Preview - Volume 2002, Issue 96, 2002

Volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits are an important source of zinc. These deposits are commonly of a moderate size (<30 Mt), and are iron rich. The whole mineralised assemblage usually presents good physical property contrasts to host metasediments and metavolcanics, mainly from iron sulphides and oxides. Conductivities in the economic ore zones are not particularly high, being of the order of tens of S/m. These and other aspects of VMS deposits are discussed with reference to three Australian deposits: Hellyer, Rosebery and Scuddles.