Newsletter of the Centre for Ore Deposit Research, an ARC Special Research Centre at the Vale Professor S. Warren Carey

Emeritus Professor S. Warren Carey, foundation professor of the He served as president of the Geological Society of , Department of at the University of Tasmania, died in and President of the Australian and New Zealand Association Hobart on 20 March 2002 aged 90. for the Advancement of Science, as Chairman of the Schools Board of Tasmania, Chairman of Trustees of the Tasmanian Professor Carey was the driving force behind the success of earth Museum and Art Gallery, and Chairman of the Professorial sciences as one of the internationally recognised areas of strength Board of the University of Tasmania. at the University of Tasmania. His controversial and world- leading ideas on continental drift and the expanding earth, and He was an Honorary Life Fellow of the Geological Society of his inspirational style of teaching and leading the Department Australia, the Royal Society of New South Wales, the Geological will be remembered by all graduates of geology and geophysics. Society of London, the Geological Society of America, the Australian and New Zealand Association for the Advancement Professor Carey graduated Doctor of Science from the University of Science, and the Indian National Science Academy. of Sydney, and received Honorary Doctorates from the Universities of Papua New Guinea and of Urbino (Italy). He was convenor and editor of six international symposia on Glacial Sedimentation, Continental Drift, Genesis of the Lyell Schists, Dolerite, Syntaphral Tectonics, and The Expanding Earth. He is author of The Expanding Earth (Elsevier), Theories of the Earth and Universe (Stanford University Press) and Earth Universe Cosmos (University of Tasmania). He was awarded the Clarke Medal of the Royal Society of New South Wales, the Johnston Medal of the Royal Society of Tasmania, the Browne Medal of the Geological Society of Australia, and Gondwanaland Gold Medal of the Mining, Metallurgical and Geological Society of India, and the Weekes Gold Medal of the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association. He was a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. He was an Officer of the Order of Australia. An obituary written by a group of his friends, and a funeral Professor and Mrs Carey pictured at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the oration delivered by Professor Ross Large, can be found in this Geology Department/School of Earth Sciences at the University of Tasmania Newsletter. in 1996.

IN THIS ISSUE

S. Warren Carey obituary ______2 MEMORIAL GATHERING Funeral oration ______3 A memorial gathering will be held at New PhD student ______4 CODES on Sunday, 16 June 2002, Visitors ______4 to celebrate the life and work of CODES SRC Professor Tony Crawford ______5 University of Tasmania Chapman Conference ______6 Professor S. Warren Carey. Please GPO Box 252–79 Black smokers in the Southern Urals______9 contact [email protected] or Hobart Tasmania Research on the RV Franklin ______10 Australia 7001 phone (03) 6226 1863 for details. Recent publications______11 Tel: 03 6226 2472 All colleagues and graduates most Fax: 03 6226 7662 and more …… www.codes.utas.edu.au welcome.

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • MAY 2002 Professor S. Warren Carey AO (1911–2002) An obituary assembled by a group of his friends

Professor S. Warren Carey died peacefully overseas for examination is a story in itself development of research projects for the on 20 March 2002. and reflects the transport and communi- many students who went on to higher He will be missed by a large community cations problems of a world at war. degrees. But his interest in Papua New of Australian geologists who were either During this time, in June 1940, he Guinea remained and in the 1960s he had his students, those who worked for or married Austral Robson. a group of PhD and Honours students who conducted a series of complementary with him, or who were influenced by his He remained in industry until 1942 when many ideas on the way the earth works. research projects covering a large area of events in New Guinea led to evacuation that part of the world. Samuel Warren Carey was born near of the Careys to Melbourne. He joined a Campbelltown, New South Wales on special unit - Z-Force - and returned to At about the same time, Australia 1November 1911. His schooling was at Port Moresby to recruit and train recognised the need to find its own Campbelltown and later at Canterbury personnel for work behind enemy lines hydrocarbon resources. Lewis Weeks, High School where he was a high and in preparation for a raid on Rabaul. based on his knowledge of the Lakes achiever. From here, he entered the He also became a paratrooper. Here again, Entrance Oil Shaft and Carey’s sketch in 1929, during the his attention to detail in design of boats map of anticlines extending in to the Depression years, enrolling in chemistry, and field equipment, came to the fore. He offshore Gippsland Basin, led BHP to physics and mathematics, taking geology was involved in the famous dummy take up exploration acreage. At a meeting as a fourth, fill-in subject on the advice of limpet mining of ships in Townsville in Launceston in 1984, Geoffrey Blainey one of his high school teachers James Harbour, written up in R. McKie’s “The pointed out that the Weeks/Carey (‘Jerry’) Jervis. Here he came under the Heroes” and dramatised some years ago association was of historical significance. influence of the retired Sir T.W. by ABC radio. He retired as Professor of Geology in , a leading participant in With the winding down of the war effort, 1976 and was made an Officer of the Ernest Shackleton’s 1907-1909 Antarctic Carey returned to Melbourne and moved Order of Australia (AO) in 1977. expedition. Carey graduated with First to Tasmania to take up the position of He was not a narrow scientist but one Class Honours in geology in 1932 and Chief Government Geologist for who saw geology as the great integrating received the Science Research Scholarship Tasmania. He retained this position until science and used this philosophy to pull which allowed him to go to a Master of 1946 when he was appointed the together a vast amount of knowledge into Science degree. This was conferred, in Foundation Professor of Geology at the his tectonic theories. These theories 1934, for work in the Werrie Basin of University of Tasmania. It was from this commonly were controversial and not northern New South Wales. In addition position that he made his name, building fully accepted internationally but they to his studies, he was a member of the on all the earlier experiences. have stimulated a large professional University regiment and active in rowing. While the University of Tasmania was a interest and study. Many of his ideas are He founded the Students’ Geological now mainstream and are used by scientists Society and was its first president. small university in an isolated state of small population, it developed an who may not even realise the source of a From academia, he joined Oil Search in outstanding reputation and large geology concept they employ on a daily basis. Papua New Guinea and explored many student body, due almost entirely on the He was an extrovert and enjoyed the areas where white men had not been seen. drive of Carey and a very few well-chosen controversial limelight. He was an outstanding field geologist, initial staff. Carey insisted on giving the He convened a series of international very concerned for the welfare of his field first year lectures and in consequence had staff, the local people and his equipment. symposia at the University of Tasmania. a very high recruitment to second year The driving force behind each one was He showed in this period his dedication because of the quality of his teaching. to the small details that made the the existence of a geological debate that Many distinguished geologists were was best addressed by calling the various exploration effort successful. This was a attracted to the discipline through Carey’s lifetime attitude. His activities in New schools of thought together. Perhaps the approach to teaching. He was the God- most influential of these was the Guinea convinced him of the dynamic Professor and drove his department rather nature of the earth and stirred the lifelong ‘Continental Drift Symposium’ of 1956 than simply managing. He was a real (results published in 1958) which interest in tectonics (science of large-scale leader in the academic environment and a movements of the earth - continental drift influenced many of the workers in the respected thorn in the side of many a field, and helped cement his international and the like). He moved from Oil Search vice-chancellor. to the Australasian Petroleum Company reputation. and wrote a thesis entitled “Tectonic He ensured that there were good working While concerned mainly with large scale Evolution of New Guinea and Melanesia” relationships between the University, geological features, Carey never lost sight which earned him a Doctor of Science Geological Survey, the geological branch of the human dimension and was an degree from the University of Sydney. The of the Hydro-Electric Commission and active participant in Legacy, and ready to drama of the transport of this thesis industry. This led to co-operative speak to any small group of people who

