Geology of the Manantial Espejo epithermal district, Deseado Massif, Patagonia Argentina

The silver–gold epithermal mining district, Manantial Espejo, is located southwest of the Deseado Massif, Patagonia. The district is set into Jurassic volcaniclastic rocks of the Bahía Laura Group. A geological map of the district, at a scale of 1:50,000 drawn over a base map prepared from the fusio...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Echeveste, Horacio José; López, Luciano; Carlini, Mercedes
Format: Article
Status:Published version
Publication date:2016
Country:Argentina
Institution:UNLP
Repository:SEDICI (UNLP)
Language:English
OAI Identifier:oai:sedici.unlp.edu.ar:10915/85857
Online Access:http://sedici.unlp.edu.ar/handle/10915/85857
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Ciencias Naturales
epithermal
Geology
hot-spring
mining
Patagonia
silver–gold
volcanism
Description
Summary:The silver–gold epithermal mining district, Manantial Espejo, is located southwest of the Deseado Massif, Patagonia. The district is set into Jurassic volcaniclastic rocks of the Bahía Laura Group. A geological map of the district, at a scale of 1:50,000 drawn over a base map prepared from the fusion of satellite imagery and aerial photographs, is included. A suite of andesitic to rhyolitic eruptive units was identified, with prevailing high-grade rhyolitic ignimbrites. Travertine levels show the beginning of a hot-spring system in the region. Quartz veins, with typical crustiform–colloform banded structures, fill WNW, sub-vertical, normal faults, originating from extensional tectonics. The silicification of travertines, tuffs and breccia is the most common hydrothermal alteration.