ALBERT

Notes: Abstract The Almadén district is the largest mercury concentration in the world, with a total content of about 250 000 t of mercury, nearly one third of the known total mercury resources of the Earth. Mercury has been exploited since the Celtic and Roman times, with peak production during the Renaissance and between 1939–1945. The district is hosted by a Paleozoic synclinorium overlying Precambrian rocks. The Paleozoic sequence comprises epicontinental quartz arenite rocks, including black shales and quartzites. Diatremes, alkaline lavas of different composition, and late tholeiitic diabases account for the Ordovician to Devonian magmatism. The tectonic setting of this complex suite corresponds to the intraplate type. The mercury deposits of Almadén can be classified into two main types: type 1, early stratiform type ores characterized by cinnabar deposition on the lower Silurian quartzites (Criadero quartzite; e.g. the Almadén and El Entredicho deposits), and type 2, late discordant orebodies (e.g. Las Cuevas), largely hosted or related to diatremes (the `frailesca rocks') of alkaline basaltic composition. In type 1 cinnabar was deposited during diagenesis, in relation to hydrothermal circulation driven by magmatic activity. Type 2 include a variety of deposits having in common the discordant character of the orebodies (e.g. veins, stockworks, massive replacements), and their wide dispersion along the stratigraphic column, i.e. from Lower Silurian (e.g. Nueva Concepción) to Upper Devonian (e.g. Corchuelo).

Notes: Abstract Paleozoic banded-iron-formation (BIF) deposits occur within the Nahuelbuta-Queule Complex (south central Chile) which hosts the following stratigraphic units: Cabo Tirúa (green schists, mica schists, and metacherts), Lleu-Lleu (iron-bearing metacherts, mica schists, and serpentinites), and Colcura (metagraywackes and metapelites). The lithological, structural, and geochemical characteristics of the Lleu-Lleu and Cabo Tirúa units indicate that they were part of a tectonic mélange accreted to the South American paleocontinent during the Paleozoic. BIF ores are restricted to the Lleu-Lleu metacherts and are characterized by oxide-silicate-sulfide BIF facies. The iron-bearing metacherts present mineralogical and geochemical characteristics close to the volcanogenic BIF types and are thought to have been formed by submarine volcanic exhalative activity.

Notes: Abstract The northeastern sector of the Spanish Central System hosts important Stephanian-Permian silver-base metal epithermal mineralizations defining the so-called Hiendelaencina District. The overall geotectonic evolution of this region indicates a major late Variscan extensional period involving the unroofing of dome-shaped metamorphic core complexes, which ultimately led to the radial brittle disruption of these bodies allowing the ascent of andesitic magmas and high-level hydrothermal activity. The deposits are hosted by high-grade metaphorphic rocks belonging to these complexes. Mineralogical and fluid inclusion studies reveal that the mineralizations were formed during two to four hydrothermal stages. These are the result of complex interactions between fluids of contrasted temperatures and salinities. Data on sulphur isotopes suggest that two sources of sulphur existed: magmatic (andesitic derived, with δ34S≈ + 6‰) and metasediment-derived (with initial δ34S probably ≥ + 25‰).

