Fractal distributions of veins in drill core from the Hellyer VHMS deposit, Australia: constraints on the origin and evolution of the mineralising system

Statistical analysis of the vein thickness distributions of veins in the Cambrian Hellyer volcanic-hosted massive sulfide deposit, Australia, indicates that the vein thickness data conform to power-law distributions characterised by fractal dimensions D. The most intensely mineralised vein type is characterised by a low fractal dimension, whereas weakly mineralised or barren vein types have elevated D-values. The observed differences in the fractal dimensions suggest that the study of vein thickness distributions may provide a tool in exploration. It is also shown that the field observations can be explained by a model linking the fractal dimensions of the vein thickness distributions with the mechanisms responsible for the formation and evolution of the vein systems.