Scale in mineral systems and the Nova deposit, WA – Ore Deposits Hub [video]

This talk was delivered for the Ore Deposits Hub, Open Geoscience Talks.

Steve Barnes Presents ‘Timescales and lengthscales in magmatic sulfide mineral systems with special reference to the Nova-Bollinger system, Albany Fraser Orogen’

Ore forming processes involve the redistribution of heat, mass and momentum by a wide range of processes operating at nested time and length scales over many orders of magnitude. The fastest process at any given length scale tends to be the dominant control at that scale. Applying this principle to the array of physical processes that operate within magma flow pathways leads to some key insights into the origins of magmatic Ni-Cu-PGE sulfide ore deposits. This talk explains the approach and considers how it applies to the understanding of the most recent major nickel sulfide discovery in Australia, the Nova-Bollinger system in the Albany-Fraser Orogen. Processes operating on timescales from hours to millions of years can be identified in the ores and host rocks at length scales from millimetres to hundreds of metres. The general principle is applicable to mineral systems of all types.

See https://oredepositshub.com/ for more info.