The 187Re-187Os and 190Pt-186Os Radiogenic Isotope Systems: Techniques and Applications to Metallogenic Systems

Although (Soddy, Nature 92:399–400, 1913) inferred the existence of isotopes early last century, it was not until the discovery of the neutron by (Chadwick, Nature 129:312, 1932) that isotopes were understood to result from differing numbers of neutrons in atomic nuclei. (Urey, J Chem Soc 1947:562–581, 1947) predicted that different isotopes would behave slightly differently in chemical (and physical) reactions due to mass differences, leading to the concept of isotopic fractionation. The discovery that some elements transformed into other elements by radioactive decay happened even before the recognition of isotopes (Rutherford and Soddy, Lond Edinb Dublin Philos Mag 4:370–396, 1902), although the role that different isotopes played in this process was discovered later. The twin, and related, concepts of isotopes and radioactive decay have been used by geoscience and other scientific disciplines as tools to understand geochemical processes such as mineralization, and also the age and duration of these processes. This book is a review of how isotope geoscience has developed to better understand the processes of ore formation and metallogenesis, and thereby improve mineral system models used in exploration.

Isotopes in Economic Geology, Metallogeny and Exploration—An Introduction

Huston

Lambert

Gutzmer

2023

Isotopes in Economic Geology, Metallogeny and Exploration—Future Challenges and Opportunities

Huston

Gutzmer

2023

Although the intent of this book is to provide readers with an overview on the current and past usage of isotopes in the broad disciplines of economic geology, metallogenesis and mineral exploration, some of the chapters highlight future challenges and opportunities for the use of both radiogenic and stable isotopes within these disciplines and more broadly. This concluding section identifies and then discusses how some of these challenges might be overcome and the opportunities that might be realized.

Radiometric Dating Applied to Ore Deposits: Theory and Methods

Chiaradia

2023

Metallic ore deposits have contributed to the development of the human society since pre-historic times and nowadays are one of the pillars of unprecedented technological developments. In order to understand how metallic ore deposits form and thus construct genetic models that may serve as exploration guides, determining the age of an ore deposit is one of the most important pieces of information needed. More recently it has also become evident that determining the temporal duration of mineralizing events can offer valuable information on how certain deposits form and thus improve genetic models. Radiometric dating of ore minerals or of other minerals that are demonstrably associated in space and time with mineralization is the most accurate and precise tool to date an ore deposit. This Introductory Chapter summarizes basic concepts on why ore deposit dating is important and how this can be achieved through different methods. It illustrates basic differences among different methods and serves as an introduction to the more detailed descriptions of specific dating methods presented in the following Chapters.