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Magnetic Properties of La Negra Formation (Chilean Coastal Cordillera): Comparative Analysis Between Zones with and Without Copper Mineralization

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Magnetic Properties of La Negra Formation (Chilean Coastal Cordillera): Comparative Analysis Between Zones with and Without Copper Mineralization Fourth /.S>lG. Goettingen (Germany). 0-1 -- 06//0//999 729 MAGNETIC PROPERTIES OF LA NEGRA FORMATION (CHILEAN COASTAL CORDILLERA): COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS BETWEEN ZONES WITH AND WITHOUT COPPER MINERALIZATION Andrés TASSARA (1), Pierrick ROPERCH (1) & Patricio SEPULVEDA (2) (1) Laboratorio de Paleomagnetismo, IRD (ex ORSTOM) - Departamento de Geologîa, Universidad de Chile, [email protected], [email protected]. (2) Cornpafiia Minera Carolina de Michilla, Antofagasta, [email protected] Key Words: Magnetic mineralogy and magnetic anomalies; lurassic volcanism and metallogenesis. INTRODUCTION We present a characterization of the magnetic properties of La Negra Formation, the most important geological unit of the northern Chile Coastal cordillera. This formation corresponds to a nearly 7.000 m thick sequence of basalts to andesites that were deposited in an island arc to back arc position at lurassic times. Contemporaneous intrusions (tonalite to granodiorite) eut the volcanics. Regionally distributed very low-grade metarnorphism affects the lava tlow sequence at different stages. La Negra Formation is the host unit of numerous Cu stratabound deposits [Borie et al., 1990], that provide the second source of Cu production in Chile. This metallogenic belt is the object of minerai exploration supported by high-resolution aeromagnetic data. However the interpretation and the modelization of magnetic anomalies usually do not rely on direct knowledge of the magnetic properties of the underlying rocks. The aim of the present study is to present an extensive characterization of La Negra Formation magnetic properties in areas with and without copper mineralization. The second objective is to use paleornagnetism in mineralized rocks to provide additional insights on mineralization processes, especially about the timing of mineralization events and the behavior of magnetic minerais upon increasing degrees of mineralization. SAMPLING AND RESULTS We have selected four areas along the Coastal cordillera between 22° and 25°S that allow us to ob tain a regional characterization of the magnetic properties of different rock types from La Negra Formation. From north to south, these areas are (1) Tocopilla, (2) Carolina de Michilla mining district (3) Antofagasta and (4) Paposo (Figure 1). Areas 1,3 and 4 correspond to non-mineralized sections of the 730 Fourth fS 4G, Goettingen (Germanv), 0-1 - 06/ /0/ /999 volcanic sequence. Sampling of rocks affected by hydrothermal alteration and copper mineraiization was made in the stratabound deposits that characterize the Michilla district. The paleomagnetic sampling corresponds to 13 sites 22°8 in Tocopilla area, 9 at Paposo and 17 at Antofagasta, most of them in lava flows and a few in subvolcanic Tocopilla granodioritic to dioritic bodies. Near Antofagasta the paleomagnetic sampling was distributed along a 3000 meters thick profile in the type section of the Formation, "Quebrada La Negra". Evidence of low­ grad e metamorphism , characterize d by the association ep ido te-clorite-calcit e-chaIcedon ite­ ze olites-p re hnite -p um pe llit e is widespread, especially in the brecciated levels of the lava tlows. This metamorphism appears more important near Antofagasta than near Tocopilla. In the Caroli na de Michil la rnining district region, we have taken 250 samples in 2 mining cores 250 and 350 meters long respectively. These cores eut orthogonal the lava 24 °8 f lows and related int rusives affected by hyd rothe rmal al te ra tion a nd C u-oxi des mineralization. Ore bodies present vertical zonation from chalcopyrite-pyrite-magnetite at deeper zones to chalcosine-coveline-hema tite to the surface with increasing quantities of Cu oxides. MAGNETIC PROPERTIES Magnetic susceptibility of the lava tlows for ail areas is usually high, ranging from 0.01 to 0.1 (S.I. units) (Figure 2). The highest values are found near La Negra Formation _ Jurass ic Intrusives D Toco pilla, a feature that correlates with the minor • Paleomagnetic Site 0 Mining Core Sampied amount of low-grade metamorphism. Intensities of Figure 1: Paleomagnetic sampling in the coastal area of the Antofagasta region. magnetic remanence are distributed between 0.06 to 0.6 NOl, with rare values above 1 NOl. Prirnary magnetization are found in most sites of the Tocopilla area, while secondary partial to total magnetic overprints characterized most samples collected in the Antofagasta and Paposo areas. As seen in figure 2, the distribution