Copper Mineralization Around the Ohto Mountain in the Southeastern Part of Euiseong, Gyeongsangbug-Do, Republic of Korea

경북·의성 동남부 오토산 주변의 동광화작용

The Ohto and Tohyun copper mine which are located 4 km southeast of Euiseong, Gyeongsangbukdo, Republic of Korea show various common geologic and mineralogic features. Both copper deposits are of hydrothermal-vein types, and associated with fracture system developed during formation of the Geumseong-san caldera in late Cretaceous age. According to structures and mineral assemblages, the mineralization processes have progressed in four stages: three hypogene mineralization stages and one supergene stage. Three hypogene stages are 1) stage I forming $N5{\sim}20^{\circ}E$ veins in the Ohto mine, 2) stage II building $N5^{\circ}W{\sim}N5^{\circ}E$ veins in the Tohyun mine, and 3) stage ill bringing $N80^{\circ}E$ veins which crosscut veins of the stage II. The vein ores consist mainly of pyrite, arsenopyrite, galena and chalcopyrite, minor or trace amounts of magnetite, hematite, pyrrhotite, stannite, bournonite, boulangerite, stibnite, galenobismutite, native bismuth, marcasite, geothite and malachite. The main gangue minerals are quartz and calcite. Wallrock is altered by sericitization, chloritization, pyritization, carbonitization and argillization. Arsenic and copper contents in arsenopyrite increase from stage I to stage III (from 31.28 to 33043 atom.% As) and (from 0.04 to 0040 atom.% Co). Going from stage I to stage III Fe and Mn contents in sphalerite decreases from 12.56 to 0.44 wt.% and from 0.24 to 0.01 wt.%, respectively. The compositional data of arsenopyrite in the early stage I indicate a temperature of $420{\sim}365^{\circ}C$ and sulfur fugacity of $10^{-6.5}{\sim}10^{-8.3}$ atm. Chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite assemblage suggest that Middle stage I was deposited at below $334^{\circ}C$. The compositional data of arsenopyrite in early stage II suggest a temperature range of $425{\sim}390^{\circ}C$ and sulfur fugacity codition of $10^{-6.4}{\sim}10^{-7.3}$ atm. Based on fluid inclusion the Middle stage II was regarded as to be deposited at $420{\sim}337^{\circ}C$ (Chi et al., 1989). Referring composition of sphalerite and stannite middle-late stage II seem to be deposited around $246^{\circ}C$ and $10^{-16.5}$ atm. sulfur fugacity. The ${\delta}^{34}S$ values of sulfide minerals in the Stage I, II, III range from 4.9 to 7.6%0 and indicate igneous ore fluid origin. Based on differences in mineral assemblages, chemical composition and chemical environments of Ohto and Tohyun mine its mineralization are considered to be formed at diffent mineralization ages and by different ore fluids.