CO-14 fV-iwr iv*?wr. B .i UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROJECT REPORT Colombia Investigations (IR) CO-14 ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE ZIPAQUIRA QUADRANGLE AND. ADJOINING AREA, j- ; % -:. : '..-' ":. .DEPARTMENT OF CUNDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA - ; _ r .' Donald H. MeLaughlin, Jr^ ^, S*. Geological SurvejL ;,: Marino- Arce H.~ , _. Instituta Nacional de Investigaciones Geologico-Mineras Prepared on behalf-of^ the . i (k^vernment of^ Colombia, and the, ,^~ Agency for International Development, ,O U."S» "Department-of State ; - " " U. S. Geological Survey^ ^ /- OPEN FILE REPORT This .report is preliminary and has not been edited or reviewed for confor­ mity, with Geological Survey r . _ standards, or nomenclature- . .~ ,- - 1970 UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY PROJECT REPORT Colombia Investigations (IR) CO-14 I ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE ZIPAQUIRA QUADRANGLE AND ADJOINING AREA, DEPARTMENT OF CUDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA by Donald H. McLaughlin I. S. Geological Survey ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE ZIPAQUIRA QUADRANGLE AND ADJOINING AREA, DEPARTMENT OF CUNDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA by Donald H. McLaughlin, Jr. U. S. Geological Survey and Marino Arce H. Institute Nacional de Investigaciones Geol6gico-Mineras CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT............................................................. 1 INTRODUCTION......................................................... 3 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 3 GENERAL GEOLOGY...................................................... 6 Regional tectonic and depositional framework.................... 6 Stratigraphy.................................................... 7 Cretaceous rocks. 10 Tertiary rocks............................................. 15 EVAPORITE MINERALS................................................... 16 Location of deposits..« 16 Stratigraphic occurrences and ages of evaporites................ 18 Berriasian-Valanginian..................................... 18 Late Barremian-early Aptian................................ 19 Late Aptian................................................ 19 Turonian-late Coniacian.................................... 19 Structure of salt-bearing beds.................................. 20 Salt deposits inferred from surface structure.............. 29 GEOLOGY OF THE EVAPORITES............................................ 29 Surface exposures............................................... 29 Mine exposures.................................................. 36 Composition..................................................... 39 Sedimentary structure of the deposits........................... 46 Internal structure of halite deposits........................... 51 Depositional environment........................................ 53 C ONTENTS (continued) Page GEOLOGY OF THE EVAPORITES continued Depositional environment continued Size and location of evaporite pans... 53 Facies relationships within salt intervals.................. 55 Sulfate deficiency.......................................... 58 Oxygen deficiency...................... .. .... ..... 60 Climate.*................................................... 61 Post-depositonal changes.............. .. 62 Solution and recrystallization.............................. 62 Sulfate reduction................. .... .. 65 Origin and growth of salt anticlines............................. 67 Structural control of depositional sites.................... 67 Formation of salt anticlines................................ 68 Opposed structures.......................................... 71 Diapirism versus conformable relationships.................. 74 Reserves of bedded salt deposits in the Cordillera Oriental...... 77 OTHER NONMETALLIC MINERALS............................................ 78 Phosphate rock................................................... 78 Limestone........................................................ 80 Minor deposits................................................... 81 METALLIC MINERALS..................................................... 85 Iron............................................................. 85 Copper........................................................... 95 Lead............................................................. 99 ii CONTENTS (continued) METALLIC MINERALS continued Zinc.............................................................. 100 RECOMMENDATIONS........................................................ 105 Evagorite minerals......,......................................... 105 Zipaquira*.................................................... 106 Nemocon......................... .. .. ..... .. 108 Sesquile..................................................... 