Research on the Genesis of Mineral Deposits - Significance of the Isotope Ratio Analysis and SIMS Analysis

Mineral resources are indispensable to human beings, as well as modern civilization and technology. Thus, our current lifestyles depend on a stable supply of mineral resources. This paper reports several isotopic studies on the genesis of mineral deposits to assist mineral exploration. Following a basic description of hydrothermal ore deposits and light-element isotopes, several studies on hydrothermal ore deposits are reported. These deposits include a skarn-type ore deposit (the Kamioka deposit), hypothermal ore deposits (the Ohtani and Kaneuchi deposits) and epithermal ore deposits (the Noya and Kushikino deposits). Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) for the microanalysis of microscopic textures of minerals from ore deposits is further described. Some SIMS applications other than for ore deposits are also mentioned.