Sediment-hosted Copper Deposit (Continental)
Chemical Process (Solution-Rock interaction) - Ground Surface (Meteoric)
Synonym
Red bed copper deposit
Required Geological Setting
Occurrence
Copper sulfide deposits in continental sedimentary rocks such as conglomerate, shale, sandstone, and dolomite, often associated with coal. Host rock is subjected only to diagenesis, and not to any volcanic activity nor metamorphism. Deposits produce sulfide minerals as nodules in sedimentary rocks and/or as a matrix of sandstone. Most deposits are in Jurassic to Carboniferous beds in continents. Sulfide minerals are considered to be deposited from meteoric water, thus the deposits are not classified to the sedimentary deposit in the strict sense. This type of deposit seems to be a type of the Mississippi valley-type deposit where a role of petroleum is replaced by coal.
Mineral Assemblages
Quartz, Pyrite, Chalcocite, Chalcopyrite, Bornite
Mineral Assemblages (Secondary minerals)
Malachite, Covellite
Localities
- Pittsburg, USA (Shale)