Structural controls on fluid pathways and alteration in the seismic cycle of economic deposits

Solid Earth Dynamics

UCL

UCL

Anglo American Services UK (Anglo American)

Christian Ihlenfeld

Chile is the world’s leading copper producer, home to 16 of the world’s largest porphyry deposits. These deposits are temporally and spatially constrained to specific structural tectonic belts which are the direct result of Chile’s complex and multiphase tectonic history. Understanding the fundamental fluid-rock interactions associated with hydrothermal fluid and magma transport in porphyry systems is essential in defining the controlling structure of these ore bodies. This project aims to re-define the current 2D orbicular porphyry alteration model considering the structural, spatial and temporal controls on alteration in the seismic and inter-seismic period. A 4D model will be produced integrating the evolution of fault structure, magmatism and fluid flow, as a function of time. This redefinition of the porphyry model could act as an invaluable tool for porphyry exploration. Four field sites, representative of different crustal depths of the porphyry system, will be studied to define the relationship between alteration and damage intensities. 3D models created from detailed structural and high resolution UAV ‘structure from motion’ mapping will be combined with fracture and geochemical data with their distribution from major structures. Geochronological high resolution dating will compliment these models temporally constraining fluid-rock emplacement in relation to earthquake cyclicity and alteration

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