Introduction to Ore-Forming Processes

• Opens with an overview of magmatic ore-forming processes
  
• Moves systematically through hydrothermal and sedimentary metallogenic environments, covering as it does the entire gamut of mineral deposit types, including the fossil fuels and supergene ores
  
• The final chapter relates metallogeny to global tectonics by examining the distribution of mineral deposits in space and time
  
• Boxed examples of world famous ore deposits are featured throughout providing context and relevance to the process-oriented descriptions of ore genesis
  
• Brings the discipline of economic geology back into the realm of conventional mainstream earth science by emphasizing the fact that mineral deposits are simply one of the many natural wonders of geological process and evolution.

Artwork from the book is available to instructors at www.blackwellpublishing.com/robb.

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All Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review:
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

An Excellent Summary of Ore Geology, 2008-03-01
This single volume examines ore-forming processes from many different angles. The reader learns what the minimum concentration of different metals is that makes them economically feasible for exploitation. Metallogenic epochs are identified in the Precambrian. The author Robb does not believe that surficial geology alone is sufficient to explain economically-viable concentrations of metals. He suggests (p. 28) that deep-earth processes govern the regional abundance of metals, explaining, for instance, why so much gold is found in South Africa.

There is much emphasis in this book on hydrothermal processes, as these are an important causative agent in economic deposit formation. Many helpful diagrams illustrate the dynamics of hydrothermal activity.

A variety of technical information is presented. For instance, Stokes Law is illustrated in terms of the equivalent diameters of gold, quartz, and pyrite spheres that would settle out of water at the same velocities relative to each other.

Very little attention is paid to the rare earth elements, which have assumed increasing importance in recent years. However, the behavior of REE ions, as compared with other ions, is presented (p. 221). REEs are often concentrated in alkaline magmas (p. 27), and can form in extensional settings (e. g., in incipient rifts, or intra-continental hotspots), often in carbonatites (p. 340). Pegmatites, commonly a host of REEs, are discussed in some detail. Skarns are also elaborated, although without mention of the fact that they are often REE-bearing.



4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

A modern classic, 2007-10-05
This book presents a modern perspective on a classic field, including the knowledge gained from the phenomenal amount of work carried out by the community of economic geologists over the previous 20 years. The book is written concisely but comprehensively describes the formation of all types of ore deposits, including coal and oil, which although of great economic importance are often not considered minerals. A particular strength of the book is its interweaving of the formation of ore deposits with the modern theory of plate tectonics. The book includes a special chapter on plate tectonics and the history of continental drift over the last several billion years. It is written in an enthusiastic style and contains many "boxed" examples of particular mineral deposits. Most of the world's famous deposits are covered in these boxes, which makes for entertaining reading. The main text is, however, quite demanding of the reader, and prior knowledge of chemistry is very helpful. A less demanding, although also less up to date, work is the classic 1986 text of Guilbert and Park The Geology of Ore Deposits.

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