White Mica Geochemistry

A field portable, full range (350-2500nm) spectrometer is essential in the mining industry for vectoring applications. In this study, we learned how the oreXpress™ was used as a vectoring tool for the Copper Cliff Porphyry Cu deposit. White mica geochemistry is a common application with this style of deposits, therefore making the identification of white micas and their alteration of most importance. By using a field portable spectrometer, researchers were able to identify a systematic compositional variation of the white micas by tracking the wavelength shift of the 2200nm regions. The early green phyllic expression consists of Fe-bearing white micas characterized by longer Al-OH absorption wavelength (2,206–2,210 nm) and formed by oxidized magmatic fluids, whereas the late white phyllic phase contains white micas enriched in V and Sc with shorter Al-OH absorption wavelengths (2,197–2,206 nm) formed under less oxidizing conditions. Researchers were able to use this application as a vectoring tool to determine Cu/Zn ratios.

Authors: Camilo A. Uribe Mogollon | Ph.D. Geology Candidate | Earth and Environmental Science Department | New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology

Keywords: exploration, geology, geology exploration, swir, minerals, critical minerals, mica, geochemistry

Spectral Evolution is a leading manufacturer of field-portable UV-Vis-NIR remote sensing spectroradiometers and spectrometers for applications including geological remote sensing, ground-truthing, spectral remote sensing, environmental and climate research, crop and soil research, vegetative studies, forestry and canopy studies, radiometric calibration transfer, upwelling and downwelling measurement and more. Our UV-Vis-NIR spectrometers and spectroradiometers provide the best combination of high resolution and high sensitivity resulting in the most precise field portable instruments available on the market.

NaturaSpec UltraSpectral Evolution UV-Vis-NIR spectroradiometers provide:

  • Fast, full-spectrum UV-Vis-NIR measurements – 350-2500 nm with just one scan
  • Superior reliability in the field with 100% diode array optics with no moving parts
  • Wireless Bluetooth® Connection
  • Lithium-ion rechargeable batteries for field use
  • Lightweight and rugged
  • Rugged handheld tablet for field use running DARWin™ LT on Windows 10 with digital camera, and GPS
  • Field switchable optics for varying target sizes and measurement modes

All Spectral Evolution UV-Vis-NIR spectroradiometers include our exclusive DARWin™ SP Data Acquisition and Analysis software for one-touch, full range spectroscopic analysis of samples. DARWin™ SP automatically saves data as ASCII files for use with 3rd party software without post-processing.