Evans in a book published in 3rd Edition in 1993 entitled Ore Geology and Industrial Minerals, says that this edition, like the second, is an enlarged and extensively revised work. I blame much of the increased size, after all this is an introductory text only, on many of my readers, reviewers and translators. These, almost without exception, have ignored the plea at the end of the preface to my first edition and have called for additions, changes but rarely for deletions! Once again I am in their debt for approving letters, good reviews and their many helpful comments. I am particularly grateful to the many lecturers in North America and the UK who returned my questionnaire concerning industrial minerals.
These respondents voted overwhelmingly for the inclusion of sections on this topic and for the mode of presentation that I had tentatively suggested. Of this group I would like, to give sincere thanks to Dr Bladh of Wittenberg University, Ohio and Dr Garlick of Humboldt University, California for the considerable thought and time they put into their replies. All this encouragement has led me to develop Chapter 1 into an overview of mineral economics, to emphasize the non-metallurgical applications of metallic elements at various points in the book and to include two chapters devoted entirely to industrial minerals. The first of these (Chapter 20) illustrates in a little depth some chosen examples of industrial minerals (and bulk materials) that possess contrasting chemical and physical properties as well as having different modes of formation, uses and financial values. The second chapter (Chapter 21) contains summary details of other industrial mineral commodities to make the reader aware of the potential
of many common non-metalliferous resources.
In turning my hand to writing about industrial minerals I have been ably assisted and encouraged by Professor Peter Scott of Camborne School of Mines in Cornwall, and Professor Ansel Dunham and Mr Michael Whateley of Leicester University's Geology Department. Mr David Highley of the British Geological Survey also gave me invaluable help, particularly in the sphere of mineral statistics.
Without the help of these good friends this text would contain many more sins of commission and omission than are no doubt still present. Many of my other colleagues at Leicester have good naturedly allowed me to pester them with questions in my search for enlightenment on various, to me, dark problems. I would also like to thank all those in industrial circles who have encouraged me to proceed to a third edition, in particular Professor Colin Bristow who supplied me with invaluable data, which I have incorporated into Chapter 1.
Apart from the new material discussed above I have included a description of hydraulic fracturing, hypothermal and epithermal gold mineralization and introduced new material into most chapters of this book. This work is, however, an introductory text and therefore does not deal with the esoteric subjects, lists of which one or two reviewers have drawn up and then proceeded to deplore their absence. This game is better played in assessing the merits of advanced geology texts!
Finally, I am happy once more to confess my overwhelming debt to my loving wife who has encouraged and helped me at every stage in the preparation of this third edition, especially through the hiatus of major surgery.
Table of Contents of Book:
Preface to the third edition, vii
Preface to the second edition, viii
Preface to the first edition, ix
Units and abbreviations, x
Part 1: Principles
Some elementary aspects of mineral economics, 3
2 The nature and morphology of the principal types of ore deposit, 26
3 Textures and structures of ore and gangue minerals. Fluid inclusions. Wall rock alteration, 40
4 Some major theories of ore genesis, 52
5 Geothermometry, geobarometry, paragenetic sequence, zoning and dating of ore deposits, 84
Part 2: Examples of the more important types of ore deposit
6 Classification of ore deposits, 99
7 Diamond deposits in kimberlites and lamproites, 104
8 The carbonatite-alkaline igneous ore environment, 114
9 The pegmatitie environment, 121
10 Orthomagmatic deposits of chromium, platinum, titanium and iron associated with basic and ultrabasic rocks, 128
11 Orthomagmatic copper-nickel-iron (-platinoid) deposits associated with basic and ultrabasic rocks, 139
12 Greisen deposits, 154
13 The skarn environment, 157
14 Disseminated and stockwork deposits associated with plutonic intrusives, 171
15 Stratiform sulphide, oxide and sulphate deposits of sedimentary and volcanic environments, 190
16 The vein association and some other hydrothermal deposit types, 21 3
17 Strata-bound deposits, 233
18 Sedimentary deposits, 244
19 Residual deposits and supergene enrichment, 262
20 Industrial minerals, 272
21 Short notes on selected industrial minerals, 301
22 The metamorphism of ore deposits, 305
Part 3: Mineralization in space and time
23 The global distribution of ore deposits: metallogenic provinces and epochs, plate tectonic controls, 313
24 Ore mineralization through geological time, 339
Appendix, 345
References, 347
Index, 379
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