of the magnetic susceptibility versus intensity of remanent magnetization Fourth /S-IG. Goettingen (Ger",n/1v). U.J 061/01/999 for samples taken from the cores is roughly similar to the distribution found at ether locations in rocks from La Negra Formation. Near Tocopilla, large crystals of magnetite are often seen and laboratory experiments indicate multidomain magnetites as the magnetic carrier. e 0.1 ___________ 1 -- -J -- Cf) 1 1 e ---- 1 e 1 e .....J 1 1 e 0 CC 100 0 l- a, 0.01 - - - - - - - - - - -:- - - "o:;~-~Q~~~~~ UJ 1 00 o e 1 Cf) e 10 ::J 1 Cf) 1 1 o e 1 ~0.001 ---------- -1-- z e 1 (9 -c :2 4- 0.0001 0.001 0.01 0.1 1 INTENSITY OF REMANENT MAGNETIZATION (A/m) Figure 2: Log-Log plot of the magnetic susceptibility (K) versus intensity of remanent magnetization (JNRM)' The thick line corresponds to a Koenigsberger ratio (JNRM /KH) of one. (H is the intensity of the Earth Magnetic Field in northern Chile (-21 Nm)) . Data above this line correspond to rocks with an induced magnetization greater than the remanent magnetization. Filled circles are individual sarnples from the mining cores. White triangles , squares and circles with associated standard deviation are geometrie mean site values from Tocopilla, Antofagasta and Paposo areas. The low magnetic stability of multidomain grains explains why the intensity of natural remanent magnetizations is relatively low. The Koenigsberger ratio is significantly less than one and remanent magnetizations will not contribute much in producing strong magnetic anomalies (Figure 2). Magnetite and maghemite are the principal carrier of the magnetic susceptibility, The presence of maghemite was essentially deduced from the sharp drop in susceptibility during laboratory heating in the temperature range 300o-350°C, Maghemitization due to low-temperature oxidation of magnetite is widespread in these andesitic lavas, probably related to low grade metarnorphism. The similar susceptibility of both minerais permits however to maintain a relatively high bulk susceptibility for these rocks. As seen in figure 3, samples with a high maghemite content have the same range of susceptibilty values than those containing magnetite. Maghemitization affects essentially the lavas and not the intrusive bodies. 732 Fourth fS-lG. Goettingen (Gerlll anv). 0-1 - 06//0//999 Maghemization is however a significant factor in reducing the initial remanent magnetizati on acquired during the emplacement of the volcanic rocks. 10 0 There is no significant difference between the magnetic properties of 00 0 '2, 0 0 0 non-rnineralized areas and the two 80 8 00 Cf0 0 u , 000 drill cores from Michilla district 0 008 , c 0 0 (Figure 2). At the regionaJ scale of an .2 0 0 0 0 Cii 6 0 .~ u aeromagnetic survey, Cu metalogenic 0 0 0 0 'Ë 0 Q) 0 0' o§~ çJp processes do not generate relev ant s: 00 0 00 0 0 Cl o tO 0 ro , 0 000", ': 0 :) 9J changes in magnetic properties of La E 40 CX>.VQ)~ ~ 0 v , ~ 0 0 '0 000 cBo Negra rocks that would be useful as o~ 0 0 gQl oo~ 0 0 prospective keys in magnetic surveys. (J " o. 0 .ro 0 0 rv 2 0 • There i s however complete , 00) ,~ov,' oUo o'b ~u fO~ 0 0 destruction of primary magn etic tJ' ~ , 0 6J 0 ~ , 1'" o •.• ' 1 -. 10 0 0 rA mineralogy onl y at metr ic sca les 0 . 01 O. 0 . 0 01 where an important concentration of Magnetic susceptibility (SI) chalcosine and coveline is observed. Figure 3: Importance of the maghernitization (defined by the decrease of magnetic susceptibility between 250°C and 350°C) with respect to initial magnetic susceptibility. Samples from the two mining cores. In this case, low magnetic susceptibility indicates that hematite is the dominant magnetic carrier. It is interesting to note that these mineralized rocks have stable univectorial remanent magnetizations. Further work is in progress to relate the paleomagnetic information contained in these rocks with the hydrothermal processes CONCLUSIONS Magnetic properties of La Negra Formation are characterized by high magnetic susceptibility and relatively low magnetic remanence, consequence of relict prirnary mineralogy and seco ndary effects related to very low grade metamorphism . These characteristics are not affected at distr ict to regional scales by Cu stratabound metallogenic processes. At these scales there is no contrast in terms of magnetic susceptibility between rninerali zcd and non-mineral ized zones, that could generate a signific ative magnetic anomaly. Only at local (metric) scales wouId be seen in very high-resolution magnetic survey some anomalies related to smaIJ intrusive bodies with low total magnetization and mineralized bodies with very low susceptibility linked to chalcosine-coveline-hematite. Conclusions, drawn in this paper, are obviously related to the type of mineraI deposits observed in the Michilla district and may not apply to other environments..
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