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Carlin Type Deposit Model
e.g. Carlin Mine (Nevada), Round Mountain (Nevada)

Adapted from Evans 1997: Ore Geology and Industrial Minerals.


The most favourable host rocks for these deposits are fine grained carbonaceous silty carbonates, carbonate bearing siltstones and shales of marine origin. The also all generally have a spatial relationship with igneous rocks, usually granites. The deposits occur within linear trends, with fault lines acting as fluid pathways. Generally the deposits are either tabular or irregular in form, however some develop within breccias, formed as a result of the faulting.

Wall rock alteration is dominated by jasperoid which forms before, during and after mineralisation and usually replaces carbonate rocks amd grains. Some minerals are replaced by clay minerals such as illite and kaolinite.

Deposit models suggest that magmatic fluids mix with those of meteoric origin, rise up the fluid pathways and deposit the ore minerals in a suitable host as shown above.


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