Abstract
Statistics of natural heavy minerals form 177 copper deposits distributed widespread in China show that the natural heavy mineral assemblages of various genetic types of copper deposits are varied and distinctive. Natural heavy mineral assemblages can be used as indicators to denote magmatic type, porphyry type, skarn type, and volcanic type copper deposits. Besides such minerals as copper minerals, lead and zinc minerals, pyrite and scheelite which are commonly existent in copper deposits, chromitites, pentlandite, pyroxene and olivine can also be regarded as indicator minerals for magmatic type copper deposits, and native gold, molybdenite, apatite and xenotime are typical indicator minerals for porphyry type copper deposits. The indicator minerals for skarn type copper deposits are of the zircon, cassiterite and garnet assemblage, and realgar and orpiment are characteristic of volcanic type copper deposits. The results achieved by the authors are useful to building natural placer prospecting models for different genetic types of copper deposits.
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