U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 02268
Porphyry Copper Deposits of the World: Database, Maps, and Preliminary Analysis
By
Donald A. Singer, Vladimir I. Berger, and Barry C. Moring
INTRODUCTION Mineral deposit models are important in exploration planning and quantitative resource assessments for two reasons: (1) grades and tonnages among deposit types are significantly different, and (2) many types occur in different geologic settings that can be identified from geologic maps. Mineral deposit models are the keystone in combining the diverse geoscience information on geology, mineral occurrences, geophysics, and geochemistry used in resource assessments and mineral exploration. Far too few thoroughly explored mineral deposits are available in most local areas for reliable identification of the important geoscience variables or for robust estimation of undiscovered depositsthus we need mineral-deposit models. Globally based deposit models, such as those presented here, allow recognition of important features because the global models demonstrate how common different features are. Well-designed and -constructed deposit models allow geologists to know from observed geologic environments the possible mineral deposit types that might exist, and allow economists to determine the possible economic viability of these resources in the region. Thus, mineral deposit models play the central role in transforming geoscience information to a form useful to policy makers. The foundation of mineral deposit models is information about known depositsthe purpose of this publication is to make this kind of information available in digital form for a group of porphyry copper deposits. |
Files Available for Downloading | ||
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File Name | File Type and Description | File Size |
Reference table | ||
country_codes.xls | A text file relating country codes to country names | 6 KB |
Data files and tables | ||
PorCu.FP5 | A FileMaker Pro 5 file containing the porphyry copper database | 2.1 MB |
PorCu.xls | A tab-delineated text file containing the porphyry copper database | 691 KB |
PorCu.G-T.xls | A tab-delineated text file containing the tonnages, and the copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold grades, used in the grade and tonnage model for porphyry Cu deposits | 9 KB |
PorCu-Au.G-T.xls | A tab-delineated text file containing the tonnages, and the copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold grades, used in the grade and tonnage model for porphyry Cu-Au deposits | 5 KB |
PorCu-Mo.G-T.xls | A tab-delineated text file containing the tonnages, and the copper, molybdenum, silver, and gold grades, used in the grade and tonnage model for porphyry Cu-Mo deposits | 3 KB |
Types.xls | A tab-delineated text file containing deposit-type numbers and their names | 1 KB |
PorCu.Mins.xls | A tab-delineated text file noting the presence (1) or absence (0) of reported minerals in deposits used in the porphyry Cu grade and tonnage model | 82 KB |
PorCu-Au.Mins.xls | A tab-delineated text file noting the presence (1) or absence (0) of reported minerals in deposits used in the porphyry Cu-Au grade and tonnage model | 28 KB |
PorCu-Mo.Mins.xls | A tab-delineated text file noting the presence (1) or absence (0) of reported minerals in deposits used in the porphyry Cu-Mo grade and tonnage model | 11 KB |
PorCu.Rocks.xls | A tab-delineated text file noting the presence (1) or absence (0) of reported rocks in deposits used in the porphyry Cu grade and tonnage model. Rocks are grouped according to Gillespie and Styles (1999) | 22 KB |
PorCu-Au.Rocks.xls | A tab-delineated text file noting the presence (1) or absence (0) of reported rocks in deposits used in the porphyry Cu-Au grade and tonnage model. Rocks are grouped according to Gillespie and Styles (1999) | 9 KB |
PorCu-Mo.Rocks.xls | A tab-delineated text file noting the presence (1) or absence (0) of reported rocks in deposits used in the porphyry Cu-Mo grade and tonnage model. Rocks are grouped according to Gillespie and Styles (1999) | 4 KB |
Maps (in Adobe Portable Document Format [PDF]) | ||
map1.pdf | Locations of all porphyry copper deposits in the PorCu.FM5 file plotted on a world map | 3.6 MB |
map2.pdf | Generalized ages of all porphyry copper deposits in the PorCu.FM5 file plotted on a world map | 5.4 MB |
map3.pdf | Locations and generalized ages of all porphyry copper deposits located in Europe in the PorCu.FP5 file plotted on a regional map | 337 KB |
map4.pdf | Locations and generalized ages of all porphyry copper deposits located in and just south of the Philippines in the PorCu.FP5 file plotted on a regional map | 415 KB |
map5.pdf | Locations and generalized ages of all porphyry copper deposits located in Northwestern North America (excluding Alaska) in the PorCu.FP5 file plotted on a regional map | 563 KB |
map6.pdf | Locations and generalized ages of all porphyry copper deposits located in Central and South America in the PorCu.FP5 file plotted on a regional map | 942 KB |
View or download the 62-page main text of this Open-File Report as a PDF file (5.6 MB).
For questions about this report, contact Don Singer.
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| U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey | Geologic Division | Western Mineral Resources |
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