Economic geology and geochemistry

A gap of potentially serious proportions separates those students of mineral deposits who are primarily interested in problems and processes from those concerned more with the results of a variety of processes as reflected in a particular deposit or class of deposits. This thesis is illustrated by discussion of various topics in the recently published 'Geochemistry of hydrothermal ore deposits', edited by H. L. Barnes. These topics include source of magmatic rocks, separation of ore fluid from magma, isotope studies, wallrock alteration, sulfide systems, metal transport, and present-day metal-bearing brines.