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 2 A Tribute to Professor S. Warren Carey ‘Disbelieve if you can’

Professor Ross Large spoke at the funeral dreaded ‘field test’. Prof. always had his wanted a talk on geology, or weather, or of Professor S. Warren Carey, about an whistle on excursions, to get us out of the bus any area of science in which he felt academic known for challenging ideas. and to start and stop the field tests. qualified to speak. He was a great I was a student in the University of I can vividly remember the occasion in the publicist for science in communities Tasmania’s Geology Department in the late- Central Highlands on an Easter weekend beyond the normal scientific arena. 1960s, and I would like to share with you a field excursion for second year students. It He is renowned as a provocative generator few thoughts about Professor Carey as a was an overcast, bitterly cold day. The bus of new major integrative hypotheses that teacher, from the students’ perspective. had pulled up at a field stop just as it started are revolutionary but highly credible and Samual Warren Carey, or ‘the Prof.’ as we to rain. In fact, the rain was pelting down. concern the dynamics of our earth. In all knew him, and will always remember Prof. got out of the bus; we were aghast at the addition he made major contributions to him, was not only an exceptional scientist idea of going out into the pouring rain and our understanding of deposition of and leader, but also an inspirational and stayed in our seats. We looked out of the bus sediments in a glacial marine environment. Many of his ideas were well much-respected teacher. to see the Prof. standing at the side of the ahead of their time and influenced the He was like no other teacher, lecturer or road in his suit and tie and grey plastic direction of tectonic studies globally. Idea Professor I have ever known. He was way raincoat staring back at us with a deter- generation was supported by a very strong ahead of his time in tectonic theory. Many mined expression. He then took out his personality dedicated to promotion of were vehemently opposed to his ideas, but whistle and blew one long blast. That was those ideas. others followed his insights with a passion. all it took; we all got out of the bus into the He will be remembered as one who Prof.’s philosophy of science was ‘disbelieve pouring rain where he described the geology initiated ideas, stimulated students at all if you can’. He demonstrated this through his of the surrounding country side; which we of levels, and produced an impressive own scientific research on global tectonics, course could not see because of the heavy rain community of leading scientists in where he disbelieved the current dogma and and mist. Not to be content with a short geology and geophysics. Many came from proposed his own theories of firstly conti- discourse on the regional geology, we then leading overseas universities. All speak nental drift, and then the expanding had another blast of the whistle to signify the glowingly of the influence of Carey in earth.He encouraged all of us to ‘disbelieve if start of a field test on the outcrop down the their scientific development. we can’, to develop “multiple working road. The rain was still pelting down. We He ‘retired’ in 1976 but retained a very hypotheses” and to challenge currently rapidly learnt the problems of trying to take active scientific lifestyle. He is recognised accepted ideas.He firmly believed that as a notes and make geological sketches on by many awards nationally and professor of Geology he should take a major sopping wet notepaper. internationally. role in teaching and leading the department This episode typified Professor Carey; He pursued enthusiastically the by example. He delivered all our first year nothing would stop him from leading and promotion of science to the public lectures and a large segment of the second teaching on that or any other excursion – this through personal involvement with and third year. Each was a performance, not was how you became a geologist. organisations such as the Geological just a lecture, and we came away fired by his I would like to finish by saying I will Society of Australia, Royal Society of enthusiasm and his intellect. He often said, remember Prof. for his stimulating lectures, Tasmania, and the Australian and New “You need to have fire in your belly, my boy”. his capacity to generate new ideas, his com- Zealand Association for the Advancement His success as a teacher is clearly shown by passion and understanding of our student of Science, to which he dedicated very significant energy over many years. the long list of students from the University of issues, and the impressive community of Tasmania Geology Department who have leading international scientists that he The scientific world was very much the gone on to have very significant inter- produced. Most of all, I will remember him better for his presence. national careers in their own right. I could for showing us the way to ‘disbelieve if you He is survived by wife Austral, their four not name any other Australian academic can’, and challenge the orthodoxy of science. children Tegwen, Harley, Robin and geologist who has had such a profound On a personal level, I am very proud to be David, grandchildren Krista, Sam, influence on the thoughts and careers of his known as a student of Carey’s Department, Warren, Sarah, Eleanor, Sean and students. Fourteen Professors of Geology have and to be able to remember the Prof. as a Geoffrey. And great grandchildren Caitlin mentor and a friend. and Phoebe. come from the ranks of Carey’s Department and been inspired by his teachings. He was also a great field geologist and field teacher. He led many of our excursions in Ross R Large both first and second year. He introduced the Director of CODES

