ranges of values for δ13C and δ18O. Values of δ13C for stage 1 carbonates (representing the mineraliz-ing fluids) vary from -5.2‰ to 2.7‰, with the major-ity of values between -2‰ and 2‰. Values of δ18O for stage 1 carbonates vary from -5.4‰ to 16.3‰, with the majority of values between 4‰ and 11‰. Stage 2 car-bonates (representing a later event) have generally lower δ13C values (-7.6‰ to -1.8‰, mostly -4‰ to -2‰) and δ18O values (-9.0‰ to 10.0‰, mostly -9‰ to 2‰). The stage 1 δ13C and δ18O values suggest a mixing of mag-matic fluids with metamorphic fluids that have reached equilibrium with the Corella Formation and/or Mt Fort Constantine, with possible meteoric water contribution. Late carbonates (stage 2) fluids have a dominantly mete-oric signature, although minor mixing of magmatic and metamorphic fluids might have happened.

No obvious isotopic zonation halo is observed from any of the isotope systems (δ13C, δ18O or 87Sr / 86Sr). The lack of a halo from stable δ13C and δ18O isotopes is probably because the isotope compositions of the fluids are not significantly different from the wall rocks, therefore the various degrees of alteration did not cause much differ-ence from the original signature in the protolith.

The EHMT exploration drill holes with uneconom-ic mineralisation had a narrow isotopic signature and lacked any manganese enrichment in the carbonate composition. Exploration targets Erebus and Third Um-pire are viewed as prospective targets with a similar car-bonate composition and similar δ13C, δ18O and 87Sr / 86Sr signature to the Ernest Henry orebody.

These δ13C, δ18O and 87Sr / 86Sr values for the Ernest Henry deposit provide further evidence to assist with the understanding of Ernest Henry and also the gene-sis of iron-oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits. The iso-tope compositions basically exclude the possibility of Ernest Henry being related to a mantle source. Instead, an alkalic or high-K felsic magma source is suggested. Similar magmatic sources have also been proposed for numerous IOCG deposits including Olympic Dam and Salobo. IOCG deposits suffer inconsistency in many fea-tures and genetic models, however, the genetic link with alkaline or high-K felsic magma is perhaps a common thread.



Geology and Genesis of the Milo REE+Y Deposit, Cloncurry District, North QueenslandJacob Harvey (Honours 2014)Supervisor: Associate Professor Carl Spandler (JCU)

Rare earth elements (REEs) are a geologically and eco-nomically significant group of elements which are be-coming increasingly relevant in modern society, due primarily to rising demand for high technology such as consumer electronics. Rare earth elements are found naturally in a variety of deposit types including iron-ox-ide copper gold (IOCG) deposits, which can be signif-icant sources of REEs. IOCG deposits typically occur as districts, and one such geologically significant and complex district is the Mount Isa Inlier. An unusual do-main known as the Tommy Creek Block (TCB) is present within the Inlier, which bears host to a newly discovered polymetallic REE+Y deposit known as Milo.This project aimed to investigate the REE mineralisation at Milo through a combination of detailed core logging, petrography, and various geochemical analyses in order to determine mechanisms of REE transport and depo-sition in complexly altered host rocks. Multiple types of calc silicate were identified as host rocks to the REE min-eralisation in the logged intervals of this study, likely the product of the widespread Na-Ca alteration prevalent in the Cloncurry District. Via detailed electron micropro-be and LA-ICP-MS trace element analysis this study has shown that a significant component of the REE miner-alisation at Milo is contained within apatite, epidote-al-lanite, and titanite, and a paragenetic model is suggested, with titanite being an early phase. Complex internal zo-nations and several corresponding geochemical trends in several minerals such as amphibole, apatite, biotite, and titanite revealed by EPMA work indicate a complex fluid history; in particular, apatite displays strong zonations (in particular core-rim associations) in both halogen (F and Cl) and REE content. Stable carbon-oxygen isotope data also indicates mixed fluid sources, with multiple flu-id reservoirs being invoked, typical of IOCG deposits in the Cloncurry District.In situ LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of different zonations of REE-bearing titanite places different stages of REE mineralisation at Milo at various ages from 1750-1586 Ma. Multiple U-Pb ages of titanite were revealed in this study, with significant ages being defined at 1750-1720 Ma, 1640 to 1630 Ma and 1590-1570 Ma, all of which may be all of which may be correlated with regionally significant events. Including intrusion of the Wonga and Burstall Granites (including the Tommy Creek Micro-granite), and Williams-Naraku Batholith, and peak met-

amorphism (D2) in the Mount Isa Inlier, with a majority of ages at 1628-1653 Ma. Geochemical data also supports a causative relationship between these events and REE mineralisation.

Using Microanalysis of Minerals totrack Geochemical Processes duringMetamorphism: Examples from the Mary Kathleen Fold Belt, Queensland, and the Eastern Mt. Lofty Ranges, South Australia

Johannes Hammerli (PhD 2014)Supervisor: Associate Professor Carl Spandler (JCU, Dr Nick Ol-iver, Dr Tony Kemp, Dr Brian Rusk

