N.K. Foley P. Heald-Wetlaufer D.O. Hayba 1984 <p>Three distinctive groupings of epithermal deposits were recognized from a literature study of fifteen well-described precious- and base-metal epithermal districts, supplemented by L. J. Buchanan's 1981 compilation of data from 47 less completely documented deposits. The three groups are distinguished primarily by the type of alteration and the sulfur fugacity indicated by the vein mineral assemblage. Additional discriminating criteria include composition of the host rock, timing of ore deposition relative to emplacement of the host, and relative abundances of gold, silver, and base metals.</p> application/pdf 10.1016/0375-6742(86)90016-6 en Elsevier Science Publishers B.V. Characteristics that distinguish types of epithermal deposits article