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 3 Toronto PDAC Book New PhD student Prize Winner From Canada to CODES

Canadian Rob University of British Columbia, University of Toronto PhD candidate, Duncan (pictured) Vancouver, Canada. Rob’s MSc research Yannick Beaudoin, was the lucky winner has started research- was part of a UBC Mineral Deposit of the CODES book collection when his ing his PhD thesis Research Unit project ‘Regional and business card was drawn at the PDAC on the ‘Age and system-scale controls on the formation of Trade Show in Toronto, Canada, recently. genesis of alteration Cu and/or Au magmatic-hydrothermal and iron oxide Cu- mineralisation’. Yannick was one of hundreds who visited Au mineralisation the CODES stand in the Australian across the granulite Rob has worked as a geologist based in pavilion at PDAC. Mt Woods Inlier, Vancouver exploring for VHMS, SEDEX, “The books will be useful references for and its relationship to the Olympic Dam and Au-porphyry deposits in the Yukon, my study, plus I’m coming to Australia to Cu-Au system 200 km to the southeast’. Manitoba and the North West Territories meet Professor David Groves of the for the last five years, with Inmet Mining University of Western Australia [co-author Rob completed his Bachelor of Science, Corporation, Rio Tinto PLC and of The Geology and Origin of Australia’s Honours (Geology) and Master of Science Expatriate Resources Ltd. Mineral Deposits with Mike Solomon of (Geological Sciences) degrees at the CODES],” Yannick said.

Visitors

stable isotope (S, H, O) and Sr-Rb ages of Manaoke deposit, Sichuan; geological setting and isotopic characteristics of Jimmuda gold deposit, Sichuan; ore fluid chemistry of Porphyry Cu at Dexing deposit, Jiangxi Province, China; and genesis of Yongping Cu deposit, Jianxi Associate Professor Dr Yoshihiko Goto Province, South China with Dr Ni Pie Xianbio Lu from Nanjing University. Yannick Beaudoin …winner of the CODES books. Associate Professor Xianbio Lu, from the Dr Lu said that he was fortunate to get Faculty of Earth Resources, China the chance to visit Tasmania and was The books won by Yannick, which are all University of Geoscience, has come to particularly impressed by the facilities, published by and available from CODES, academic atmosphere and high-quality included: CODES for one year under a visiting Research Fellowship program funded by ore deposit researchers at CODES. •Volcanic Environments and Massive Chinese Government. Sulfide Deposits. Edited by J.B. Gemmell and J. Pongratz. 234 pp. Dr Lu will be collaborating with David Japanese volcanologist Dr Yoshihiko •Basins, fluids and Zn-Pb ores. Edited by Cooke and Khin Zaw on skarn and Goto, of the Department of Geoscience O. Holm, J. Pongratz and P. McGoldrick. porphyry-type ore deposits research. 2nd edition. 168 pp. and Technology at Tohoku University, •Volcanic Textures: A guide to the interpret- In China, Dr Lu is based at Wuhan City, returned to Tasmania for two months to ation of textures in volcanic rocks. Hubei, China, where he has been under- continue research with Jocelyn McPhie. J. McPhie, M. Doyle and R. Allen. taking ore deposit research in southern Their research involves fieldwork on the 196 pp. China on the formation of Tongshankou- northwest coast of Tasmania near Stanley, •The Geology and Origin of Australia’s Wushan skarn Cu-Mo deposit, Hubei, studying a complex sequence of Tertiary Mineral Deposits. M. Solomon and D.I. China; fluid inclusion microthermometry, submarine basalts. Groves. Revised edition. 1002 pp.

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 4 Tony Crawford Recognised with Personal Chair

Deputy Director of CODES, and Leader $2.9 million in competitive grant funding of Program 1 (Tectonics, magmas and since 1987. fluids), Tony Crawford, has been awarded a Personal Chair by the University of Professor Crawford coordinates the Tasmania in recognition of his contri- CODES PhD program, and has bution to research in petrology, supervised/co-supervised 20 PhD geochemistry and tectonics. The promo- students. He has served several times on tion grants him the title of Professor; he the University’s Small Grants/IRG was previously an Associate Professor. Committee, and also on the Central Science Laboratory 2000 Review Professor Crawford, who graduated from Committee. He has been a member of the the University of Melbourne, came to Editorial Board of the Australian Journal Tasmania in 1983 to take up a two-year of Earth Sciences since 1992, and a post-doctorate position in the School of member of the four-person Editorial Earth Sciences at the University of Executive of this journal since 1997. He is Tasmania. He was subsequently awarded a also on the Editorial Board of The Island QEII Fellowship to work with Professor Arc (Journal of the Geological Society of David H Green on ocean floor Japan) and was on the Editorial Board of magmatism and tectonics in the Professor Tony Crawford Mineralogy and Petrology from 1992-99. southwest Pacific and Southern Ocean. CODES Director Professor Ross Large From 1988–91, he was the Director of geochemistry of magmatic rocks and links said that Professor Crawford’s elevation to the Ocean Drilling Program’s Australian to igneous rock-hosted mineralisation; a Personal Chair was clear recognition of Secretariat. In 1992 he won a five-year geology and composition of rocks from his outstanding research contributions in Australian Research Council Senior the seafloor in the south west Pacific and petrology, geochemistry and tectonics. Research Fellowship to work at the around Australia; and the tectonic University of Tasmania on western Pacific evolution of mountain belts, and the “Tony is a valuable asset to both CODES magmatism and tectonics, and continental crust of eastern Australia in and the School of Earth Sciences and has magmatism in the Tasman Fold Belt particular. been the driving force behind developing system. the very successful collaboration between Professor Crawford has published more the fundamental petrology researchers in CODES appointed him as an academic than 80 refereed papers, edited the book the School and the applied ore deposit staff member in 1997. His main interests ‘Boninites and Related Rocks’ (Unwin researchers in CODES,” Professor Large include fundamental petrology and Hyman 1989), and won in excess of said.

