Geophysical Study of the Taharoa Ironsand Deposit, West Coast, North Island, New Zealand
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New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics ISSN: 0028-8306 (Print) 1175-8791 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnzg20 Geophysical study of the Taharoa ironsand deposit, west coast, North Island, New Zealand Donald C. Lawton & Manfred P. Hochstein To cite this article: Donald C. Lawton & Manfred P. Hochstein (1993) Geophysical study of the Taharoa ironsand deposit, west coast, North Island, New Zealand, New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 36:2, 141-160, DOI: 10.1080/00288306.1993.9514564 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00288306.1993.9514564 Published online: 23 Mar 2010. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 245 View related articles Citing articles: 1 View citing articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tnzg20 Download by: [125.239.173.16] Date: 29 August 2017, At: 22:51 New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1993, Vol. 36: 141-160 141 0028-8306/93/3602-0141 $2.50/0 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 1993 Geophysical study of the Taharoa ironsand deposit, west coast, North Island, New Zealand DONALD C. LAWTON Although titanomagnetite concentrations in the sands can 2 Department of Geology and Geophysics produce a gravitational effect of up to 10 um/s , residual The University of Calgary gravity anomalies could not be used to assess concentration 2500 University Drive N.W. patterns independently because the anomalies are disturbed by Calgary, Alberta T2N 1N4, Canada larger effects associated with the irregular greywacke basement. However, gravity interpretation models were used MANFRED P. HOCHSTEIN to define the depth to basement rocks in areas not covered by the seismic surveys. Tests showed that titanomagnetite sands Geothermal Institute and Geology Department at Taharoa are nonconductive; electrical resistivity, IP, and The University of Auckland EM methods could not be used to define ore concentrations. Private Bag The total mass of titanomagnetite in the Taharoa deposit Auckland, New Zealand was obtained by combining the magnetic and seismic models. The Nukumiti and Paparoa Sands Members contain a total of 205 ± 30 million tonnes of titanomagnetite ore within sands Abstract The Taharoa prospect is one of the many beach with an average concentration of 38% (by weight). An and dune deposits of titanomagnetite sands ("ironsands") additional 360 ± 75 million tonnes of titanomagnetite are along the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. contained in the Te Akeake Sands Member, but at a lower Various geophysical methods were used to determine which concentration of about 18% by weight. of these is suitable for delineating titanomagnetite concen- tration patterns in the deposit, which covers an area of 2 Keywords Taharoa; titanomagnetite; magnetic; ironsands; c. 15 km , and whether a reliable estimate of the total mass of geophysical exploration; gravity; seismic; density; modelling; titanomagnetite ore could be obtained. ore Seismic refraction studies provided a detailed structural model of the deposit. Interpretation of these data, controlled in part by a few deep exploratory holes, defined an upper horizon INTRODUCTION of unconsolidated, titanomagnetite-rich sands (Nukumiti and Titanomagnetite sands (ironsands) form coastal dune, beach, Paparoa Sands Members) reaching a maximum thickness of and deltaic deposits along many parts of the circum-Pacific 60 m. It is underlain by a weakly cemented, saturated sand margin (Ohmachi 1960). The ironsands are derived from layer (Te Akeake Sands Member) up to 100 m thick, with an weathering of Cenozoic volcanic rocks associated with average titanomagnetite concentration of about 18%. The two volcanic arcs. Some deposits of Tertiary age occur in Japan horizons are separated by a 42 ka old layer of tephras and (Hattori 1960); other large deposits accumulated in the North paleosols up to 15 m thick. The compressional-wave seismic Island of New Zealand during the Pleistocene (Williams velocity of the upper, dry, enriched sands is very low, and Downloaded by [125.239.173.16] at 22:51 29 August 2017 1974). A few deposits are of Holocene age and some are still increases linearly with depth from about 0.24 km/s to a aggrading. The most important constituent mineral in many maximum of 0.65 km/s, with a rate of increase between 18 and ironsand deposits is titanomagnetite, FeO(Fe,Ti)2C«3, which 32/s. The velocity of the lower horizon is almost constant at may comprise up to 80% by weight of some beach deposits 1.7 ± 0.1 km/s. Mesozoic greywacke basement with a velocity (Kear 1979). Since pure titanomagnetite contains 60% Fe by of 4.1 ± 0.7 km/s underlies the deposit. weight, many ironsand deposits are important iron ore The concentration of titanomagnetite within the seismic resources. This has long been recognised in Japan, where model was determined by detailed interpretation of airborne ironsand mining commenced in the Izumo region in A.D. 733 magnetic surveys flown at altitudes