Louisiana State University LSU Digital Commons LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses Graduate School 1967 Geology of the Chiantla Quadrangle, Guatemala. Donald Neal Blount Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses Recommended Citation Blount, Donald Neal, "Geology of the Chiantla Quadrangle, Guatemala." (1967). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 1283. https://digitalcommons.lsu.edu/gradschool_disstheses/1283 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at LSU Digital Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses by an authorized administrator of LSU Digital Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This dissertation has been microiilmed exactly as received 67-13,978 BLOUNT, Donald Neal, 1937- GEOLOGY OF THE CmANTLA QUADRANGLE, GUATEMALA. Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, Ph.D., 1967 G eology University Microfilms, Inc.. Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ':,c' Copyright by DONALD NEAL BLOUNT 1967 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Geology of the Chiantla Quadrangle, Guatemala A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in The Department of Geology by Donald Neal Blount B.S., University of Texas, 1961 M.A,, University of Texas, 1962 May, 1967 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The writer wishes to gratefully acknowledge the assistance of Drs. C. O. Durham, Jr., and C, H, Moore, Jr., of Louisiana State University, thesis supervisors, and Ing. O. H. Bohnenberger of the Institute Centro- americano de Investigacion Technologica Industrial (ICAITI); former L S U teacher and tutor of Guatemalan geology. These geologists visited and counselled the writer in the field and provided valuable help in constructing the thesis. Drs. D, H. Kupfer, W. A. van den Bold; S. E. Kesler, and R. C. West of Louisiana State University were members of the graduate committee of the writer and proofread the thesis. Their comments and criticisms were greatly appreciated, Ing. Bohnenberger originally suggested the thesis problem; and; as former chief geologist of the Insti­ tute Geografico Nacional of Guatemala, he arranged special assistance from that office for support of the thesis. Ing, Jorge Godoy, who succeeded Bohnenberger as chief geologist of that organization, also visited the writer in the field and rendered much valuable assistance for which the writer is especially grateful. The writer also expresses his appreciation to Ing. Alfredo Obiols, director of the Institute Geografico Nacional; for his interest in the project. ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Dr, B, F, Perkins of Louisiana State University kindly identified rudist samples; Drs, G, A, Cooper, Helen Duncan, R, C, Douglass, and E, L, Yochelson of the U, S, National Museum kindly identified the writer's collection of Paleozoic fossils; Dr. J, Harlan Johnson identified a species of calcareous algae; and Mr. G. C. Esker, III, of Louisiana State University examined foraminifera from the Cretaceous. Conversations with Dr. Samuel B. Bonis of the Institute Geografico Nacional and Dr. Gabriel Dengo of ICAITI also provided valuable information on Guatemalan geology. Finally the writer would like to acknowledge the assistance of his wife; Nancy; for her patience and support during the thesis work. The writer received financial support for his studies at Louisiana State University from a National Aeronautics and Space Administration Traineeship in Geology, Special funds for field research were also provided by the same organization. Additional financial support and a chauffeur were provided by the Institute Geografico Nacional of Guatemala. A U.S. Army weapons carrier and fuel were made available by the Servicio Geodesico Interamericano. For the above support the writer wishes to express his sincere gratitude. iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. CONTENTS TEXT page Introduction .......... 1 Purpose and s c o p e ........................ 2 G e o g r a p h y ................................ 3 Regional setting ...................... 3 C l i m a t e ........................ 5 Vegetation ............................ 6 Culture .............................. 7 Previous w o r k ............................ è Locality reference system ................ 11 Petrologic terminology . .................... 12 Stratigraphy and petrology .................... 15 Introduction .............................. 15 Paleozoic(?) rocks .............. ..... 17 Cataclastic metamorphic rocks ........ 17 Cataclastic schist ................ 18 Cataclastic gneiss ................ 18 G r a n i t e ................................ 19 Miscellaneous igneous rocks .......... 20 Upper Paleozoic r o c k s ...................... 20 Stratigraphie nomenclature ............ 20 Libertad member (Santa Rosa formation) . 24 Environment of deposition ..... 29 Age and correlation ...... 29 Esperanza member (Santa Rosa formation) . 31 Carbonate petrology .............. 33 Environment of d e p o s i t i o n .......... 35 Age and correlati on................ 35 Chochal formation .................... 37 Carbonate petrology .............. 39 Environment of deposition ........ 41 Age and c o r r elat ion ................ 42 Mesozoic rocks ............................ 44 Stratigraphie nomenclature .......... 44 Todos Santos Formation ................ 48 P e t r o l o g y ...........................55 Environment of d e p o s i t i o n .......... 57 Age and correlation » .............. 59 IV Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. page Ixcoy limestone...................... 59 Carbonate breccias . 69 Carbonate petrology . 77 Environment of deposition........ 77 Age and correlation.............. 8l Sepur Formation...................... Ô2 Carbonate petrology ........ Ô3 Environment of deposition........ Ô4 Age and correlation . Ô5 Serpentinite................... #6 Cenozoic r o c k s ..................... ÔÔ Pyroclastic deposits ................ Ô9 Pumice deposits . Ô9 Welded tuff . .................. 92 Quaternary alluvium .................. 93 Quaternary lacustrine deposit ........ 93 Structural geology .................. 95 Regional structure ...................... 95 Local structure..................... 96 F a u l t s ........... 97 F o l d s .................................. 102 Application of the wrench-fault concept of Moody and Hill to the Chiantla area . 102 Structural summary of the Polochic Fault Z o n e .................................. 105 Geomorphology ................................ 107 Economic geology ............................ Ill Lead-zinc deposits ..... ............ Ill La Esperanza m i n e ................... Ill Santo Domingo mine ............ 112 Almengor m i n e .......................... 112 Other d e p o s i t s ..................... 113 Silver deposits ...................... 113 Chromite deposits ........................ 114 Geologic history ............................ 115 References cited ...................... 119 A p p e n d i x ...................................... 124 V i t a .......................................... 134 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ILLUSTRATIONS Figures page Figure 1«- Map showing the location of the Chiantla quadrangle, its relation to the two major fault zones of Guatemala, and the geologic provinces of Guatemala . , • . • 4 Figure 2.- Limestone classification ............ 13 Figure 3.- Stratigraphie column for the Chiantla quadrangle ................ •••• 16 Figure 4.- Stratigraphie nomenclature ...... 22 Figure 5.- Correlation chart of the Paleozoic rocks of Chiapas and northwest Guatemala . 30 Figure 5.-* Composition of Todos Santos sandstones .............. .......... 56 Figure 7.- Hypothetical cross sections across the Chiantla area during deposition of the lithoclastic limestones of the Ixcoy . 79 Figure 8.- Rose diagram of Mesozoic f r a c t u r e s .......... 101 Figure 9.- Comparison of calculated second order structural features with actual features in the Chiantla area ............. 104 Tables Table l.~ Rainfall and temperature for the town of Huehue tenango .............. 6 Plates Plate I A.- Photograph of the front ranges of the Altos Cuchumatanes ...............125 B.- Photograph of several forms of mass movement .............. 125 C.- Photograph of a typical exposure of Chochal limestone ............ 125 vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. page Plate I (continued) D.- Photograph of an algal mat(?) limestone from the Todos Santos • • , , 125 E and F.- Photographs of burrows in Sepur red shales.............. 125 G,- Photograph of a siltstone turbidite from the Libertad ...... 125 Plate II A.- Photomicrograph of a graywacke sandstone from the Todos Santos .... 126 B.- Photomicrograph of an oolitic