RE: MASSIVe sulphide minerslisation23 Jul 2025 08:22
The term "massive sulphides" in the context of geology does not refer to the physical size of the deposits but instead describes their mineral composition and concentration. In these deposits, over 90% of the material consists of sulphide minerals, creating a highly concentrated assemblage of valuable metals like nickel, copper, zinc, lead, gold, and silver, it should be noted that not all massive sulphides have valuable metals they can consist of barren minerals like Pyrite, often referred to as "fool's gold," and pyrrhotite, an iron sulphide. This high concentration of sulphides is a key feature distinguishing them from disseminated sulphide deposits, where the sulphide minerals are more sparsely scattered throughout the host rock. Therefore, the term "massive" in massive sulphide deposits is indicative of the density and abundance of sulphide minerals rather than the overall size of the deposit itself. Contrary to its name, massive sulphide bodies are generally quite small, making them very difficult to find, however, they have high concentrations of minerals when found (assuming they are mineralised with valuable sulphides nickel, copper, zinc, lead, gold, and silver.