Luisa Rigs a New Lifestyle

Earth Sciences Honours student Luisa to what I’ve done before. It will provide a D’Andrea (pictured right) has been good opportunity to learn different employed as a graduate Data Acquisition things,” she said. Field Engineer with Halliburton Energy Luisa’s Honours thesis was ‘An Services, based in Perth, Western Austalia. interpretation and verification of an The position began with six weeks’ airborne electromagnetic survey in the training in the Gulf of Mexico. Luisa’s Zeehan District, Western Tasmania’. work roster is split into three-week shifts based on an oil rig in the Timor Sea and Luisa was pleased to secure work as a in Perth between shifts. geology graduate given the current economic climate. “It’s hard to get work. The job involves mud-logging and wire- I’d been trying for about three months, line logging to test the viability of oil but if you’ve got your mind set to find wells. “It’s going to be an exciting and work, you will,” Luisa said. interesting experience and very different

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 5 Chapman Conference 2002 Explosive Subaqueous Volcanism

The American Geophysical Union Chapman Conference on explosive subaqueous volcanism, held in Dunedin, New Zealand, was well attended by CODES staff and postgraduate students. CODES’ Leader of Program 2, Associate Professor Jocelyn McPhie; Research Fellows Drs Sharon Allen and Cathryn Gifkins; PhD graduate Ali Raos, and PhD students Kate Bull and Andrew Stewart all participated in the conference. Volcanologists, geophysicists and marine geoscientists interested in the formation of volcaniclastic successions on the modern and ancient seafloor contributed to the success of this conference. There was a wide variety of presentations on the theoretical constraints and properties of explosive magma-water interaction as well The Chapman Conference field trip to the Oamaru volcanic complex on the southeast coast of the as examples of modern and ancient South Island, New Zealand. explosive subaqueous eruptions. Modern examples included descriptions of larger clasts and phreatomagmatic volcanology and sedimentology of a subaerial observations of subaqueous explosions. Structures in the pumice-rich succession of non-welded pumice breccia eruptions, marine surveys, and deep-sea facies are consistent with deposition by a and shard-rich silt and sand beds submersible mapping of recent deposits. combination of water-settled fall from currently exposed on the island of Efate. Ancient examples of subaqueous suspension and gravity flows. The pumice breccias were deposited in a volcaniclastic successions, which include below-wave-base environment, mainly Cathryn Gifkins gave a paper on the the products of explosive eruptions such from turbidity currents and debris flows ‘Voluminous, submarine, intracaldera as voluminous pumice breccias, of waterlogged pumice clasts. However, pumice breccia generated by explosive highlighted the difficulties in interpreting the location of the vent or vents of the eruptions; the Cambrian Mount Black the origin and environment of eruption of eruption remains unknown. and Kershaw pumice formations, western pumice-rich facies in the ancient rock Tasmania’. Cathryn described thick, Jocelyn McPhie presented a talk on behalf record. pumice breccia units that occur in the of herself and PhD graduate, Kirstie CODES staff and postgraduate students northern part of the Mount Read Simpson, ‘Fluidal-clast breccia generated gave excellent presentations. Volcanics. The stratigraphic position, large by submarine fire fountaining: a Cambro- volume, proximal facies characteristics, Ordovician example, Queensland’. This Sharon Allen presented a paper titled inferred below wave-base environment of talk presented research from Kirstie’s Phd ‘Submarine eruption, transport and deposition and the presence of syn- thesis describing fluid-clast breccia deposition of a young, thick, coarse, depositional faults suggest that these associated with coherent and brecciated pumice breccia at Yali, eastern Aegean, pumice breccias are syn-eruptive products basaltic-andesite in the Mount Windsor Greece’. Sharon described thick pumice of large felsic explosive eruptions that may Subprovince. The fluid-clast breccias are breccias, which comprise large and small have occurred in a submarine, intracaldera interpreted to be the products of fire pumice clasts, on the southern part of Yali setting. fountaining in a below-wave-base setting. Island. The large pumice clasts are They are distinguished from subaerial fire interpreted to be the products of spalling Ali Raos presented a paper titled ‘Syn- fountain breccias by thick glassy margins and explosive fragmentation of a eruptive submarine pumice and shard-rich on the fluidal clasts, the lack of welding submarine, pumiceous lava. The smaller deposits from ~1 Ma explosive and agglutination, the association of pumice clasts were produced by a trachydacitic eruptions: Efate Pumice combination of passive disintegration of Formation, Vanuatu’. Ali presented the cont. on page 7

