Groundwater and Hydrothermal Ore Deposits

Many of the world’s most important ore deposits were formed from groundwater, a process that was not well understood until relatively recently. However, advances in hydrogeology have shed light on this phenomenon. Case studies presented in this book profile four such ore deposits: three in sedimentary basins (Mississippi Valley-type, unconformity-type uranium, and stratiform copper) and one in an igneous environment (porphyry copper). 

The authors emphasize how principles of hydrogeology—particularly fluid flow, heat transport, and solute transport—provide insights about the origin of these ore deposits. They also examine the implications of various groundwater-driving mechanisms for ore formation including topographic gradients, free convection, compaction, and magmatic expulsion. Since groundwater systems are commonly regional in scale, some physical/chemical features and processes that hydrogeologists need to evaluate localized ore deposition are highlighted. This is the first book in the GWP series to address the role of groundwater in the formation of ore deposits.