Refers to the secondary enrichment of mineral deposits, where naturally occurring geological processes concentrate valuable metals and elements closer to the Earth’s surface.
- This is a natural phenomenon where metals are leached from the upper parts of an existing ore deposit and transported downward by groundwater.
- In the oxidation zone, minerals weather, forming acidic solutions that dissolve other primary sulfide minerals. As these metal-rich solutions move downward into the reduction zone, they react with unaltered sulfides, precipitating the metals in a more concentrated form.
- This creates a “supergene enrichment zone” where the concentration of valuable metals, such as copper, silver, and zinc, increases significantly, making the deposit more economically viable.
For more, check this Toolkit section:
Mining Investing Toolkit 