Petrogenesis of Quebrada de la Mina and Altar North porphyries (Cordillera of San Juan, Argentina): Crustal assimilation and metallogenic implications

MAYDAGÁN, LAURA; FRANCHINI, MARTA; CHIARADIA, MASSIMO; BOUHIER, VERÓNICA; DI GIUSEPPE, NOELIA; REY, ROGER; LUIS DIMIERI

Geoscience Frontiers

Universidad de Geosciencias de Beijing

Lugar: Beijing; Año: 2017 p. 1135 - 1159

1674-9871

We investigate the geology of Altar North (Cu?Au) and Quebrada de la Mina (Au) porphyry deposits located in San Juan Province (Argentina), close to the large Altar porphyry copper deposit (995 Mt, 0.35% Cu, 0.083 g/t Au), to present constraints on the magmatic processes that occurred in the parental magma chambers of these magmatic-hydrothermal systems. Altar North deposit comprises a plagioclase-amphibole-phyric dacite intrusion (Altar North barren porphyry) and a plagioclase-amphibole-biotite-phyric dacite stock (Altar North mineralized porphyry, 11.98 ± 0.19 Ma). In Quebrada de la Mina, a plagioclase-amphibole-biotite-quartz-phyric dacite stock (QDM porphyry, 11.91 ± 0.33 Ma) crops out. High Sr/Y ratios (92?142) and amphibole compositions of Altar North barren and QDM porphyries reflect high magmatic oxidation states (fO2 = NNO +1.1 to +1.6) and high fH2O conditions in their magmas. Zones and rims enriched in anorthite (An37?48), SrO (0.22?0.33 wt.%) and FeO (0.21?0.37 wt.%) in plagioclase phenocrysts are evidences of magmatic recharge processes in the magma chambers. Altar North and Quebrada de la Mina intrusions have relatively homogeneous isotopic compositions (87Sr/86Sr(t) = 0.70450?0.70466, εNd(t) = +0.2 to +1.2) consistent with mixed mantle and crust contributions in their magmas. Higher Pb isotopes ratios (207Pb/204Pb = 15.6276?15.6294) of these intrusions compared to other porphyries of the district, reflect an increase in the assimilation of high radiogenic Pb components in the magmas. Ages of zircon xenocrysts (297, 210, 204, 69 Ma) revealed that the magmas have experienced assimilation of Miocene, Cretaceous, Triassic and Carboniferous crustal rocks.