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Describing breccias
Overview of genetic
classes for breccias
Emphasis on breccias
from epithermal and
porphyry deposits
Magmatic-
hydrothermal
Volcanic-
hydrothermal
Hydrothermal
(phreatic)
Definitions
Hydrothermal breccia:
Clastic, coarse-grained aggregate generated by the
interaction of hydrothermal fluid with magma and/or
wallrocks
Infill:
Material that has filled the space between clasts in
breccias
Breccias can have two infill components crystalline
cement or clastic matrix
2 cm
Breccia Description
and Interpretation
Ideal combination:
5 +4 +3 +2 +1
Alteration Internal Components Grainsize Geometry
organisation A+B+C+D
Minimum Combination: 4 + 3 + 2
1) Geometry
pipe, cone, dyke, vein,
bed, irregular, tabular...
Contact relationships:
sharp, gradational,
faulted, irregular, planar,
concordant, discordant
2) Grainsize
breccia (> 2mm), sandstone (1/16 2 mm)
or mudstone (< 1/16 mm)
3) Components
A: clasts
monomict or polymict
Composition: lithic, vein, breccia, juvenile
magmatic, accretionary lapilli,
mineralised, altered
Morphology: angular, subangular,
subround, round, faceted, tabular,
equant
3) Components: INFILL
B: matrix
Mud to sand to breccia-sized particles
Crystal fragments, lithic fragments,
vein fragments
Textures:
bedded
laminated
banded
foliated
massive
Polymictic diorite clast breccia with pyrite-quartz-roscoelite
cement and roscoelite-altered mud matrix, Porgera, PNG
Breccia Description
5 +4 +3 +2 +1
Alteration Internal Components Grainsize Geometry
organisation A+B+C+D
3) Components: INFILL
C: cement
Ore & gangue mineralogy
Grainsize
Alteration
textures:
cockade, massive, drusy, etc.
Rhodochrosite-kaolinite cemented
mudstone-clast breccia Kelian, Indonesia
Breccia Description
5 +4 +3 +2 +1
Alteration Internal Components Grainsize Geometry
organisation A+B+C+D
4) Internal Organisation
Clast, matrix or cement-supported
Clast, matrix and cement abundances
Massive, bedded, laminated or graded
Clast distribution:
In-situ (jigsaw-fit)
Rotated
Chaotic
5) Alteration
Clasts, matrix or cement
Alteration paragenesis (pre-, syn- and
post-brecciation)
Stockwork veins
Igneous-
cemented
means that breccias
genetic
Phreatic breccias
terminology is Structural control on
breccia location
generally applied
inconsistently
Fault breccias
& brecciated veins
Tectonic Breccias
Breccias in Hydrothermal Systems
1: Magmatic-
hydrothermal breccias Volatile-saturated
intrusion undergoes
Permeability catastrophic brittle failure
enhancement through due to hydrostatic
the formation of a pressure exceeding
subsurface breccia lithostatic load and the
body allows for tensile strength of the
focussed fluid flow wallrocks
Containment and
focussing of volatiles
magmatic-
hydrothermal ore
formation
Characteristic
Features
Angular clasts -implies
limited clast transport
& abrasion
Juvenile clasts (?)
Variable amounts of
clastic matrix
High temperature
alteration rinds
(clasts) and altered
matrix
Tourmaline-chalcopyrite
Open space fill
cement, Rio Blanco textures Polymict tourmaline breccia,
Sierra Gorda, Chile
Characteristic Features
Altered clasts
cement
vein
Hydrothermal cement
Alteration of rock flour
Alteration of clasts
Tourmaline breccia, Ro
Blanco, Chile Cross-cutting veins
Magmatic-hydrothermal breccia
Vein Halo
tm bx
tm vein halo
tm vein halo
Providencia cp-tourmaline
In many cases, tabular
breccia, Inca de Oro, Chile shape does not relate to
closely spaced jointing or
bedding
2: Volcanic-hydrothermal
Volcanic-
breccias hydrothermal
breccia
Clastic matrix & milled complex
paleodepth
clasts abundant
2 - 5 km
Surficial and subsurface
breccia deposits
Late intrusion
Bedded and massive into active
breccia facies hydrothermal
system
Venting of volatiles to
the surface
death of a porphyry
deposit
shortcut to the
epithermal environment
Diatremes
wet pyroclastic eruptions
0m
Water
Table
depressed
Increasing
eruption
depth
> 2500 m
Juvenile clasts
Mineralised and altered clasts
Surficial-derived clasts (e.g., logs,
charcoal, etc.)
Complex facies relationships
Limited open space little or no
hydrothermal cement
QFP intrusion
Diatreme breccia
150 m
Volcaniclastic
sst / slt
Breccias in Hydrothermal Systems
3: Hydrothermal breccias
phreatic
Phreatic breccias:
in-situ subsurface
and surficial
brecciation matrix
can be abundant
(jig-saw fit to Phreatic steam
rotated to chaotic explosions caused by
decompression of
textures)
hydrothermal fluid
No direct magmatic
involvement
epithermal gold
deposition
Phreatic Breccias
Hydrothermal steam explosions that breach the surface
will generate pyroclastic ejecta, but lack a juvenile
magmatic component
The resultant
hydrothermal
eruption deposits
are bedded and
have low aspect
ratios
The deposits have a
poor preservation
potential
Hydrothermal Breccias
Lihir, Papua New Guinea Kelian, Indonesia
Hydrothermal Breccias
20 cm
2 cm
, Peru
Hydrothermal Breccias
Breccias in Hydrothermal Systems
3: Vein breccias
Structural opening
and hydrothermal
fluid pressure
No direct magmatic
involvement
epithermal
deposition
Vein breccia,, Peru
Hydrothermal Breccias
Kencana, Indonesia
Vein Breccias
What do these
textures mean?
Stage 1b
ore
30 cm
HW
30 cm
Stage II
non-ore
Stage IV
non-ore
HW
20 cm
20 cm
HW
5 cm
HW
10 cm
30 cm 20 cm 20 cm