GSN Regular Membership Meeting, Reno, Nevada – November 15, 2024

Description

Contact: gsn@gsnv.org

GSN REGULAR MEMBERSHIP MEETING, NOV. 15, 2024 — Every 3rd Friday of the month

TIME: Drinks @ 6 pm, Dinner @ 6:30 pm, Talk @ 7:30 pm

WHERE: ATLANTIS CASINO RESORT, RENO, NV

SPEAKER: Richard Goldfarb, Research Professor, Colorado School of Mines, China University of Geosciences Beijing, and Independent Consultant to the exploration & mining industry

TITLE:  “Gold Deposits:  The Science and the Science Fiction”

MEETING SPONSOR:  TONATEC EXPLORATION, LLC

DINNER COST:  $60 per person

ONLINE RESERVATIONS CAN BE MADE  BELOW.

PLEASE RSVP FOR DINNER NO LATER THAN MONDAY, THE WEEK OF THE MEETING.

Please contact Laura Ruud at the GSN office for more information:  gsn@gsnv.org

Abstract:

Global gold production is estimated at about 3100 t/year, with demand being 50% greater, which is a major factor contributing to about 40% of the world’s exploration budgets being focused on gold as the main target.  Most present-day exploration is focused on oxidized intrusion-related gold deposits (OIRGD:  porphyry, epithermal) and orogenic gold deposits, which have roughly equal global endowments but much different distributions in space and time.  Theoretical genetic models are well-accepted for the shallowly formed (≤3 km) and younger OIRGD in which gold is sourced from shallowly emplaced intrusions.  Orogenic gold deposits, in large part reflecting their deeper formation depths and commonly older age of formation, are characterized by significantly more controversy regarding genetic processes.  Deposit models for some other gold deposit types (Carlin-type, reduced intrusion-related gold, IOCG) are also less clear.  These other deposits have proven and reliable local exploration models but because of their more limited global recognition, many of their broad-scale genetic features are poorly understood. The recent literature is filled with conflicting information regarding genesis of these more deeply formed or less widely recognized gold deposit types.  Are orogenic gold deposits products of metamorphic processes or can they have a magmatic origin?  Is there a mantle connection for various gold deposit types?  Where do Carlin-type deposits fit in the magmatic vs metamorphic genetic association?  Are there good global examples of other Carlin-like deposits?  Why do many giant gold deposits classified as orogenic show epithermal-like mineralization textures?  Can giant gold deposits reflect multiple events separated by many tens to hundreds of millions of years?  It is critical in addressing these and related major questions of gold metallogeny that we consider the significance of good geological common sense rather than always accepting state-of-the-art analytical data as providing magical answers.

 Speaker Bio:

Richard Goldfarb received his BS in geology from Bucknell U., MSc in hydrogeology at University of Nevada (Mackay School of Earth Sciences), and his PhD in geology at the University of Colorado.  He was a research geologist at the U.S. Geological Survey for 36 years where his studies focused on global metallogeny, geology of ore deposits in the North American Cordillera with emphasis on orogenic gold, lode gold deposits in China, and geochemical applications to the understanding of ore genesis.  He has served as a President of the SEG, Chair of the SEG Publications Board, member of the Editorial Board of Economic Geology, and Chief Editor of Mineralium Deposita.  He was awarded the SEG Silver Medal in 2011 and SEG Gold Medal in 2023, Kutina-Smirnov Medal by IAGOD in 2014, and the Gold Medal by SGA in 2022 for his various contributions to economic geology.  Presently, Rich is a research professor at China University of Geosciences Beijing and Colorado School of Mines, and is an independent consultant to the exploration and mining industry.

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