Rapid changes in geodynamic environments and their consequences for porphyry ore formation, preservation and destruction – a case study from Boyongan and Bayugo, Philippines

Australian Institute of Geoscientists > Events > Australian Academy of Science, King Haddon Forrester King, porphyry Cu-Au, Rio Tinto > Rapid changes in geodynamic environments and their consequences for porphyry ore formation, preservation and destruction – a case study from Boyongan and Bayugo, Philippines

Rapid changes in geodynamic environments and their consequences for porphyry ore formation, preservation and destruction – a case study from Boyongan and Bayugo, Philippines


1 CPD Hour

Haddon Forrester King Lecture – Perth WA

The Boyongan and Bayugo porphyry Cu-Au deposits formed during the Late Pliocene in a convergent margin setting in northern Surigao, Mindanao, Philippines. Magmatic-hydrothermal activity occurred episodically over a few hundred thousand years in a dynamic geological environment. After magmatic-hydrothermal activity ceased, the deposits underwent extremely rapid uplift, resulting in deep erosion of the Boyongan deposit and development of a 500m+ thick supergene enrichment profile. The deposits were then buried under a lake, and also for a brief period under the ocean, before being further buried beneath a recent, unrelated, terrestrial volcano. These changes in the local environment at Boyongan and Bayugo illustrate how rapidly geodynamic settings can evolve in oceanic island arc settings. Exploration for porphyry deposits in such settings therefore needs to consider whether conditions were favourable for the preservation of porphyry deposits, or if they were likely to cause continued rapid exhumation and erosion, resulting in orebody destruction.

About the Haddon Forrester King Medal and lectures

This lecture forms part of a series of 2018 Haddon Forrester King Medal lectures being given by the 2018 Medal recipient Professor David Cooke and which will also be detailed on the events pages of this website as dates and times are confirmed.

The Haddon Forrester King Medal and lecture is one of the Australian Academy of Science’s prestigious career awards for life-long achievement and outstanding contribution to science.

The award recognises the contributions of the late Haddon Forrester King whose work applied the geological and related sciences to the search for mineral deposits in Australia and elsewhere. Haddon King joined Zinc Corporation as its Chief Geologist in 1946, became Director of Exploration for the merged Conzinc Rio Tinto of Australia (CRA) in 1962 and continued in this capacity until his retirement in 1970. He was a consultant at CRA until 1986.

The award is made to scientists for original and sustained contributions to Earth and related sciences of particular relevance to the discovery, evaluation and exploitation of mineral deposits, including the hydrocarbons. The award includes a $3000 honorarium and up to $7000 towards a short lecture tour.

The Academy acknowledges the support of family and friends of Haddon King, and CRA Limited (now Rio Tinto).

Venue

WOOLNOUGH LECTURE THEATRE, THE UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN AUSTRALIA,35 STIRLING HIGHWAY WESTERN AUSTRALIA