• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

Regional geology in the Opodepe mining area, Sonora, Mexico Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Ramírez Muñoz, José Publisher The University of Arizona. Rights Copyright © is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the University Libraries, University of Arizona. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation (such as public display or performance) of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author. Download date 04/10/2021 07:43:54 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/555133 REGIONAL GEOLOGY IN THE OPODEPE MINING AREA," SONORA, MEXICO by Jose Ramirez Munoz A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF MINING AND GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE WITH A MAJOR IN GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1 9 7 9 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfill­ ment of requirements for an advanced degree at The Univer­ sity of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this thesis are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowl­ edgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole of in part may be granted by the head of the major department or the Dean of the Graduate College when in his judgment the proposed use of the material is in the inter­ ests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, per­ mission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: /27- APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: z y , / ? 7 ‘r WILLIAM C. PETERS £ / Data Professor of Mining and Geological Engineering ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The work on this program was done under the direc­ tion and sponsorship of AMAX Exploration, Inc. and Minera Opodepe, SRL de CV. Dr. Willem Lodder and Mr. Feliciano Leon of AMAX exploration, Inc. directly supervised my field work on the property, and Dr. C P . Miller of AMAX Exploration, Inc. provided overall supervision and direc­ tion. Both AMAX Exploration, Inc. and Minera Opodepe, SRL de CV provided financial support for both field work and chemical analyses. Mr. Daniel Valenzuela of AMAX Explora­ tion in Tucson, Arizona, assisted greatly in map prepara­ tion and illustration. I wish to express my appreciation to these compa­ nies and to the involved geologists for their support and encouragement during the course of this work and for per­ mission to use company data in this thesis. I want to thank Dr. William C. Peters, my thesis director, and Dr. Deverle P, Harris for their valuable suggestions and encouragement. I also wish to thank Dr. Charles E. Glass, who served on my thesis committee. In addition I want to thank The University of Arizona, spon­ sor of the computer time used for the trend surface analysis. iii iv I wish to thank my wife and children for their help and understanding during my stay in Tucson. I will be always in debt to my father and to all my family for their support, advice, and encouragement given throughout my studies. iv I wish to thank my wife and children for their help and understanding during my stay in Tucson. I will be always in debt to my father and to all my family for their support, advice, and encouragement given throughout my studies. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS................................. vii ABSTRACT........................................... ix INTRODUCTION....................................... 1 Purpose................ in co co H H Method of Study........ Location .............. Topography and Climate . History and Previous Work REGIONAL GEOLOGY ................................... 7 Geomorphology................................... 7 Sierra Madre Occidental Province .......... 9 Sonoran Desert Province. ................... 10 Coastal Plains of Sinaloa Province ........ 11 Stratigraphy ................................... 11 Precambrian............................. .. 11 Paleozoic................................... 13 Mesozoic................................... 15 Cenozoic................................... 18 Structural Geology ............................. 19 GEOLOGY OF THE OPODEPE MINING A R E A ................. 23 Geomorphology................................... 23 Stratigraphy ................................... 25 Sedimentary Rocks........................... 26 Igneous Rocks. .............................. 28 Metamorphic Rocks........................... 32 Structural Geology ............................. 36 Folding..................................... 36 Fractures................................... 39 F a u l t s ..................................... 40 Foliation. .................................. 42 Dikes....................................... 43 Breccias................................... 43 Mineralization ............................. 44 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued Page EXPLORATION TECHNIQUES USED IN THE OPODEPE MINING AREA............................... 45 Photogeology ................................... 45 Photogeologic Description of the Units . 46 Summary..................................... 57 Lineament Analysis ......................... 60 Geochemical Trend Analysis ..................... 62 Geostatistics.................. 62 Stream Sediment Survey ..................... 68 Rock Chip S u r v e y ........................... 77 Comparison of the Different Surveys........ 86 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS..................... 88 APPENDIX: STATISTICAL CALCULATIONS FOR THE TREND SURFACE MAPS. ................. 91 REFERENCES......................................... 96 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Location map of Opodepe, Sonora, Mexico......................................In pocket 2. Location map of study area..................... 4 3. Regional geologic map, Opodepe mining area, Sonora, Mexico (2 sheets)........ In pocket 4. Geomorphic Provinces in the State of S o n o r a ..................................... 7 5. Paleozoic paleogeograph and isopach m a p ........................................... 14 6. Structural map of Sonora, Mexico.............. 20 7. Geologic cross section A-A*, Opodepe mining area, Sonora, Mexico ............ In pocket 8. Geologic cross section B-B1, Opodepe mining area, Sonora, Mexico ............ In pocket 9. Geologic cross section C-C1, Opodepe mining area, Sonora, Mexico ............ In pocket 10. Photolineament map, Opodepe mining area, Sonora, Mexico ............ In pocket 11. Lineament histogram........................... 61 12. Geochemical surveys, Opodepe mining area, Sonora, Mexico....................... In pocket 13. Location map of the sampled cells, Opodepe mining area, Sonora, Mexico . In pocket 14. Molybdenum trend surface map from the stream sediment survey..................... 69 15. Molybdenum residuals from the stream sediment survey ............................... 70 vii viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 16. Plot of molybdenum values from the stream sediment s u r v e y ...................... -72 17. Copper trend surface map from the stream sediment s u r v e y ...................... <73 18. Copper residuals from the stream sediment survey ............................. 75 19. Plot of copper values from the stream sediment s u r v e y ............................. 7G 20. Molybdenum trend surface map from the rock chip s u r v e y .................... 79 21. Molybdenum residuals from the rock chip s u r v e y ................................. 80 22. Plot of molybdenum values from the rock chip s u r v e y ............................. 81 23. Copper trend surface map from the rock chip s u r v e y ............................. g3 24. Copper residuals from the rock chip s u r v e y ................................. 34 25. Plot of copper values from the rock chip survey 85 viii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 16. Plot of molybdenum values from the stream sediment survey ....................... 72 17. Copper trend surface map from the stream sediment survey ....................... 73 18. Copper residuals from the stream sediment survey ............................. 75 19. Plot of copper values from the stream sediment survey ............................. 76 20. Molybdenum trend surface map from the rock chip survey ...................... 79 21. Molybdenum residuals from the rock chip s u r v e y ................................. 80 22. Plot of molybdenum values from the rock chip s u r v e y ............ 81 23. Copper trend surface map from the rock chip survey ............................. 83 24. Copper residuals from the rock chip survey ................................. 84 25. Plot of copper values from the rock chip survey 85 ABSTRACT The Opodepe mining area is located northeast of Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico and is currently controlled by Cia. Minera Opodepe, SRL de CV. The area became of inter­ est after a review of known data and a field evaluation of alteration and mineralization. The author conducted a reconnaissance geologic and geochemical program under the direction and sponsor­ ship of AMAX Exploration, Inc. and Cia. Minera Opodepe. The available aerial photographs were most useful during the field work. The area of study is composed of a mixture of gneisses and mafic Precambrian rocks, which are overlain by a series of steeply dipping quartzite beds. During the Laramide orogeny, all these rocks were strongly deformed

Load more

  130

Copy Link