110 Upfn......................................................... Ill Salt springs...................................................... 112 Tausa........................................................ 112 Gacheta* and Ma*mbita.......................................... 113 Salt prospects.................................................... 114 Pantano Redondo.............................................. 114 Pericos...................................................... 115 Gypsum....................................................... 116 Other no nine tal lie minerals........................................ 116 Phosphate rock............................................... 116 Limestone.................................................... 117 Kaolinite.................................................... 117 Metallic minerals................................................. 117 Iron......................................................... 117 Copper....................................................... 119 Lead......................................................... 120 Zinc......................................................... 120 REFERENCES CITED......................... .............................. 122 iii ILLUSTRATIONS TABLES Page 1. Chemical analyses of rute from Zipaquira* and Nemocon................. 32 2. Chemical analyses of five salt samples from the Zipaquira* mine....... 40 3. Chemical analyses of twelve salt samples from the Upin mine.......... 41 4. Analyses of 26 water residues from saline springs in the Cordillera Oriental......................................... 4* 5. Chemical analyses (percent) of 53 samples from the Pericos iron deposit............................................................... in pod FIGURES 1. Index map of Colombia showing locations of quadrangle referred to in text.............................................................. 5 2. Principal structural provinces of Colombia. Modified after Geophoto Services, Inc.......... .............................................. 8 3. Regional correlations of Cretaceous formations.(Modified from Thompson, 1966)...................................................... 9 4. Locations of known Salt Springs and Halite Deposits.................. 17 5. Diagrammatic cross section showing structure of Zipaquira* salt deposit.............................................................. 23 6. Generalized palinspastic reconstruction of Nemocon area.............. 25 7. Diagrammatic cross section of the Nemocon salt deposit............... 26 8. Diagrammatic section of the Tausa anticline.......................... 28 9. Diagrammatic section through the Sesquile* salt deposit............... 30 10. Map showing the location of the mineral deposits of Zone IV, excluding coal...................................................... 34 IV FIGURES (continued) Page 11. Lenses of fibrous calcite with well developed septa*................ 48 12. Argillaceous salt containing numerous claystone clasts the larger of which have secondary halite halos, indicated by the clear areas... 48 13. Diagram of suggested saline environment of deposition, o. ............ 59 14. Development of salt anticlines and resulting opposed tectonics of the Sab an a de Bogota*............................................. 72 15. Thin section of sample from Pericos iron deposit................... 87 PLATES (Plates are in pocket except as noted) Page Plate 1. Geologic map of quadrangle K-ll, Zipaquira", Colombia* 2* Cross section showing structure through the Cordillera Oriental. 3. Map of the Upin-Restrepo mine, Department of Meta. 4. Tectonic map of Zipaquira* quadrangle* 5. Map of the Nemo con salt mine* 6. Map of the Zipaquira* salt mine, first level* 7. Map of the Zipaquira* salt mine, second level* 8* Map of the Upin salt mine* 9. Geologic map of the Pericos iron area. Guasca* 10* Reconnaissance geologic map of Cerro Montecristo* 11. Sketch map of specularite outcrop in Rio Tormenta. ......... 95a 12* Location of proposed slim holes at Zipaquira* mine*......... 107a 13* Location of proposed slim holes* Nemocon mine* ............. 109a 14. Location of proposed slim holes* Sesquile*.................. Ilia 15. Location of proposed slim holes, Tausa area. ............... H3a 16. Location of proposed slim holes* Pantano Redondo area...... 114a VI ECONOMIC GEOLOGY OF THE ZIPAQUIRA QUADRANGLE AND ADJOINING AREA, DEPARTMENT OF CUNDINAMARCA, COLOMBIA by Donald H. McLaughlin, Jr. U. S. Geological Survey and Marino Arce H. Institute Nacional de Investigaciones Geologico-Mineras ABSTRACT At least four evaporite sequences are interbedded with Cretaceous strata in the Bogota* area of the Cordillera Oriental of Colombia. The easternmost and oldest evaporite interval is of probable Berriasian-Valanginian age; the nexI oldest is of probable late Barremian-early Aptian age, and is followed by a possible