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 6 Another volatile PhD

When South African exploration “Completing the PhD has been very geologist, Vanessa Lickfold, saw an rewarding. It was great to finally hold the advertisement to study for a PhD with thesis in my hands and realise that all the CODES she discussed it with a colleague. effort was worthwhile,” she said. Vanessa “I was finishing my Masters and his advice said PhD study would be beneficial to her was that I should apply but I laughed and position in South Africa doing project said hopefully the answer will be ‘no’,” evaluation in the economic geology Vanessa said. But it wasn’t to be. The division. answer was “yes” prompting Vanessa to “I will approach my work in a far more pack up and come to Australia. Vanessa Lickfold holistic manner than I did previously, as I Three years and nine months later, know so much more about geology. months in the field. “The guys at Vanessa has handed in her PhD thesis on Being in a research environment and Northparkes Mines Limited made sure ‘The intrusive history and volatile attending regular CODES seminars has my field work was as hassle-free as evolution of the Endeavour porphyry Cu- broadened my outlook on so many possible. However, I really need to thank Au deposits, Goonumbla district, New different aspects of geology, and many people at CODES, because it’s South Wales’, and has returned to South understanding all these aspects that has been an incredible experience,” Vanessa Africa to continue her career as an been most valuable.” said. exploration geologist with Kumba Vanessa said she enjoyed studying in Vanessa’s PhD superviser was David Resources in Pretoria. Australia, which included about seven Cooke.

highly vesicular, fluidal clasts with non- Down south among the capybaras vesicular, angular, blocky clasts, and the CODES researchers, together with host submarine succession. collaborators at the Geothermal Institute, Andrew Stewart presented research from University of Auckland, are studying his ongoing PhD ‘Subaqueous eruption epithermal deposits and geothermal and emplacement of the Filakopi pumice systems in Australia, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and Argentina as breccia, Milos, western Aegean, Greece’. part of CODES: AMIRA P588 He described thick pumice breccia beds ‘Epithermal Au–Ag deposits: Geological, on the island of Milos, which contain geochemical and isotope vectors to target giant pumices. The large volume and major deposits’. Robert Scott is collabora- highly vesicular nature of the pumice ting with Robina Sharpe in the study of clasts suggest that they were produced by an extensive low-sulfidation epithermal an explosive eruption. Bedforms and a Au–Ag vein system, at Cerro Vanguardia, lack of evidence for reworking indicate Patagonia, Argentina. The epithermal that their deposition was essentially syn- veins, hosted by rhyolitic ignimbrites of eruptive and that they were emplaced the Chon Aike Formation, crop out over into relatively shallow water by a an area of at least 510 km2. Robert’s combination of water-settled fall and studies specifically address the structural setting of the veins, and structural gravity flow. controls on their development and the The conference was complemented by a distribution of gold along them. Robina half-day field trip to the Late Eocene has established a new stratigraphic Oamaru volcanic complex on the framework and produced a new geology Robert Scott measures fault striations developed southeast coast of the South Island, New map of the district. She is also working to along the Concepcion Vein, Cerro Vanguardia Zealand. Here participants debated the define the geochemical and isotopic (48°S), Argentina. mechanisms of explosive eruptions and signatures of both high- and low-grade portions of the epithermal system. transport processes operating in a shallow Robina is currently on a two-month field marine setting. stint at Cerro Vanguardia.

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 7 Giant Ore Deposit Workshop - Update

The forthcoming Giant Ore Deposits •Tony Belperio (Minatour) – Mt Woods: workshop dinner on the Tuesday (18 Workshop has generated great interest Exploration strategies leading to a new Fe June),” David Cooke said. within the exploration community. More oxide Cu-Au discovery at Prominent Hill The workshop will be followed by a field than 70 people have already registered to •Graeme Broadbent (Rio Tinto) – trip, 19-22 June, to western Tasmanian attend this exciting three-day forum. Sediment-hosted Zn-Pb mineral deposits — Renison Sn, Rosebery The workshop will be held at the •Greg Hall (Placer) – Carlin Au: Zn-Pb-Ag-Au, Mt Lyell Cu and Henty University of Tasmania 17-19 June 2002. Discovery of the Pipeline orebody Au mines. Twelve keynote speakers will tackle the •Tony Rovira (Jubilee) – Discovery of the The CODES short course ‘Ore Deposit key issues pertaining to the characteristics, Cosmos Ni-sulphide deposit Models and Exploration Strategies’ (17-28 genesis and exploration for giant deposits June), continues after the field trip, and •David Groves (University of Western of copper, nickel, gold and zinc. includes a special session on intrusion- Australia) – The long-time opposing views hosted Au deposits and lode Au deposits Convenor David Cooke said CODES was on the Witwatersrand: what are the by John Thompson, Tim Baker and pleased to announce there would be six implications for exploration models? David Groves on 23 June. additional speakers from industry and “When planning the program we wanted academia to lead the one-hour exploration The Giant Ore Deposits Workshop is to encourage discussion amongst the forums. They will give 20-minute sponsored by Rio Tinto, Anglo American, workshop participants. To help facilitate presentations to launch the forum Anglo Gold, Barrick, BHP Billiton, and this, the Society of Economic Geologists sessions: MIM, whose support is gratefully Student Chapter has put together a great acknowledged. •John Thompson (TeckCominco) – social program involving a wine tasting on porphyry Cu the Monday night (17 June) and To register contact: [email protected]

CODES Corporate Sponsors Visit the CODES BHP Billiton, Goldfields Exploration, Barrick Australia, MIM Exploration, AngloAmerican, Newcrest Mining, Rio Tinto, Western Bookshop at Metals, WMC www.codes.utas.edu.au There are many benefits of becoming a corporate sponsor of CODES

• Association with, and first call on, a world-class research team in ore deposit science

