Tis text has resulted from some forty years of experience during which the author has puzzled over the meaning of ore textures. Te learning process has been slow and is still incomplete. Te bemusement began directly upon leaving the academic confnes, which in retrospect lef one keen young geologist very ill-equipped to interpret the mineralising process via feld or hand lens style observation of the rocks. Enlightenment has proceeded via a series of events:- 1. Te slow process of feld observation as an industry-based mine and exploration geologist. 2. Te opportunity to visit numerous diferent styles of ore deposit both as an academic and consultant. 3. Te need to answer questions from several generations of enquiring students. 4. Te privilege of being able to conduct research. 5. Te good fortune to be associated with a few top class economic geologists who actually knew what they were doing! Professor Willard C. Lacy deserves the most credit for quietly demonstrating the value of frst principles concerning fuid channelways, combined with an ability to look properly at the t- tures. Despite rapid technological advances this skill remains fundamental both to the practi- ing exploration geologist and to the academic researcher who is interested in understanding ore forming processes. Te fve volumes comprising this presentation were originally compiled individually over a period of eleven years, and aimed to progressively guide the observer though the principles of recogn-i tion concerning infll, alteration, overprinting, and fnally to ore-related breccias.

This book presents recent developments in ore microscopy to support the work of engineers and scientists actively engaged in the field of mineral raw materials (processing plant engineers in mines, process mineralogists and chemists, exploration geologists, etc.) or in ore deposit research. Textural analysis must be rigorous, and simple to be practical. With this aim, the author proposes a specific and user-friendly systematic for textural analysis. A high-performance tool to acquire, quantify, and process the data applied for automated ore characterization is key to predict ore behavior, a fundamental aim of geometallurgy. The recently developed AMCO System (Automated Microscopic Characterization of Ores) provides the tool, first prototype available using computer vision coupled with reflected light microscopy. This innovation is introduced in the text and discussed through case studies of actual mining problems. This second volume of the book "A Practical Guide to Ore Microscopy" includes references, indexes, and other relevant information, plus Annexes 1 to 5. The latter include ore and gangue mineral indexes and mineral abbreviations (Annex 1), a brief compendium of common mineral associations in the main ore deposit types (Annex 2), an introduction to the procedures and techniques used to prepare polished sections (Annex 3), and the various tables used to identify common ores by direct microscopic observation (Annexes 4 and 5).

This definitive guide to ore textures is a valuable resource for geologists, miners, and anyone who is interested in learning about the formation and identification of minerals. The book features detailed descriptions and illustrations of different types of ores, as well as practical advice on how to analyze and interpret them. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.