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Occurrence and Formation process
Occurrence of minerals were summaried from the view of concentration process. Some occurrences are explained by a single formation process, whereas others are explained by combination of them. Photograph of outcrops and mines are shown to describe occurrences of each mineral.
Localities described below may be now closed to collecting by authorities or land owners.
Physical Process
Ground surface (Pysical)
- Fluvial placer (Gold)
- Fluvial placer (PGM)
- Fluvial placer (REE)
- Marine placer
- Colluvial placer
- Sedimentary kaolins
- Sedimentary quartz sand
Biological Process
Biological
Chemical Process (Vapor-phase Growth)
Ground surface (Chemical)
Closed system under ground (Melt precipitation)
Chemical Process (Liquid-Vapor phase Growth)
Closed system under ground (Melt precipitation, High - Moderate pressure)
Closed system under ground (Melt precipitation, Low pressure, NYF family)
- Pegmatite (Allanite)
- Pegmatite (Euxenite)
- Pegmatite (Gadolinite)
- Pegmatite (Titanium)
- Pegmatite (Gabbro)
- Pegmatite (Miarolitic, REE)
Closed system under ground (Melt precipitation, Low pressure, LCT family)
- Pegmatite (Beryl)
- Pegmatite (Phosphate)
- Pegmatite (Spodumene)
- Pegmatite (Petalite)
- Pegmatite (Lepidolite)
- Pegmatite (Elbaite)
- Pegmatite (Amblygonite)
- Pegmatite (Albite-Spodumene)
- Pegmatite (Albite)
- Pegmatite (Miarolitic, Li)
Chemical Process (Liquid-phase Growth)
Ground surface (Chemical)
- Salt weathering
- Residual placer
- Seawater Evaporite
- Fresh water Evaporite
- Stalactite
- Calcarous sinter (Tufa)
- Calcareous sinter (Travertine)
- Siliceous sinter
- Sulphur sinter
- Vitriolic sinter
- Terrestrial manganese nodule (Hijah-Kus)
Under water (Sediments)
- Cyprus type Massive Sulfide
- Back-arc type Massive Sulfide
- Pelitic type Massive Sulfide (pre-metamorphic Besshi-type)
- Kuroko Massive Sulfide
- Siliciclastic type Massive Sulfide
- Sediment-hosted Massive Sulfide
- Umber
- Sediment-hosted Copper (Shallow-marine)
- Ocean-floor manganese nodule
- Ocean-floor manganese crust
- Phosphate nodule
- Banded Iron
- Subaqueous
Closed system under ground (Melt precipitation)
- Pyroclastic material
- Rhyolite
- Dacite
- Andesite
- Basalt
- S-type Granite
- I-type Granite
- A-type Granite
- Granodiorite
- Diorite
- Gabbro
- Peridotite
- Lamprophyre
- Magmatic (Podiform)
- Magmatic (Stratiform)
Open system under ground (Aqueous solution precipitation along fissures)
- Hydrothermal (High-T)
- Pneumatolytic
- Hydrothermal (Moderately high-T)
- Hydrothermal (Moderate-T)
- Hydrothermal (Moderately low-T)
- Hydrothermal (Low-T)
- Hydrothermal (Au-Ag, Low-T)
- Hydrothermal (Au-Te-Bi, Low-T)
- Porphyry type
- Alpine Fissure (LT/HP)
- Hydrothermal (Hot Spring)
- Hydrothermal (Fault)
Chemical Process (Solution-Rock interaction, Dispersed in the host)
Ground surface (Meteoric)
- Gossan zone
- Chemical weathering (Hydration)
- Sediment-hosted Copper (Continental)
- Mississippi Valley-type
- Unconformity-related uranium
- Sandstone-type uranium
Ground surface (Submarine)
Open system under ground (Groundwater)
- Upper oxidation zone (Meteoric)
- Upper oxidation zone (Marine)
- Lower oxidation zone
- Secondary sulfide zone
- Groundwater deposition
Open system under ground (Acidic metasomatism, Alunitization)
- Halloysite zone (Low-T)
- Kaolinite zone (Middle-T)
- Minamiite-Alunite zone (Intermediate high-T)
- Pyrophyllite zone (High-T)
- Metasomatic (Sulphur)
Open system under ground (Intermediate acidic metasomatism)
- Cristobalite zone (Low-T)
- Low-T silicified zone (Middle-T)
- High-T silicified zone (High-T)
Open system under ground (Neutral metasomatism)
- Smectite zone (Low-T)
- Interstratified mineral zone (Middle-T)
- Illite-Chlorite zone (Intermediate high-T)
- Epidote-Actinolite zone (High-T)
Open system under ground (Alkaline metasomatism, Zeolitization)
- Stilbite-Mordenite zone (Low-T)
- Heulandite-Analcime zone (Middle-T)
- Laumontite-Albite zone (Intermediate high-T)
- Wairakite-Albite zone (High-T)
- K-Feldspathization
Open system under ground (Alkaline metasomatism by serpentinization)
Chemical Process (Solid-phase growth)
Burial Metamorphism (Low-P, Low-T)
- Diagenesis
- Low-temperature zeolite facies
- High-temperature zeolite facies
- Prehnite-Pumpellyite facies
Contact metamorphic facies series (Low-P, High-T)
- Albite-Epidote-hornfels facies (LT/LP)
- Hornblende-hornfels facies (MT/LP)
- Pyroxene-hornfels facies (HT/LP)
- Sanidinite facies (LP/UHT)
Middle-pressure metamorphic facies series (Barrovian type)
- Greenschist facies (MT/MP)
- Amphibolite facies (HT/MP)
- Low-pressure granulite facies (UHT/MP)
- High-pressure granulite facies (UHT/HP)
High-pressure metamorphic facies series (Franciscan type)
- Pumpellyite-Actinolite facies (LT/MP)
- Blueschist facies (LT/HP)
- Epidote-Amphibolite facies (MT/HP)
- Eclogite facies (HT/HP)
- Ultrahigh-pressure subfacies (HT/UHP)
Combination of elemental formation processes
Weathering of elemental processes
Residual placer + Aluminous rock
- Bauxite
Residual placer + Peridotite (Serpentinite)
- Nickel Laterite