Economic Geology

Vol. 63, 1968, pp. 37-50

HypogeneTextureand MineralZoningin a Copper-Bearing

GranodioritePorphyryStock,SantaRita, New Mexico
R•CHAVa) L. N•ELSEN

Abstract

The Santa Rita stock formed from a quartz monzonitemagma that intruded gently
dippingsedimentaryrocks,probablywithin 1,500feet of the surface. Early crystalliza-
tion at the margin resultedin a solid shell of equigranular-or seriate-texturedgranodio-
rite arounda partially crystallizedmush. Tectonicadjustmentsfracturedthe solid shell,
resulting in emplacementof aplitesand porphyriticgranodioritedikes in the solid shell.
The remainder of the magma crystallized with a porphyritic-aphanitictexture.
Volatilesreleasedfrom the magmaduring quenchingmigratedoutwardthroughcracks
and brecciatedzonesin the coolermargin, depositingin turn (a) veinletsof pegmatitic
and aplitic orthoclase and quartz, barren quartz, and molybdenite-bearingquartz;
(b) pyrite-chalcopyrite-molybdenitein thin discontinuousfractures; and (c) pyrite-
quartz veins.
A central zone within the stock, low in sulfides,containsabundantquartz veinlets,
vein and replacementorthoclase,secondarybiotite, and igneous plagioclase. Diffuse
zones of increasingsulfide content and successivelymore destructivealteration of feld-
spar occur outward from the center of the stock and include: (a) montmorillonite
-+biotiteafter plagioclase(orthoclaseunaltered), (b) montmorillonite-kaolinite
mixture
after plagioclase(orthoclaseunaltered), (c) kaolinite after plagioclase(orthoclase
unaltered),and (d) quartz-sericite(2Mx muscovite)after plagioclaseand orthoclase.
Pyrite, by far the most common sulfide in the Santa Rita stock, is concentrated in
veins in the zone of quartz-sericitealterationat the periphery of the stock.
The successive zonesof silicatealterationassociatedwith the main stage of sulfide
deposition
in the stockprobablywere controlled
by temperature
gradientsalongthe
fracture and vein systemfrom near magmatic temperaturesat the center of the stock
to relatively cool temperaturesin the wall rocks. Perhaps cooling of the fluids and
mixing with meteoricgroundwateras they migrated outward was accompaniedby a
related changein aK+/aH+ and aNa+/aH+ in the hydrothermalfluids. These phe-
nomenamay explain the changefrom predominantorthoclasealteration in the center
of the stockto alteration characterizedby leachingof base metals by hydrolysisof
feldsparsnear the margin and associated
sulfidedeposition,
as suggested
by Hemle7
and Jones(4).

Contents Introduction
PAGE
Tag porphyrycopperdepositat Santa Rita is in
Abstract ...................................... 37 southwestNew Mexico about 12 miles east of Silver
Introduction .................................. 37
City and 150 milesnorthwestof E1 Paso,Texas.
Samplingand analyticaltechniques............ 39
Acknowledgments ........................... 39
It is locatedwithin the Centralminingdistrict,a
The Santa Rita stock .......................... 40 largemineralized areaof approximately25 square
Distribution of hypogenemineralization and altera- miles,which includeszinc and zinc-leaddeposits
tion ...................................... 42 near Hanover, Bayard, and Santa Rita and contact
Vitreous gray quartz veinlets.................. 43 metasomatic
iron and copper-iron
deposits
at Fiefro
Chalcopyrite-pyrite veinlets ................... 44 and Santa Rita.
Pyrite-quartz veinlets ........................ 44 Disseminated
pyrite-chalcopyrite
and supergene
Hypogenealteration ......................... 45 chalcocite orebodiesat the Chino mine of the Kenne-
Quartz-orthoclase-biotite alteration .......... 45
Feldspar-destructive clay-micaalteration ..... 47 cott CopperCorporationare roughlycenteredover
Chemicalchangesduring hydrothermalalteration .. 48 the SantaRita stock,a Laramidehypabyssal
granitic
Summary ..................................... 50 pluton of irregular shapethat intruded a series of
References .................................... 50 gentlydippingPaleozoic
and Mesozoicstrata (Fig.
37
RICHARD L. NIELSEN

z
 HYPOGENE TEXTURE AND MINERAL ZONING 39

1). Magnetite-chalcopyrite-pyrite pyrometasomaticThus, in addition to the presenceof fresh unaltered

orebodies, such as the Lee Hill or Oswaldo ore- pyrite and chalcopyrite,one or more of the follow-
bodies (Fig. 2) lie adjacent to the stock within ing criteria were used to indicateprimary minerali-
calcareousPaleozoicsedimentaryunits. zation and alteration essentiallyfree of supergene
Extensivediamonddrilling at the Chino mine has acid effectsin each sample:
in many placespenetratedthe supergenechalcocite
enrichment blanket from which has come so much of 1. The presenceof unalteredand unleachedbiotite
and chlorite generally in crystals having uniform
the mine production. This paper summarizessome
opticsand color throughout.
generalfeaturesof hypogeneor primary zoning de-
termined by mineralogic and chemical studies of 2. The presenceand texture of primary carbonate
subsurfacesamplesof the stock which are believed gangue. Siderite, for example,is commonlypresent
to be essentiallyfree of near-surfaceoxidation and and associatedwith unalteredprimary sulfides.
supergenealteration. Petrographicand mineralogic 3. The presence of fresh unaltered hydrothermal
data determinedin this study have been integrated zeolites in veins associatedwith primary sulfide
minerals.
with geologicfeatures documentedin detailed maps
prepared by companygeologists. The geometry of Compositedrill core samplesfrom the stock and
the observedzoning is consistentwith the author's
adjacentquartz diorite sills were chemicallyanalyzed
hypothesisthat porphyry copper mineralizationin
for copper,molybdenum,and sulfur. Sulfideswere
the districtresultedfrom the final stagesof differen-
tiation-in-place of the Santa Rita stock, and that extracted by heavy liquids and selectivedigestion
fluids which producedmineralizationand altered the with HF and A1C13. The volume of mineral phases
stock and wall rocks were released from the pluton present was determinedby point-count of sulfide
during the last stagesof magmaticcrystallization. concentratesin polishedsections. The volumesand
Much has been written on geologyand alteration weight percentsthus determined were compared to
at Santa Rita, and this paper will not dwell on those calculatedfrom chemicalanalyses. Virtually
details of geology already published. The reader all minerals,includingclay and mica alterationprod-
may wish to refer to more comprehensive reportson ucts, have been identified by optical procedures
the geology of the mine area and the Santa Rita (transmittedand reflectedillumination) and X-ray
quadrangleavailableelsewhere(5, 7, 8, 9, 10, 12, diffractiontechniques,supportedby standardmeth-
13, 15, 17, and 18). ods of physical and chemicaldeterminativeminer-
alogy.
Samplingand21nalyticalTechniques
21cknowledgments
More than 150 representative50-foot composite
core sampleswere collectedfor textural and min- This study would have been impossiblewithout
eralogic studiesfrom below the supergenechalcocite excellentdetailedgeologicmaps preparedby W. W.
zone. The highly irregular base of the supergene Baltosser, F. W. Howell, R. A. Metz, and A. W.
chalcociteblanketis inclinedgently to the southand Tipton, all geologistsor formerly geologistsat the
varies in elevationfrom approximately5,800 feet Chino mine. W. W. Baltosser,Division Geologist,
above sea level at the north end of the open pit to and his staff were most helpful in providing core
about 4,800 at the south end. Most of the diamond samplesand detailed information of the mine; their
drill holes were terminated between 100 and 600 feet review of this paper is also appreciated. Chemical
below the base of the chalcocite blanket. Thus, analyses and mineral concentrateswere prepared
collectedsamplesare from a roughly subhorizontal under the supervisionof R. J. Broadhead, Geo-
tabular sectionof the SantaRita stock,approximately chemical Laboratories Division, Kennecott Copper
500 feet thick, with a dip to the south of about 8 Corporation. This report has benefitedgreatly from
degrees. discussionsand critical reviews by A. I-I. James,
Acid sulfate solutionsproducedby oxidationof J. C. Wilson, S. M. F. Sheppard, and T. W.
pyrite and by reactionsassociated with replacement Mitcham. However, the interpretations and views
of pyrite and chalcopyriteby chalcocitehave un- expressedhere are the responsibilityof the author,
doubtedlyproducedsupergenealteration of rocks as the reviewersand residentgeologistsdo not concur
exposedin the pit and at the surface. These solu- with all sections of the report. Finally, it is a
tions may not have becomeneutralizeduntil they pleasureto acknowledgethe cooperationof the Ex-
reached the base of the chalcocite blanket or even plorationDepartmentof the KennecottCopperCor-
below it, so that strong acid conditionsmay extend porationwhich supportedthe researchand permitted
into the zone containing fresh primary sulfides. the publicationof the results.
40 RICHARD L. NIELSEN

