This is a short, one-day course that emphasizes the practical aspects of porphyry copper geology. The objective is to provide basic geological tools to be able to determine, in a fast and cost-effective way the different exposure levels within an ideal column of a porphyry copper system and its exploration potentials. The emphasis is on Andean calc-alkaline porphyry, with selective examples from other world-class fringes.
The main topics to be discussed include:
review of the idealized column of copper porphyry type systems, from its roof to its base; alteration styles and mineralization, in both, traditional systems and in anomalous ones; Telescoping of the hydrothermal system: evidence, causes, intensity (incipient, moderate and extreme); model variations (systems with a predominance of EDM type veinlets; porphyries rich in gold; hypogene enrichment); emplacement styles; importance of hypogene geometry in the generation of supergene mineralization.
In addition, the course will include a practical part, so participants are invited to bring their own samples of interest to be analyzed together with the instructor.