Understanding the behaviour of major and trace ele-ments during metamorphism is fundamental for our understanding of the geochemical evolution of the Earth’s crust and the formation of orogenic orebodies. Furthermore, it is essential to know how key elements and radiogenic isotopes behave in metamorphic/hydro-thermal systems in order to apply them meaningfully to solve important questions in geosciences. Metamorphic/hydrothermal reactions are most evidently preserved at the mineral scale, so in situ microanalytical techniques are best suited for tracing the record of metamorphism or hydrothermal alteration. In this thesis, I outline new analytical developments for in situ analysis of halogens in minerals and fluid samples, and of Sm-Nd isotopes in REE-rich minerals. These techniques, in conjunction with comprehensive bulk rock and mineral geochemis-try and element distribution analysis, are then applied to wellcharacterised metamorphic rocks from the Adelaide Fold Belt and Mt Isa Inlier. Although fluid is an essential ingredient for mass transport during metamorphism, it is often difficult to identify the source of metamorphic/hydrothermal fluids. Traditionally, fluid inclusions have been used to gain insights into the source and composi-tion of fluids. Until very recently, quantification of key el-ements such as bromine and chlorine in fluid inclusions relied almost solely on bulk rock analyses techniques (i.e., crush-leach). These methods do not allow distinction between different fluid inclusion generations that might hold crucial information on the evolution of a hydro-thermal system and associated mineralization. The de-velopment of in situ LA-ICP-MS analysis of chlorine and bromine in fluid inclusions now allows for the targeting of individual fluid inclusions of a specific fluid type in a mineral. In this thesis these techniques were further test-ed and refined, and applied for the first time to a range of natural scapolite group minerals, minerals assumed to



reflect the Cl/Br content of the coexisting hydrothermal fluids. The results show that fluid sources can be identi-fied with a ~ 25 μm resolution in Cl and Br bearing min-erals. This technique was applied on scapolite minerals from skarns, regional metamorphic rocks and a miner-alized shear-zone of the Mary Kathleen Fold Belt in the Mt. Isa inlier. While scapolite minerals in skarns contain Cl/Br ratios typically associated with granitic fluids, met-amorphic scapolite indicates that fluids were dominantly derived from basinal brines formed from subaerial evap-oration of seawater beyond the point of halite saturation. This bittern fluid infiltrated the underlying sedimentary sequences prior to regional metamorphism. Zoned sca-polite in the mineralized shear-zone records three dis-crete pulses of magmatic and metamorphic fluid, and it is suggested that fluid mixing may have assisted mineral-ization along and around this shear-zone.To investigate element mobility during metamorphism, I studied the Eastern Mt. Lofty Ranges in South Australia. Metamorphic rocks of the Mt. Lofty Ranges have a rel-atively simple metamorphic history, and metamorphic gradients and widespread up-temperature fluid flow has been documented previously. This allows monitoring of mineral and bulk rock compositional changes (or lack thereof) during metamorphism across a regional meta-morphic gradient from ~350–400 ˚C to migmatite grade (~ 650–700 ˚C) at ~0.3–0.5 GPa, in a confined frame-work. The results show that, despite widespread up-tem-perature fluid flow, major elements and most trace ele-ments are isochemical during metamorphism. These elements are effectively redistributed into newly formed major minerals or accessory phases. Monazite or allanite and xenotime control the whole rock concentration of REE whereas apatite and titanite are minor REEs hosts.The only non-volatile mobile elements are Zn, Pb, Cs and As whose concentrations decreased with increasing metamorphic grade. The Zn and Pb depletion was pro-gressive with increasing temperature in staurolite-absent psammo-pelites, with losses of ~ 75% of the original Zn and ~ 50 % of the original Pb from the rocks from high-grade metamorphic zones. Microanalysis showed that biotite is a key mineral for Zn sequestration by concen-trating >80 % of the Zn in the bulk rock. Zinc and Pb likely partitioned into a Cl-rich hydrothermal/metamor-phic fluid that led to the observed depletion of Pb and Zn in the bulk rock. Simple mass balance calculations show that ~27 Mt of Zn and ~2.7 Mt of Pb were mo-bilized during prograde metamorphism, which is com-parable to the amounts of base metals found in world class Pb-Zn deposits. Hence, prograde metamorphism of sedimentary rock packages is a viable base metal source for the formation of some Pb-Zn deposits, provided that the metamorphic fluid contains sufficient Cl to ef-

fectively mobilise metals from the metamorphic system into ore-forming environments. The observed As loss is consistent with the recrystallization of As-bearing py-rite to As-poor pyrrhotite, confirming previous studies. Cesium depletion in migmatites can be explained by the incompatibly of Cs in micas in high-grade metamorphic rocks. Significant element mobility during metamor-phism is likely only achieved under conditions with high fluid flux.In order to understand crustal evolutionary processes and crustal fractionation via for example melt produc-tion in migmatitic systems equivalent to the high-grade zone of the Eastern Mt. Lofty Ranges, geochemists wide-ly rely on radiogenic isotopes. However recent claims However recent claims of Nd and Sr isotope disequilib-rium during anatexis question the reliability radiogenic isotopes. Microanalysis of REE-rich accessory minerals was used to investigate Nd isotope equilibration during metamorphism in order to assess to potential of disequi-librium situations during high-grade metamorphism. The results are used to demonstrate that apatite retains an original, probably detrital, highly variable Nd isotopic signature until at least 500 ˚C, before being isotopically homogenized. In contrast, allanite and titanite are equil-ibrated at temperatures as low as 350–400 ˚C. REE-rich accessory minerals in high-grade rocks (~600 ˚C) show very similar initial Nd isotope values at the time of met-amorphism. I conclude that Nd isotope disequilibrium between crustal melts and metasedimentary sources is unlikely. Furthermore, in situ microanalysis of radiogen-ic isotopes can help to identify external melt components in migmatites that would not be resolvable by conven-tional bulk rock analysis.

