Weathering, Landscape Evolution,

Supergene Enrichment, and Ore Genesis:

Implications to Mineral Exploration

Paulo Vasconcelos

 1

Lateritic/Oxide

Au, Fe, Mn,

Al, Ni, Cu, Zn, …

 2

Lateritic/Oxide

Au, Fe, Mn,

Al, Ni, Cu, Zn, …

2

 Processes: weathering and erosion

Scale of approach: continental

Focus: Australia and Brazil

Temporal Scale: Mesozoic to Present

65 Ma

Why Brazil and Australia?

Present

 Weathering is Function of:!
• Bedrock!
• Climate - Biological activity!
• Relief!
• Time!

Carajás, Tom Price

Amazon, Brazil Western Australia
 Bedrock!
Channel!
Erosion!

Landsliding! “Diffusive”!
And Rockfall! Hillslope!
Transport!

Bedrock!
Weathering!

Fluvial Erosion,!
Tectonic!
Transport, and!
Uplift!
Deposition!
(Tucker and Slingerland, 1993)

Grotzinger et al., 2007!
Significance of Landscape Evolution Models to Supergene Ore Genesis?

Landscape Evolution Cycles:

Implications to Mineral Exploration

 How do we quantify
supergene processes?!
Climate

Weathering

Erosion

Tectonics

 Weathering geochronology

H

Shuster et al., GCA (2005)

dH/dt=weathering rate

Vasconcelos et al., GCA (1994)

Vasconcelos (1999a,b)

Carmo and Vasconcelos (2006)

 Main stages of the 40Ar/39Ar method

The 40Ar/39Ar dating method provides high analytical precision and accuracy, and high spatial

resolution, as well as yield statistically confident data sets for the study of many geological processes.

Weathering geochronology by 40Ar/39Ar geochronology

Erosion

H

Shuster et al., GCA (2005)

 (U-Th/He) Goethite Dating

Ken Farley

Caltech

P. Vasconcelos

J. Heim

Shuster et al. 2005. Geoch. Cosmoch. Acta

Heim et al. 2006. Geology

Resolution:
mm-size grains



600 ka to age of the earth

Goethite Pisolith
Study Sites in Australia

 Dugald River, Mount Isa

nsamples= 35

ngrains = 108

Vasconcelos and Conroy, GCA 2003

 Dugald River Interpretation

Leads to the Same Hypothesis

Vasconcelos and Conroy, 2003

 Cross-section of Yandi Channel Iron Deposit

505m Alluvium
495m Clay
Upper CID
10m
480m
35m BarimunyaMember
475m

Lower CID
10 samples of iron
oreSample locations
collected along
Munjina Member a vertical traverse

Weeli Wolli Fm. Sample locations

hmt

hmt

goe
goe

1 cm

goe
hmt

wood

goe

 (U-Th)/He results of goethite

(Apparent ages not corrected for helium diffusive loss)

11.9 ± 0.4 Ma
Yan-02-08-4

10.0 ± 0.3 Ma

Yan02-03

4.6 ± 0.1 Ma

5.8 ± 0.2 Ma
8.5 ± 0.3 Ma

7.1 ± 0.2 Ma

1 cm
Analytical error ~ 3% (2σ), which greatly
underestimates the error associated with
Yan02-04-A
helium diffusive loss

 (C) Schematic cross-section of Yandi Channel Iron Deposit (CID)
505m Alluvium
Clay 8.6, 10.3 Ma
~9 - 14 Ma
495m Upper CID
10, 11.9 Ma
480m Barimunya member
10m (A) Location Map
475m 8.5, 7.2 Ma
35m 470m 4.5 - 6 Ma
Lower CID
22o45’S
Munjina member
(D) Stratigraphic Column 119o00’E
Alluvial deposits Weeli Wolli Fm (B) Yandi-Marillana Catchment
Oakover Fm- calcrete,silcrete

{
Iowa Eastern mbr- clay
Barimunya mbr- Upper/Lower CID
Munjina mbr- clay, conglomerate
Weeli Wolli Fm- BIF, shale, dolomite Marillana Ck.
Present water table 10km
Yandicoogina Ck.
Sample locations
Mine site Weeli Wolli Ck.
 Goethite age versus elevation graphs – Yandi Channel

Conclusions
(D)
500
• Ferruginization of
channel sediments moves y=2.72x + 454
downwards
490
R2=0.62
y=1.17x + 463
• Ferruginization occurs R2=0.93
at the ground-water 480
atmosphere interface

• Partial dissolution and 470 20% helium loss

re-precipitation of
goethite in upper parts of
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
the channel
Age (Ma)

Heim et al., Geology, 2006

Study Sites

Carajas

Carajas

40Ar/39Ar Geochronology

• Deep (>100m) weathering profiles on plateaus

• Shallower (<30m) profiles on dissected plains

• Old to young weathering profiles on plateaus

• Young weathering profiles on dissected plains

 70 Ma

dH/dt = 6.89 m.Ma-1

300 m 12 Ma

SE Brazil

Carmo and Vasconcelos, ESPL, 2003

Carmo and Vasconcelos, ERPSL, 2005

Carmo & Vasconcelos, in prep.

 0m
Weathered 0
y = -110.72 + 8.823x R= 0.9665
granite

-20
42 and 45 m

Depth (m)
-40

-60

60 m
-80
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
Mn Oxides
Plateau Age (Ma)

Carmo and Vasconcelos, EPSL, 2006

Borborema

Borborema Study

Maria da Guia Lima, PhD

João Marinho Morais Neto, PhD

• 29 Sites sampled for 40Ar/39 Ar

• ~ 20 sites sample for goethite
(U-Th)/he

• ~ 70 sites sample for 10Be

• ~ 15 sites sampled for feldspar
40Ar/39 Ar thermochronology

• > 50 sites sampled for AFFT

and AHe

Fonte: SRTM/USGS/EROS
DATA CENTER
Weathering Profile Regional Distribution

Vasconcelos (1999)
Weathering Geochronology Results, Borborema Province
Weathering Geochronology Results, Borborema Province
• old and young weathering profiles on Borborema Surface
• young weathering profiles only at Sertaneja Surface
• intermediate-age profiles at the Coastal Plateaus

Idade X
Age x Elevation
800

700

600
Elevação (m)

500
Planalto da Borborema
400 Depressão Sertaneja
Planicies e Tabuleiros Costeiros
300

200

100

0
0 10 20 30 40
Idade (Ma)
 Hamersley

65 Ma

Australia

Quadrilatero

Present

Ferrifero

Brazil

Landscapes Have Ages!

Hamersley

Quadrilatero

Ferrifero

How does the relative tempo of weathering
and erosion controls supergene metal
accumulation?
Take home messages:!

• The weathering record is episodic;!

• Episodes at the Early Cenozoic correlate between Brazil and Australia;!
• Australian and Brazilian record strong weathering in the Miocene;!
• Weathering geochronology permits dating propagation of weathering!
fronts through time;!
• Calculated weathering front propagation rates between Australia and!
Brazil differ by a factor of two;!
• This difference is potentially related to the difference in climatic !
histories between the two continents.

How to Quantify Erosion Rates?

Climate

Weathering

Erosion

Tectonics

 

Take Home Message!
• Old landscapes (Cretaceous) best but rare!
• Miocene Landscapes: significant weathering!
and supergene enrichment. !
Take Home Message!
• Understand Miocene Landscapes!