Microscopic Study of Sangdong Tungsten Ore Deposit, Korea

상동중석광상(上東重石鑛床)의 현미경적(顯微鏡的) 연구(硏究)

In the Sangdong Mine area, Taebaegsan series (Pre-Cambrian) and Chosun System (Cambro-ordovician) are widely distributed. The Chosun System consists of Yangdug Series (Jangsan Quartzite and Myobong Slate) and The Great Limestone Series (Pungchon Limestone, Shesong Shale, Hwajeol Formation and Dongjeom Quartzite). The mineralized zone containing the main ore body of the Sangdong Mine was developed in the Myobong Slate formation. The result of the field and microscopic study on the mineral paragenesis and it's wall rock alteration in the tungsten ore deposit shows the following features. The orogenic movements of the Post-Chosun System in the Hambaeg Geosyncline are closely related to the tungsten ore deposition in the area, the ore minerals are composed mainly of scheelite, powelite molybdenite and sulfide minerals, and gangue minerals are hornblende, diopside, garnet, quartz, phlogopite, tremolite, biotite, muscovite, fluorite, etc., main ore body was enriched by scheelite bearing quartz vein filling into interstices of formerly mineralized zones, and the minor faults, faults of N $60^{\circ}-70^{\circ}W$, $45^{\circ}-60^{\circ}NE$ and joints, which were formed at the end of the mineralization and the slate. Country rock of the ore body was altered into the following several zones from the outside to the inside; lowgrade recrystalline aureole, silicified sericite zone, and diopside-hornblende zone. Under the microscopic observation of 195 samples taken from throughout ore body can be classified into 10 different groups by their mineral paragenesis as shown in table 2. The garnet-diopside group is primary skarn and it shows gradational change to the groups of later stage by the successive processes of metasomatism. From the stage of quartz-bearing group, the dissemination of scheelite is seen. The crystallization of scheelite in the bed started with the quartz deposition and continued to the last stage when quartz vein intruded into the main ore body. In the field and the under ground investigation a durable limestone bed in thickeness about 20 meters and their remnants in ore body are observed and under microscope calcite remnants are recognized. Hence it is posturated that the ore material moved up through the faults, shear zones or feather cracks and was assimilated with the interbeded limestone, after that the body was affected by the successive differentiated ore solution by gradational increasing in $SiO_2$, $K_2O$ and $H_2O$. Evidently this ore deposit shows the features resulted from pyrometasomatic processes.