Five questions for fun and profit: A mineral system perspective on metallogenic epochs, provinces and magmatic hydrothermal Cu and Au deposits

Abstract

We argue that the empirical basis of deposit classification schemes is an inhibitor of the adventurous conceptual thinking required to aid efficient mineral exploration. It ought to be possible to construct a limited number of process --- based, scale-integrated, system models to describe mineral and hydrocarbon deposits, provinces and epochs. We suggest that the geodynamic controls on reservoir construction and focused fluid release may be a unifying theme across many classes of deposits, effecting the formation of mineral provinces and epochs. The common architectural, geodynamic and fluid reservoir characteristic of porphyry Cu-Au and orogenic Au classes of deposits serve to illustrate the concept. The ``Five Question'' description of mineral systems is utilized.