[] OSWALDO MINE

LEE
(toct,,•
HLL
AREA //"-
cop..... •o,,•at,oa•
• •y.'/• •/.•///•///.•)•

ON-S•--•

/
EX PLANATION '

• Post
•
......
Ilehte
porphyry
•j•dike Hornblende
the Santa gren0dmrde

Braille
R•t0 SI0ck porphyry

granodmrste
the Santa porphyry
R•ta Stock of
0f
PIT
PERIMETER
] Pre-stockwallrocks -
• Abundantquartz veinsand pervasive
K-feldsparalterabortDashedline
•ndicates
grodohonal
contact,
GENERALIZED GEOLOGICMAP OF THE SANTA RITA STOCK
Outhneo[ stockby ChinaMinesO•v•s•on
geologm EXPOSED IN THE Pit OF THE CHINO MINE
staff. SANTA
RITA,NEWMEXICO
Quartz
-K-feldspar
J Stuart alterohon
andR. by'
R,LNmlsen
Fro. 2.

The Santa Rita Stock and southwest-striking

fracturesand faults (15,
p. 209).
The Santa Rita stock,a composite
graniticpluton
Geologicmaps preparedduring the very early
of Laramideage, intrudesa gently dippingsedi- stageof mining (18, pl. 1) indicateonly minor areas
mentarysectionof Paleozoicand Mesozoicstrata of stockexposedin what is nowthe pit area. If the
containingquartz diorite porphyrysills (6). The interpretation
of rock typesand their distributionas
stockis elongated
in the northwestdirectionand has shownon the early mapsis correct,the Santa Rita
a complexshape(Figs. 2, 3). stockmay havehad a flat top with closurevery near
The contact with wall rocks, so far as it has been the elevationof pre-minetopography. This inter-
exploredby diamonddrilling,appears to dip steeply pretationis opento question,however,as alteration
outwardfrom the centerof the pluton. Large inclu- is so intense in the southernpart of the pit that
sionsof sedimentarywall rockswere floatingin the granodioriteof the stockcan be distinguished from
granodiorite,particularly in the c•ntralpart of the quartz diorite only with great difficulty,and it is
intrusion. Numerous dikes of granodiorite por- likely that somegranodioritewas mappedas quartz
phyry projectout of the stock,their locationand diorite.
orientationbeing controlledby preexistingfractures Reconstructionof the stratigraphicsectionin the
(6). In fact,the shapeof the stockand its location vicinityof the mineindicatesthat the stockis a very
within the district (Fig. 1) appearto be controlled shallow intrusion. The Santa Rita stock is in contact
by the intersectionof premineralnorth-northwest-with Colorado Shale which has a maximum known
 HYPOGENE TEXTURE AND MINERAL ZONING 41

thicknessof 1,000 feet in the mining district (5, p. PRIMARY IGNEOUS TEXTURE OF THE
119). Quartz diorite porphyrysills with an aggre- SANTA RITA STOCK
gate thicknessof 500 feet intrude the sedimentsof
ß N
the Colorado Shale in the mine area. Thus, the
maximum inferred thickness of cover over the stock,
i.e., the aggregatethicknessof ColoradoShale and
sills at time of emplacement,was probably no more
than 1,500 feet. _+_
The stockis compositewith the bulk of the pluton
consistingof biotite granodioritetransitionalin com-
positionto biotite quartz monzonite(Fig. 2). Sys-
tematicdifferencesin primary texture, primary min-
eralogy,and degreeof alterationfrom placeto place
within the stock are believed to reflect, for the most
part, primary variationsin composition,slight varia-
tions in coolinghistory, and amountsof subsequent
alteration. Part of the biotite granodioriteporphyry
contains hornblende as a common varietal mineral,
althoughthis mineral has been extensivelyaltered
to biotite during the metallizationof the stock. Dikes
• equigranular-and
texture seriate-granitic
and plugsof intramineraland postmineralporphyry
are relativelyminor. However, smallbodiesof horn- "::•' parphyritic-aphtic
texture
blende granodiorite with irregular outlines were • porphyritic-aphanitic
texture 0
I
2000 ft
I
ß sample location
mappedin the south part of the stock (Fig. 2).
Pyrite veinsare commonbut chalcopyriteis rare in Fro. 4.
these bodies. Contacts observed in the benches are
mosteasilyinterpretedas indicatingthat hornblende alized biotite granodiorite during the late stagesof
granodioriteporphyry intrusions,which are now metallization and alteration.
relativelyunaltered,intrudedinto alteredand miner- Variations in the original igneoustexture of the
biotite granodioritehave been documentedby grain
OUTLINE OF THE SANTA RITA STOCK measurements in more than 100 thin sections. Four
principaltexturaltypesare r•cognized
(Fig. 4); a
medium- to fine-grainedequigranulargranitic tex-
ture; (b) a seriate-granitictexture; (c) a porphy-
ritic-aplitic texture; and (d) a porphyritic-aphanitic
texture. The most commonrock texture is porphy-
ritic-apliticwith phenocrysts of andesine,biotite, and
quartz,0.5 to 5.0 mm in their longestdimension, in a
sugarytexturedapliticgroundmass (0.05 to 1.0 mm)
which consistsof an interlockingmosaicof quartz
and orthoclasewith disseminatedminute specksof
pale-brownbiotite.
The four textural types are distributed in a re-
markablezonalpattern (Fig. 4). Equigranularand
seriate textures are restricted to a zone about 500
feet wide near the contact,and stronglyporphyritic
rocks with an aphaniticmatrix are locatedin the
center of the stock. A completetextural gradation
is presentbetweenequigranularand strongly por-
phyritic types,althoughfield mappingand examina-
tion of diamond drill core indicate that within
Contours
oncant'act ofstock from
diamonddrill intersections•contour
8 specificareas the contactbetweenporphyriticand
interval
level.
500 feet•datum
meansea 0
I
2000ft.
I
equigranulargranodioritemay be sharp. Dikes of
biotite granodiorite porphyry with an aphanitic
Fro. 3. groundmasscut equigranular granodiorite at the
42 RICHARD L. NIELSEN