• Fee reductions on our regular industry short courses

• Access to scholarships for staff undertaking a Masters in Economic Geology or Masters in Exploration Geoscience

• Membership of the CODES Science Planning Panel

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 8 Black Smokers of Russia’s South Urals

The Director of Science at the Institute of international field trip organized by Prof. Mineralogy at the Russian Academy of Zaykov in 1995. In the following five Science, South Urals University, Dr years, the mineralogy of a number of Valeriy Maslennikov, and PhD student, chimneys was detailed in fruitful collab- Svetlana Maslennikova, are visiting orative studies between Valeriy and Svetlana Valeriy Maslennikov CODES for six months to study the Richard Herrington. Last year, a very Maslennikova chemistry of black smoker chimneys in productive field trip by Svetlana and the Southern Urals of Russia. Valeriy yielded more than 500 extremely The mineralogical zonation of the various Hydrothermal vent chimneys and the well-preserved vent chimneys from the chimney types is consistent with those products of their destruction, resediment- Yaman-Kasy and Alexandrinskoe deposits documented in modern black smoker ation and sea-floor alteration are the in the Southern Urals. These chimneys are chimneys. However, the Yaman Kasy major foci of their study at CODES. notably variable, and are classified accord- chimneys contain abundant tellurium- ing to their mineralogical composition. bearing phases, which are also common Well-preserved fossil chimneys are in other Ural VHMS deposits. Tellurides uncommon. More than 20 years ago, The outer walls of vent chimneys are well form thin rims in the outermost or inner- Valeriy found a few enigmatic preserved and composed of primary most chalcopyrite domains. Tellurium chalcopyrite-sphalerite chimneys colloform pyrite partly replaced by minerals include, altaite, sylvanite, associated with silicified brachiopods, in marcasite, sphalerite or chalcopyrite. The hessite-stuetzite (aka ‘g-phase’), rock piles at the shaft of the Early main types of chimneys are grouped coloradoite, tellurobismuthite, volynscite, Devonian Oktyabrskoe VHMS deposit. according to the composition of their goldfieldite, benleonardite, cervelleite, Another chalcopyrite-sphalerite sample outer walls: pyrite-rich, marcasite-rich, telluriam cobaltite, native tellurium, resembling a chimney was collected from chalcopyrite-rich or sphalerite-rich. The unresolved tellurium oxides and drill core of the Middle Devonian inner walls of chimneys are always formed (Au,Ag,Fe,Pb)(Te,As,S)-sulfosalts and rare Alexandrinskoe deposit 10 years later. The by drusy chalcopyrite, which sometimes native gold. The gold and galena assem- colloform outer walls of all of these shows relict textures of intermediate solid blages are more common in sphalerite- chimneys were largely replaced by solution copper sulfide phases. The axial rich chimneys. In chimneys from the Alexandrinskoe deposits, the association of native gold and galena is found in sphalerite conduits, but tellurides are rare (hessite) or absent. However, tennantite and sometimes bornite are relatively common in these chimneys. The mineralogical zonation may be interpreted in terms of temperature and redox zonation across the chimney wall during formation. The broad sulfide zonation and specific sites of tellurium- bearing phases can then be interpreted in Silurian vent chimneys from Yaman-Kasy VHMS deposit. Sphalerite conduit (dark grey), chalcopyrite encrustation (yellow) with an outer wall of colloform pyrite. Scale bar = 1 cm. terms of the extreme gradients of oxygen and sulfur fugacities, as well as tempera- secondary chalcopyrite. Despite this conduit zones of chimneys are often filled ture, across the vent chimney walls. The alteration, Valeriy and Prof. Zaykov by quartz, pyrite, marcasite, chalcopyrite- high gradients are due to the interaction proposed a black smoker origin for them. bearing sphalerite and other non- between high-temperature reduced Chalcopyrite tubes associated with vent stoichiometric iron sulfides; or barite, hydrothermal fluids in the central conduit fauna in the Silurian Yaman-Kasy deposit, galena, and calcite. Puzzling laths in the of the chimneys and the cold, oxidized originally described as vent conduits, were outer walls of some chimneys were seawater outside the external walls. The also recognised as possible black smoker possibly pyrrhotite or anhydrite, replaced researchers anticipate they will also chimneys by Richard Herrington (Natural by fine-grained pyrite or marcasite. discover ‘grey’ or ‘white’ smoker chimneys History Museum, London) during an in the Urals VHMS deposits.

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 9 Seafloor Search Not Plain Sailing

hydrothermal material. Rock samples were taken from the seafloor using a dredge and a sediment corer was used to take cores of soft sediments. A Smith- McIntyre grab was used to obtain both sediment and rocks. A video camera was also used to bring back images of the sea floor.

Russell said it was hard work at times. “It’s a 24-hour operation where teams of three people do two four-hour shifts per day.”