Stratigraphy, Sedimentation and Age of the Upper Cretaceous Winton Formation, central-western Queensland, Australia: Implications for regional palaeogeography, palaeoenvironments and Gondwanan palaeontology

Ryan Tucker (PhD 2014)Supervisor: Dr Eric Roberts

The mid-Cretaceous Winton Formation is one of Aus-tralia’s most important sources of Mesozoic terrestrial fossils. In recent years it has produced some of the con-tinent’s most significant body and trace fossil records of mid-Cretaceous dinosaurian and crocodilian assem-blages. Additionally, the Winton Formation preserves a diverse assemblage of lungfish and primitive ray-finned



fish, aquatic lizards, turtles, numerous invertebrates along with a high diversity of plant macrofossils, includ-ing some of the world’s earliest flowering plants. The Winton Formation is exposed over large portions of re-mote central-western Queensland, in addition to north-ern New South Wales, north-western South Australia and the south-western corner of the Northern Territory. Despite its importance for our understanding of Aus-tralian terrestrial environments during the latter part of the Mesozoic, very little in the way of detailed geological work has been carried out on the Winton Formation. As a consequence, palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecolog-ical conditions associated with many of Australia’s key dinosaur faunas are poorly understood. A greater un-derstanding of the stratigraphy, sedimentology, age, and taphonomy of these sites will provide critical context for evaluating Australia’s late-Mesozoic vertebrate taxa to other well-known Gondwanan faunas.This study utilizes detrital zircon geochronology and Lu-Hf isotope analysis to constrain the depositional age, tectonic setting, basin evolution, and stratigraphic con-text of the Winton Formation, northeastern Australia. A number of geological studies in the past several decades have focused on U-Pb detrital zircon geochronology for maximum depositional age; however, this approach is still underutilized in palaeontology. Thus, these ten samples, which were composed of ~100 grain detrital zircon samples from differentstratigraphic levels and key fossil locations throughout the Winton and underlying units (basin wide) were analyzed. Detrital zircon ages were obtained via U-Pb LA-ICPMS geochronology and the resulting U-Pb grain ages were subjected to various metrics to interpret maximum depositional age and sed-imentary provenance. The results of this work considera-bly improve upon existing palynological age constraints, suggesting that there are two distinctly different aged faunas: one that is likely ~ 100-98 Ma (Isisford Fauna); and one that is no older than earliest Turonian or lat-est Cenomanian (92-94 Ma), which includes most other Winton vertebrates (Lark/Bladensburg Fauna).The most abundant detrital zircon age population clus-ters between 92-115 Ma, suggesting that much of the volcanic-rich sediment that characterizes the Winton Formation was eroded syndepositionally or shortly after emplacement of an active continental volcanic arc sys-tem located along the eastern margin of Australia (pre-sumably the Whitsunday Volcanic Province). This vol-canic arc activity was not a singular event; rather I have identified near-continuous detrital zircon grain ages be-tween 92-330 Ma, indicating intermittent arc volcanism along that eastern margin due to continuous slab sub-duction of the Phoenix/Pacific Plate under the eastward

migrating Gondwana margin. A particularly interesting result is the identification of Jurassic-age grain popula-tions that represent a period not previously associated with significant arc magmatism in northeastern Queens-land. The identification of fairly continuous detrital zir-con ages is compared with established terranes including the New England Province via Lu-Hf isotopes and found to be of similar isotopic signatures. By combining U-Pb detrital zircon ages and εHf values, I interpret that these sediments were derived from a mixed juvenile magma source associated with a fairly long-lived tectonic system (300-92 Ma) on the east coast of northern Australia.

In addition to this, multiple populations have been iden-tified from other, older easterly sources (330 -900 Ma) including but not limited to the Macrossan, Anakie, Cape River, Greenvale and Georgetown Provinces. Small populations of apparently recycled Proterozoic and Archean grains are also variably present in each of the samples. By coupling the above results with the Kolmog-orov-Smirnov Test and paleocurrent data, this study pro-vides compelling evidence for sediment input into the Winton Formation from a long-lived continuous sub-duction margin along the eastern margin of Australia. Eroded materials from this region were transported via transverse fluvial systems westward into the Eromanga Basin and form the principal provenance source for all Winton sandstones investigated in this study.

In addition to understanding provenance patterns and refining the age of the Winton Formation, the other pri-mary objective of this thesis was to place the important Winton flora and fauna into a refined palaeoenviron-mental context. In order to achieve this, detailed facies and architectural element analysis of both the Winton and the top of the underling Mackunda Formation was conducted and a basin model was developed. Based on a combination of field and core investigation, 23 distinct lithofacies were identified, and these were used to con-struct nine distinct facies assemblages. The Winton For-mation can be informally separated into an upper and lower unit respective of gross changes in depositional patterns, alluvial architecture, and fauna, and confirmed by distinct maximum depositional age constraining zir-con populations and a newly constructed basin model. Environmentally, the lower Winton formation preserves the last vestiges of the shallow marine conditions in the Eromanga Basin, and an up section transition from coastal and tidally influenced deltaic strata to alluvial strata. The upper Winton Formation preserves mature floodplain strata, dominantd by a series of stacked chan-nel sandstones with west- to southwest- oriented pale-ocurrent indicators.

