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Major metallogenic provinces and epochs of

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for GEOLO
Y
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ERAL DEP
IN
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APPLIED t o

SGA
News
June 2009
Number 25

SOC
IE

Major metallogenic provinces

and epochs of Mexico*
Antoni Camprub
Instituto de Geologa, Universidad Nacional Autnoma de Mxico. Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mxico, D.F. (Mexico)

* This article contains Electronic Supplementary Material (ESM: Table 1 and List of References)
downloadable at http://www.e-sga.org

Introduction
Mineral wealth is a major asset for Mexico
in both economic and academic activities.
Mexico is a top producer of silver (with
an unsurpassed historical production), bismuth, celestine and fluorite, a major producer of cadmium, arsenic, molybdenum,
lead, zinc, barite, antimony, manganese,
gold, and an important producer of copper,
iron, and phosphorite. Such mineral endowment comes from a wide variety of ore
deposit types and their many (often puzzling) mineralisation styles. These include
epithermal, porphyry, skarn, MVT, VMS,
SEDEX, and IOCG as the most outstanding types. These deposits formed as side
effects of geological processes that have
become major shapers of the Earths crust
as we know it, like the complex and longlasting American Cordillera build-up or the
breakup of Pangea. Mexico is also an outstanding mineralogical country. Minerals
range from small-sized rare minerals like
boleite in El Boleo (Baja California Sur) to
gigantic crystals (up to 11 m long) of much
humbler gypsum in the oxidation zone of
the Naica skarn (Chihuahua).
The metallogenic provinces and epochs
of Mexico are loosely defined through

the main physiographic provinces (namely,

Sierra Madre Occidental, Sierra Madre Oriental, Sierra Madre del Sur, Trans-Mexican
Volcanic Belt, Mesa Central, and the Baja
California Peninsula). No matter how convenient may be to use such divisions, these
units do not have a metallogenic significance on their own provided that some of
them were generated as a result of the same
processes, and ore generating processes
might have occurred at different epochs as
a consequence of very different processes
within a single province. In this paper it
is intended to describe the metallogeny
of Mexico by means of major geological
events rather than divisions that are irrelevant for the purpose of characterising
ore-forming processes, albeit the limits of
metallogenic provinces are left deliberately
blurry.

General features
Although the oldest known Mexican ore
deposits date back to the Proterozoic, the
metallogenically most productive geological processes started in the region during
the Jurassic. Besides the seminal work by
Gonzlez-Reyna (1956), the metallogeny of
page 7 >

Contents
Major Metallogenic Provinces
and Epochs of Mexico
1
SGA-SEG co-sponsored Ore Deposit
Models and Exploration Short
Courses (1-5/11/2008) in Kunming,
Yunnan, China
2
SGA Website
3
News of the Society
4
Council Invitation for Applications
to Organize the 12th Biennial
SGA Meeting (2013)
19
Forthcoming events
20
SGA Membership Application Form 24
10th Biennial SGA Meeting,
Townsville, 17-20 August 2009
25

Mai n Features
Major Metallogenic Provinces
and Epochs of Mexico

10th Biennial SGA Meeting, Townsville,

Australia, 17-20 August 2009:
extensive information
25

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June 2009

>>> page 1 Metallogenic provinces and epochs

of Mexico

Mexico has been addressed by several authors at regional scales (Salas, 1975; Clark
et al., 1977, 1982; Clark and de la Fuente,
1978; Fabregat-Guinchard and CortsGuzmn, 1978; Clark and Damon, 1979;
Damon et al., 1981a; Gonzlez-Partida and
Torres-Rodrguez, 1988; Miranda-Gasca,
2000; Staude and Barton, 2001; Clark and
Fitch, 2009), or regarding specific types of
deposits (Damon et al., 1980, 1981b; Mead
et al., 1988; Megaw et al., 1988; Albinson
et al., 2001; Camprub et al., 2003; Singer
et al., 2005; Camprub and Albinson, 2006,
2007; Ortiz-Hernndez et al., 2006; Valencia-Moreno et al., 2006, 2007; GonzlezSnchez et al., 2007, 2009). Different criteria have been used to characterise and
categorise ore deposits in Mexico, but an
approach regarding major geologic events
and deposit types has not been integrally
attempted. The most comprehensive and
useful review to date is due to Clark and
Fitch (2009), rooted in the prodigious work
of the Kenneth Clark and Paul Damons
team in the late 1970 and early 1980 decades (Clark et al., 1977, 1982; Damon et al.,
1981a, b). Also, Francisco Fabregat compiled a large collection of data to produce
regional commodity maps of economically
productive Mexican ore deposits (FabregatGuinchard and Corts-Guzmn, 1978). In
general, most of ore deposits in Mexico
are due to either (1) the convergent plate
margin along the Pacific coast and the resulting magmatic activity since the Jurassic,
or (2) the fluid dynamics and geochemical
processes in the sedimentary basins that are
part of the Gulf of Mexico mega-basin, that
also hosts the Mexican oil and gas fields.
Although such processes are held accountable for the vast majority of ore deposits in
Mexico, there are other types of deposits,
like Cordilleran orogenic gold deposits
or rare-element pegmatites, that formed in
other contexts and epochs. Also, significant
events like the opening of the Gulf of California and the subsequent incorporation of
the Baja California Peninsula to the Pacific
Plate generated shallow submarine deposits
on the western side of the Gulf.
The geological configuration of Mexico
can be schematised as a grouping of tectonostratigraphic terranes, which have a wide
variety of volcanosedimentary series associated with several Mesozoic and Cenozoic
magmatic arcs. Such terranes might have
attached to (accreted) and detached from
the mainlands during the complex evolution

of the Pacific margin in Mexico (CentenoGarca et al., 2008). The core paleocontinent for the gathering of such terranes is
named Oaxaquia, and it is thought to extend
NNW-SSE from Coahuila to Oaxaca (Fig.
1). The complex structural arrangement of
Mexico determined the existence of fault
or discontinuity zones at different crustal scales that have acted episodically as
preferential channelways for magmas and
aqueous fluids over a long period of time.
This might have been the case of major
suture zones between terranes, and is also
the case of large (more than 700 km long)
fault zones bordering the region known as
Mesa Central or Mexican Altiplano. These
were dated to the Eocene-Oligocene, show
neotectonic activity, and it is speculated
that they may be inherited from Cretaceous
or older structures (Nieto-Samaniego et al.,
2005, 2007) that may be associated with
suture zones between terranes. The role
of these large fault zones in ore-forming
processes is yet to be firmly established in
this region, but the preferential accumulation of several types of ore deposits around
large fault zones suggests that they ruled to
a great extent the upflow of magmas and
fluids, and the emplacement of mineralisation.

