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The Parral District, Chihuahua, Mexico as related to the silver metallogenic province of northern Mexico Item Type text; Thesis-Reproduction (electronic); maps Authors Valverde, Joaquin Echavez, 1940- 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 25/09/2021 06:18:00 Link to Item http://hdl.handle.net/10150/552008 THE PARRAL DISTRICT, CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO AS RELATED TO THE SILVER METALLOGENIC PROVINCE OF NORTHERN MEXICO by Joaquin Echavez Valverde A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the DEPARTMENT OF MINING AND GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING WITH A MAJOR IN GEOLOGICAL ENGINEERING In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements For the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE In the Graduate College THE UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA 1968 STATEMENT BY AUTHOR This thesis has been submitted in partial fulfillment of re­ quirements 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 thesis 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 judg­ ment the proposed use of the material is in the interests of scholar­ ship. In all other instances, however, oermission must be obtained from the author. SIGNED: APPROVAL BY THESIS DIRECTOR This thesis has been approved on the date shown below: DR. WILLIAM C. PETERS Professor of Mining and Geological Engineering DEDICADO A la Memoria de mi Padre y A mi Madre con veneracion O i i i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A series of factors has enabled me to.achieve this degree. The f i r s t fa c to r, and w ithout any doubt the cause of the o th e rs, was the granting of the scholarship, given to me through Ing. Don Manuel Franco Lopez, Secretary of the Patrimonio Nacional. I would also like to thank: Asarco Mexicana, S.A., the sponsor of the scholar­ ship for two years. Asarco authorized the use of the study made by the author in the summer of 1967 which appears in this thesis. American Smelting and Refining Company, for its collaboration in the compilation of maps and in the reproduction of the thesis. The Department of Mining and Geological Engineer­ ing, the head of which is Dr. Willard C. Lacy, including the professors and graduate students from whom I re­ ceived invaluable help during my studies at the University. Dr. Edward Wisser, for the loan of several unpublished reports, which were of great assistance. I would like to give special thanks to Dr. William C. Peters, who suggested the subject and oriented me in its development. It is not often possible to meet a person with his high human quality. Lothar and Florecita. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.................................................................................. vii ' LIST OF TABLES..................................................................................................... v iii ABSTRACT................................................................................................................... ix I. INTRODUCTION.......................................................................................... 1 rH co co co co rH in Geomorphology................................................. Sonoran Basin and Range Province Sierra Madre Occidental Province Sierra Madre Oriental Province.. History of Mining......................................... II . REGIONAL STRATIGRAPHY...................................................... 7 Precambrian.................................................................................... 7 Paleozoic............................................... 10 Cambrian............................................................... 10 Ordovician................. 11 S ilu ria n ................................................................................. 11 Devonian.................................................................................. 12 Mississippi an................................................. 12 Pennsylvanian...................................................................... 12 Permian.................................................................................... 13 Mesozoic................................................................................................... 14 T ria s s ic .................................................................................. 14 J u ra s s ic ........................ 15 Cretaceous............................................................................. 16 Cenozoi c .................................................................................... 17 T e rtia ry ...................................................... 17 Quaternary................................................... 17 I I I . TECTONIC SETTING............................................................................ 18 S ierra Madre O ccidental......................................................... 18 Sierra Madre Oriental................................. 20 • Great Grabens..................................................................... 21 Basement C ontrol............................................................ 22 Sequence of the Deformation....................................... 22 v vi TABLE OF CONTENTS—Continued Page IV. PARRAL DISTRICT................................................. : ........................... 23 In tro d u ctio n ............................................................................. 23 Previous Geological Work.................................................. 23 Geomorphology.......................................................................... 24 General Geology...................................................................... 24 S tratig rap h y .................................................................... 25 Geologic History............................................................ ' 32 S tru ctu re .................................................................................... 34 Veins.............................................................................. 35 F a u lts........................... 38 Mineralogy................................................................................. 38 Sulfide Zone................................................................... 39 Oxide Zone.......................................................... 40 Paragenesis............................................................................... 40 C la ssific a tio n of the D eposits............................. 41 Suggestions for Exploration........................................... 42 V. METALLOGENIC STUDY....................................................................... 44 Tectonic H istory.................................................................... 44 Tectonic Concepts Applicable to Metallogeny.... 48 Metal Distribution Pattern .......................... 54 Occidental B elt............................................................. 55 Central B e lt.................................................................... 55 O riental B elt.................................................................. 56 Parras B elt.......................................................... 56 Volcanic B elt............................................................... 57 Secondary Alignments................................................. 58 Explanation of the Ore Deposits.............................. 59 VI. EXPLORATION APPLICATIONS............................................. 62 SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY.............................................................................. .. 65 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Summary of Vein Systems............................................................... 37 viii ABSTRACT A general stratigraphic description is given for the states of Sonora and Chihuahua; the geomorphologic characteristics of the provinces comprised within these states is also presented. The tec­ tonic setting is described in relation to the regional pattern of mineralization and is related to the metal!ogenic characteristics of the remainder of Mexico. The Parra! District is used as a specific example of a mineralized portion of the region. As a result of the correlation of silver mines throughout Mexico, five metal!ogenic belts are identified by the author and the tectonic control for each belt is presented. The sig n ifican ce of in te rsec tio n s and junctions w ithin the metal!ogenic belts is discussed in relation to exploration for mineral deposits. ix CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Geomorphology Some of the f i r s t geologists to study Mexico and its major geomorphic provinces were: Sapper (1899 and 1904), Aguilera (1906a and 1906b), Burckhardt (1930), and Bose (1906). Later, Ezequiel Ordonez (1936) made an excellent physiographic analysis in his paper called "Provincias F isio g raficas de Mexico" and provided a c l a s s i f i ­ cation of eleven provinces and nine subprovinces. King (1942) described seven divisions, considering only the norhtern part of Mexico (area lying north of the 20th parallel, or north of

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