EGRU Membership 2014Level 1AngloGold AshantiBHP Billiton (Cannington)Evolution MiningGlencore XstrataLevel 2MMG Newmont Asia PacificLevel 3Carpentaria Gold Pty LtdChinova ResourcesFMR Investments Pty Ltd (Eloise Copper Mine)Map to Mine Pty LtdMinerals Resources Authority PNGTerra Search Pty LtdLevel 4CSA Global Gnomic Exploration ServicesInvestigator ResourcesKrucible MetalsTeck Australia Pty LtdLevel 516 Individual members

Staff UpdateArrivalsYanbo Cheng - Post Doctoral ResearcherIsaac Corral - Post Doctoral ResearcherArianne Ford – Post Doctoral ResearcherRob Holm – Assistant LecturerAwardsMichael Rubenach – Geological Society of Australia – Neville Stevens MedalRob Holm – Sessional Staff AwardResearch ActivitiesFull Listing of Research Grants 2014Grantee: Zhaoshan ChangSource: Qld Dept of Natural Resources and Mines - Future Resources Program Title: Characterising and Assessing Pro-spectivity of Intrusion-Related Hydrothermal Mineral Systems in north-east Queensland Amount: $1,779,736.00Grantee: Zhaoshan ChangSource: Evolution Mining Contract ResearchTitle: Geological Characteristics and Genesis of Mt Carlton High-Sulphidation Epithermal Deposit, and the Implications for ExplorationAmount: $150,000.00Grantee: Carl SpandlerSource: Australian Research Council - Linkage - Infrastructure (L-IEF)Title: Laser Ablation Multiple Split StreamingAmount: $860,000.00Grantee: Jan Marten HuizengaSource: Stichting Dr Schurmannfonds - Research GrantTitle: Hydrothermal Breccia ZonesAmount: $13,321.00Grantee: James DaniellSource: Australian Research Council - Linkage - Infrastructure (L-IEF)Title: Membership of the IODPAmount: $3,600,000.00

Grantee: Paul DirksSource: Australian Research Council - Discovery - Projects Title: Life and death Australopithicus sedibaAmount: $256,000.00

Short Courses / Workshops / Field TripsAt JCUIntegrated Spatial Analysis and Remote Sensing of Mineral Exploration TargetsJohn Carranza et alOre Textures and Breccias in Mineralised systems: Porphyry Deposits and Skarn Roger Taylor, Zhaoshan Chang Gossans and Leached CappingsRoger Taylor

Off CampusIntroduction to GIS – Zambia Arianne FordSkarn Deposits – PeruZhaoshan ChangSEG-SGA Ore Deposit Models and Ex-ploration Workshop – Fujian, ChinaZhaoshan Chang

Visiting SpeakersProf. Bruce W Fouke – staff/student lec-ture – sponsored by AAPGProfessor Marjorie Chan - public/student/staff lecture – sponsored by GSA (Amer-ica)Professor Noel White - public/student/staff lecture – sponsored by AusIMMStudent Meets Industry – Jim Morrison, Simon Richards, Janrich Buys, Rob See, Joshua Phipps

Visiting ScholarsLin Hou – Chengdu Institute of Geology and Mineral ResourcesHuijuan Peng – Chengdu university of TechnologyHongrui Zhang – Chinese Academy of Geological ScienceZhiming Yang – Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences

Conferences / MeetingsAttended by Staff and StudentsSGTSG – Thredbo, NSWRob HolmAUGEN - UQ, BrisbaneRob HolmSociety for American Archaeology - Austin, Texas, USAChrista PlaczekSEG - Keystone, CO, USAZhaoshan Chang, George Case, Stephanie Mrozek, Qihai Shu, Michael Fuss, David DerhamAESC – Newcastle, N.S.W.Carl Spandler, Bob HendersonUNCOVER Summit - Adelaide, SAZhaoshan ChangResourcesQ - Cairns, QldPaul Dirks, Zhaoshan ChangGoldschmidt - Sacramento, CA, USACarl Spandler

4th International Paleontological Congress – Mendoza, ArgentinaEric RobertsAustralian Archeological Association MeetingChrista Placzek, Paul Dirks

Industry & Academic LiaisonAnglo American Delegation – Introduction to EGRU at JCU

MGM and MTEC Postgraduate and Honours CoursesMGM - EA5029 Integrated Spatial Analysis and Remote Sensing of Mineral Exploration TargetsJohn Carranza, Arianne Ford, John McLel-lan, George Case MTEC Honours - Ore Textures and Brec-cias in Mineralised systems: Porphyry Deposits and Skarn Deposits Roger Taylor, Zhaoshan Chang

Student AwardsPhD CandidatesStephanie Mrozek – SEG Student Research GrantGeorge Case - SEG Student Research GrantQihai Shu - SEG Student Research GrantMPhil CandidatesErin Stormont - QLD Government Supporting Women ScholarshipHonours CandidatesMichael Fuss - EGRU Honours ScholarshipDavid Derham – EGRU Honours ScholarshipMichael Fuss - AIG - Terra Search Geoscience Student BursaryUndergraduateEmma Beattie - AusIMM Education Endowment Fund Premium Scholarship Zeljiko Higby – AusIMM Max Eden Bursary

Student Field TripsSEG Student Chapter - Warrior Mine - CitigoldSEG Student Chapter - Mt Carlton Mine Site - Evolution MiningAusIMM – Yabulu Nickel RefineryAusIMM – Charters Towers Citigold

New PhD CandidatesHelge BehnsenMichael CalderHannah Hilbert-WolfTeimoor Nazari DehkordiPrince Owusu-AgymangFredrik Sahlström


