Proceedings of Exploration 97: Fourth Decennial International Conference on Mineral Exploration
Classifications of ore deposits provide essential frameworks for designing exploration strategies, evaluating prospects, and
performing resource assessments of selected areas. A rational geological classification of the commonly recognized lode gold
deposits is feasible if it is based on the geological settings of the deposits, host rocks, nature of mineralization and geochemical
signature. Sixteen common types of bedrock gold deposits are distinguished from one another and their main geological
attributes are summarized. Many of these deposit types represent different components of larger hydrothermal systems
active at the same crustal levels and are genetically related. The geochemical parameters for most of deposit types are the
results of the interaction of the hydrothermal systems with particular wallrock packages. On this basis unique geochemical
signatures are diagnostic of deposit types only for fluid-dominated systems but are less reliable indicators of deposit types for rock-dominated systems