From the Proterozoic to the

Jurassic
Known Proterozoic ore deposits are virtually restricted to anorthosites (Ti) and rareelement pegmatites (U-Th-Nb-Ta-REE) in
the Oaxacan Complex. Rare-element pegmatites are found in the region between Huitzo and Telixtlahuaca, including the notorious El Muerto pegmatite, formerly mined
for U and Th. Two sets of pegmatites in the
region were dated by Solari et al. (2003)
at 1153-1063 Ma and 980-956 Ma. Ti-rich
anorthosites in the Pluma Hidalgo region
were dated at 1010-998 Ma by Schulze et
al. (2000). Paleozoic ore deposits are also
scarce. The Carboniferous (Visean) VMS
deposits in Teziutln (Puebla) have been
characterised as Besshi type deposits (Miranda-Gasca, 2007) and are regarded almost
as an isolate case for their kind. However,
the economically most important Paleozoic
deposits are the Late Devonian SEDEX barite deposits in Sonora (Johnson et al., 2009).
The serpentinites and refractory grade PGEpoor chromitites in Tehuitzingo (Puebla)
are part of a slice of an ophiolitic sequence
from a supra-subduction zone (Proenza et
al., 2004) that probably was obducted during the Early Ordovician (Campa-Uranga et

7 <<<

al., 2002) as part of a regional-scale event

(Vega-Granillo et al., 2007). There are other
Paleozoic Cr-Ni-Cu-Co-PGE showings in
mafic-ultramafic complexes in Sinaloa, and
Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic in Baja
California Sur, as well as numerous Jurassic
and Cretaceous examples, mostly associated with ophiolites or intra-oceanic arcs
(Ortiz-Hernndez et al., 2006).

The backbone metallogenic

province: the Pacific margin
The deposit types that can be genetically
attributed to magmatic processes taking
place mostly in continental arcs (Jurassic
to recent) in the Pacific margin of Mexico are chiefly (1) polymetallic or Ag-Au
epithermal, (2) porphyry Cu, Mo, Au, W,
(3) polymetallic or Au skarn, (4) volcanogenic stratiform massive sulphide or barite
(VMS), (5) magmatic/hydrothermal iron
oxide (IOCG clan), (6) Sn veins or disseminations associated with granites or
rhyolites, and (7) U(-Au) veins in rhyolites.
The above deposit types are located along
a wide NW-SE magmatic belt across the
country that evolved from mostly submarine oceanic to immature continental arcs in
the Mesozoic, to subaerial continental arcs
since the Late Cretaceous. It includes the
silicic large igneous province (SLIP) of the
Sierra Madre Occidental (SMO), the Sierra
Madre del Sur (SMS), and the Sierra Madre
de Chiapas (the western and southern Sierras Madre).
Among other characteristics, this is the
greatest silver province in the world. The
likeliness that all the epithermal deposits
in the region (the greatest silver producers) are genetically linked to magmatism,
beyond its role as a source for heat, is arguable. Conventional models for epithermal
deposits agree with non-magmatic sources
for fluids, ligands, and perhaps metals, and
with the idea that these deposits may not
have formed in association with continental
arc magmatism (e.g., the San Felipe deposit
in Baja California). However, the available data allow us to make the simplifying assumption that there is a suite of ore
deposits, that encompasses porphyry, skarn,
epithermal and VMS types (among others), which are associated with arc-related
calc-alkaline (also adakite-like) to alkaline
magmatism.
In this paper, skarn deposits stand for either
mantos, chimneys or skarn-type in the sense
of Megaw et al. (1988) and Clark and Fitch
(2009), as well as distal skarns. The morphology, structure, and metal contents of

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Figure 1: General geological configuration of Mexico based on tectonostratigraphic terranes and the distribution of the Oaxaquia paleocontinent,
simplified from Centeno-Garca et al. (2008).

the diverse skarn styles differ largely from

each other, but all these differences fit in a
single genetic type, as much as it happens
with epithermal deposits (Camprub and
Albinson, 2006, 2007). The term carbonate
replacement deposits may be misleading
as it describes skarns as much as epithermal, MVT or other types, although Megaw
(1998) provided a comprehensive definition
for them.
The Mesozoic-Cenozoic magmatic activity
in the Pacific margin can be divided into
five major episodes (Ferrari et al., 2005b,
2007; Morn-Zenteno et al., 2005, 2007;
Centeno-Garca et al., 2008): (1) Jurassic
to Early Cretaceous, (2) Late Cretaceous
to Paleocene, (3) Eocene-Oligocene, (4)
Early Miocene, and (5) Middle Miocene to
present in the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt
(TMVB), that contains recent and active
volcanoes.
Subduction in the region began in the Early
Jurassic and formed several island arcs and
volcanosedimentary assemblages (CentenoGarca et al., 2008). In submarine volcanosedimentary assemblages, that extend into
the Cretaceous, several volcanogenic-hosted
massive sulphide deposits (VMS) are found,
like Tizapa, Campo Morado, Tlanilpa-Azu-

laquez, San Nicols-El Salvador, and Cuale

(Fig. 2). Another set of deposits (La Minita,
Sapo Negro) contains sulphides at its base,
massive barite in most of the deposit, and
Mn and Fe oxides at the top, thus reflecting
a progressive oxidation. Some VMS deposits formed in a back-arc setting between the
volcanic arcs and the epicontinental seas
and positive lands of eastern Mexico, and
others formed within juvenile and slightly
evolved arcs (Mortensen et al., 2008). In
the case of Cuale, a shallow submarine epicontinental environment is invoked (Bissig
et al., 2008). Most of the VMS deposits in
Mexico are classified as Kuroko-type deposits, although Copper King may belong
to the Cyprus type (Miranda-Gasca, 2000).
These deposits formed in association with
either calc-alkaline, tholeiitic or alkaline
volcanic rocks (Gonzlez-Partida, 1993),
although the time and space distribution of
such rock types is not well known.
In general, during the Early Cretaceous
Cr-Ni deposits formed in mafic-ultramafic
rocks in island arcs (Ortiz-Hernndez et
al., 2006) and metalliferous porphyries in
continental arcs (Valencia-Moreno et al.,
2006, 2007). However, the CretaceousPaleocene belt contains mainly porphyry

and skarn deposits. Evidence for primitive

arc emplacement is found at the Early
Cretaceous El Arco-Calmall porphyry deposits (Weber and Lpez-Martnez, 2006).
A few epithermal deposits were formed:
El Barqueo (mostly low sulphidation),
and Caridad Antigua (high sulphidation),
which telescopes the La Caridad porphyry
Cu deposit. The giant porphyry Cu-Mo(-W)
deposits in Northern Sonora (e.g., Cananea,
La Caridad) are part of the Big Cluster that
contains the porphyry deposits in southeastern Arizona and southwestern New Mexico,
like Bisbee and Morenci. Porphyry deposits
in Mexico are apparently cogenetic with
their parental batholiths. Their geochemical signatures indicate that the magmas may
have been derived from different sources
and magmatic processes, and display different degrees of crustal contamination and
assimilation of sedimentary materials (Valencia-Moreno et al., 2006, 2007; Zrcher
and Titley, 2007; Potra and Macfarlane,
2008). In SW Mexico there is a significant
concentration of iron deposits (the iron
belt of Damon et al., 1981a; Clark et al.,
1982) that have been described as skarns
like Mezcala or Cerro Nhuatl or generic
magmatic-hydrothermal magnetite-apatite