2014 Annual Report

EGRU News July 2015 29EGRU News July 2015 29

2014 EGru aNNual rEport


2014 Annual Report

Undergraduate

Student Enrolments2013 2014

EA1110 Evolution of the Earth 310 275

EA2006 Hydrology 101 79

EA2007 Applied Soil Science 41 35

EA2010 Introductory Geology 3 1

EA2110 Introduction to Sedimentology 73 49

EA2220 Minerals & Magmas 90 64

EA2300 Introductory Structural and Metamorphic Geology 76 60

EA2404 From Icehouse to Greenhouse 26 35

EV2502 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 283 278

EA2510 Earth Resources, Exploration & Environment 77 55

EA2900 Intro. Field Geology 70 51

EA3005 Mine Site Rehabilitation 24 15

EA3007 Field Studies in Tropical Water & Soil Science 40 33

EA 3008 Advanced Hydrology 36 37

EA3100 Igneous Petrology and Processes 53 56

EA3200 Advanced Structural and Metamorphic Geology 41 49

EA3400 Ore Genesis 43 39

EA3502 Advanced Geographic Information Systems

48 43

EV3506 Remote Sensing 21 29

EA3510 Geological Mapping 39 47

EA3511 Field Techniques in Geology 38 49

EA3640 Advanced Environmental & Marine Geoscience Technologies & Applications

29 28

EA3650 Sedimentary Environments & Energy Resources 37 46

EA3800 Earth & Environmental Geochemistry 52 67

EA5016 Hydrology 10 10

EA5017 Applied Soil Science 6 7

EA5018 Field Studies in Tropical Water & Soil Science 8 7

EA5041 Igneous Petrology & Processes 8 1

EA5042 Advanced Structural & Metamorphic Geology 11 2

EA5043 Ore Genesis 8 1

EA5044 Geological Mapping 11 3

EA5045 Advanced Geological Mapping 11 3

EA5046 Earth & Environmental Geochemistry 8 4

EA5048 Minerals & Magmas 5 1

EA5049 Introductory Structural & Metamorphic Geology 3 0

EA5090 Advanced Hydrology 8 9

EA5320 Earth Resources, Exploration & Environment 8 3

EA5330 Field Techniques 7 3

EA5340 Disturbed Site Repair 5 4

EA5404 From Icehouse to Greenhouse 8 8

EV5502 Advanced Geographic Information Systems 27 22

EV5505 Introduction to Geographic Information Systems 42 56

EA5640 Adv. Marine Geoscience Technologies & Applications 3 5

EA5650 Sedimentary Environments & Energy Resources 4 1

Student CompletionsHonours CompletionsLiam CollinsDavid DerhamJohn DinnisonRuginia Duffy

Michael FussJacob HarveyEmily HoltJodie Kilpatrick

Thomas ManoyShane RyanMark StokesChristopher ToddMathew Van Ryt

PhD CompletionsJoao BaboJohannes HammerliRyan Tucker


2014 Annual Report

Facilities / Equipment

> ICP-MS: 2 quadrupole ICP-MS units.

> LA (Laser Ablation): GeoLas 200 Excimer Laser Ablation System (193nm)

> MC-ICP-MS: Multi Collector - Inductively Coupled Plasma - Mass Spectrometer

> Clean Laboratory: Class 350 Clean Laboratory

> Electron Microprobe: Jeol JXA8200 “Superprobe” – 5WDS, EDS, BSE, SE, CL

> SEM: Jeol JSM5410LV with Cathodoluminescence imaging capacity

> XRD: Siemens D5000 Diffractometer

> XRF: Bruker-AXS S4 Pioneer X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer

> ICP-AES: Varian Liberty Series II

> SWIR Spectrometer: PIMA

> SWIR Spectrometer: specTERRA

> Fluid inclusion Stage: Linkam MDS600 Freezing / Heating Stage

> Melt Inclusion / Fluid Inclusion Stage: Linkam TS1500 Heating Stage

> Lapidary/Mineral Separation Laboratory Equipment includes: RockLabs crusher and split-ter, Temer and Disc mills, Franz magnetic separator, Wilfley table, and dental drill for mi-cro-sampling. Magnetometer: GeoMetrics G 816/826A

> Photomicrography set 1: Leica DM2500P Microscope + Leica DFC420 C Camera

> Photomicrography set 2: Leica DM RXP Microscope + Leica DC 300 v2.0 Camera

> Magnetic Susceptibility Meter: Fugro GMS-2 (Serial No: 1942)

> Microscopes: Transmitted Light + Reflected Light Optical Microscopes, including a Nikon Eclipse E400 POL, a Nikon Labophot2 POL, and ~45 Leica microscopes.

