Petrology and Mineralogy of the "Old Workings Area," El Salvador, Chile
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Scholars' Mine Masters Theses Student Theses and Dissertations 1965 Petrology and mineralogy of the "Old Workings Area," El Salvador, Chile Bertis James Vander Schaaff Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses Part of the Geology Commons Department: Recommended Citation Vander Schaaff, Bertis James, "Petrology and mineralogy of the "Old Workings Area," El Salvador, Chile" (1965). Masters Theses. 5240. https://scholarsmine.mst.edu/masters_theses/5240 This thesis is brought to you by Scholars' Mine, a service of the Missouri S&T Library and Learning Resources. This work is protected by U. S. Copyright Law. Unauthorized use including reproduction for redistribution requires the permission of the copyright holder. For more information, please contact [email protected]. > I - ! ! PETROlOGY AND MINERAlOGY OF THE "OLD WJRKINGS AREA," EL SALVADOR, CHILE I o BY BERTIS J~ANDER SCHAAFF 'i~I A THESIS submitted to the faculty of THE UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI AT ROLLA in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of .MASTER OF SCIENCE IN GEOlOGY Rolla, Missouri 1965 Approved by Q - 71.._. }j ,.;4-dJ_ /J. 7~ _(advisor) ~/Y51A~v ... TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT •••••••••••• . i LIST OF FIGURES •••• . ii LIST OF PLATES •••••••• . .. iii I. INTRODUCTION •••••••••••••••••• . 1 A. Purpose of Investigation •• . 1 B. location and Size of Area. 1 c. Topography •••••••••••••• . 3 D. Climate and Vegetation •• . 4 E. Culture .•••••.•..••.•••.••.•..• . 5 F. Field and Laboratory Procedure. 7 G. Acknowledgements ••••••••• . 9 II. GENERAL GEOLOGIC SETTING •••• . .. .. 10 A. Previous Investigations ••••• . 10 B. Petrology and Age Relations. 11 c. Structure ••••••••••••••••• . .. 12 III. PORPHYRY-TYPE ORE DEPOSITS •••••••••••••••••••• 15 A. Mineralogy •••••• . 15 B. Host Rock Types ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 16 c. Structure •••••••••••••••• . 17 D • Hydrothermal Alteration •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 17 E. Oxidation and Supergene Enrichment •••• . 18 F. Factors ~bich Influence the Degree of Supergene Enrichment •••••••••••••••• . 21 11 11 IV. EL SALVAOOR 0LD w::>RKINGS AREA • . 23 A. Petrography and Petrology ••• . 23 1. Rhyolite Pebble Conglomerate. • • • • • • • • • 23 Page 2. Rhyolite Porphyry. 26 3. Andesite •••••••• . 29 4. Quartz Porphyry. 30 5. Tourmaline-Bearing Breccia. 38 B. Ores • •••••••••••••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 41 1. Primary Sulphide Minerals. • • . 44 2. Secondary Sulphide Minerals. 47 3. Secondary Sulphate and Silicate Copper Minerals. 48 4. MQscellaneous ••••• . 49 v. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS •• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 53 VI. BIBLIOGRAPHY••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 56 VITA. .. .. 58 i ABSTRACT The "Old Workings Area, .. so called for its early mining by the Incas, is located 4~ miles northeast of the Bl Salvador Porphyry copper deposit, the third largest copper producer in Chile. The area mapped in this study is shown to consist of rhyolite pebble con glomerate, two volcanic flows, andesite and rhyolite porphyry, and two intrusions, quartz porphyry and tourmaline-bearing breccia. Petrographic study of surface and drill core rock samples confirms the field nomenclature used for the five rock types. All of the rock types are altered, but the quartz porphyry and andesite are the most intensely altered. Both hydrothermal and weathering actions have contributed to the alteration. Ore microscopic investigations of selected polished surfaces showed that pyrite, chalcopyrite, and molybdenite are the primary sulphides in the "Old Workings Area." The secondary copper minerals, chalcocite and covellite, replace the primary sulphide minerals. At the surface the copper sulphides are oxidized to brochanthite, chrysocolla, and antlerite. Hematite, hausmannite, and braunite locally are present as fracture coatings. ii LIST OF FIGURES Page Figure 1. Geographic location of area................. 2 Figure 2. Schematic cross-section of a typical oxidized and enriched porphyry-type deposit. • . 20 Figure 3. Geologic Map of "Old Workings Area"......... 24 iii LIST OF PLATES Page Plate Ia. Photomicrograph of rhyolite pebble conglomerate showing a rounded pebble in a cementing matrix of secondary epidote, orthoclase, plagioclase, and clay. Nicols crossed. (30X)............. 28 Plate Ib. Photomicrograph of rhyolite porphyry exhibiting porphyritic texture. Pheno crysts of plagioclase and quartz in a matrix of orthoclase, quartz, plagio clase and secondary epidote. Nicols crossed. {30X) ••••••••••••••••••••••••••• 28 Plate IIa. Photomicrograph of andesite exhibiting clay (dark gray) and sericite (light gray) formed by alteration of plagio clase and other minerals. Crossed nicols. (30X) .