The mineralogy of the Mapimí mining district, Durango, Mexico Item Type text; Dissertation-Reproduction (electronic) Authors Hoffmann, Victor Joseph 1935- 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 05/10/2021 08:35:35 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/565169 THE MINERALOGY OF THE MAPIMl' MINING DISTRICT, DURANGO, MEXICO by Victor Joseph Hoffmann A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF GEOLOGY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 19 6 8 THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA GRADUATE COLLEGE I hereby recommend that this dissertation prepared under my direction by _________ Victor Joseph Hoffmann____________________ entitled The Mineralogy of the Mapimi Mining District,______ Durango, Mexico______________________________ be accepted as fulfilling the dissertation requirement of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy_______________________________ ____________ ‘7/2 __________________ Dissertation Director^/ Date z / ~ After inspection of the final copy of the dissertation, the following members of the Final Examination Committee concur in its approval and recommend its acceptance:* f , A> Q ~/ w n n rT 2.7, 7 / f / 7 u Z Z /9<$7 •fs---------- - ' -------7 This approval and acceptance is contingent on the candidate's adequate performance and defense of this dissertation at the final oral examination. The inclusion of this sheet bound into the library copy of the dissertation is evidence of satisfactory performance at the final examination. STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This dissertation has been submitted in partial fulfillment of requirements for an advanced degree at The University of Arizona and is deposited in the University Library to be made available to borrowers under rules of the Library. Brief quotations from this dissertation are allowable without special permission, provided that accurate acknowledgment of source is made. Requests for permission for extended quotation from or reproduction of this manuscript in whole or 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 interests of scholarship. In all other instances, however, permission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The author thanks Professors John W. Anthony, under whose direction this study was made, Evans B. Mayo, Spencer R. Titley and John M. Guilbert, for their many helpful suggestions, criticism, and detailed examination of the manuscript. The author also wishes to thank Drs. F. F. Apian, H. Schweigart and Mr. R. L. Labosky for their assistance with many of the mineralogical and chemical aspects of the study. The author is indebted to the Mexican Government for permission to collect at the mines and to take the samples from their country for study. Many of the residents of Mapimjf and miners were most helpful in obtaining samples from the mines and offered information on the mine locations and their access. Mr. Salvador Davila of Mapimi assisted the author with the collection of samples and acted as an interpreter and guide. The author is also indebted to Union Carbide Corporation for the use of their equipment and supplies and for many chemical analyses. iii Many mineral specimens were obtained from the Smithsonian Institution from both the collections of Ojuela mine specimens obtained by Foshag in 1934 and from the more recent acquisitions. Mr. John S. White of the Smithsonian staff was most helpful in locating these cataloged samples for use in the study. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS lx LIST OF TABLES XIU ABSTRACT XVI INTRODUCTION 1 Methods of Investigation 2 Previous Investigation 3 Location and Accessibility 4 Climate and Vegetation 6 Physiography .7 History 9 Production and Present Mining 12 STRUCTURE AND PETROLOGY 21 PRIMARY MINERALIZATION 31 ZONING 43 DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL MINERALS 46 bismuth 46 copper 46 gold 47 silver 48 sulfur 48 cerargyrite 49 fluorite 50 nantockite 51 bindheimite 51 braunite 54 chalcophanite 55 V vi TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued Page DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL MINERALS (Contd.) cryptomelane 55 cuprite 55 delafossite 56 goethite 56 groutite 57 hausmannite 57 hematite 58 hydrohausmannite 59 hydrohetaerolite 59 lepidocrosite 60 litharge 60 magnetite 60 raanganite 61 minium 61 molybdic ochre 62 murdockite 62 plattnerite 62 psilomelane 63 pyrolusite 64 ramsdellite 64 stibiconite 64 tenorite 66 valentinite 66 cassiterite 67 arsenopyrite 67 berzelianite 69 clausthalite 71 bismuthinite 71 boulangerite 71 bornite 72 chalcocite 72 chalcopyrite 73 covellite 73 emplectite 75 enargite 75 galena 77 jamesonite 78 marcasite 80 molybdenite 80 pyargyrite 82 pyrite 82 pyrrhotite 83 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued Page DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL MINERALS (Contd.) sphalerite 83 stannite 84 stibnite 85 tetrahedrite 86 tennantite 86 umangite 87 ankerite 87 aragonite 87 aurichalcite 