Breccia characteristics and classification of the GW orebodies, Balatoc Diatreme, Philippines: Insights to breccia facies and distribution across diatremes
Breccia characteristics and classification of the GW orebodies, Balatoc Diatreme, Philippines: Insights to breccia facies and distribution across diatremes
A careful descriptive characterization of breccias, including diatremes, is useful for comparative purposes during exploration, rather than the colloquial use of various breccia terminology in ore exploration. Here, we present the first detailed breccia characterization of the Balatoc Diatreme-hosted GW orebodies in the Acupan deposit, Philippines. Three breccia types are identified from descriptive classification of the GW orebodies. GW 3/13, located at the northwestern rim of the diatreme, is a medium- to coarse-grained rotational, quartz-cemented diorite breccia, whereas GW 11, at the eastern portion of the diatreme, is a medium- to coarse-grained mosaic calcite-cemented andesite breccia. Both GW orebodies located at the southwestern portion of the diatreme, GW 4/7 and GW 6, are medium- to coarse-grained rotational quartz-cemented polymict breccias. The breccia facies and distribution emplaced during a single event include: (a) Crackle breccias proximal to the unbrecciated host rocks. (b) Mosaic breccia facies along the contact between the surrounding host rocks and orebody. (c) Rotational breccia facies near the outline of the diatreme. At Balatoc, the mineralized GW orebodies are characterized by mosaic and rotational clast distributions, suggesting that these breccia types are priority targets in ore exploration. Recognizing these various breccia types in other deposits may serve as an exploration vector to determine their position in a diatreme-hosted deposit.
Balatoc Diatreme, GW orebodies, breccias
Figueroa, Acer Jian, Tulauan
685187f1-75e3-4205-b80f-a8712be756d1
Gabo‐Ratio, Jillian Aira
83dcf295-834f-47dc-a4e3-325bc62217ec
1 January 2022
Figueroa, Acer Jian, Tulauan
685187f1-75e3-4205-b80f-a8712be756d1
Gabo‐Ratio, Jillian Aira
83dcf295-834f-47dc-a4e3-325bc62217ec
Figueroa, Acer Jian, Tulauan and Gabo‐Ratio, Jillian Aira
(2022)
Breccia characteristics and classification of the GW orebodies, Balatoc Diatreme, Philippines: Insights to breccia facies and distribution across diatremes.
Resource Geology, 72 (1), [e12282].
(doi:10.1111/rge.12282).
Abstract
A careful descriptive characterization of breccias, including diatremes, is useful for comparative purposes during exploration, rather than the colloquial use of various breccia terminology in ore exploration. Here, we present the first detailed breccia characterization of the Balatoc Diatreme-hosted GW orebodies in the Acupan deposit, Philippines. Three breccia types are identified from descriptive classification of the GW orebodies. GW 3/13, located at the northwestern rim of the diatreme, is a medium- to coarse-grained rotational, quartz-cemented diorite breccia, whereas GW 11, at the eastern portion of the diatreme, is a medium- to coarse-grained mosaic calcite-cemented andesite breccia. Both GW orebodies located at the southwestern portion of the diatreme, GW 4/7 and GW 6, are medium- to coarse-grained rotational quartz-cemented polymict breccias. The breccia facies and distribution emplaced during a single event include: (a) Crackle breccias proximal to the unbrecciated host rocks. (b) Mosaic breccia facies along the contact between the surrounding host rocks and orebody. (c) Rotational breccia facies near the outline of the diatreme. At Balatoc, the mineralized GW orebodies are characterized by mosaic and rotational clast distributions, suggesting that these breccia types are priority targets in ore exploration. Recognizing these various breccia types in other deposits may serve as an exploration vector to determine their position in a diatreme-hosted deposit.
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Accepted/In Press date: 16 November 2021
Published date: 1 January 2022
Additional Information:
Funding Information:
The authors wish to acknowledge the logistical support provided by the Benguet Corporation, especially Mr Aljess Ramos. The authors are deeply indebted to Prof Yasushi Watanabe (Editor-in-Chief), Mr Douglas Kirwin and Prof Jeffrey Hedenquist for their editorial inputs and suggestions. This work was funded through a research grant awarded to J.A.S. Gabo-Ratio by the University of the Philippines System Balik PhD Program (OVPAA-BPhD-2016-05). Funding support through the NIGS Research Grant 2020 awarded to A.J.T. Figueroa is also gratefully acknowledged.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 Society of Resource Geology.
Keywords:
Balatoc Diatreme, GW orebodies, breccias
Identifiers
Local EPrints ID: 457251
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/457251
ISSN: 1751-3928
PURE UUID: aa583d54-3581-48bb-a47a-776d149575ad
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Date deposited: 27 May 2022 16:56
Last modified: 17 Mar 2024 04:08
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Author:
Jillian Aira Gabo‐Ratio
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