margin of the stock and extend out into the wall structures that fractured the solid shell and led to
rocks. The texture of these dikes merges with the the emplacementof the granodioriteporphyry dikes.
texture of the bulk of the stock as the dikes The remainderof the magmaapparentlycrystallized
are
traced back into the center of the pluton where the rapidly at the time of dike emplacement, producing
texture of the dikes becomesvirtually indistinguish- a porphyritic-aphanitictexture in the centerof the
able from the strongly porphyritic interior of the stock as well as in the dik•s. Volatile constituents
pluton. released from the magma during quenching and
Flow banding, foliation, and lineation of pheno- rapid crystallizationof the granodiorite porphyry
crystsare essentiallyabsentfrom the rocks of the were probablyinstrumentalin producingmetalliza-
pluton, indicating very little flowage or movement tion and alteration of the stock and adjacent wall
of magmaafter the plutonwas partially crystallized. rocks. Small, irregular bodies and dikes of horn-
Origin of the zonal pattern of textural types is blendegranodioriteporphyry,quartz monzonite,and
uncertain. Successiveintrusions, each with a dif- latite were intrudedafter the bulk of the pluton had
ferent coolinghistory,cannotbe the soleexplanation been mineralized and altered.
becauseof the gradationalnature of the boundaries
betweentexturetypes. Sharpcontacts betweenthem Distribution of Hypogene Mineralization
and Alteration
are lacking except near the stock margin. There,
multipleintrusioncouldexplainthe porphyriticdikes. Primary sulfidesin the SantaRita stockare chiefly
Limited amountsof multiple intrusion can also ac- pyrite, chalcopyrite,and molybdenite. Bornite and
countfor the emplacement of intramineraland post- marcasiteare presentin trace amounts. The prin-
mineraldikesand plugswhich havebeenmappedin cipal associatedhypogenealteration minerals are
the pit area (Fig. 2). Thesesmallintrusionsappar- quartz, 2M• muscovite(sericite), biotite, kaolinite,
ently disrupt the symmetryof the zoning patterns montmorillonite,and orthoclase. Both sulfides and
around the stock margin. ganguemineralshave a zonal distributioncrudely
The textural zoning does not appear to be pro- controlledby the shapeand geometryof the stock.
ducedby hydrothermal alterationof an earlyuniform A central zone within the stock, low in sulfidesbut
equigranulargranitic texture. Zonesof alteration containingmuchof the chalcopyriteand molybdenite
related to sulfide mineralization are discordant to the is characterizedby abundantquartzveinlets,veinand
textural zones in part of the stock, suggestingthe replacementorthoclase,secondarybiotite, and un-
textural zoning is not directly related to alteration. alteredigneousplagioclase.This alterationandmin-
Further, textural criteria indicate that orthoclase eralizationis believedto be late magmaticor deuteric.
and clay-micaalterationis clearlysuperimposedupon Diffuse zonesof increasingstructure-controlled py-
the igneousrocks, and in areas where alterationis rite mineralizationand successively more destructive
intense, the aphanitic groundmassof granodiorite alterationof feldsparoccuroutwardfrom the center
porphyryis recrystallized to a medium-grained mix- of the stock. This clay-micaalteration,believedto
ture of quartz, orthoclase,and sericite. Thus, re- be hydrothermal,is superimposed upon the early
crystallizationtendsto increaseand homogenize the quartz-orthoclase-biotite alterationand is character-
grain size, and the porphyriticaphanitictexture is ized by development of first, montmorillonite,
then
difficultto explainby a recrystallizationmechanism. kaolinite,and finally,quartzand sericite. Pyrite, by
Successiveinjectionsof magma batchesinto the far the most common sulfide in the Santa Rita stock,
magmachamberduring crystallizationand cooling is concentrated in veinsin the zone of quartz-sericite
does not adequatelyexplain the textural zoning. alterationat the peripheryof the stock.
Flow banding, parallel alignmentof crystalsand The outerpyriticzone(Fig. 5) formsa wideband
other flow structureswould probablybe evident if alongthe west contactof the stockand a relatively
this mechanismwere operative. thin band at the east and south contacts. Pyrite in
Large parts of the Santa Rita stock probably this zone is abundant both in quartz diorite wall
crystallizedfrom a granodioritemagmawith sus- rocksand in granodiorite,where it comprises
4 to 8
pendedcrystalsof plagioclase, hornblende,biotite, percentof the rockby weight. The ratio of pyrite
and quartz that was injectedat the intersection
of to chalcopyritewithin this pyrite-richzoneis about
regionalfaults. Textural zoningis mostreadilyex- 40 to 1. Pyrite occurschieflyas fillingsof veinsand
plainedby a mechanism wherebyinitial crystalliza- fractures, 0.1 to 6 inches in width, cutting equi-
tion at the margin of the intrusionproduceda shell granular granodioriteand wall rocks and is also
of medium- to fine-grainedequigranularor seriate- commonas disseminatedgrains in granular recrys-
textured granodiorite around a central mass of tallized quartz-sericiterock in the wide pyritic zone
partially crystallizedmagma. Subsequent tectonic at the west margin of the stock. This wide pyrite-
adjustmentsmay then have reactivatedold fault rich zoneand associated pervasivesericiticalteration
 HYPOGENE TEXTURE AND MINERAL ZONING 43

partially overlapsthe edgeof a centralarea in the CHALCOPYRITE IN SANTA RITA STOCK AND
QUARTZ DIORITE SILLS
stockcharacterized by abundantvitreousquartzveins
and strong orthoclasealteration. Pyrite in veins
Stack outline• ß N
with sericiticalterationenvelopescutting relatively at 6000 feet ....
unalteredgranodioriteis characteristicof the rela-
tively thin pyritic zone on the east margin of the
pluton. The pyrite contentgraduallydecreases over
a distanceof 1,000 feet to less than 1.0 percentby
weight in the interior of the stock. Drilling in the
south pit of the mine indicatesthat pyrite content ß :iiii ' .......
,. .
in that area generallydecreases at depth,suggesting
that the diameter of the pyrite halo may enlarge
downward, roughly correspondingto the enlarge-
ment of the stock owing to outward dip of its ===========================================
contacts.

