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Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Age Constraints on the Zn-Pb Skarn Deposit of Maria Cristina, Quebrada Galena, Northern Chile

Franç Lieben, Robert Moritz and Lluí Fontboté

Département de Minéralogie, Université de Genève, rue des maraîchers 13, 1211 Genève 4, Switzerland

Corresponding author: e-mail, lieben{at}skynet.be

The Maria Cristina Zn-Pb skarn deposit, hosted by carbonate rocks of the Lower Cretaceous Chañarcillo Group in northern Chile, is described to provide a basis of comparison to adjacent (~2 km) barite deposits and regional Pb-Zn and Ba deposits with Mississippi Valley-type affinities. Strongly retrograded garnet (andradite to Ad₃₀Gr₇₀), diopsidic pyroxene, and epidote skarn, and barite-bearing massive sulfides (sphalerite-pyrite-galena-marcasite-magnetite) occur at the contact of potassically altered diorite porphyry of mid-Cretaceous age. The skarn mineral compositions, similar to those of Cu skarns, may reflect emplacement in a high f_O2 context. Sulfur isotope values of sulfides (–8.8 to +7.1) and barite (14.0–26.1) indicate disequilibrium conditions and different sulfur sources, including magmatic sulfur. Lead isotope ratios of galena and strontium isotope ratios of barite indicate a similar metal reservoir for the different ore deposit types, constituted by the intercalated Lower Cretaceous volcanic rocks or mid-Cretaceous intrusive rocks. ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating of hydrothermal K feldspar suggests an age between 94 and 90 Ma for the mineralization.

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