OROGENIC DEPOSITS

As indicated above, there remains ambiguity in the distinction between orogenic and RIR
deposits. In a greenstone belt context, further ambiguity stems from the existence of aditional
styles of gold-only and gold base metal deposits that are commonly overprinted by orogenic
veins. These are interpreted either as different types and ages of deposits (Robert et al.,2005)
or as depth variations on a single orogenic model with a few atypical gold bese metal
deposits(groves et al., 2003).

In this paper the term orogenic is restricted to deposits composed of quartz-carbonate veins
and associated wallrock replacement associated with compressional or transpressional
geological structures such as reverse faults ans folds, as depicted in the corresponding diagram
of figure1. Three main types of orogenic deposits are distinguished base don their host-rock
environment: greenstone hosted, turbidite hodted, and BIF hosted types(figura1:table1).
Atypical deposits encountered in greenstone belts are discussed separately.

Orogenic deposits of all three types share a number of additional characteristics. They consist
of variably complex arrays of quartz-carbonate vein that display significant vertical continuity,
commonly in excess of 1km, without any significant