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9 <<<

Figure 2: Age and geographic distribution of magmatism and genetically related ore deposits in the Pacific convergent margin of Mexico, and in the Gulf
of California. The distribution of volcanic and intrusive rocks was taken from Ferrari et al. (2005b, 2007) for the Sierra Madre Occidental and MornZenteno et al. (2005, 2007) and Martnez-Serrano et al. (2008) for the Sierra Madre del Sur. The position of the Baja California Peninsula is reconstructed
to its approximate pre-rifting position except in the lower right map, where it is shown in its present position. All the deposits in the maps have radiometric
age determinations or their age is well constrained by means of plausible geologic correlation (shown in Table 1), with only a few exceptions that might
reasonably formed during the period they are consigned to. The El Boleo and El Gaviln deposits in the Baja California Peninsula are not associated
with arc magmatism but with continental extension instead, and the Monterrey Formation is constituted by sedimentary phosphorites; such deposits
are shown here to complete the metallogenic overview of the region. The Jurassic VMS and older deposits are shown in the Cretaceous-Paleocene
but are obviously unrelated to such magmatism. The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (TMVB, Middle Miocene to present) is shown in order to indicate
the extent of the previous igneous belts that are covered for it. The Xoconostle and Tzitzio deposits are genetically associated with the TMVB, not
with the volcanism of the Sierra Madre Occidental. In the upper left map, patterns in black denote the extent of outcrops, and in grey are covered
rocks; in the rest of maps are shown the known occurrences alone. In darker grey it is indicated the approximate area of the Mesa Central, taken from
Nieto-Samaniego et al. (2005, 2007). The Talamantes Mn deposit is identified with a grey star as a suitable candidate to belong to the epithermal type,
although the author could not confirm such filiation. Thick grey lines denote terrane boundaries as in Fig. 1. Key: SLTFS = San Luis-Tepehuanes
Fault System; TSMAFS = Taxco-San Miguel de Allende Fault System.

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Figure 3: Geographic distribution of plausible Miocene epithermal deposits in SW Mexico (after

Aguilar-Nogales, 1987), Oligocene-Miocene ignimbrites of the latest magmatic pulses of the SMO in
the area, and major structural features (simplified from Ferrari et al., 2005b, 2007). Same symbols
as in Fig. 2.

deposits like Pea Colorada, El Encino or

Zaniza. The available ages in southwestern
Mexico (Camprub et al., 2006a) suggest an
Early Paleocene magmatic event responsible for such concentration of deposits,
and might have generated other types of
deposits as well. Hernndez-Barosio (1979)
explained the formation of such deposits in
southeastern Mexico mostly as due to magmatic segregation and injection during the
Paleocene-Eocene. Iron skarns could actually be part of the broad and loosely characterised iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG)
clan, in the same fashion as similar deposits
in the Andean Coastal Ranges (Sillitoe,
2003). The occurrence of tholeiitic gabbrodiorites in southwestern Mexico coeval to
most iron deposits advocates for continental
extension and crustal thinning in the region
during the Paleocene, thus suggesting an
Andean-like IOCG setting. Also, tholeiitic
and calc-alkaline rocks were emplaced in
the same region simultaneously (Zrcher et

al., 2001; Corona-Esquivel and Henrquez,

2004). In the Alisitos arc, Baja California,
gabbros are also reported in association with
parental magmatic rocks for the Early Cretaceous San Fernando IOCG deposit, which
probably formed during a brief continental
rifting period at 111-110 Ma (see Lopez et
al., 2005; here I interpret the rifting event
described by Busby et al., 2006, as the most
likely to have associated IOCG deposits) or
later during a compressional event (Cruise
et al., 2007). Other iron deposits in southwestern Mexico with unconstrained ages
are likely to belong to the Paleocene IOCG
cluster too: Las Truchas, La Guayabera,
Aquila, Tibor, and Plutn.
The magmatism during the Eocene moved
eastwards into the continent (Fig. 2), and
doing so it reached the carbonate sequences
that formed in epicontinental basins related to the passive margin of the Gulf of
Mexico. In distal portions of the magmatic
belt, the intrusive bodies associated with the

June 2009

Eocene episode in contact with carbonate

rocks therefore formed some of the biggest
Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag skarn deposits in the country, like Zimapn, Mapim, Charcas, Concepcin del Oro, and San Martn, and the
same occurred during the Oligocene. This
belt also includes the Au-bearing polymetallic Peasquito skarn in Mazapil, soon to
be one of the largest mining developments
in Mexico. Some skarns in Sonora with
other deposit types altogether, Paleocene to
Oligocene in age, are rich in W (Mead et al.,
1988). Meanwhile, porphyry type deposits
kept forming in proximal portions of the
magmatic belt. Epithermal deposits also
formed, with a cluster of important deposits
in the central part of the SMO (Tayoltita,
Topia) and in the SMS. The Eocene episode constitutes the rst bimodal andesiticrhyolitic volcanic episode of the Lower
Volcanic Complex (LVC) of the SMO (e.g.,
McDowell and Keizer, 1977). The LVC extends into the Eocene and is largely formed
by andesites and, locally, rhyolitic volcanic
centres which are generally associated with
economically relevant epithermal deposits.
The climactic magmatism in the SMO is
represented by ignimbritic silicic volcanism
in two main pulses: (1) from Late Eocene
to Early Oligocene along the entire SMO
and the Mesa Central, and (2) during the
Early Miocene in the central and southern
SMO. A myriad of epithermal deposits
formed in association with the first pulse,
with a preferential age range between 35
and 30 Ma in the Mesa Central, including
world-class districts as Guanajuato and
Fresnillo (currently the biggest silver mine
in the world). Actually, this age range is the
most prospective for epithermal deposits
in Mexico. Also, tin deposits associated
with the emplacement of rhyolitic domes
or granitic intrusions (greisen) are virtually
restricted to the borders of the Mesa Central
(specifically to the San Luis-Tepehuanes
Fault Zone; Nieto-Samaniego et al., 2005,
2007) and formed during the Oligocene
crustal extension period as well. Among
them, the Tlaquicheros, Villa de Reyes,
Villa de Arriaga, Ahualulco, Coso, Sierra
de Chapultepec, La Ochoa, Juan Aldama,
Cerro de los Remedios, Sombrerete, Avino,
and El Naranjo-Los ngeles deposits are
worth mentioning. During the Oligocene a
second set of IOCG deposits in the southern
and northeastern SMO (Fig. 2; Cerro de
Mercado, and the La Perla-Hrcules cluster, respectively) formed. The Paleocene
IOCG deposits appear to be of relatively
deep formation, as they commonly contain
coarse euhedral magnetite with incipient