Chalcopyritecomprises0.4 to 1.0 percentof the

rock by weight in a zone locatedinside and partly
overlappingthe pyritic zone (Fig. 6). The ratio of
pyrite to chalcopyritehere is still about 3 to 1,
for pyrite is the most commonsulfide throughout
the stock. Chalcopyriteis rarely encounteredin • > 0.4wt%cholcopyrite
quartz diorite porphyrysills eventhoughthe pyrite :::• 0.1-0.4wt%cholcopyrite
contentmay be high. Chalcopyriteis almostentirely • < 0.1wt%cholcopyrite 0 200Oft
restricted to the granodiorite or to adjacent sedi- ß sorepie Iocotion I
ments. It occurs,together with the pyrite,' in fine Fro. 6.
disseminations or, more commonly,along hair-thin
fractureswith no alterationenvelopes. Molybdenite vitreousgray quartzveinlets. Chalcopyrite gradu-
is presentchiefly in the chalcopyritezone where it ally decreases to lessthan 0.1 percentof the rock
occursmixed with chalcopyritealong thin fractures by weight in the centerof the stock.
or, even more commonly,as a constituentof narrow A central zone coincidingwith the strongly por-
phyriticcore of the stockand, in part, containinga
PYRITE IN SANTA RITA STOCK AND stockworkof vitreousquartzveinletsdescribed below
QUARTZ DIORITE SILLS is low in primarysulfides.It contains
onlytracesof
disseminatedchalcopyriteand pyrite.
ß N
Veins, veinlets, and thin fractures contain most
of the sulfidesin the Santa Rita stock. Three types
of veins or veinletshave been convenientlyand use-
fully distinguished basedon vein morphology,com-
position,associated
wall rock alteration,and relative
ages.

VitreousGray Quartg Veinlets

Quartz veinletsand stringerswith randomorien-
tation form a zone of complexstockworksnear the
centerof the stock (Fig. 7) where they may locally
compriseup to 40 percentof the rock by volume.
Individualveinletsof vitreousgray quartzare seldom
morethan one'inch wide, and manyof the smaller
veinletsare crenulated,indicatingthat they may have
beenintricatelyfoldedor deformedby movement of'
semiconsolidatedgranodiorite. Most have been
broken, offset, and healed by other crosscutting
quartz stringers,forming a complex crisscrossing
network.
Recent geologicmappingof contactsof the zone
of vitreousquartz veinlets (C. Wetherell, unpub-
44 RICHARD L. NIELSEN

DISTRIBUTION OF QUARTZ VEINLETS AND Chalcopyrite-P

yrite Veinlets
PYRITE VEINS IN THE SANTA RITA STOCK
AND QUARTZ DIORITE SILLS Chalcopyriteand pyrite, commonlywith tracesof
ß 'N
molybdenite,are present in hair-thin fractures and
Stackoutl/•e• thin discontinuous veinletsthat are particularlycom-
at5000
feet mon in the chalcopyrite-rich zone of the stock.
Rarely are individual veinlets more than 0.1 inch
wide and, in many samples,chalcopyriteand pyrite
are merely sprinkled along parallel fractures. En-
velopesof-obvious alteration adjacent to the veins
are lacking, although a dark selvageor discoloration
of fresh granodiorite is commonalong the margins
owing to a slight increaseof very fine-grained,pale-
green or pale-brownbiotite along the fracture walls.
................. Orthoclase, biotite, siderite, and montmorillonite are
.... ............... common secondary alteration minerals associated
with sulfidesin thesethin fracturesin relativelyfresh
granodiorite. None of these alteration minerals was
noted in the pyrite-rich zone on the west edge of
the stockwhere fracture-controlledpyritic minerali-
..............................
............................ zationand associated pervasivequartz-sericitealtera-
.,,::;:::::: ....
tion overlapsthe chalcopyritezone. The zeolites
• obundont
vitreous
groy
quortz
veinlets stilbiteand heulanditeare found in chalcopyritevein-
;:::• quertz
ebundont pyviteveins
- serbcite end
elteretionossecioted 0 2000 ft.
letsalongthe eastmarginof the stock. Chalcopyrite-
ß seropie
Iocotion I I bearing fractures cut and offset crenulatedvitreous
quartzveinsand, in turn, are cut by pyrite veinswith
well-developedquartz-sericite alteration envelopes.
lished company report) suggeststhat the semi- Pyrite-Quartz Veinlets
consolidatedmass of quartz veinlet stockworkswas
partially mobilizedand intruded into previouslycon- Veinlets and fractures containing pyrite with or
solidated biotite granodiorite of the stock. The without quartz and with only traces of chalcopyrite
outer contactof the zone with porphyriticgranodio- characterizethe sulfide-rich zones at the margin of
rite, however,is generallygradational. Althoughthe the stock. Individual veinlets generally do not ex-
sulfidecontentis low, much of the molybdenite,part ceedone inch in width, but veinsup to three or four
of the chalcopyrite,and a minor part of the pyrite of inchesare not uncommon. Quartz-sericitealteration
the stock are found in these veinlets. Orthoclase is closelyrelatedto pyrite veinletsand forms well-
intergrown with quartz forming a mosaicof aplitic definedconcentricenvelopesadjacentto veins. The
texture is commonin many of theseveinlets. Pyrite area between criss-crossingveinlets has been per-
veins and veinlets typical of the outer pyriti½ halo vasivelyaltered to a granular quartz-sericite-pyrite
clearly cut and, in some cases,displacethe quartz rock in the wide high-pyrite zone along the west
veinlets,and a few chalcopyrite-coated
fractureslike- marginof the stock. Elsewherein high-pyritezones,
wise appearto cut them. Thus, vitreousgray quartz particularlyalong the east and southperipheryof
the stock,areasbetweenindividualveinletsand their
veinlets appear to be early in the sequenceof vein
formation. enclosingquartz-sericite
envelopescontainpervasive
and diffuse plagioclase-destructive
clay alteration
No clear-cut alteration envelopesare found adja- with associated unaltered biotite and orthoclase.
cent to the vitreous quartz veinlets. However, dif-
Pyrite veinletscut and offsetboththin chalcopyrite-
fuse pervasivereplacementof igneousplagioclasebypyriteveinletsand vitreousquartzveinlets,although
orthoclase, and abundant pale-brown, fine-grained,
early vitreous gray quartz veinlets in some areas
shreddedflakes of phlogopiticbiotite with associated
appearto be transitionalto pyrite veinletsof the
rutile and siderite, are commonin porphyry cut by
main stage of sulfide depositionby an increasein
quartz veinlets,exceptwhere the quartz veinlet stock-
pyriteand a decrease in amountof quartz. This is
found particularly in the area where the quartz
works are partially overlappedby the outer pyritic
veinletzone is overlappedby the outer pyritic zone.
zone. Here, pervasivequartz-sericitealterationasso-
ciated with the strong pyrite mineralizationhas Structuralevidence(Fig. 8), as well as the dis-
removed biotite and orthoclase. tribution of sulfidesthroughoutthe mineralizedarea,
 HYPOGEIVE TEXTURE AND MINERAL ZONING 45

