Abstract

BAEZ, Miguel A; FOGLIATA, Ana S; HAGEMANN, Steffen  and  SARDI, Fernando G. Geochemical characterization of El Durazno granite, Northern Sierrra de Velasco, La Rioja. Ser. correl. geol. [online]. 2012, vol.28, n.2, pp.139-150. ISSN 1666-9479.

The studied area is located in the north of the sierra de Velasco, La Rioja province. It is mainly composed of granitic rocks that crystallized during two main magmatic events in the Ordovician and Carboniferous. The older granites have different types of deformation whereas the younger granites are not deformed. Two Carboniferous granites have been dated in this area: Asha and San Blas. The latter has a chemically evolved central zone related to Sn mineralization. The El Durazno undeformed granite outcrops southeast of the San Blas granite, and intrudes into the deformed Ordovician Antinaco orthogneiss. It is a postorogenic, peraluminous and strongly differentiated granite, with contents of Na2O>K2O. It has high values of Rb, Li, W, Cs, Nb and Ta, and low values of Ba, Sr, Y, Zr and Ce. The geochemical characterization index (GCI) for W-bearing differentiated granites is positive with values greater than 4. The REE show low total contents, between 5,3 and 15,3 ppm, negative Eu anomalies and a convex tetrad effect. At the northern border of the El Durazno granite, quartz veins with irregularly distributed wolframite and hematite cross-cut the Antinaco orthogneiss. The veins have irregular north-south strike. The absence of deformation, field relations and geochemical characteristics indicate that the El Durazno granite is a highly differentiated intrusive associated with W mineralization and of possible Carboniferous age.

Keywords : Granites; Sierra de Velasco; Geochemistry; Tungsten.

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