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Figure 4: Geographic distribution of ore deposits associated with the evolution of the Gulf of Mexico,
based on Gonzlez-Snchez et al. (2007, 2009) and Rocha-Rocha (2008). The extent of the basin is
only approximative, with the purpose to show the occurrence of the sedimentary facies to which the
ore deposits are genetically associated or hosted by them. The Campeche Sound and the Chicontepec
Basin contain most of the oil and gas fields in Mexico. Thick grey lines denote terrane boundaries as
in Fig. 1. Key: BPP = Burro-Peyotes Paleopeninsula; CPI = Coahuila Paleoisland; LBF = La Babia
Fault; MSM = Mojave-Sonora Megashear; SLVP = San Luis-Valles Platform; SMF = San Marcos
Fault; TSMAFS = Taxco-San Miguel de Allende Fault System.

martitisation and may be considered hypabyssal (e.g., Pea Colorada; Tritlla et al.,
2003), whereas Oligocene deposits have
clear volcanic structures (e.g., Cerro de
Mercado; Lyons, 1988) or consist mostly of
ash-fall pulverulent hematite deposits (e.g.,
La Perla; Crdenas-Vargas and del CastilloGarca, 1964).
The Early Miocene magmatic pulse corresponds to the last volcanic episode in
the SMO that is clearly ignimbritic, known

as Upper Volcanic Series (McDowell and

Keizer, 1977). During this event mostly
epithermal deposits are known to have
formed (Fig. 2). Most Miocene epithermal
deposits are found in Nayarit, along with
some Sn veins associated with Miocene calderas (Fig. 3). These deposits are probably
associated with the continuous volcanism
that occurred between 19.55 and 12.6 Ma
(Aguilar-Nogales, 1987). The second important prospective area for Miocene depos-

11 <<<

its is found at the eastern end of the TMVB,

and encompasses epithermal deposits like
Pachuca-Real del Monte, skarn, porphyry
and IOCG deposits. The Pachuca-Real del
Monte district is the largest silver-producing single ore deposit ever (~45,000 t Ag,
220 t Au). The reason for such exceptional
amount of silver in a single district, especially in such an uncommon place and time
for epithermal deposits in Mexico, is unknown. East of Pachuca, the Ixtacamaxtitln area (Puebla) contains small porphyry
gold (dated at 17.8 Ma) and skarn deposits
telescoped by a low sulphidation epithermal deposit, and an iron oxide-gold-copper
skarn (that is, IOCG) telescoped by polymetallic epithermal veins in Tatatila-Las
Minas (Veracruz) that may be younger
than 11 Ma.
The Eastern Mexican Alkaline Province
(EMAP), Late Eocene to Present, forms a
belt parallel to the Pacific paleotrench by
the Gulf of Mexico and comprises some
alkaline intrusive and volcanic complexes
with ages decreasing southwards. The EMAP reflects a switch in magmatism from
subduction to intraplate due to continental extension and slab rollback (RamrezFernndez et al., 2000; Viera-Dcida et al.,
2009), as a southwards prolongation of the
controversial Ro Grande Rift. In northern Mexico, it contains REE carbonatites,
agpaites and alkaline metasomatism at El
Picacho and Villa Ahumada (RubinovichKogan et al., 1988; Nandigam et al., 1999;
Ramrez-Fernndez et al., 2000) and, according to the possibility that carbonatites
may be part of the IOCG clan (Groves and
Vielreicher, 2001), it would not be unlikely
that the metallogenic belt of the EMAP includes the deposits in the La Perla-Hrcules
cluster. In addition, the prevailing tectonic
regime during the formation of these deposits was extensional (Labarthe-Hernndez
and Tristn-Gonzlez, 1988). Further study
may also explore the possible genetic link
between IOCG and epithermal deposits in
northeastern Chihuahua. In northern Coahuila, a group of Eocene to Oligocene polymetallic (Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag-Au) skarn deposits
(Fig. 2) are due to alkaline magmatism as
well, and some of them are rich in Co-NiCr. In the southern part of the EMAP, in the

Figure 5 (next page): Histographic representation for the occurrence in time of ore deposits in Mexico with known ages, based on Table 1. The black
boxes cover the time span obtained in individual deposits or overlying/underlying rocks. The time span of major geologic events was drawn from Henry
et al. (2003), Ferrari et al. (2005b, 2007), Morn-Zenteno et al. (2005, 2007), and Centeno-Garca et al. (2008). The two available analyses from Caballo
Blanco (Veracruz) are shown in grey boxes for reasons explained in Table 1. Although this deposit is marked here as epithermal, it is not known whether
the analysed rocks were more closely associated with the epithermal or the porphyry mineralisations. Also in grey, MVT deposits whose association with
the dated rocks is poorly understood. Key: GC = Gulf of California; HS = high sulphidation; IS = intermediate sulphidation; LS = low sulphidation; LVC
= Lower Volcanic Complex (SMO); MVT = Mississippi Valley type deposits; SBC = Sinaloan Batholithic Complex; SMO = Sierra Madre Occidental;
SMOr = Sierra Madre Oriental; SMS = Sierra Madre del Sur; TMVB = Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt; UVS = Upper Volcanic Supergroup (SMO).

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Figure 5: Caption on previous page.

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June 2009

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13 <<<

Figure 6: Elemental distribution in Mexican ore deposits and their combination in characteristic metal associations, as obtained by Fabregat-Guinchard
and Corts-Guzmn (1978) after the analysis of over 5,000 economic mineral deposits.

Palma Sola region (Veracruz), an alkaline

magmatic complex (dated at 17.0 and 7.48
Ma; Negendank et al., 1985; Ferrari et al.,
2005) hosts a group of porphyry and highsulphidation epithermal deposits currently
under exploration that are similar to those
in the southwest Pacific (e.g., Richards and
Kerrick, 1993; Richards, 1995). Similar

to the above, the porphyry and epithermal

deposits in the Ixhuatn area (Chiapas;
Miranda-Gasca et al., 2005) may represent
the southernmost end of the EMAP metallogenic belt.
It is worth to remark that some deposits in
central Mexico (porphyry and epithermal
deposits: Caballo Blanco, Tzitzio, Xocon-

ostle) and in Chiapas (porphyry and skarn

deposits: Ixhuatn, Santa Fe) are associated with recent magmatism of either the
TMVB or the EMAP (Table 1 and Fig. 5).
The reason for this is that the general prospectiveness or likeliness to host relevant
ore deposits of the TMVB has been traditionally overlooked or misprised, although

