Alteration, mineralization and fluid evolution of Vegas Peladas iron skarns, Cordillera Principal SW Mendoza Argentina

-PONS M.J., FRANCHINI M.B. Y MEINERT L.

Lima, Perú

Congreso; Congreso Latinoamericano de Geología, Lima Perú; 2008

Sociedad Geológica de Perú

Vegas Peladas is one of 23 Fe, Fe-Cu and Cu (Ag) prospects in a 20 km by 200 km zone along the Andean Belt of southwest Mendoza province, Argentina (34–36°S and 69.5-70°W) previously classified as metasomatic deposits. Recent studies have examined some of these prospects and identified skarn deposits, iron oxide-copper-gold-(IOCG) type systems, and manto-type Cu deposits. Vegas Peladas is similar to classic Fe skarns. This article describes the geology of the Vegas Peladas deposit and its alteration characteristics, to document the skarn end member of the various prospects in the Mendoza belt and to shed light on the genetic models for these various deposits.