Crystal mush dykes as conduits for mineralising fluids in the Yerington porphyry copper district, Nevada

Abstract Porphyry-type deposits are the world’s main source of copper and molybdenum provide a large proportion gold other metals. However, mechanism by which mineralising fluids extracted from magmas transported upwards into ore-forming environment is not clearly understood. Here we use field, micro-textural geochemical techniques to investigate field relationships samples circa 8 km deep cross-section through archetypal Yerington porphyry district, Nevada. We identify an interconnected network relatively low-temperature hydrothermal quartz that connected mineralised miarolitic cavities within aplite dykes. propose porphyry-deposit-forming migrated evolved, more water-rich internal regions underlying Luhr Hill granite via these dykes contained permeable magmatic crystal mush feldspar quartz. The textures describe petrographic evidence for transport suggest this process should be considered in future models formation porphyry- similar-type deposits.