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its magmatism of variable mafic to felsic

composition (Gmez-Tuena et al., 2005,
2007) makes it a good candidate to host ore
deposits of the calc-alkaline suite (Camprub and Albinson, 2007).
The geothermal fields in Central Mexico
and the Baja California Peninsula represent
appropriate modern analogues for shallow
epithermal deposits. Metallic mineral associations have also been described in active
volcanoes: Taran et al. (2000) reported gold
as a sublimate in the Colima volcano and
Larocque et al. (2007) described metallic
mineral associations similar to those in high
sulphidation epithermal deposits in pumice
fragments of the Popocatpetl.
Thus, the metallogenic history of the Pacific convergent margin in Mexico can be
very roughly sketched since the Jurassic as
a succession of VMS-, porphyry-, skarn-,
and epithermal-dominated epochs peppered
by other deposit types. The magmatic arcs
associated with this long-lasting margin
were established on relatively thin continental or oceanic crust under epicontinental
seas. Then, submarine hydrothermal activity led to the formation of VMS deposits.
Eventually, the porphyry-skarn-epithermal
suite formed instead, following the trail
of magmatism. The occurrence of carbonate rocks in the path of the magma upflow
determined the formation of skarn-related
deposits, and the style and geometry of
epithermal deposits. Their mineralogy and
metal content was determined to a large
extent by the chemistry and metal endowment of mineralising fluids (Albinson et
al., 2001; Camprub et al, 2006b; Camprub
and Albinson, 2007). The time and space
distribution of magmatism and epithermal
deposits in the SMO are generally coincidental, especially during the OligoceneMiocene and around the suture zones of the
Guerrero Composite Terrane and the Mesa
Central. This feature suggests a prevailing
deep-seated control on mineralization that
links ore genesis to magmatic processes
(sic, Simmons et al., 2005). The relative
abundance of porphyry type deposits and
the scarcity of epithermal deposits during
the Paleocene does not mean that the latter
did not form, though they are particularly
abundant thereafter (Fig. 2). Alternatively,
they could have been uplifted and subsequently eroded or covered by later rocks,
especially by the thick volcanic sequence
of the SMO. This is suggested by the occurrence of Eocene deposits that, like Tayoltita, are found at the bottom of deep canyons
that were carved into the large volcanic pile
in the central SMO.

Number 25

Unlike most metallogenic provinces in the

world with epithermal deposits, high sulphidation epithermal deposits are uncommon in the Mexican backbone. Instead,
intermediate sulphidation deposits are dominant, although most deposits have intermediate sulphidation roots or early stages
and low sulphidation tops or late stages,
developing different mineralisation styles
upon different magmatic settings (Camprub and Albinson, 2007). These deposits
are typically polymetallic and/or Ag-rich
and some are predated by skarn and/or
porphyry-type ores. The ultimate reason
for this particularity is, perhaps, a relatively thick crust beneath when compared to
more typical settings for high sulphidation
epithermal deposits in primitive arcs, as insinuated by Kesler (1997). This explanation
is consistent with the (almost) exclusive
occurrence of high sulphidation deposits
in NW Mexico, in the Big Cluster area
for porphyry deposits. In this region crustal
extension started during the Paleocene, and
constitutes part of the southern end of the
Basin and Range Province (e.g., Ferrari et
al., 2005b, 2007; Simmons et al., 2005).
Additionally, the diverse topographic gradients due to large mountain ranges and
the abundance of ore deposits in Mexico
that are rich in dense and resistant minerals
led to the formation of numerous Au, Sn, U
and Ti alluvial, fluvial and coastal placers
elsewhere (see the exhaustive inventory
by Clark and Fitch, 2009; only a few are
noted in Table 1 Electronic Supplementary
Material).

The Gulf of California

The southern half of the Baja California
Peninsula hosts the most important sedimentary phosphorite deposits in Mexico in
the Late Oligocene-Early Miocene Monterrey Formation, which formed in a relatively
shallow submarine environment (Alatorre,
1988).
The opening of the Gulf of California since
the Late Miocene and its transfer from the
North American to the Pacific Plate was
associated with the continental extension in
the SMO (Ferrari et al., 2005b, 2007) as part
of the Southern Basin and Range. The ore
deposits associated with this phenomenon
have a distinct metallogenic personality.
These are Miocene to Pliocene relatively
shallow syngenetic (and partly epigenetic)
stratiform deposits that can be ascribed to
the SEDEX type, like the Co-Cu-Zn-Mn El
Boleo deposit and the Mn Lucifer deposit,
that occur within the same stratigraphic

June 2009

section. A hydrothermal origin within a

shallow submarine environment for these
deposits was already indicated by Freiberg
(1983). Other deposits on the western coast
of the Baja California Peninsula (Fig. 2) are
Mn veins and stockworks, like those on the
Concepcin Peninsula (e.g., El Gaviln).
Moreover, in Concepcin Bay there are
small recent deposits and coastal hydrothermal vents that precipitate mineral associations alike those in the fossil deposits
(Canet et al., 2005). Both shallow and deep
hydrothermal systems are widespread in the
Pacific passive margin (Hein et al., 2005)
and in the Gulf of California, like the CuCo-Zn-Ni-Au-Ag vents in the Guaymas
Basin (Lonsdale et al., 1980), the Hg-Ba-Tl
vents in Punta Mita (Fig. 3; Prol-Ledesma et
al., 2002), and in the black Cu-Co-Pb-AgCd-Mn and white barite smokers in the East
Pacific Rise at the 21N latitude (Bischoff
et al., 1983). The latter are forming in an
actualistic Cyprus-type VMS setting.
In addition, there is a group of epithermal
deposits in northern Baja California (e.g.,
San Felipe), aged Miocene to Pliocene, that
formed in association with the extensional
regime of the Gulf of California (Clark and
Fitch, 2009) instead of arc magmatism like
those in the SMO.

The Gulf of Mexico megabasin

The Gulf of Mexico opened during the Middle-Late Jurassic as a result of the breakup
of Pangea (e.g., Anderson and Schmidt,
1983). Goldhammer (1999) and Padilla y
Snchez (2007) illustrated the evolution of
the major basins in the region. In the resulting passive margin and horst-and-graben
marginal sub-basins a thick sedimentary
sequence was deposited with terrigenous,
evaporitic, and carbonate facies. Today, part
of the basin hosts gas fields, but also Mississippi Valley type (MVT), red-bed, SEDEX,
sedimentary iron, and sulphur deposits in
cap rocks of salt diapirs. The carbonate
facies also host skarn deposits associated
with the magmatism described in previous
sections. Late Cretaceous orogenic episodes
produced a significant shortening of most
of the Mexican crust. The eastern front of
this shortening episode is represented by the
Sierra Madre Oriental fold-and-thrust belt.
Orogenic deformation attenuates to the east,
towards the Gulf of Mexico passive margin.
The most outstanding SEDEX deposit is
the giant Kimmeridgian-Early Tithonian
Molango Mn deposit (Zantop, 1978), the
largest manganese deposit in America.
The epigenetic and (mostly) stratabound de-