indicatesquartz-orthoclase veinletsand molybdenite- Hypogene.4Iteration

bearingvitreousquartzveinletsformedearlywithin Hypogene alteration of granodioritein the stock
the centralinteriorof the stock. Thin chalcopyrite-and quartz diorite in the wall rocks is not only
pyrite-filledfracturesand veinletswere intermediate
spatially related to individual sulfide-bearingveins
in age and largelyformednearerto the margin of
as concentricenvelopesof alterationbut also is re-
the stock. Pyriteveinletswith well-developed
altera- lated to the general distributionof sulfidesand the
tion envelopesformedat the peripheryin fractured geometryof the stock. This resultedin large diffuse
equigranulargranodioriteand in fracturedwall rocks
zones of pervasivealteration of varying intensity.
latein themetallizationsequence.Subsequently,the Two principal types of hypogenealterationare rec-
zoneof structure-controlledpyritedeposition
appar- ognized. One, believed to be a late magmatic,
entlyenlarged,movinggraduallyinwardand down- deuteric,or early hydrothermalalteration,is charac-
ward, superimposing pyrite veinletsupon early terized by abundantquartz veining, pervasivesec-
vitreousgray quartz veinletsand chalcopyrite- ondaryorthoclase,and commonlyassociated second-
molybdenite veinlets.Possibly thiswascaused by ary biotite. The pattern of distribution of this
a retreatingsourcezone of metallizingfluidsfrom alterationassemblage is closelyrelatedto the shape
withintheinteriorof thestockperhaps accompanied of the Santa Rita stock, with the most intensely
by an inwardor downwardmigrationof the zone alteredrocksin the centerof the pluton and effects
of mixing of primary hydrothermalfluids with of alteration decreasingtoward the margin. The
meteoric waters. other principal type, quite surely a hydrothermal
alteration associatedwith the main stage of sulfide
deposition,is characterizedby a clay-muscovite-
TYPES OF SULFIDE VEINS IN quartz assemblagereplacing the feldspars. It has
THE SANTA RITA STOCK a distributionpatterncloselyrelatedto the distribu-
( DIAGRAMMATIC) tion of sulfides,both as concentricenvelopesaround
individual sulfideveins and as pervasivezones,the
distributionof which roughlyparallelsthe pattern
of sulfide distribution in the stock. Thus, the in-
tensely altered rock is in. the outer pyritic halo.
Thesetwo principaltypesof alterationoverlap,and,
within any volume of rock, textural and structural
relationsindicatethat the feldspar-destructiveclay-
muscovite-quartz alterationis the younger. Young
secondary muscovite,for example,pseudomorphically
replacesboth early secondary biotiteand vein ortho-
clase. Likewise,claysof the youngalterationreplace
plagioclasegrains which contain early orthoclase
veinlets. Some features in transitional zones exhibit
transitional characteristicsand suggest that both
types have a common origin. Montmorillonite, for
example,is closelyassociated with secondary biotite
of the early alterationas well as a replacementof
plagioclasein the youngertype. Secondaryortho-
claseformedin the early stageremainsunalteredin
the youngerplagioclase-destructive clay alteration.
EXPLANATION Perhapsboth types formed contemporaneously in
differentparts of the stockwithin shellsthat were
(i)
vitreousgro>,quortz veins contoining expandingand changingpositions withinthe pluton.
orthoclose ond rnorginol molybdenite Quartg-Orthoclase-Biotite .41teration.--Secondary
orthoclase
showingreplacement andvein fillingtex-
discontinuousstringers ond veinlets
contoiningpyrite, cholcopyrite,
ond tures is widespreadin all rocks of the Santa Rita
rnolybdenitewith o rnor9]nolselvoge
of secondory phlogopit,c biotite. ' stock, except those completelyrecrystallizedto a
youngerquartz-sericite
mixturein the heavilypyritic
p>,rite-quodz veins with concentric' area. It is presentonly in minor amountsin dike
envelope of quortz sericile olterotion'
rocks having a very fine-grainedfelsitic matrix.
FIG. 8.
Secondary
orthoclase
is largelyrestrictedto the
46 RICHARD L. NIELSEN

DISTRIBUTION OF SECONDARYORTHOCLASE, massin granodioriteporphyry. Biotite,chalcopyrite,

SANTA RITA STOCK pyrite, siderite,and Mg-rich chloriteare commonly
associated with orthoclase veins.
More than 50 percent of ' N Muscovite or muscovite-biotite mixtures inter-
totalorthoclose
isofvein •:::::::.:::
and
replacement
types
in ß _l':i•.';i•
I ! . Stock
outline grown with orthoclaseas a replacementof plagio-
zone
ofabundant
second- claseare rare and are found only in a few small
ary
orthoclose.
' ßß'•'":ri•
.. ß "::::::•:.
areasin the Santa Rita stock. The apparentabsence
of muscoviteis in contrast to the early potassic
alterationas describedat Butte (11) and Ely (3)
where fine-grainedmuscoviteand biotite commonly
replaceplagioclaseand are associated
with secondary
orthoclase.
X-ray diffraction and optical studies indicate
that,withinthe interiorof the stock,secondaryortho-
ß \
claseis a microperthitewith an opticallymonoclinic
K-rich host. X-ray studies of the homogenized
......
K-feldspar from the interior indicatethat the com-
positionof the original phasebefore unmixing was
Oro0_o•;2V of the untreatedsampleis 48ø to 53ø.
• abundant
secondary
orthoclose
•'""i•
iC ß
Near the margin of the stock, vein orthoclase is
optically monoclinic. X-ray studiesof heat-treated
::• secondory orthoclose
common samplesfrom the margin indicate an original com-
• secondary orthoclose
•srote positionof Or•0_o,;2V of untreatedsamplesis 37ø
• pervasive sericitic
nofeldspars olterotion, 0I 2000
I ft.
to 42 ø. The regularincreasein optic anglefrom the
ß sample location margin to the interior does not seem to reflect a
compositionaldifferencebut is tentativelyinterpreted
as indicating rapid cooling of K-feldspar at the
stock,and only smallamountsare found in sedimen- margin relative to that in the interior of the pluton.
tary and quartz diorite porphyry wall rocks. It is Secondary orthoclasefrom the core of the stock
presentin both sulfide-richand sulfide-poorparts of appearsto be slightly more ordered than orthoclase
the pluton. It is particularly abundantin the center near the margin.
of the stock(Fig. 9) wheremorethan 50 percentof Secondarybiotite is a common associateof sec-
the total K-feldsparis clearlysecondaryand replaces ondary orthoclaseand occursas replacementsof
or veins andesinephenocrysts,replacesthe igneous igneoushornblende,as fine granular replacements of
groundmassof the porphyry, or is presentin the biotite phenocrysts, in veins, and as minor replace-
abundant quartz veinlets of the area. Although ment of plagioclase. Only small amountsof pale-
associatedvitreous gray quartz veinlets appear to brown phlogopiticbiotite are presentin the centrally
cut the pervasivesecondaryorthoclase,orthoclase located zone of most intense orthoclase alteration.
alterationis believedto have accompanied the forma- Secondaryor replacementbiotite is, however,a com-
tion of the quartz veinlets,rather than having pre- mon constituent elsewhere in the pluton where
cededthem,because:(a) orthoclaseintergrownwith secondaryorthoclaseis also present, generally in-
quartz is a commonconstituentof the quartz vein- creasingfrom tracesin the centerof the stockup to
lets; (b) orthoclase in quartz veinletsis in optical 15 or 20 percentnear the margins. Secondarybio-
continuitywith granular orthoclaseof the ground- tite observedin thin sectionis generallypale green
mass; and (c) many quartz veins are crenulated, or pale brown in color and normally has a low 2V
ptygmaticallyfolded, and offset by healedfractures. and high birefringence. The intermediateindex of
Orthoclaseadjacentto the veins showsno structural refraction is variable (Ny, 1.610 to 1.640) which
or textural evidenceof this deformation,indicating suggeststhat it may have a variable Mg/Fe ratio.
orthoclase had crystallizedafter the quartzvein had This ratio is generallygreater than 1 and is slightly
formed. Although secondaryorthoclaseis particu- higher than that of the igneousbiotite in the original
larly abundantin the center of the stock, it is also rock. These optical properties indicate secondary
commonnear the margin where it is almostentirely biotite to be slightly more phlogopiticin the center
confinedto veinscuttingequigranulargranodiorite; of the pluton than near the margin. Granular rutile
someveinsare very tiny and cut individualplagio- commonlyassociated with secondarybiotite indicates
clasecrystals. Orthoclaseof the veins is generally that titanium is possiblyreleasedfrom the original
in opticalcontinuitywith that of the granularground- igneousbiotiteduringalterationand recrystallization.
 HYPOGENETEXTURE AND MINERAL ZONING 47

