Remote sensing evaluation of the regional chemistry and element dispersion of porphyry copper deposits in the Silver Bell Mountains, Arizona.

摘要

Porphyry copper deposits in southeastern Arizona belong to a cluster of 38 mineralized centers covering a region extending from northern Mexico to western New Mexico and southern Arizona. Presently, some of these deposits are being actively mined and the rest are prospects or abandoned mining sites. As a result of the large number of porphyry copper deposits in this region, research on the interaction between mineralized centers and the environment is important; in particular, the dispersion characteristics of acid-generating metal-enriched materials at the shallow alluvial margins of these centers. The present research uses remote sensing techniques, groundwater chemistry, trace element, and mineralogical analysis to characterize dispersion chemistry surrounding porphyry copper deposits in the Silver Bell Mountains. Hyperspectral imagery obtained by the Airborne Visible/Infrared Spectrometer and HyMap are used to map supergene minerals by analyzing their spectral profiles in the visible and short wave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum. Reflectance profiles are characteristic of each mineral and shifts in absorption features within one mineral are a result of differences in cation content. Image reflectance profiles are compared with stream sediment mineralogy and reflectance spectral profiles to better outline concentrations of Fe, S, K, Na, Ca, Mg, Cu, and Al. In addition, groundwater modeling in the Silver Bell Mountains is considered for various flow paths within shallow aquifers in the region and compared to actual groundwater chemistry and surface lithology. The Silver Bell Mountains serve as a case study for element mobility and concentration distribution in other areas where undisturbed deposits, historic and present-day excavation activity occurs, where semi-arid climate and a deep vadose zone are variables that influence element mobility and concentration. Results obtained from hyperspectral image processing indicate the possible enrichment of stream sediment samples in iron and/or magnesium, based on absorption shifts observed for phyllosilicates in the region. The extent of alteration patterns in porphyry copper deposits located in the Silver Bell Mountains supports the concept of narrow dispersion haloes in semi-arid environments.