Contrasting timescales of metal fluxes in porphyry copper systems from coupled physicochemical processes of magmas, rocks and fluids.

Abstract

Volatile degassing from hydrous magma reservoirs controls the formation of porphyry copper deposits. Geochemical studies suggest that water-rich magmas may be more prone for ore formation, with fluid-melt partitioning potentially producing particularly metal-rich fluid stages. However, the coupled physicochemical processes at the magmatic-hydrothermal transition remain elusive, because they depend on non-linear properties of magmas, fluids and rocks. For this study, we further developed a numerical model for magma convection, volatile degassing, hydraulic fracturing and fluid flow by modifying its permeability response to brecciation and introducing chemical fluid-melt partitioning. We investigate the role of intrusion depth, water content and distribution coefficients on degassing and ore formation. The results show how magmas can self-organize into distinct degassing stages with contrasting timescales of metal fluxes. Depth and water content control the amount of fluids released by an initial short-lived tube-flow outburst event, leading to brecciation and a first mineralization event in shallow porphyry-epithermal levels for high distribution coefficients. Further cooling leads to continuous fluid release at lower rates, producing a second mineralization event at deeper levels. Our results suggest that near-saturated water contents of voluminous magma reservoirs in combination with low fluid-melt distribution coefficients support the formation of large porphyry deposits.