Igneous Geodynamics and Ore Deposits

Dates, Times, Location: Monday, 22 - 26 May, 2023, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM each day, 6 contact hours per day. The subject will be delivered on campus of the University of Melbourne, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (McCoy Bld.)

Final Assessment: in the week starting on 05 June.

Host: The University of Melbourne.

Course Details: This advanced ore deposit geology and geochemistry short course is designed for fourth year Honours/MSc students in economic geology/geochemistry as well as industry geologists who wish to be exposed to new concepts of magmatic ore genesis. The course will provide an overview of the geology of major Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulphide deposits, PGE deposits, and diamond deposits with an emphasis on the processes controlling their genesis and how this information can be applied in exploration. The course will also introduce some of the theoretical concepts involved in ore formation such as the factors controlling sulphur solubility in mafic magmas and the roles of partial melting and crustal contamination in the genesis of Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulfide deposits. Lectures will present the physical and chemical characteristics of some of the major magmatic ore deposits including komatiite-associated Ni deposits (Kambalda), basalt-associated Cu-Ni-Co-(PGE) deposits (Norilsk-Talnakh/Voiseys Bay), astrobleme-associated Ni-Cu-PGE deposits (Sudbury), Merensky Reef-type PGE deposits in layered intrusions (Bushveld, Stillwater), and diamondiferous kimberlites and lamproites. Practical exercises will consist of examination of suites of samples from major ore camps in both hand specimen and in thin section as well as computer exercises.  Students will be divided into groups on Monday and assigned an exploration exercise that the groups will on Friday.

Further information can be found on the University of Melbourne handbook entry (https://handbook.unimelb.edu.au/subjects/geol90038).

Lecturer: Reid Keays (reid.keays@monash.edu)

Assessment: 

Practical work - 40%

Exploration exercise

  • Group mark - 10%
  • Individual mark - 10%

Multiple choice exam - 40%

What You Need To Bring: Hand lens and pencil magnet.

Cost: $500 for industry participants.