Number 25

SGA News

June 2009

posit types in northeastern Mexico are MVT

and red-bed deposits. These are distributed
in two preferential areas, both marginal
epicontinental basins, in northeastern and
central Mexico (Fig. 4). The latter contains
mostly fluorite deposits in hydrothermal
karsts including Las Cuevas, the largest
fluorite mine in the world, and the Ro
Verde district, as well as some celestine and
strontianite deposits. The MVT province of
northeastern Mexico (Gonzlez-Snchez et
al., 2007, 2009) was formed in the basin that
covered most of the present state of Coahuila and part of the neighbouring states.
The likeliness of this region to host MVT
deposits was early stated by Rosas-Sols
and Smano-Tirado (1983) when comparing the Appalachian structural features in
the region with those in the USA. The
northeastern basins contained horsts (paleogeographic features as paleoislands and
part of the North American mainland) and
grabens (main depocentres) that ruled the
sedimentary regime and facies, separated
by faults that later played an important role
as channelways for the mineralising basinal

brines and also governed the deformation

styles of the Sierra Madre Oriental that led
to the inversion of the basin. GonzlezSanchez et al. (2007, 2009) catalogued over
200 deposits as MVTs in this region. The
epigenetic deposits in this province show
a clear mineralogical zonation that allows
to determine, from south to north: (1) the
Southern MVT Celestine Subprovince, associated with the Coahuila Paleoisland and
the Parras Basin, (2) the Cu Subprovince,
which contains red-bed Cu-(Co-Cr-Pb-ZnU-fluorite) deposits hosted, among others,
by the Las Vigas and San Marcos Formations on the southern shoulder of the La
Babia Fault and on the northern shoulder of
the San Marcos Fault, respectively, (3) the
Central MVT Zn-Pb Subprovince, partly
associated with the San Marcos Fault but
also distributed in the central part of the
Sabinas Basin, (4) the Central MVT Barite
Subprovince, located in the central part of
the basin, and (5) the Northern MVT Fluorite Subprovince, associated with the BurroPeyotes Paleopeninsula and the La Babia
Fault (Fig. 4; see also Fig. 2 in Gonzlez-

15 <<<

Snchez et al., 2009). The Celestine Subprovince accounts for probably the greatest
concentration of celestine on Earth, and the
most important deposits are found in the
Sierra de Alamitos and San Agustn districts onto the Coahuila Paleoisland. Other
important deposits are found in Mzquiz
(barite), Buenavista (fluorite), Cuatro Palmas (fluorite, and some U-rich bodies),
Sierra Mojada (Zn-Pb), Reforma (Zn-Pb)
in Coahuila, and Tres Maras (Zn-Pb-Ge) in
Chihuahua. The Southern Cu Subprovince
contains several Cu-rich deposits hosted
by red beds (mostly microconglomerates,
sandstones and arkoses) along the San Marcos fault, in the Cuatrocinegas area, Coahuila, and in Las Vigas, Chihuahua. These
deposits are similar to those in Trans-Pecos
Texas (Price et al., 1988) and may share a
common ancestry with them. The formation of some MVT deposits predated orogenic deformation whereas others postdated
it, and occurred by means of basinal brines
that were partially driven by either lithostatic pressure or orogenic compression and
formed mostly stratabound deposits within

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>>> 16

SGA News

Number 25

June 2009

Figure 7: Above: combination of the elemental distribution for all elements as in Figure 6, with the location of the main fault zones Mexico (from
Righter and Carmichael, 1992; Chvez-Cabello et al., 2005, 2007; Nieto-Samaniego et al., 2005, 2007) and the explanation for major gaps in the distribution of ore deposits. Below: same elemental distribution as above, with Cretaceous to Cenozoic magmatic rocks (from Ferrari et al., 2005b, 2007;
Morn-Zenteno et al., 2005, 2007), topographic elevations 2,000 m above sea level (to give an idea of the location of the thickest volcanic piles in the
SMO, SMS and TMVB; from Nieto-Samaniego et al., 2005, 2007), and the suture zones for tectonostratigraphic terranes (from Centeno-Garca et al.,
2008). See Ferrari et al. (2005b, 2007) for a detailed structural configuration of the SMO. The ages for the magmatic complexes of the EMAP were obtained from Sewell (1968), Bloomfield and Cepeda-Dvila et al. (1973), Nelson and Gonzalez-Caver (1992), Nandigam et al. (1999), Ramrez-Fernndez
et al. (2000), Iriondo et al. (2003, 2004), Ferrari et al. (2005a), Molina-Garza et al. (2008), and Viera-Dcida et al. (2009). Key: AG = Aguascalientes
Graben; BF = Bajo Fault; BG = Bolaos Graben; CR = Colima Rift; LBF = La Babia Fault; MSM = Mojave-Sonora Megashear; PTZ = Parras
Transversal Zone; SLTFS = San Luis-Tepehuanes Fault System; SMF = San Marcos Fault; TSMAFS = Taxco-San Miguel de Allende Fault System;
TZCR = Tepic-Zacoalco and Chapala Rifts (structural features); EMAP = Eastern Mexican Alkaline Province; SMO = Sierra Madre Occidental;
SMS = Sierra Madre del Sur; TMVB = Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt (mountain belts); CEC = Cerro El Colorado; CMB = Candela-Monclova Belt; IX = Ixhuatn;
LC = La Cueva; LT = Los Tuxtlas; PS = Palma Sola; SP = Sierra de Picachos; SSC = Sierra de San Carlos; ST = Sierra de Tamaulipas;
TTA = Tlanchinol-Tantima-lamo; VA = Villa Ahumada (igneous complexes in the EMAP).

evaporites or reefal limestones (GonzlezSnchez et al., 2007, 2009). The Oligocene

La Coma uranium red bed-hosted (roll
front) deposits occur in a similar context to
the Cu Subprovince although their formation was probably diachronic.

