Geologic controls on supergene enrichment

The right geochemisty, fluid mobility, and rock types are not enough to create viable economic mineral deposits on their own. There are critical mechanical and weathering factors that need to occur at specific time intervals, to pull it all together, says Dr. William Chavez, geology professor at New Mexico Tech [right. Credit, New Mexico Tech].

Bill spoke on Tuesday to a large crowd at the Arizona Geological Society monthly dinner meeting, laying out the multiple periods of tectonic uplift, exhumation, and enrichment that lead to supergene accumulation, if there are the right episodic to continuous intervals of weathering to preserve the enrichment profiles and geochemical stratigrapy. He said the best climates are those with temperate wet-dry cycles.