The trip was not smooth sailing due to overcast weather, rain and monsoonal squalls of up to 50 knots.“A sediment- Russell Fulton, on board the RV Franklin, sailing past Tavurvur Volcano shortly before docking in Rabaul. Tavurvur erupted violently in 1994, destroying a large part of Rabaul. corer was lost over board in rough weather, a dredge was lost on the bottom Studying the seafloor took CODES PhD better understanding of massive sulfide of the ocean and the seal of the video student, Russell Fulton, on a tropical genesis and improved methods of camera housing failed resulting in salt voyage away from the tourist trails and exploring for ancient VHMS deposits. water in the camera.” near remote islands inhabited by people who rarely see Europeans. It was quite a The specific aims of this cruise were to At several locations, the inhabitants of contrast to his PhD research field area on locate, study and sample submarine small, remote islands ventured out in rugged Admiralty Island in southeastern volcanoes with active hydrothermal their dug-out outrigger canoes to visit the Alaska. systems in the Western Bismarck Island Franklin. A highlight of the trip was Arc of Papua New Guinea, in particular several hours spent at Garove Island The voyage, aboard the CSIRO’s RV at sites having highly potassic where the Franklin was able to sail into Franklin, sailed from Cairns to Rabaul via characteristics and where summit calderas the centre of a large caldera through a China Strait, the Solomon Sea, Vitiaz occur. passage created by the collapse of a small Strait and the Bismarck Sea. Operations part of the caldera rim. took place predominantly in the western The RV Franklin operated in depths of Bismarck Sea between Umboi Island and 50-2700 m and used a variety of research The principal investigator on the voyage Vokeo Island, north of Wewak. methods to determine the character of was CSIRO Exploration and Mining the sea-floor. Systematic echosounder Chief Scientist, Dr Ray Binns. Other Russell said CODES researchers regularly traverses were conducted to map sea floor scientists involved in the expedition were participated in these expeditions because features. A CTD transmissometer was from CSIRO Exploration and Mining in Bruce Gemmell has had a 10-year lowered from the ship to measure Sydney, CSIRO Marine Laboratories in association with CSIRO research cruises. temperature, depth, and density and to Hobart, several Australian universities, The aim of such research, led by CSIRO test for the presence of particulate matter. and from institutions in Papua New Mining and Exploration, is to study Water samples were collected at varying Guinea, Korea, Indonesia and Portugal. modern seafloor hydrothermal ore- depths for post-cruise analysis to forming activity in order to develop a determine the presence of metalliferous

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 10 Publications: January-April 2002

Recent publications by CODES the direct contribution of magma-related to, and processes in a miarolitic cavity, researchers include a series of papers fluids. However, the chemical and phase such as mixing, crystallisation and boiling. presented at the ‘Melt inclusions at the compositions of such fluids remain largely The inferred chemical diversity and millennium: Toward a deeper unknown. This paper reports on a fractionation of granite-derived fluids understanding of magmatic processes’ comprehensive study of fluid bubbles implies that fluids entering hydrothermal conference held in Grenoble, France, in trapped inside glassy melt inclusions in system are extremely complex and their March 2000. primitive olivine phenocrysts and pillow- metallogenic signature may differ from rim glasses from basaltic magmas from that of related ore deposits. • Danyushevsky, L.V., McNeill, A.W. different tectonic environments. •Holliday, J.R., Wilson, A.J., Blevin, and Sobolev, A.V., 2002. Experimental • Kamenetsky, V.S., Sobolev, A.V., P.L., Tedder, I.J., Dunham, P.D. and and petrological studies of melt Eggins, S.M., Crawford, A J. and Pfitzner, M., 2002. Porphyry gold- inclusions in phenocrysts from mantle- Arculus, R.J., 2002. Olivine-enriched copper mineralisation in the Cadia derived magmas: an overview of melt inclusions in chromites from a low- district, eastern Lachlan Fold Belt, New techniques, advantages and Ca boninite, Cape Vogel, Papua New South Wales, and its relationship to complications. Chemical Geology 183: 5- Guinea: evidence for ultramafic primary shoshonitic magmatism. Mineralium 24. magma, refractory mantle source and Deposita 37: 100-116. Although melt inclusions in phenocrysts are enriched components. Chemical Geology This paper presents a review of the styles of a potentially powerful tool in petrological 183: 287-303. porphyry gold-copper mineralisation research (they supply direct information on The composition of primary magmas and present in the Cadia district and examines the physical and chemical parameters of their mantle sources can be successfully its relationship to late Ordovician crystallisation), they can be affected by inferred from the study of melt inclusions shoshonitic magmatism. The Cadia processes such as volatile dissociation, trapped in spinel phenocrysts. This is porphyry gold-copper district is the largest oxidation and/or partial re-equilibration particularly true in the case of severely hydrothermal, intrusion-related gold with their host, both during natural altered rocks, in which spinel and spinel- deposit in eastern Australia. Porphyry cooling and homogenisation experiments. hosted melt inclusions usually retain deposits show a close spatial association This work suggests possible solutions of primary magmatic information. In this with shoshonitic monzodiorite to quartz problems in melt inclusion studies. study the method was applied to unique monozonite dykes and stocks of the Cadia • Norman, M.D., Garcia, M.O., Palaeocene low-Ca boninites from Cape Intrusive Complex. Hydrothermal Kamenetsky, V.S. and Nielsen, R.L., Vogel, Papua New Guinea. alteration associated with mineralisation is 2002. Olivine-hosted melt inclusions in potassic, which is overprinted by selectively Hawaiian picrites: equilibration, Other recent publications: pervasive propylitic and silica-albite melting, and source characteristics: assemblages. The Cadia district is Chemical Geology 183: 143-168. • Kamenetsky, V.S., van Achterbergh, E., considered to be an excellent example of Olivine-hosted melt inclusions in tholeiitic Ryan, C.G., Naumov, V.B., Mernagh, the association of alkaline, potassic picrites from five Hawaiian volcanoes T.P. and Davidson, P., 2002. Extreme magmas and gold copper porphyry style (Koolau, Mauna Loa, Kilauea, Loihi, and chemical heterogeneity of granite- mineralisation. Hualalai) have major and trace element derived hydrothermal fluids: An • Solomon, M., Tornos, F. and Gaspar, compositions that illustrate the magmatic example from inclusions in a single O.C., 2002. Explanation for many of characteristics of ocean island volcanoes crystal of miarolitic quartz. Geology 30: the unusual features of the massive and the nature of mantle plumes. The 459-462. sulfide deposits of the Iberian pyrite geochemistry of these melt inclusions reflects The samples of magmatic fluids belt: Geology 30: 87-90. the well known geochemical features that represented by fluid inclusions in a single Massive sulfide lenses in the Iberian pyrite distinguish Hawaiian shield volcanoes, but zoned quartz crystal from a miarolitic belt were possibly formed from fluids that with considerably greater diversity than cavity within a porphyritic leucogranite on reaching the sea reversed buoyancy and whole rock compositions, providing a hosting the Industrialnoe Sn-deposit, NE ponded in basins (‘brine pools’). The higher resolution of the magmatic processes Russia, were studied using Raman process of sulfides quenching in a brine contributing to Hawaiian plume spectroscopy and PIXE. Phase and pool provides a relatively efficient trapping magamatism. chemical compositions of individual brine mechanism for metal in the fluids and • Kamenetsky, V.S., Davidson, P., inclusions demonstrate significant effectively excludes ambient seawater. Mernagh, T.P., Crawford, A.J., compositional heterogeneity of high- Deposits formed by this mechanism tend to Gemmell, J.B., Portnyagin, M.V. and temperature magmatic fluids accumulated have large size, sheet-like form, and pyrite- Shinjo, R., 2002. Fluid bubbles in melt in the miarolitic cavity in terms of arsenopyrite assemblage. Relict chimney inclusions and pillow-rim glasses: high- absolute concentrations and element ratios. structures are absent in this case. The lack temperature precursors to hydrothermal The fluids leaving a crystallising magma of sedimentary source for the high salinity fluids? Chemical Geology 183: 349-364. may have very variable initial fluids implicates magmatic intrusions, Hypotheses for the formation of many types compositions that are subsequently possibly similar to those related to Sn-W of hydrothermal ore deposits often involve modified by fluid-rock reactions in transit mineralisation.

