Wall Rock Alteration and Genetic Environment of the Milyang Pyrophyllite Deposit

밀양 납석광상의 모암변질작용과 생성환경

Milyang pyrophyllite deposit which was formed by hydrothermal alteration occurs in Late Cretaceous andesitic tuff in the Milyang area, Gyeongsangnamdo. The wall rock alteration and genesis of the Milyang pyrophyllite deposit were studied. The ore minerals are composed dominantly of pyrophyllite accompanied by small amounts of quartz, kaolinite, pyrite, dumortierite and diaspore. The alteration halo of this deposit can be divided into three zones on the basis of mineral assemblage; pyrophyllite, sericite and chlorite zone. The common mineral assemblages of each alteration zone are as follows: (1) pyrophyllite zone; pyrophyllite-quartz-kaolinite-pyrite-dumortierite-diaspore, (2) sericite zone; sericite-quartz-pyrite-kaolinite, and (3) chlorite zone; chlorite-plagioclase-quartz. Major element chemistry shows that characteristic depletion in MgO, CaO, and $Na_2O$ and relative increase in FeO from less altered chlorite zone to extensively altered pyrophyllite zone corresponding to variation in mineral assemblages. The paragenesis of ore minerals, oxygen isotope data, chlorite and illite geothermometry suggest that ore deposit was formed at about $250{\sim}330^{\circ}C$. Both hydrogen and silica activities are high in pyrophyllite zone. Potassium activity increases in sericite zone while hydrogen activity becomes low in chlorite zone. The pyrophyllite zone was formed relatively higher temperature than those of sericite and chlorite zones. The ore fluid was considered to be magmatic water in origin derived from the residual granitic magma which interacted with meteoric water.