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The Fractal Nature of Structural Controls on Ore Formation: The Case of the Iron Oxide Copper-Gold Deposits in the Carajás Mineral Province, Brazilian Amazon

2018; Volume: 113; Issue: 7 Linguagem: Inglês

10.5382/econgeo.2018.4600

1554-0774

Paulo Miguel Haddad-Martim, Emmanuel John M. Carranza, Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho,

Complex Systems and Time Series Analysis

Research Article| November 01, 2018 The Fractal Nature of Structural Controls on Ore Formation: The Case of the Iron Oxide Copper-Gold Deposits in the Carajás Mineral Province, Brazilian Amazon Paulo Miguel Haddad-Martim; Paulo Miguel Haddad-Martim Institute of Geosciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo 13083-855, Brazil †Corresponding author: e-mail, pmiguelhm@gmail.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Emmanuel John M. Carranza; Emmanuel John M. Carranza Institute of Geosciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo 13083-855, BrazilSchool of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal 3629, South AfricaEconomic Geology Research Centre (EGRU), James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho Institute of Geosciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo 13083-855, Brazil Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Paulo Miguel Haddad-Martim Institute of Geosciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo 13083-855, Brazil Emmanuel John M. Carranza Institute of Geosciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo 13083-855, BrazilSchool of Agricultural, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, KwaZulu-Natal 3629, South AfricaEconomic Geology Research Centre (EGRU), James Cook University, Townsville, Queensland 4811, Australia Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho Institute of Geosciences, State University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo 13083-855, Brazil †Corresponding author: e-mail, pmiguelhm@gmail.com Publisher: Society of Economic Geologists Accepted: 18 Sep 2018 First Online: 19 Nov 2018 Online Issn: 1554-0774 Print Issn: 0361-0128 © 2018 Economic GeologyEconomic Geology Economic Geology (2018) 113 (7): 1499–1524. https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.2018.4600 Article history Accepted: 18 Sep 2018 First Online: 19 Nov 2018 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Paulo Miguel Haddad-Martim, Emmanuel John M. Carranza, Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho; The Fractal Nature of Structural Controls on Ore Formation: The Case of the Iron Oxide Copper-Gold Deposits in the Carajás Mineral Province, Brazilian Amazon. Economic Geology 2018;; 113 (7): 1499–1524. doi: https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.2018.4600 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEconomic Geology Search Advanced Search Abstract The formation of ore minerals in hydrothermal deposits is the result of a complex interplay between physical and chemical processes that are conditioned by the geologic environment in which they occur. In the last decades, research has increasingly indicated that many of these processes display different forms of scale invariance, i.e., they show fractal geometry. This suggests that behind the apparent disorder and irregularity of the geometry of mineral deposits at different scales, an underlying regular pattern is present. If properly understood, this regular geometrical pattern could be useful in a variety of theoretical and applied fields. A great portion of this scale invariance is given by the structural framework during mineralization because structures are a dominant factor controlling fluid flow. Here, we assess the geometry of iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) mineralization in the world-renowned Carajás mineral province, focusing on one of the largest and most economically important orebodies, the Sossego deposit. The geometry of mineralization is evaluated at the microscale (ore minerals in thin sections), local scale (orebodies in mine maps), and regional scale (deposit distribution on regional maps). We show that the spatial distribution and shape of ore minerals at the microscale is largely nonrandom, presents fractal geometry, and displays defined trends in spatial distribution and anisotropy. Additionally, the geometric trends observed at the microscale mimic those of the local-scale geometry of orebodies, as well as the regional-scale distribution of mineralization. The main property controlling the observed scale invariance is permeability, which is intrinsically associated with structures at multiple scales. These results contribute to further understanding the fractal nature of processes controlling mineral deposit formation and revealing new multiscale approaches to investigate structural controls on ore deposition. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.