Maydagán, L. Sato, A. M., Franchini, M., Llambías, E., Chiaradia, M., 2010. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb geochronology in the Altar porphyry copper Project, Andes Main Cordillera of San Juan, Argentina.

MAYDAGÁN, L; SATO, A. M; FRANCHINI, M; LLAMBÍAS, E. J.; CHIARADIA, M

Simposio; 7th South American Symposium Isotope Geology; 2010

INTRODUCTIONThe “now amagmatic” Andean flat-slab segment (28-33ºS) (Cahill e Isacks, 1992) isknown for its Cu-Mo-Au mineralization ‘fertility’ and hosts high-sulphidation epithermaldeposits such as La Coipa (6 million ounces of Au equivalent,~24 to 17 Ma), Pascua (12 MozAu, ~9 to 6 Ma) and El Indio (12 Moz Au,~9 to 6 Ma) and world-class porphyry Cu-Modeposits such as Pachón-Los Pelambres (21 Mt Cu,~11 to 10 Ma), Los Bronces-Rio Blanco(49 Mt Cu,~6 to 4 Ma) and El Teniente (75 Mt Cu,~6 to 4 Ma).The Altar Porphyry Cu-(Au-Mo) project (31º 29´ S, 70º 28´ W) occurs in the southernportion of the Andean flat-slab segment, within a “cluster” of Cu (Au) prospects includingPiuquenes, La Coipa, Calderón, Rincones de Araya and Los Azules and next to the worldclassporphyry Cu deposits of Los Pelambres, in Chile, and Pachón, in Argentina. Despite thehigh economic value, the geology of this area is poorly known. This contribution presentsnew geological, geocronologic and isotopic data for Altar rocks that provide insights into themagmatic evolution of this region during Miocene times.