Feldspar-destructiveClay-Mica Alteration.--Vir- PARAGENESIS OF PRINCIPAL MINERALS

TABLIg 1

IN THE DIFFUSE ALTERATION ZONES

tually all igneousplagioclasewithin the Santa Rita OF THE SANTA RITA STOCK

Late clay-mica alteralton

stockhas sufferedsomehypogenealterationand has Early quartz-
feldspar -dest ruetire

been at least partially replacedby clay and mica Freshgranodiorite[ orthoclase-biotite Montmorlllonite-
porphyry alteration
Quartz-serlcite
kaolinlte zone Kaollnlte zone zone

minerals. Only plagioclasein someminor intra- Quartz Addition Unchanged Minor addition Addition

mineralandpostmineraldikeshasescaped alteration. Or90_95 Orthoclase Addltton

andquartz
Unchanged Unchanged Altered to sericite

The distributionand intensityof hypogenefeldspar- Plagtoclase Veinedandpartially Replaced

,

hynaontmorlllo•ite-kaohmte
Pseudomorphically
Na-andesine replaced by ortho- mixture replaced by aerieitc
destructivealterationis closelyrelatedto the distri- clase. Local Montmorill omte/kaolinitc
replacement
by decreasing •
butionof hypogenesulfides,principallypyrite, both se riclte-biotite
mixture.

on a scaleevidentin a singlehand specimenand on Biotite Replaced by

phlogopitlc biotite
Pale-brown phlogopitlc biotite with
rutitc inclusions. Chlorlte locally
Replaced by
muscovite
a scaleevidentonly by systematic studyof alteration and minor ehlorite common.

Mg/Fe inetraging •
productsthroughoutthe deposit. Individualpyrite Pyrxte Added Very little present Added Added
veins cutting relatively unalteredgranodiorite,for
--

Magnettte Added Par tt ally pyrltized Pyritlzed Pyrittzed

example,are enclosedin concentricalterationen- Chalcopyrlte Added Minor

addition ] Unchanged{?)
Unchanged or
unchanged{
9) ] remoyed
velopeswith an inner envelopeadjacentto the vein __

where quartz and 2Mx muscovitereplaceboth feld-

sparsas well as biotiteand an outerenvelopewhere interpretthisfeatureasverticalzoningfrom fracture-
kaoliniteand montmorilloniteselectivelyreplacepla- controlled clay-mica alteration to a zone of stable
gioclasewith orthoclaseand biotitebeingunaltered. K-feldspar. A secondand lessacceptableinterpre-
The montmorillonite is a dioctahedral smectite with tation is that all clay-mica alteration is supergene
prominent14A peak whichexpandsto 17A upon and graduallygives way to unalteredrock at some
treatment with ethyleneglycol and an 060 spacing depth below the surface. This is unlikely because
of 1.49A. The outer limit of the clay alteration clay-micaalteration commonlyis closelyrelated to
envelopeagainstfresh granodioriteis not well de- sulfideveinsand a geneticrelationis readilyinferred,
fined becausethe intensity of alteration gradually and, further, biotite associatedwith clay-micaaltera-
decreases away from the vein. The inner limit of the tion generallyshowsno sign of leachingor other
clay alteration envelopeagainst the concentricen- supergenealteration. Supergeneacid strongenough
velopeof quartz-sericite alterationappearssharpand to alter feldspar to clays should also affect biotite.
well definedin hand specimen, althoughthin section In most clay-rich rocksbelow the supergenechalco-
studiesindicatethat it too is gradationalover a nar- cite blanket,biotite showsno indicationof leaching.
row zone. Sericiteappearsto replaceclay after pla- Inasmuchas the presenttextural and structural
gioclasepreferentiallybefore replacing K-feldspar. relations cannot be uniquely interpreted,resolution
This results in a narrow band where sericite and of the problemof hypogeneversussupergene origin
K-feldsparare presenttogetherwith quartz. of clay alteration must await new data. Perhaps
Pervasivesericiticand argillicalteration,analogous studiesof oxygenand hydrogenisotoperatiosof the
to the alterationenvelopes aroundsinglepyrite veins, clay mineralswill shedlight on this problem.
is presentin large diffusezonesbetweenthe sulfide- Four diffuse subzonesof pervasivefeldspar-de-
leancoreand the outerpyritic halo (Table 1). Later structiveclay-micaalteration with gradationalcon-
sericitic and argillic alteration envelopesin some tacts betweenthem have been distinguished,based
parts of the stock are superimposed on the early on mineralogyand intensityof alteration (Fig. 10):
pervasivequartz-orthoclase-biotite alteration. The 1. A zoneof freshgranodioriteporphyrycovering
resulting patterns are therefore somewhatcompli- part of the stockinterior is essentiallyunalteredbut
catedby differencesin the original rock which was may contain traces of montmorillonite replacing
subsequently altered during the later period of vein- plagioclasealong cracksand fractures.
controlledsulfidedeposition. 2. A large zone of argillic alteration through
Clay-micaalteration of feldsparsdecreasesin in- much of the interior of the stockis characterizedby
tensitywith depth,as shownin manydeepdrill holes. having50 to 100 percentof the plagioclase replaced
Rock with intenselyalteredfeldsparsgraduallygives by a mixture of kaolinite and montmorillonitein
way to relativelyunalteredfeldspars. This relation- varying proportions. Orthoclaseis unaltered; bio-
ship has severalinterpretations.The stockcontact, tite, both the fine-grainedshreddedsecondarytype
which is apparentlya grosscontrolof sulfidemin- as well as igneoustypes,is preserved. Montmoril-
eralizationbecauseit is a zone of fracturingrelative lonite forms first, altering the more calcic part of
to the interior of the pluton, is dipping outward so zonedplagioclasecrystals,principallyalong cracks.
that the deeperpartsof drill holesintersectrockthat As intensity of argillic alteration increases,a two-
is relativelyunalteredand unmineralizedcompared phase mixture of kaolinite and montmorilloniteis
to biotitegranodiorite
nearthe stockcontact.We developed
with the kaolinitccontentgenerallyin-
4:8 RICHARD L. NIELSEN

DISTRIBUTION OF FELDSPAR DESTRUCTIVE replacesclays, which have pseudomorphically re-