The trouble ores

The deposits that are not what they may
seem or what they were first described, plus
those not well understood yet, are tagged
here as trouble ores. In previous sections

and Table 1 (ESM) several deposits are

branded with type denominations, beyond
the discussion that led to such labeling or
the criteria for classification that have been
used in this paper. It is not a trivial question,
as some economically important deposits

Number 25

SGA News

June 2009

were ascribed to vaguely reasonable types

or using scant evidence. Although their
genesis is not fully explained so far, deposition models changed for (1) the Devonian
stratiform barite deposits of Sonora from
SEDEX (Arreola, 1978) to cold methane seepage (Torres et al., 2003, 2004)
and back to SEDEX (Emsbo and Johnson,
2004; Johnson et al., 2009), (2) the Pea
Colorada iron deposit from skarn (Zrcher
et al., 2001) or SEDEX (Rivas-Sanchez
et al., 2006) to IOCG (Tritlla et al., 2003;
Camprub and Canet, 2009), (3) the San
Fernando Cu-Au deposit from porphyrytype (Staude and Barton, 2001) to IOCG
(Lopez et al., 2005; Cruise et al., 2008),
(4) the Francisco I. Madero polymetallic
deposit from SEDEX (Yta et al., 2003) to
skarn (Canet et al., 2009), and (5) the Las
Cuevas, Buenavista and fluorite deposits
in the Ro Verde district from skarn (Ruiz
et al., 1980) to MVT (Gonzlez-Partida et
al., 2003; Levresse et al., 2003), although
Kemiac and Cookson (1975) early postulated a hydrothermal karst model for the Ro
Verde deposits. The origin of other deposits
remains disputed: the La Azul fluorite deposit in Taxco is considered epithermal by
Pi et al. (2005, 2006) and MVT by Tritlla
and Levresse (2006).
On the other hand, many deposits lack
proper or conveniently published studies.
Such is the case of the iron deposits in
southern Mexico that extend into the Tehuantepec Isthmus (Zaniza, Ixtlayutla, La
Ventosa, Totolapilla, Niltepec, Tepanatepec,
El Carmen, etc.). Most of them are characterised as small skarns or replacement
bodies (Ojeda-Rivera et al., 1965), and little
is known about them. It is suggested that
they may form an IOCG belt along with the
deposits in Colima, Jalisco and Michoacn,
provided that the Zaniza deposit formed
synchronically and shares many geologic
characteristics with them. However, the
IOCG issue is going to linger for a while,
as this group of deposit types is globally
(and locally) not well understood or accepted. However, many iron deposits in
Mexico have been described for decades
as volcanogenic (vg. Cerro de Mercado,
La Perla, Pea Colorada, Las Truchas,
La Guayabera, La Colomera, El Encino,
Hrcules, and Mochitln; Pesquera et al,
1977) or Kiruna type (Klemic, 1970),
and they cannot be dismissed as classic
skarns whether they are skarn look-alikes
or not. A possible extension northwards of
the IOCG belt is represented by a few FeAu-Cu deposits in Sinaloa (Bustamante and
Soberanes, 1978) and Fe-Cu deposits in the

Baja California Peninsula (Clark and Fitch,

2009), that were described as IOCG deposits by Lopez et al. (2005) and Cruise et al.
(2008). Interestingly, all these deposits constitute the closest ore belt to the paleotrench
(Clark et al., 1979; Damon et al., 1981a),
and their ages roughly decrease from north
to south (Paleocene-Oligocene to Miocene).
The knowledge about this ill-defined belt
would greatly benefit from determining the
ages and tectonic setting of the deposits in
the Pacific Sierras Madre.
Also, there are many carbonate- and evaporite-hosted epigenetic low-temperature
Hg and Sb deposits in Oaxaca, Guerrero,
Quertaro, San Luis Potos, Zacatecas and
Durango, of undifferentiated Tertiary age
and undisclosed type (Mixtepec, Huitzuco,
Huahuaxtla, Chonextla, Apatzingn, Tzitzio, Soyatal, Guaxcama, Wadley, etc.). Both
Huitzuco and Guaxcama are evaporitehosted deposits. Huitzuco is a Hg deposit
associated with vertical tubes carved in
Albian-Aptian evaporites, interpreted by
Vaupell (1938) as due to geysers. Both the
Huitzuco (evaporite-hosted) and Huahuaxtla
(carbonate-hosted) deposits are found in the
fault zone that limits the southwestern flank
of the resurgence block of the Tilzapotla
caldera (Morn-Zenteno et al., 2004). Thus
it is likely that the formation of these deposits is associated with epithermal stages
driven by the caldera activity. Guaxcama
is a sulphur deposit with associated small
cinnabar showings; Gonzlez-Reyna (1956)
described common features between this
deposit, Huitzuco and Huahuaxtla, and suggested a hydrothermal origin related with an
igneous source, although only informal studies have been conducted in the area. Early
descriptions (i.e., Archibald, 1950) of the
deposits at Wadley, while mining in the area
peaked, emphasise that the emplacement of
Sb mantos is systematically controlled by
faulting. All authors henceforth described
these deposits as carbonate-hosted shallow
epithermal, congruently with the general
structurally controlled intrusion-centered
skarn/epithermal setting of the Sierra de Catorce area. In other mineralised areas in the
Catorce region, very similar deposits have
been described in the same fashion (FloresAguilln, 1992). All the same, Tritlla et al.
(2008) apparently advocate a MVT model
(so far, unsustained) or, in their words, related with the upflow of (...) basinal brines
that interacted with evaporitic horizons.
Dissolution coupled with TSR-like reactions would account for (...) ore precipitation. Despite the historical good geological and mineralogical descriptions for the

17 <<<

Mexican Hg and Sb deposits published by

the Mexican Geological Survey, no physicochemical data were ever obtained on
mineralising fluids nor mechanisms for ore
deposition were determined. Thus, feasible
deposit types cannot be easily invoked to
describe them yet. Some Hg deposits are
associated with Sn veins in rhyolites (Sierra
de Chapultepec, Guadalczar), but it has
been speculated that most Hg and Sb deposits are shallow epithermal or even MVT
deposits. However, no revealing data has
been published to date. Hg and Sb deposits
are strongly and unsurprisingly tied in time
and space (Fig. 5), thus suggesting their affinity also in terms of deposit types. Further
research must shed some light on the presently ill-defined genesis and timing of many
ore deposits in Mexico.
Another interesting aspect for further research is the possible genetic link between
epithermal deposits and Sn deposits in topaz
rhyolites, provided that both types occur in
some areas in the SMO within the same
time range (they occur together in the Sombrerete, Avino and Guadalczar districts).
In this sense, Burt et al. (1982) proposed a
suite of deposit types due to the magmatism
associated with topaz rhyolites, including
porphyry, greisen or pegmatite mineralisations underneath. F-rich topaz rhyolites are
likely to be the extrusive equivalent of aluminous anorogenic granites, and Sn would
have been entrained in the vapour phase
after the eruption of rhyolites along with
other incompatible fluorophile-lithophile elements like U, Be, Li, Th, Mo, and perhaps,
W, Nb and Ta (Christiansen et al., 1983).
Sn-rich polymetallic epithermal deposits
are common in geologic settings alike those
in Mexico, typically in Per and Bolivia
(e.g., Cerro de Pasco; Baumgartner et al.,
2008). The Andean deposits may be associated with moderate to high magmatic fractionation processes (Dietrich et al., 2000),
and rhyolite-bearing tin deposits in Mexico
may have formed as extreme differentiates
in shallow magma chambers (Huspeni et
al., 1984). Alternatively, they may be the
result of partial melting after the passage
of hot mafic magmas under an extensional
tectonic setting allowing those small batches of magma to rise relatively unscathed
to the surface (Christiansen et al., 1983).
In fact, topaz rhyolites were emplaced in
central Mexico due to extensional tectonics
during the Oligocene (Orozco-Esquivel et
al., 2002). Presently, the continental crust
beneath the Mesa Central is significantly
thinner and topographically higher than in
the surrounding Sierra Madre Occidental

>>> 18

SGA News

and Sierra Madre Oriental, and is undergoing partial melting (Nieto-Samaniego et al.,
2005, 2007). Tuta et al. (1988) inferred a
thick crust in the area during the Oligocene,
but its actual configuration and thickness is
not well understood and might have been
more complex than simply thick or thin
(.F. Nieto-Samaniego, written communication, 2009).