•.•.•.•.•••.••••••.•••••... 32 Plate IIb. Photograph showing intense alteration (light gray) of andesite (medium gray).... 32 Plate Ilia. Photograph showing abundant fractures in andesite which have been filled by secondary quartz •••••••••••••••••••••••••• 34 Plate IIIb. Photograph of intensely fractured andesite. Dark areas are caused by secondary iron oxide •••••••••••••••••••••• 34 Plate IV;., Photograph showing contact of quartz porphyry (left) and andesite {right). Alteration and mineralization are prevalent along the contact ••••••••••••••• 36 Plate Va. Photomicrograph of quartz porphyry showing two subhedral quartz phenocrysts {black, bottom) and a plagioclase pheno cryst ghost (top) now altered to sericite and clay. The phenocrysts are set in a fine-grained groundmass. Note the embay ment of one quartz phenocryst. Also com pare the size of the groundmass of this Plate and Plate Vb. Crossed nicols. ( 30X) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • 40 iv Page Plate Vb. Photomicrograph of quartz porphyry obtained in a diamond drill hole. Note the larger grain size of the orthoclase and quartz in the ground mass of this specimen as contrasted to that quartz porphyry above which was collected on the surface. Crossed nicols. (30X) ••••.•...••..........•.•.•..• 40 Plate VIa. Photograph of tourmaline-bearing breccia showing quartz porphyry and andesite breccia fragments (light gray) cemented by a quartz-tourmaline matrix (dark gray).. 43 Plate VIb. Photomicrograph showing tourmaline crystals (medium gray, long) and quartz grains (light gray) cementing breccia fragments (dark gray). Crossed nicols. (30X)...................................... 43 Plate VIIa. Photomicrograph of quartz porphyry show ing abundant pyrite and one grain chal- cocite. Reflected light. ( 30X) • • • • • • • • • • • 46 Plate VIIb. Photomicrograph of rhyolite pebble con glomerate showing that chalcopyrite formed after pyrite. Reflected light. (30X)..... 46 Plate VIIIa. Photomicrograph of ice cake texture between pyrite and chalcopyrite, indi cating that chalcopyrite has replaced pyrite. Reflected light. (30X)........... 52 Plate VIIIb. Photomicrograph of copper pitch showing hausmannite surrounded by braunite. Reflected light. (30X) •••••••••••••••••••• 52 1 I. INTRODUCTION A. Purpose of Investigation The purpose of this investigation was to map and study an area three miles northeast of El Salvador, Chile. Geo logic mapping, determination of the relationships between the rock units, and the collection of representative speci mens were the main activities in the field. The determina tion of the lithologic types, primary sulphide mineralogy and secondary supergene mineralogy constituted the principal emphasis in the laboratory portion of this investigation. B. location and Size of Area The area mapped for this investigation lies in Atacama Desert, in Atacama Province, about seventy-five miles east of the coastal town of Chanaral and twenty miles north of Potrerillos (see figure 1). It is about four and one half miles northeast of Indio Muerto Peak, beneath which the El Salvador deposit is mined. The mapped area is nearly rectangular in shape, with a length of about 1250 meters and a width of about 750 meters. In the central portion of the area, copper was mined possibly as early as pre-Inca times. These workings are locally referred to as the "Old Workings," and for the purpose of this study, the entire mapped area will be referred to as the "Old Workings Area." 2 0 69 \ PAC IC CERRO BRAVO • 0 27 26 lQQ SCALE B 59 MILES FIG. 1. GEOGRAPHIC LOCATION OF "OLD WORKINGS AREA" 3 c. Topography The area is characterized by a rather mature topo graphy, with rounded forms. The entire region, as seen from the air, appears to be a well developed normal stream relief partly buried under alluvial fans. Many isolated ridges and small hillocks, partly covered by debris due to mechanical weathering of the rock, emerge from beneath the alluvium. The maximum elevation is 2805 meters and the minimum elevation is 2615 meters above sea level. The maximum relief is 190 meters, but the average relief is 25 meters between the gravel washes and the ridges. Two gravel washes form the boundaries of the area mapped~ one forms the northern and eastern borders and the other forms the western border. The southern border is marked by the highest hill in the area, which has an elevation of 2805 meters above sea level. Four ridges extend from the highest point, the highest point being on a ridge extending northwest into the area. The crests of these ridges slope to the northwest. The two gravel covered washes converge at the end of the western most ridge. The ridges generally are controlled by the quartz por phyry while the valleys are underlain by andesite. Three tourmaline volcanic breccia