MTEC Honours & Minerals

Geoscience Masters Courses2013 2014

Ore Texture & Breccias in Mineralised Systems 37 42

EA5024 Business & Financial Management 9 NA

EA5027 Advanced Field Training 15 NA

EA5028 Advanced Techniques in Mining & Exploration Geology 11 NA

EA5029 Integrated Spatial Analysis for Remote NA 5

Professional Development

Training2013 2014

Business & Financial Management 1 NA

Advanced Field Training 9 NA

Advanced Techniques in Mining & Exploration Geology 4 NA

Ore Textures & Breccias in Mineralised Systems NA 7

Gossans & Leached Cappings NA 13


2014 Annual Report

Opening Balance January 2014 $212,423.66

INCOME $ GST Exclusive

Membership 84,481.79

Publications 1,001.83

Short Course/ Workshop 29,792.79

Training Programs

Consultancy 1,818.18

Management Fees 16,926.70

Conference 138,103.43

Other Professional Services 10,663.64

Equipment Rental -

Miscellaneous 19,222.01

Miscellaneous- Income Other Entities 3,314.93

TOTAL INCOME $305,325.30

EXPENSES

Salaries 97,820.03

Member Benefits 19,322.73

Publications 1,139.02

Short Course 12,979.97

Training Courses -

Marketing 5,228.78

Administration 8,863.09

Other Professional Services 826.11

Equipment 821.73

Consultancy 1,784.98

Conference -

Miscellaneous 7,061.45

Miscellaneous - Expenses Other Entities 8,408.61

EGRU Honours Scholarship 10,000.00

Sponsorship -

Sponsorship Student 4,823.34

TOTAL EXPENSES $179,079.84

Closing Balance December 2014 $338,669.12

EGru FiNaNcial summary

jaNuary - dEcEmBEr 2014


2014 Annual Report

2014 PublicationsBlenkinsop, Tom G., and Doyle, Mark G. (2014) Struc-tural controls on gold mineralization on the margin of the Yilgarn craton, Albany-Fraser orogen: the Tropi-cana deposit, Western Australia. Journal of Structural Geology, 67, Part B. pp. 189-204. Carvell, Jacob, Blenkinsop, Thomas, Clarke, Gavin, and Tonelli, Maurizio (2014) Scaling, kinematics and evolution of a polymodal fault system: Hail Creek Mine, NE Australia. Tectonophysics, 632. pp. 138-150. Jourdan, F., Hodges, K., Sell, B., Schaltegger, U., Win-gate, M.T.D., Evins, L.Z., Sōderlund, U., Haines, P.W., Phillips, D., and Blenkinsop, T. (2014) High-precision dating of the Kalkarindji large igneous province, Aus-tralia, and synchrony with the Early–Middle Cambri-an (Stage 4–5) extinction. Geology (Boulder), 42 (6). pp. 543-546. Mochales, Tania, and Blenkinsop, Thomas G. (2014) Representation of paleomagnetic data in virtual globes: a case study from the Pyrenees. Computers & Geosciences, 70. pp. 56-62. Li, Lamei, Xie, Yuling, Guo, Xiang, Meffre, Sebastien, Chang, Zhaoshan, Zhang, Jian, Yao, Yu, Liu, Baoshun, and Wang, Aiguo (2014) Chronology, petrochemistry of fine grained granite and their implication to Mo-Cu mineralization in Xichong Mo Deposit, Anhui Prov-ince, China. Acta Geologica Sinica, 88. pp. 556-558.

Chang, Zhaoshan, Meinert, Lawrence D., and Heden-quist, Jeffrey W. (2014) Advances in economic geology in 2013, as illustrated by papers published in Econom-ic Geology. SEG Newsletter, 96. pp. 20-24Cooke, David R., Baker, Mike, Hollings, Pete, Sweet, Gabe, Chang, Zhaoshan, Danyushevsky, Leonid, Gil-bert, Sarah, Zhou, Taofa, White, Noel, Gemmell, J. Bruce, and Inglis, Shaun (2014) New advances in de-tecting the distal geochemical footprints of porphyry systems – epidote mineral chemistry as a tool for vec-toring and fertility assessments. In: Kelley , Karen D., and Golden, Howard C., (eds.) Building Exploration Capability for the 21st Century. SEG Special Publi-cation, 18 . Society of Economic Geologists, Boulder, CO, USA, pp. 127-152.Herbert, Sarah, Woldai, Tsehaie, Carranza, Emmanuel John M., and van Ruitenbeek, Frank J.A. (2014) Pre-dictive mapping of prospectivity for orogenic gold in Uganda. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 99 (Part 2). pp. 666-693. Xia, Rui, Wang, Changming, Deng, Jun, Carranza, John, Li, Wneliang, and Qing, Min (2014) Crustal thickening prior to 220 Ma in the East Kunlun Oro-genic Belt: insights from the Late Triassic granitoids in the Xiao-Nuomuhong pluton. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 93. pp. 193-210. Shariari, Hadi, Ranjbar, Hojjatollah, Honarmand,

Analytical Capabilities > SWIR (Short Wavelength Infra-Red) spectral analysis

> Thermometric measurements of fluid inclusions and melt inclusions

> Composition of individual fluid/melt inclusions

> Mineral major element compositions by EDS and/or WDS on a Jeol ‘Superprobe’ electron microprobe

> Back-Scattered Electron (BSE) and Secondary Electron (SE) imaging, using SEM and elec-tron microprobe

> Cathodoluminescence (CL) wavelength spectra analysis by electron microprobe equipped with a CL spectrometer (XCLent)