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 11 Upcoming Short Courses

Ore Deposit Models and Exploration Strategies Exploration in Brownfields Areas 17–28 June 2002 30 June–11 July 2003 An up-to-date synopsis of ore-deposit types and their characteristics. This course is a laboratory- and field-based unit that looks at Important features which relate to their genesis and exploration will be exploration in and around mine sites where there is often abundant discussed and exploration models will be presented for each style. data. The compilation of these large data sets can present a challenge for Deposit styles covered include VHMS, Broken Hill type, Proterozoic any geologist. The course will cover GIS applications and the Cu-Au, porphyry Cu-Mo-Au, skarn deposits, sediment-hosted massive interpretation of geochemical and geophysical data at various scales. sulfides and epithermal Au-Ag. Practical exercises will involve the integration of multiple data sets from Volcanology Short Course world-class mineralised districts. A field excursion to the west coast of Tasmania will examine real-life exploration issues at several mine sites. 17–30 November 2002 A two-part field course on volcanology and mineralisation in volcanic Ore Deposits of South America terrains for geologists interested in a review of current approaches to 3–14 November 2003 mapping, facies analysis and mineralisation in ancient and modern An exciting field-based course in the Andes covering the major ore volcanic successions. Includes field geology in New Zealand and western deposit styles of South America — deposit types include porphyry Cu- Tasmania. Mo, high sulfidation epithermal Au and iron-oxide Cu-Au. Mines Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Hydrology and Geochronology visited include El Teniente (the world’s largest undergfround mine) and Chuquicamata (the world’s largest open pit). A series of presentations by 3–14 March 2003 researchers and exploration geologists working in South America will The basic principles of ore fluid chemistry, ore fluid hydrology, fluid- address the geology, tectonic setting and important exploration criteria rock interaction, stable isotopes and geochronology are covered in week for each deposit style. one. The second week starts with lead isotopes and fluid inclusion basics, and is followed by a series of case studies which discuss the applications of the various geochemical, isotopic and dating techniques to the genesis and exploration of the three important ore deposit styles.

CODES Contacts Director Book Sales Taking the waters Ross Large Nilar Hlaing Tel: (03) 6226 2819 Tel: (03) 6226 2472 [email protected] [email protected] Deputy Director Public Relations Leader, Program 1 Tanzi Lewis Education & PhD Coordinator Tel: (03) 6226 1863 Tony Crawford [email protected] Tel: (03) 6226 2490 Publications and Media Resource Centre [email protected] June Pongratz Leader, Program 2 Tel: (03) 6226 2479 Jocelyn McPhie [email protected] Tel: (03) 6226 2892 Administrative Assistant [email protected] Loreto Lazcano-Frikken Leader, Program 3 Tel: (03) 6226 2472 Bruce Gemmell [email protected] Tel: (03) 6226 2893 Executive Administration [email protected] Lynne Vaudrey Leader, Program 4 Tel: (03) 6226 2819 Honours Coordinator [email protected] Peter McGoldrick Tel: (03) 6226 7209 P. [email protected] Leader, Program 5 David Cooke Tel: (03) 6226 7605 Who said geologists never have fun? CODES [email protected] PhD students Andrew Stewart and Andrew Hyaloclastite composed of green cuspate basalt fragments in a chloritic Short Courses & Masters Coordinator mudstone matrix (altered palagonite?). Clasts show jigsaw fit or are partly Wurst relaxing in a hydrothermally heated pool Andrew Tunks rotated and have thin quenched margins. Hyaoloclatite is juxtaposed at Pamukkale, Turkey, after the SEG Student against orange K-feldspar altered dolerite. Sample from the Proterozoic Tel: (03) 6226 2478 Gold Creek Volcanics, McArthur Basin. Stanton Cu-Co-Ni prospect, near Chapter ‘Thracian Odyssey’. [email protected] the Northern Territory-Queensland border in the Gulf of Carpentaria.

CODES NEWSLETTER 12 • 12