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Refinement of the time-space evolution of the giant Mio-Pliocene Río Blanco-Los Bronces porphyry Cu–Mo cluster, Central Chile: new U–Pb (SHRIMP II) and Re–Os geochronology and 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology data

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Abstract

Representing one of the largest known (estimated >5 Gt at 1 % Cu and 0.02 % Mo) porphyry system, the Río Blanco-Los Bronces deposit incorporates at least five hypabyssal intrusive and hydrothermal centres, extending for about 5 km from the Río Blanco and Los Bronces mines in the north, through the Don Luis mine, to the Sur Sur mine, La Americana and Los Sulfatos in the south. The new geochronology data, which now include data on different molybdenite vein types, confirm the U–Pb ages of the pre-mineralisation intrusions but slightly increase their age range from 8.8 to 8.2 Ma. The distinct magmatic pulses of the mineralisation-associated porphyritic intrusives (Late Porphyries) indicate an age interval instead of the previously suggested individual ages: the quartz monzonite porphyry ranges from 7.7 to 6.1 Ma (Sur Sur 5.74 ± 0.13 Ma), the feldspar porphyry shows an interval from 5.8 to 5.2 Ma and the Don Luis porphyry from 5.2 to 5.0 Ma. The new Re–Os data on distinct molybdenite vein types confirm the protracted history of Cu(–Mo) mineralisation, inferred previously. The vein development occurred at least from 5.94 to 4.50 Ma, indicating a time-span of 1.5 Ma for the hydrothermal activity. Hydrothermal minerals dated by the 40Ar/39Ar method are generally too young to record the age of early, high-temperature mineralisation. The majority of the 40Ar/39Ar data in the Río Blanco porphyry cluster record reheating by either the youngest member of the Late Porphyry suite or the post-mineralisation dacite or rhyolite plug formations at around 4.9–4.7 Ma.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Andina Division of CODELCO-Chile for funding the second geochronological project and permitting publication of the data. Special thanks go to Luis Serrano, former Administrator of Exploration and Mineral Resources, for supporting this investigation, and mine geologists Humberto Ortega, Augusto Mont, Nicolas Pizarro and Francisco Fuentes for their stimulating discussions. At Oregon State University, Robert Duncan and at Arizona University, Fernando Barra, carried out analytical 40Ar/39Ar and Re–Os work, respectively. Juan Vargas is thanked for mineral separation in the facilities of the Geology Department, Universidad de Chile. We would like to thank reviewers Thomas Bissig, Richard Tosdal and Regina Baumgartner for their helpful comments on the earlier version of the manuscript. Parts of the U–Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronological analyses were financed through the Chilean grant DID-I-04-2/2001.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Geología, Universidad de Chile, Plaza Ercilla 803, Casilla 12518, Santiago, Chile

    Katja Deckart

  2. Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Alan H. Clark

  3. Corporación Nacional del Cobre de Chile, Divisíon Andina, Sta. Teresa 513, Los Andes, Chile

    Patricio Cuadra

  4. Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia

    Mark Fanning

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  1. Katja Deckart
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Correspondence to Katja Deckart.

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Editorial handling: T. Bissig

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Deckart, K., Clark, A.H., Cuadra, P. et al. Refinement of the time-space evolution of the giant Mio-Pliocene Río Blanco-Los Bronces porphyry Cu–Mo cluster, Central Chile: new U–Pb (SHRIMP II) and Re–Os geochronology and 40Ar/39Ar thermochronology data. Miner Deposita 48, 57–79 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-012-0412-9

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