> Mineral trace element composition

> Mineral elemental mapping

> Stable isotope analysis

> Dating

> Clean laboratory

> Experimental petrology laboratory


2014 Annual Report

Mehdi, and Carranza, Emmanuel John M. (2014) Se-lection of less biased threshold angles for SAM clas-sification using the real value–area fractal technique. Resource Geology, 64 (4). pp. 301-315. Carranza, Emmanuel John M., and Sadeghi, Martiya (2014) Post-VMS mineralization deformations (1880–1820 Ma) of the Skellefte district (Sweden): insights from the spatial pattern of VMS occurrences. Fron-tiers of Earth Science, 8 (3). pp. 319-324. Wang, Changming, Deng, Jun, Carranza, Emmanuel John M., and Santosh, M. (2014) Tin metallogenesis associated with granitoids in the southwestern San-jiang Tethyan Domain: nature, deposit types, and tec-tonic setting. Gondwana Research, 26 (2). pp. 576-593. Deng, Jun, Yuan, Wanming, Carranza, Emmanual John Muico, Yang, Liqiang, Wang, Changming, Yang, Liya, and Hao, Nana (2014) Geochronology and ther-mochronometry of the Jiapigou gold belt, northeast-ern China: new evidence for multiple episodes of min-eralization. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 89. pp. 10-27. Liu, Jiajun, Cao, Ye, Carranza, Emmanuel John M., Feng, Caixia, Zhai, Degao, Wang, Jianping, and Li, Jingxian (2014) Characterization of secondary native selenium in the Yutangba Se deposit, Western Hubei, China. Resource Geology, 64 (3). pp. 271-281. Abdolmaleki, Mehdi, Mokhtari, Ahmad Reza, Akbar, Somaieh, Alipour-Asll, Masood, and Carranza, Em-manuel John M. (2014) Catchment basin analysis of stream sediment geochemical data: incorporation of slope effect. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 140. pp. 96-103. Deng, Jun, Gong, Qingjie, Wang, Changming, Car-ranza, Emmanuel John M., and Santosh, M. (2014) Sequence of Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous magmat-ic–hydrothermal events in the Xiong’ershan region, Central China: an overview with new zircon U–Pb geochronology data on quartz porphyries. Journal of Asian Earth Sciences, 79 (Part A). pp. 161-172. Wang, Changming, Deng, Jun, Carranza, Emmanuel John M., and Lai, Xiangru (2014) Nature, diversity and temporal-spatial distributions of sediment-hosted Pb–Zn deposits in China. Ore Geology Reviews, 56. pp. 327-351. Yousefi, Mahyar, Kamkar-Rouhani, Abolghasem, and Carranza, Emmanuel John M. (2014) Application of staged factor analysis and logistic function to create a fuzzy stream sediment geochemical evidence layer for mineral prospectivity mapping. Geochemistry: Explo-ration, Environment, Analysis, 14. pp. 45-58. Zarasvandi, Alireza, Carranza, E.J.M., Heidari, Majid, and Mousapour, Esmaeil (2014) Environmental fac-tors of urinary stones mineralogy, Khouzestan Prov-ince, Iran. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 97. pp. 368-376. Jemmali, Nejib, Souissi, Fouad, Carranza, Emmanuel

John M., Vennemann, Torsten W., and Bogdanov, Kamen (2014) Geochemical constraints on the gene-sis of the Pb–Zn deposit of Jalta (northern Tunisia): implications for timing of mineralization, sources of metals and relationship to the Neogene volcanism. Chemie der Erde - Geochemistry, 74 (4). pp. 601-613. Case, George, Weislogel, Amy, and Coffindaffer, Keith (2014) Petrologic evidence for the diagenesis of the Donovan Sand, Citronelle Field, Alabama, and im-plications for CO2 storage and enhanced oil recovery. Environmental Geosciences, 21 (4). pp. 141-159.Edwards, David P., Sloan, Sean, Weng, Lingfei, Dirks, Paul, Sayer, Jeffrey, and Laurance, William F. (2014) Mining and the African environment. Conservation Letters, 7 (3). pp. 302-311. Hofmann, Axel, Bekker, Andrey, Dirks, Paul, Gueg-uen, Bleuenn, Rumble, Doug, and Rouxel, Olivier J. (2014) Comparing orthomagmatic and hydrothermal mineralization models for komatiite-hosted nickel de-posits in Zimbabwe using multiple-sulfur, iron, and nickel isotope data. Mineralium Deposita, 49 (1). pp. 75-100. Micklethwaite, S., Ford, A., Witt, W., and Sheldon, H.A. (2014) The where and how of faults, fluids and permeability: insights from fault stepovers, scaling properties and gold mineralisation. Geofluids, 15 (1-2). pp. 240-251Hammerli, J., Kemp, A.I.S., and Spandler, C. (2014) Neodymium isotope equilibration during crustal met-amorphism revealed by in situ microanalysis of REE-rich accessory minerals. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 392. pp. 133-142. Hammerli, J., Spandler, C., Oliver, N.H.S., and Rusk, B. (2014) Cl/Br of scapolite as a fluid tracer in the earth’s crust: insights into fluid sources in the Mary Kathleen Fold Belt, Mt. Isa Inlier, Australia. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 32 (1). pp. 93-112.Henderson, R.A., and Nind, M.A.P. (2014) Pliocene aridity and Neogene landscape evolution recorded by a fluvial sediment system (Campaspe Formation) in northeast Queensland. Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, 61 (8). pp. 1041-1059.Simpson, E.L., Koch, R., Heness, E.A., Wizevich, M.C., Tindall, S.E., Hilbert-Wolf, H.L., Golder, K., and Steullet, A.K. (2014) Sedimentology and Paleon-tology of the Upper Cretaceous Wahweap Formation sag ponds adjacent to syndepositional normal faults, Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument, Utah. Cretaceous Research, 50. pp. 332-343.Frezzotti, Maria-Luce, Huizenga, Jan-Marten, Com-pagnoni, Roberto, and Selverstone, Jane (2014) Di-amond formation by carbon saturation in C–O–H fluids during cold subduction of oceanic lithosphere. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 143. pp. 68-86. Van Reenen, D.D., Huizenga, J.M., Smit, C.A., and Ro-ering, C. (2014) Fluid-rock interaction during high-


