COPPER DEPOSITS IN SEDIMENTARY AND VOLCANOGENIC ROCKS.

Concepts of genesis definitely influence exploration for and development of copper deposits; the size, shape, and tenor of an ore deposit are controlled by its mode of formation. In developing a mine, the geologist needs to know whether a deposit is likely to be large or small, spotty or persistent, whether it is associated with a ground-water table or a petroleum-brine interface, and whether the primary control of the deposit is lithologic, stratigraphic, or structural. The size and primary controls of a deposit are influenced by its genesis. This paper presents a geological appraisal of low-temperature copper deposits formed by syngenetic, diagenetic, and epigenetic processes. Refs.