ALTERATION, SANTA RITA STOCK placedplagioclase,thus indicatinga young age for
the vein-controlledquartz-sericite-pyrite
alteration.
ß N

Chemical ChangesDuring Hydrothermal

Alteration

The gains and lossesof individual elementsthat

occurredduring alteration and metallizationof the
SantaRita stockare showngraphicallyin Figure 11
and Table 2. This informationwas obtainedby
comparing the average major element content of
four samplesof fresh granodioritewith the average
compositionof two samplesof quartz-orthoclase
rock
from the centerof the stock,two samplesfrom the
zone of extensiveclay alteration,and two samples
from the zone of pervasivequartz-sericitealteration.
Samplesof so-calledfreshgranodioritewere collected
from the equigranular margin of stock or from
porphyritic-aphaniticgranodiorite in dikes or the

• quartz-sericite
• after'
feldspar•
k. 71
aoliniteafter'
(or'thoclase plagio½lgs•
unalter'ed)
interior of the stocks. In all samples,the sulfide
contentand structure-controlled clay-micaalteration
was minimal, and the mineralogywas that of fresh
::..•:.'..'•
montmorillonite-kaolinite
after plagioclase mixture
(orthoclase
unaltered) granodioriteporphyry indicatedin Table 1. Inter-
• feldspars
essentially
unaltered 0 2000ft. pretationof chemicalvariationsis complicatedowing
ß
samplelocation
FIG. 10.
to the fact that eachrock samplehas beenaltered to
some degree by both the early quartz-orthoclase-
biotite alterationas well as the later quartz-sericite-
creasing as the alteration of plagioclasebecomes pyrite alteration. In addition,somevariationsmay
complete. Traces of sericite in the clay mixture also reflect primary igneouscompositiongradients
suggesta transition to the sericite-quartzassem- within the plutonproducedby differentiation.
blage, the ultimate product of this alteration Early, intensequartz-orthoclase alterationnear the
sequence. centerof the stockresultedin a large gain in silicon,
3. A narrow zone with unaltered orthoclase and
and,smallergains in potassium,sulfur, and hydro-
with plagioclase completel• replaced by kaolinite gen. Aluminum, iron, magnesium, calcium, and
lies adjacent to the quartz-sericitezone. Sericite sodiumwere extensivelyleached. The gain in sili-
(2M• muscovite) flakes commonlyreplace part of con reflectsthe abundantquartz veins; the gain in
the kaolinite. Both well-ordered and b-disordered
potassiumreflectsthe abundantsecondaryorthoclase.
kaolinire polytypeshave been identified by X-ray Relatively weak, early orthoclase-biotite alteration
diffraction. Pale-brownphlogopiticbiotiteis present with superimposedmontmorillonite-kaolinitemix-
in this zone. Alunite with quartz, kaolinite,pyrite,
and molybdenitefills small veinlets;the distribution
and significanceof theseveinletsis not fully under- GAIN AND LOSS OF PRINCIPAL ROCK CONSTITUENTS
THROUGH ALTERATION AND MINERALIZATION
stood,but they appearto be restrictedto this narrow OF THE SANTA RITA STOCK
grom•,,•
zone. Topaz is a rare but significantalterationmin- '•'-I000 cc
Si AI Fe Mg Ca Na K H+ S
eral and is always associatedwith kaolinite after
plagioclase.
4. A zone of pervasivequartz-sericitereplacement
of both feldsparsas well as biotitecoincideswith the
high-pyrite zone along the west margin of the
stock. Sericite was identified as 2M• muscoviteby
X-ray diffractionusing the criteria of Yoder and
Eugster (19).
Envelopesof quartz-sericite alterationaroundindi- • biotite-montmorillonite-
kaolinire assemblage

vidual pyrite veins cut acrossthe pervasivealtera- • quartz-orthoclase II

assemblage quartz-sericite
assemblage
tion in each zone except,of course,where the rock
is pervasively
alteredto quartzandsericite.Sericite Fro. 11.
 HYPOGENE TEXTURE AND MINERAL ZONING
TABLE 2

SIGNIFICANT CHEMICAL CHANGES OF GRANODIORITE tion and metallizationresultedfrom hydrothermal

THROUGH ALTEP. ATION, ASSUMING CONSTANT ROCK VOLUME

Approximate gai!as and losses

fluids releasedfrom the Santa Rita stock during
per 1,000 cc of rocks(t)
the last stagesbf magmaticcrystallization.Accord-
Gram Atoms Gram Equivalents

Sum:
ingly, a geologicmodel is proposedfor the origin
Alteration $i A1 Fe S
Na+,Mg++
Ca •4 K+ H+ of the depositwhichcallsupon steadyevolutionof
Granodiorite altered to quartz-
orthoclase rock near center of 46.8 -1.6 -1. 1 40. Z -3.7 40.5 ' +Z.9
mineralizingfluidsowing to gradualcoolingof the
the stock {ave. of two analyses},
stockthroughtime.
Granodlorite with plagioclase
altered to montmorillonite
kaolmite w•th seconda•
&nd
ortho- * 4 I. Z -0. 1 •0, 6 &2, 8 -Z. 3 +0.8 •2. Z Textural zoning indicatesthat initial crystalliza-
clase •nd biotite
[ave. of two analyses). tion of the plutonafter emplacement of the magma
Granod•orlte altered to quartz-
serlclte-pyrite rock near margin *Z. 8 -0.6 -0.4 &1. i - 1.6 +0.8 4 l. 8 produceda solid shell of equigranularor seriate-
of s•ck (ave, of two analyse•).
_