2014 Annual Report

grade metamorphism: instructive examples from the Southern Marginal Zone of the Limpopo Complex, South Africa. Precambrian Research, 253. pp. 63-80. Huizenga, Jan Marten, van Reenen, Dirk, and Touret, Jacques (2014) Fluid-rock interaction in retrograde granulites of the Southern Marginal Zone, Limpopo high grade terrain, South Africa. Geoscience Fron-tiers, 5 (5). pp. 673-682. Luque, F.J., Huizenga, J-M., Crespo-Feo, E., Wada, H., Ortega, L., and Barrenechea, J.F. (2014) Vein graphite deposits: geological settings, origin, and economic sig-nificance. Mineralium Deposita, 49 (2). pp. 261-277. Hill, E. June, Oliver, Nicholas H.S., Fisher, Louise, Cleverley, James S., and Nugus, Michael J. (2014) Us-ing geochemical proxies to model nuggety gold de-posits: an example from Sunrise Dam, Western Aus-tralia. Journal of Geochemical Exploration, 145. pp. 12-24. Feltrin, Leonardo, and Oliver, Nicholas H.S. (2014) Timing and origin of megabreccia and folds along the Early Middle Cambrian margin of the Georgina Basin, Australia. Carbonates and Evaporites, 29 (1). pp. 3-31. Placzek, Christa, Granger, Darryl E., Matmon, Ari, Quade, Jay, and Ryb, Uri (2014) Geomorphic process rates in the central Atacama Desert, Chile: insights from cosmogenic nuclides and implications for the onset of hyperaridity. American Journal of Science, 314 (10). pp. 1462-1512. Davis, M., Matmon, A., Placzek, C.J., McIntosh, W., Rood, D.H., and Quade, J. (2014) Cosmogenic nu-clides in buried sediments from the hyperarid Ataca-ma Desert, Chile. Quaternary Geochronology, 19. pp. 117-126. Roberts, Eric M., Lamanna, Matthew C., Clarke, Julia A., Meng, Jin, Gorscak, Eric, Sertich, Joseph J.W., O’Connor, Patrick M., Claeson, Kerin M., and MacPhee, Ross D.E. (2014) Stratigraphy and verte-brate paleoecology of Upper Cretaceous–?lowest Pale-ogene strata on Vega Island, Antarctica. Palaeogeogra-phy, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 402. pp. 55-72.

Gorscak, Eric, O’Connor, Patrick M., Stevens, Nancy J., and Roberts, Eric M. (2014) The basal titanosaurian Rukwatitan bisepultus (Dinosauria, Sauropoda) from the middle Cretaceous Galula formation, Rukwa Rift Basin, southwestern Tanzania. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 34 (5). pp. 1133-1154. Sanislav, I.V., Dirks, P.H.G.M., Cook, Y.A., Blenkin-sop, T.G., and Kolling, S.L. (2014) A giant gold system, Geita Greenstone Belt, Tanzania. Acta Geologica Sini-ca, 88 (s2). pp. 110-111. Sanislav, I.V., Wormald, R.J., Dirks, P.H.G.M., Blen-kinsop, T.G., Salamba, L., and Joseph, D. (2014). Zir-con U–Pb ages and Lu–Hf isotope systematics from late-tectonic granites, Geita Greenstone Belt: implica-tions for crustal growth of the Tanzania Craton. Pre-cambrian Research, 242. pp. 187-204. Buys, Janrich, Spandler, Carl, Holm, Robert J., and Richards, Simon W. (2014). Remnants of ancient Aus-tralia in Vanuatu: Implications for crustal evolution in island arcs and tectonic development of the southwest Pacific. Geology, 42 (11). pp. 939-942. Rosenthal, Anja, Yaxley, Greg M., Green, David H., Hermann, Joerg, Kovács, István, and Spandler, Carl (2014). Continuous eclogite melting and variable refertilisation in upwelling heterogeneous mantle. Sci-entific Reports, 4. pp. 1-6. Spandler, Carl, Pettke, Thomas, and Hermann, Joerg (2014). Experimental study of trace element release during ultrahigh-pressure serpentinite dehydration. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 391. pp. 296-306. Tucker, Ryan Thomas (2014). Stratigraphy, sedi-mentation and age of the upper cretaceous Winton formation, central-western Queensland, Australia: implications for regional palaeogeography, palaeoen-vironments and Gondwanan palaeontology. PhD the-sis, James Cook University.Yang, Zhiming, Hou, Zengqian, Xu, Jifeng, Bian, Xiongfei, Wang, Guiren, Yang, Zhusen, Tian, Shihong, Liu, Yingchao, and Wang, Zhaolin (2014) Geology and origin of the post-collisional Narigongma porphyry Cu-Mo deposit, southern Qinghai, Tibet. Gondwana Research, 26 (2). pp. 536-556.

Third Year Field Mapping Course, Roxmere Station, Cloncurry.Photo courtesy of Dr Rob Holm, JCU.

EGRU Calendar of Events Alumni Social Event at SEG2015

29th September 2015Wrest Point Hotel

EGRU AGM and Research Presentations4th December 2015

EGRU JCU

Business and Financial Management Short Course8 - 19th February 2016

EGRU JCU

Jeffrey Hedenquist Short CourseUnderstanding of, and Exploration for,

Epithermal and Porphyry Deposits: Transitions and Variations25 - 26th February 2016

EGRU JCU

The Cloncurry District Mineral System: Workshop on New Advances in Exploration and Deposit Understanding

16 - 18th March 2016 Cloncurry

Integrated Spatial Analysis and Remote Sensing of Exploration Targets Short Course

18 - 29th April 2016EGRU JCU

FUTORES II Conference4 - 7th June 2017

Townsville, Australia

EGRU Members receive discounted registration forEGRU conferences, short courses and workshops.

Delegates attending EGRU conferences, short courses and workshops may earn Professional Development points from their professional bodies.

Membership information is available at http://www.jcu.edu.au/egru/

http://www.jcu.edu.au/egru

Documents

EGRU News July 2015