of 185 m and 370 m above (Hattori 1960). sea level. Residual anomalies were obtained after reducing the In New Zealand, titanomagnetite sands occur along much magnetic effect of the entire deposit, assuming a homo- of the west coast of the North Island, from Wanganui in geneous induced magnetisation of 6.7 A/m (equivalent to that southern Taranaki, to Kaipara Harbour in Northland (Fig. 1). of sand with 18% by weight of titanomagnetite). The residuals From 1940 to 1947, reconnaissance geological investigations were interpreted in terms of an array of vertical prisms of ironsand deposits south of New Plymouth were undertaken representing the enriched Nukumiti and Paparoa sands. and quantities of titanomagnetite were estimated from Magnetic susceptibilities of up to 0.75 were interpreted, stratigraphic data (Hutton 1940, 1945; Fleming 1946; Beck corresponding to a titanomagnetite concentration of 54% by 1947). Nicholson & Fyfe (1958) made a survey of the weight. coastline from New Plymouth to the Kaipara Harbour, and they noted significant ironsand deposits at Mokau, Marakopa, Taharoa, Kawhia, Aotea Harbour, Raglan, Waikato Heads, Manukau Heads, Piha, and Muriwai (Fig. 1). Most of these G91027 deposits were subsequently investigated with shallow (up to Received 30 July 1991; accepted 26 January 1993 7 m deep) drillholes. 142 New Zealand Journal of Geology and Geophysics, 1993, Vol. 36 I I determine whether the geophysical studies could provide Kaipara ' reliable estimates of titanomagnetite ore reserves. Geophysical exploration of ironsand deposits has in the Muriwai past been limited to ground magnetic surveys, designed to assess the lateral extent of near-surface magnetic sands; the •37° S piha Manukau Heads data were not used to obtain quantitative estimates of ore reserves. A survey by Coss (1959) in New South Wales, Australia, indicated that magnetic anomalies occur over heavy Waikato Heads mineral beach concentrations containing zircon, rutile, ilmenite, and magnetite. Total force (AT) magnetic surveys were used to locate magnetite placer deposits offshore in Japan (Hattori 1960). In New Zealand, vertical magnetic -38° S intensity (AZ) surveys were made by the DSIR over ironsand deposits at Waikato Heads, Raglan, Kawhia, and New Plymouth (Kear 1979). However, no quantitative interpre- tation was made apart from some simple model calculations to explain anomalies caused by near-surface titanomagnetite enrichments. Untung & Hanna (1975) reported the results of a geophysical study of coastal titanomagnetite sands in East •39° S Java, where magnetic, gravity, resistivity, and seismic New Plymouth refraction surveys were made over 2.5 km2 of coastal sands Cape Egmont near Lumajang. They concluded that magnetic surveys, together with boreholes, can be used in delineating shallow ironsand deposits, and that gravity, resistivity, and seismic surveys can provide information about deeper structures. Patea Integrated geophysical studies over heavy-mineral deposits in -40° S Wanganui Australia were also reported by Robson & Sampath (1977) and Hone (1986). 173° E 176° E I Ironsand deposits at Taharoa, Waikato North Head, and Raglan (Fig. 1) were selected for our geophysical studies. The Fig. 1 Distribution of titanomagnetite sand deposits, North Island, field surveys, undertaken between 1974 and 1977, were New Zealand. The Taharoa deposit is highlighted. complemented by laboratory measurements which showed that the density and magnetic susceptibility of ironsand samples are closely related to the concentration (weight percent) of titanomagnetite (Lawton & Hochstein 1980). All Between 1957 and 1962, a comprehensive study was studies have been described in detail by Lawton (1979). The undertaken by the New Zealand Department of Scientific and present paper, as opposed to Lawton (1979), deals specifically Industrial Research (DSIR) for the New Zealand Steel with the geophysical surveys of the Taharoa deposit. A Investigating Company (Kear 1979). As part of that project, summary of some of the geophysical results was reported by extensive scout drilling programs tested many of the North Stokes et al. (1989) Island west coast ironsand deposits. Kear (1979) calculated 6 Downloaded by [125.239.173.16] at 22:51 29 August 2017 total reserves of 570 x 10 tonnes (t) of titanomagnetite, of which 190 x 1061 were proven by drilling, and the remainder GEOLOGY OF THE TAHAROA DEPOSIT were inferred reserves above sea level. Ironsands offshore from the west coast were investigated The geology of the Taharoa district is described by Henderson by McDougall (1961) and Carter (1980). Generally, they & Grange (1926) and Marwick (1946). The coastal cliffs north found low concentrations (1-5%) in surficial seafloor and south of Taharoa (Fig. 2) are formed by eastward-dipping sediments on the continental shelf, with local, richer concen- greywacke of the western limb of the New Zealand Geo- trations near Patea, New Plymouth, and Waikato Heads (Fig. syncline. The northern boundary of the Taharoa ironsand 1). deposit is made up by stocks of upper Miocene Orangiwhao Before the present study, the exploration of coastal Dacite (Martin 1967).