texturedgranodioritearounda partly crystallized

(1) Chemlcal
gainsandlossesare computed
by comparing
alteredrocksto'the
mush. St•bsequent tectonicadjustments reactivated
average of partial chemical analyses of four samples of "fresh granodiorlte" old faults that fractured the solid shell and resulted
collected from relatively unaltered equigranular rock a• the margin of the
stock or from unaltered porphyry dikes.
in emplacement of granodioriteporphyrydikesin
theequigranular shell. The remainderof themagma
tures after plagioclase,resulted in an increase in crystallizedrapidly at the time of dike intrusion,
silicon,iron, sulfur, potassium,and-hydrogen. The producinga porphyritic-aphanitic texture in the
gain in iron, sulfur, and silicon reflectsthe common centerof the stock. Somechalcopyriteprobablywas
pyrite-quartzveins of the main period of sulfide depositedas sparsedisseminations amongsilicate
deposition. Calcium,magnesium,and sodiumhave minerals at this time.
beenremovedwith no apparentchangein aluminum. Coincident
with crystallization
of the porphyritic
Pyrite depositionwith associated
pervasivequartz- center at any particular level within the stock,
sericite alteration accompanyingthe main sulfide water-richvolatilesseparatedfrom the silicatemelt
depositionin the outer pyritic halo near the stock and migratedinto fracturesand brecciazones,form-
margin resulted in a gain in silicon, potassium, ing apliticquartz-orthoclase
veinsand quartzveins
sulfur, and hydrogen ion. Magnesium,calcium, in a complexstockworklargely confinedto the
sodium, and aluminum are leached. centerof the pluton,and formedaplite veins and
A large gain in silicon,a gain in potassium,and dikesin the margin. Plagioclasephenocrysts were
loss of most of the iron are the most marked alteredalmostcompletelyto orthoclasein the center
changesin the zone of early quartz veining and of the stock. Magnesium, calcium,and sodiumwere
strong secondaryorthoclasein the center of the leachedand subsequently depositedin the wide zone
stock. Gains in silicon,potassium,hydrogen,and of propyliticalterationand tactite mineralizationin
sulfur characterizethe stronglyaltered rocksin the wall rocks. Iron wasremovedandfirst depositedas
outer pyritic halo. magnetitein limy sediments
and in irregular bodies
Large molar quantitiesof hydrogenhave been of brecciatedgranodiorite(Whim Hill brecciaof
added to all altered rocks. Likewise, all altered Roseand Baltosser,15) and later as pyrite in the
rocksin the stockhave been extensivelyleachedof fracturedperipheryof the stockand in wall rocks.
magnesium,calcium, and sodium which probably Volatilesreleasedfrom the magmamigratedup-
were addedto wall rocksin the wide halo of propy- ward and outward,perhapshelpingto fractureand
litic alterationat Ray, Arizona. In general,leach-brecciatethe coolermargin. A steadystatemodel
ing of alkali- and alkaline-earthmetalsand addition
is proposed in whichmolybdenite and a little pyrite
of large amounts of hydrogen, silica, and sulfur firstcrystallizedfromeachincrementof mineralizing
characterizepyrifizationand hypogenealterationof fluid into vitreousquartzveins. Chalcopyrite, py-
both the quartz-orthoclase-biotite and feldspar-de-
rite, and tracesof molybdenitenext weredeposited
structiveclay-micatypes within the stock. intohair-thinfractureswith verylittle associatedwall
Chemicalgains and lossesat Chino are similar to rockalterationmanifested by onlymoderateamounts
thoseaccompanying hydrothermalalterationat Bag- of secondary orthoclase
and minorsecondary biotite
dad, Ajo, CastleDome, and Ely (1), at Ray (14), and montmorillonite.Relativelylarge amountsof
at San Manuel (2), and at Butte (16). pyrite were finally depositedfrom eachincrementof
fluid as it migratedthroughfracturesin the margin
Summary
of the stockand adjacentwall rocksformingthe
The ore depositsat Santa Rita show geologic, outer pyritic halo that contrastsso markedlywith
minerslogic,and chemicalfeatures similar to other the sulfide-leancore of the pluton. The degreeto
porphyry copper deposits. Most of these features which water-richfluids derivedfrom the magma
are consistentwith the model that hypogenealters- mixedwith meteoricwatersnear the stockmargin
50 RICHARD L. NIELSEN

is unknown and must await isotopic studies of 3. Fournier, R. O., 1967, Syngeneticformation and subse-
quent alteration of the porphyry copper deposit near
hydrousalterationminerals. Ely, Nevada: EcoN. Gini.., v. 62, p. 57-81, 207-227.
Zonesof increasingsulfidecontentand successively 4. Hemley, J. J., and Jones,W. R., 1964, Chemicalaspects
moredestructivealterationof feldsparoccuroutward of hydrothermalalteration with emphasison hydrogen
metasomatism: Ecoa. G•.oI.., v. 59, p. 538--569.
from the centerof the stock. Alteration assemblages, 5. Hernon, R. M., Jones,W. R., and Moore, S. L., 1953,
from weakly to stronglyalteredtypes,include: (a) Some geologicalfeatures of the Santa Rita quad-
montmorillonite-- biotite after plagioclase(ortho- rangle: New Mexico Geol. Soc., Guidebookto 4th
Field Conference,p. 117-129.
claseunaltered); (b) montmorillonite-kaolinite
mix- 6. Hernon, R. M., Jones,W. R., and Moore,.S.L., 1964,
ture after plagioclase(orthoclaseunaltered); (c) Geologyof the Santa Rita quadrangle,New Mexico:
kaoliniteafter plagioclase(orthoclaseunaltered); U.S. Geol. Survey Geol. Quad. Map GQ-306.
7. Jones,W. R., Hernon, R. M., and Pratt, W. P., 1961,
and (d) quartz-sericite(2M• muscovite)after pla- Geologiceventsculminatingin primary metallization
gioclaseand orthoclase. in the Central mining district, Grant County, New
The successive zones of silicate alteration associ- Mexico: U.S. Geol. Survey Prof. Paper 424-C,
p. 11-16.
ated with the main stageof sulfide.deposition
in the 8. Kerr, P. G., Kulp, J. L., Patterson,C. M., and Wright,
stockprobablywere controlledby temperaturegra- R. J., 1950, Hydrothermal alteration at Santa Rita,
dientsalongthe fractureand vein systemfrom near New Mexico: Geol. Soc. America Bull., v. 61, p.
275-347.
magmatictemperaturesat the center of the stock 9. Lasky, S.G., 1936, Geology and ore depositsof the
to relativelycool temperaturesin the wall rocks. Bayard area, Central mining d•strict, New Mexico:
Perhapscoolingof fluidsand mixingwith meteoric U.S. Geol. Survey Bull. 870.
10. Lasky, S.G., and Hoagland, A.D., 1948, Central mining
water as they migratedoutwardwere accompanied district, New .Mexico, in Symposiumon the geology,
by a relatedchangein aK+/aH+ and aNa+/aH+ in paragenesisand reserves of the ores of lead and
the hydrothermalfluids that producedthe change zinc: 18th Internat. Geol. Cong., London, p. 86-97.
11. Meyer, C., 1965, An early potassictype of wall-rock
from predominant orthoclase
alterationin the center alteration at Butte, Montana: Am. Mineralogist, v.
of the stockto alterationcharacterized
by the leach- 50, p. 1717-1722.
ing of basemetalsby hydrolysisof feldsparsnear 12. Ordonez,G., Baltosser,W. W., and Martin, K., 1955,
Geologic structures surroundingthe Santa Rita in-
the marginand associated
sulfidedepqsition,as sug- trusive, New Mexico: Ecoa. G•.oI..,v. 50, p. 9-21.
gestedby Hemleyand Jones(4). Sucha model 13. Paige, S., 1912, The geologicand structural relations at
would permit the "later" or "cooler" alteration Santa Rita, New Mexico: Ecoa. G•.oI.., v. 7, p. 547-
559.
effectsto be superimposed
on the "early" alteration 14. Rose, A. W., 1963, Some chemicaland mineralogical
patterns,perhapsowingto gradualcoolingof the effects of wall rock alteration at Ray, Arizona: Am.
entiresystem'
anda gradualretreatof the sourceof Inst. Mining Met. Pet. Eng., Dallas, Texas, 21 p.
fluidsto deeperlevelswithin the stoc.
k over a rela- 15. Rose, A. W., and Baltosser,W. W., 1966, The porphyry
copperdepositat Santa Rita, New Mexico, in Geol-
tivelylongperiodof time. ogy of the Porphyry Copper Deposits, Southwestern
GEOLOGIC
RESEARCHDIVISION• North America; S. R. Titley and C. L. Hicks (ed.):
Univ. of Arizona Press, Tucson, Arizona, p. 205-220.
KENNECOTTCOPPERCORPORATION,
16. Sales, R. H. and Meyer, C., 1948, Wall-rock alteration
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