The exploration of concealed porphyry Cu Au deposits is challenging as their footprints in aeromagnetic surveys can be rather complex depending on the respective magnetic susceptibilities of their wallrocks and possible postmineral tectonic overprints or structural offsets. Unfortunately, magnetic anomalies of porphyry Cu deposits are poorly documented (and illustrated) in the literature. However, locally their magnetic responses consist of two rather distinct subtypes: 1) magnetic bulls eye and 2) magnetic doughnut anomalies.
The most common magnetic response of a hydrothermal porphyry system is a distinct magnetic high anomaly, typically measuring several hundred meters in diameter, and reflecting the magnetite-rich potassic altered core. A well documented example is the Bajo de la Alumbrera porphyry Cu Au deposit, Catamarca Province, Argentina (Fig. 1). During the waning and cooling stages of the hydrothermal system, cooler late-stage fluids can overprint the stockwork mineralization and its associated potassic alteration assemblage. This may lead to the subsequent oxidation (i.e. martitization) of hydrothermal magnetite to hematite. This process may cause the de-magnetization of the magnetic high into a “doughnut-shaped” or “torus-like” magnetic anomaly as recorded at the Northparkes and Cadia porphyry Cu Au clusters in the Lachlan Fold Belt in N.S.W., Australia (Fig. 2). The latter type of magnetic anomalies appears to be more common at alkalic porphyry Cu Au deposits that are hosted by high potassic and shoshonitic intrusions.
I should be grateful for any comments on this topic! Additional illustrations of magnetic anomalies of porphyry Cu deposits are most welcome! Many thanks.