88 azurite 90 calcite 90 cerussite 91 dolomite 93 hydrozincite 93 malachite 94 rhodochrosite 95 rosasite 95 siderite 96 smithsonite 96 anglesite 98 barite 98 brochantite 99 celestite 100 chalcanthite 100 copiapite 102 gypsum 103 hydrous sulfates 104 jarosite 112 melanterite 114 plumbojarosite 114 adamite 116 apatite 121 arseniosiderite 123 austinite 125 carminite 126 chenevixite 128 conichalcite-cuprian austinite 129 crandellite 134 descloizite 134 duftite -j3 136 dussertite 138 ferrimolybdite 140 viii TABLE OF CONTENTS— Continued Page DESCRIPTION OF INDIVIDUAL MINERALS (Contd.) hedyphane 140 koettigite 142 legrandite 142 mimetite-pyromorphite 146 paradamite 148 scorodite 151 vanadinite 153 whitlockite 154 wulfenite 155 chrysocolla 157 hemimorphite 158 kaolinite 160 quartz 161 sauconite 162 PARAGENESIS 163 MINE WATERS 173 STABILITY RELATIONS OF MINERALS IN THE 184 OXIDIZED ZONE SOURCE OF ELEMENTS IN THE OXIDATION ENVIRONMENT 217 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY ' 223 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1. Location of study area 5 2. The Bufa de Mapimi as seen from the road 8 leading to the America Dos Mine showing the massive bedding of the Aurora Limestone 3. The city of Mapimi as seen from the prospect 8 pits near the El Padre Mine. (La Esperanza) 4. View of the suspension bridge that connects 11 the mines of Ojuela with those to the south 5. The abandoned town of Ojuela, looking north 15 6. The headframe and loading bins at the 15 America Dos Mine 7. A view of Ojuela and the headframe of the 18 Socavon shaft 8. A view of Ojuela during the period of 19 active mining (1908) 9• A similar view of Ojuela as above taken in 19 1965 10. The Sarnoso stock, looking south from the 25 northern contact with the limestone 11. The manganese ore deposits near San Pedro 25 12. Cross section - the 0juela-Paloma ore body 36 13. Cross section - the San Jorge-San Juan 36 ore bodies 14. Cross section - the Cumbres ore body 38 15. Cross section - the Cumbres ore body 38 16. Photomicrograph showing the alteration 53 of boulangerite to jamesonite to bindheimite and goethite ix X LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 17. Photomicrograph of arsenopyrite from lower 70 sulfide zone at America Dos mine. Uncrossed nicols 18a. Photomicrograph showing the alteration of chalcopyrite and galena to covellite. Nicols uncrossed-oil. immersion-green filter 18b. Same field as above - crossed nicols 19. Photomicrograph showing the replacement of clausthalite by emplectite • and bismuth, Nicols uncrossed-oil immersion-blue filter 20a. Photomicrograph showing the alteration of boulangerite to jamesonite along fractures. Nicols uncrossed-oil immersion-blue filter 20b. Same field as above. Crossed nicols-oil immersion- blue filter 21. Photomicrograph showing the pseudomorphic 81 replacement of enargite by marcasite 22. Photomicrograph showing umangite and chalcopyrite 81 in sphalerite 23. Aurichalcite on a matrix of goethite 89 24. Radiating clusters of aurichalcite growing on 89 hydrozincite 25. Photograph of cerussite twinned on {110 } and 92 {130} on a matrix of rosasite and nantpckite 26. Photograph of a cluster of adamite on 118 limonitic matrix 27. Photograph of cuprian adamite on calcite from 118 the America Dos mine 28. Photograph showing fibrous-appearing 124 arseniosiderite with hemimorphite 29. Photograph of a small pocket of carminite 124 crystals from a sample taken from a dump near the Socavon shaft xi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 30. Photograph of a crust of conichalcite 131 31. Photograph of botryoidal crusts of brownish- 131 green duftite-p with calcite 32. Photograph of small crystalline mass of 143 koettigite on a limonitic matrix 33. Photograph of a radiating cluster of 143 legrandite crystals in a small vug in goethite 34. Photograph of mimetite with cuprian 147 austinite 35. Photograph of paradamite 147 36. Photograph of a cluster of lath shaped 159 hemimorphite crystals 37. Paragenesis of Primary Minerals at Ojuela 166 38. Paragenesis of Secondary Minerals at Ojuela 167 39. Photomicrograph showing the alteration of 168 cryptomelane to pyrolusite 40. Photomicrograph showing euhedral 168 hydrohetaerolite crystals with small band of hydrohausmannite (?) 41. Photograph of veinlet of groutite in 169 pyrolusite 42. Paragenesis of Minerals from San Pedro 170 43. Photomicrograph showing pyrrhotite, stannite, 169 galena, enargite, bismuth, and bismuthinite 44. Paragenesis of Minerals from the Monterrey 172 mine 45. Plot of Eh vs. pH of mine waters 174 Xll LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS— Continued Figure Page 47. Eh-pH characteristics of natural mine waters 181 distinguishing between waters from the primary ores and those draining oxidized ores 48. Plot of SO^ vs. pH 182 49. Plot of CO2 vs. pH 183 50. Eh-pH diagram of the system. h 2o -c 188 51. Eh-pH diagram of the system, Hg-S-Og 189 52. Eh-pH diagram of the system, Cu-S—C—H2O 193 53. Eh-pH diagram of the system, Pb-S-C-H20 197 54.