Notes: Abstract The Quebrada Marquesa Quadrangle in Chile exhibits a series of mineralizations comprising manto-type manganese and copper deposits of Lower Cretaceous age, and copper and silver veins of Tertiary age. The deposits are hosted by volcanic and volcaniclastic units of the Arqueros (Hauterivian-Barremian) and Quebrada Marquesa (Barremian-Albian) Formations. Three episodes of manganese mineralization (Mn1-3) are recognized within the study area. Hydrothermal activity leading to episodes 1 and 3 was of minor importance, while the second one (Mn2) gave rise to major manto-type deposits of both manganese and copper in the Talcuna mining district. Extensional faulting during Tertiary time resulted in block faulting and the unroofing of the oldest andesitic volcanics and marine sediments (Arqueros Formation). This episode was accompanied by magmatic and hydrothermal activity leading to vein formation in the Arqueros (Ag) and Talcuna (Cu) districts. The latter veins cross-cut the previous manto-type copper deposits. Ore mineralogy is similar in both styles of mineralization (manto- and vein-type) and consists mainly of chalcopyrite and bornite, with variable amounts of galena, tetrahedrite (vein-related), chalcocite, sphalerite, pyrite, hematite, digenite and covellite. Alteration processes at Talcuna can be divided into two categories, those related to the Lower Cretaceous manto-type episode (LK alteration: chlorite-epidote-calcite-albite, prehnite, zeolite), and those associated with the locally mineralized normal faults of Tertiary age (Tt alteration: chlorite-calcite, sericite). The Arqueros silver veins display an ore mineralogy consisting of arquerite, argentite, native silver, polybasite, cerargyrite and pyrargyrite-proustite; associated alteration includes strong chloritization of the country rock. The manto-type deposits formed from fluids of salinity between 11 and 19 wt.% NaCl equivalent and temperatures between 120 and 205 °C. Mineralizing fluids during the vein-type stage circulated at lower temperatures, between 70 and 170 °C, with salinity values in a wide range from 3 to 27 wt.% NaCl equivalent. This distribution of salinities is interpreted as the result of the complex interplay of two different processes: boiling and fluid mixing; the former is considered to control the major mineralogical, textural and fluid inclusion features of the vein-type deposits. We suggest that the Lower Cretaceous mineralization (manto-type stage) developed in response to widespread hydrothermal activity (geothermal field-type) involving basinal brines.

Notes: Abstract The Lower Cretaceous volcanic formations of Copiapó (Chile) host major stratiform, disseminated, vein, and stockwork mineral deposits. Among these are the Punta del Cobre district (Cu-Fe) and the neighbouring, large Candelaria deposit (Cu-Fe-Au). These deposits are likely to have formed during a major extensional event that was accompanied by granitoid emplacement that triggered important contact metamorphism, metasomatic activity and mineralization processes. We suggest here that alteration-mineralization processes developed within the upper-plate domain of a NNE-trending, ESE-dipping extensional system, while granitoids were accomodated within the lower-plate. If this model prove to be right, `Candelaria-type' deposits may be hidden beneath the present, higher structural position of the Punta del Cobre district.

Notes: Abstract The Hercynian mercury mineralization of Las Cuevas is hosted by a highly folded and sheared sequence of basalts, intrusive breccias, slates, psamitic rocks and quartzites. The mineral paragenesis is simple and consists of cinnabar, native mercury and pyrite. Hydrothermal alteration can be divided into `proximal' and `distal' with respect to the mineralized bodies. The proximal alteration (≤1.3 m wide) consists of quartz-pyrophyllite-kaolinite, quartz-pyrophyllite-(kaolinite)-(illite), and quartz-illite-(pyrophyllite)-(kaolinite). The distal alteration (∼100 m wide) consists of (quartz)-illite-chlorite-(pyrophyllite), or rectorite-(chlorite). These assemblages overprint an earlier, regional alteration consisting of quartz-chlorite-albite-carbonates (±ankerite, ±siderite, ±magnesite, ±calcite). The mercury deposit of Las Cuevas can be regarded as an unusual combination of mercury deposition and advanced argillic alteration within a relatively deep environment (≥1.8 km).

Notes: Abstract We welcome the discussion of our paper by Tornos et al. The epithermal character of the Hiendelaencina veins might have been ‘an assumption’ in the early to mid 1980s, however, this early idea has been reaffirmed after many years of research involving fieldwork and mineralogical, sulphur isotopes, and fluid inclusions studies. The same applies to the ‘alleged’ extensional frame, a tectonic episode now well documented not only in central Spain (Spanish Central System: Doblas 1987; Doblas et al. 1988; Doblas 1991) but in France (French Central Massif: Ménard and Molnar 1988; Malavieille et al. 1990; Munoz et al. 1992). The deposits are hosted by metamorphic rocks and the nearest volcanic outcrops to Hiendelaencina are those of Atienza (andesites; some 12 km northward). This is the reason why the relationships between the Atienza volcanics and the Hiendelaencina veins were initially regarded as ‘obscure’. These Stephanian-Permian volcanic outcrops are only local evidence of the late Variscan magmatism, which in the case of Hiendelaencina remained concealed. It is evident that the geologic environments of Hiendelaencina and Atienza are very different (see Discussion, p. 88 of the paper). As a direct consequence of this, the local structural conditions led to contrasted expressions of the late Variscan magmatism i.e. subaereal at Atienza and hypabyssal at Hiendelaencina.