The role of the basement vs. magmatism and structural control

Much has been said about the influence
of the Guerrero Composite Terrane on the
chemistry of ore deposits and mineralising
fluids. It has been suggested that the abundance of ore deposits in western Mexico
is due to the fertility of the basement, to
the point that the Mesozoic VMS deposits would have been pre-concentrations
for Cenozoic deposits (e.g., de Cserna,
1971). Such hypothesis lingers in several
recent geological-mining maps edited by
the Mexican Geological Survey. In general,
that explanation seems unlikely because (1)
the distribution of Mesozoic VMS deposits
is relatively limited (they are essentially restricted to the southern portion of the Guerrero Composite Terrane) when compared
to widespread Cenozoic deposits (Fig. 2),
(2) the distribution of Cenozoic deposits
follows only the distribution of Cenozoic
magmatism (as noticed by Damon et al.,
1981a; Clark et al., 1982) and the availability of fracture zones, regardless of the
occurrence of different terranes or types of
basement, and (3) the available geochemical data for Cenozoic deposits (O, H, He
isotopes and volatile composition in fluid
inclusions; e.g., Albinson et al, 2001; Camprub et al., 2006b; Camprub and Albinson,
2007) suggest the occurrence of multiple
sources for mineralising fluids but also
that metal-carrying hydrothermal pulses
for epithermal deposits were so endowed
due to their magmatic (juvenile?) character.
Also, sulphur isotope data shows both sedimentary/metasedimentary and magmatic
sources for the necessary sulphur as a metal
ligand and, in general, the relative amount
of H2S in solution correlates positively
with the proportion of magmatic fluids in
mineralising brines inferred from N2/Ar ratios. In the Sierra Madre del Sur, the Taxco,
Tilzapotla and Huautla volcanic centres
(~38 to ~32 Ma), with associated important
epithermal and skarn deposits, display isotopic data that suggest the occurrence of an
episode with a significant contribution of
mantle wedge-derived mafic magmas with

Number 25

variable degrees of crustal contamination

from a relatively homogeneous lower crust
(Morn-Zenteno et al., 2003). Although this
does not allow to ascertain any direct implication in the nature of mineralising fluids
in epithermal deposits, their isotopic and
volatile geochemistry, the relatively short
time span between their formation and the
preceding volcanism (e.g., Camprub et al.,
2003, 2006b; Valencia et al., 2005, 2008;
Camprub and Albinson, 2007), as well
as their common time and space distribution, suggest that the magmatic connection
of epithermal deposits in Mexico may be
tighter than previously noticed.
On the matter of tectonostratigraphic terranes, their control on the emplacement
of ore deposits appears to be restricted to
the combination of magmatism and the
presence of terrane suture zones (Fig. 2).
That is, the invasion by magmatism of
areas that were already structurally weak
or that experienced long-lasting faulting
made excellent channelways for the upflow
of both magmas and mineralising fluids,
as suggested by Miranda-Gasca (2000)
and Nieto-Samaniego et al. (2005, 2007).
The large quantity of ore deposits and the
virtually exclusive occurrence of Sn veins
in topaz rhyolites that concentrate on the
southern border of the Mesa Central (the
San Luis-Tepehuanes Fault System) and
the suture zone of the Guerrero Composite
Terrane (Fig. 2) supports this interpretation. However, that was possible during the
Oligocene, at the peak of the geographic
extension and intensity of magmatism in
the SMO, but when magmatism retreated
to southwestern Mexico during the Early
Miocene and the main terrane suture and
fault zones were out of the reach of magmatism, ore-forming processes concentrated in
other regions.

Metallogenic epochs
Epithermal, skarn, porphyry, VMS, IOCG,
and volcanogenic tin and uranium deposits
overlap in time and space during the Cenozoic and the Mesozoic (Fig. 5), and also
overlap partially in a similar fashion with
deposits associated with mafic-ultramafic
complexes. Other types of deposits, genetically unrelated to magmatism, such as orogenic gold (associated with the Laramide
orogeny), SEDEX, phosphorites, MVT, and
red-bed deposits (associated with sedimentation and basin dynamics in epicontinental
environments), do not share similar time
and space patterns with the above types,
as expected. The time distribution of ore

June 2009

deposits in Mexico leans heavily on the

Cenozoic (Fig. 5). Clark and Fitch (2009)
determined six preferential time intervals
in the metallogenic history of the region:
Proterozoic, Paleozoic, Permo-Triassic,
Jurassic to Early Cretaceous, Late Cretaceous to Early Miocene, and Late Miocene
to Present. To this papers reckoning, such
epochs are congruent with the compilation
of available ages (Table 1, ESM). However,
the relative scarcity of pre-Cenozoic deposits and the meager amount of dated deposits
makes difficult to draw any general explanation for such deposits, other than those
already stated in previous sections of this
article. During the Cenozoic, nonetheless,
the age distribution of ore deposits describes several peaks (no less than eleven)
and valleys. Based on the time and space
distribution of ore deposits, and on the
dominant types, two time-space slices can
be determined for the Mesozoic and five for
the Cenozoic: (1) Middle Jurassic to Early
Cretaceous in SW Mexico, mostly VMS deposits, (2) Cretaceous in the SW and Pacific
areas, mostly deposits associated with mafic-ultramafic rocks, (3) Paleocene to Early
Eocene in the NW and Pacific areas, dominantly porphyry-type deposits, also IOCG
and increasing amount of skarns with time,
(4) Early to Late Eocene in NW and central
Mexico, dominantly skarn and epithermal
deposits, (5) Oligocene virtually everywhere, dominantly epithermal deposits, Sn
veins and greisen (in the southern portion
of the Mesa Central) and some skarns, (6)
terminal Oligocene to Early Miocene in SW
and central Mexico, dominantly epithermal,
and (7) Middle Miocene to Present everywhere, containing several deposit types.
Most types of deposits and the vast majority
of dated deposits are genetically associated
with magmatism of different kinds, emplaced at different crustal levels. Hence, it
is no surprise that they mimic the time and
space distribution of magmatism.

Metal associations and their

space distribution
The element maps (Fig. 6) obtained by
Fabregat-Guinchard and Corts-Guzmn
(1978) are based on the analysis of all the
known ore deposits in Mexico at that time,
although the maps contain only economically productive deposits. Their combinations in characteristic metal associations
show features that need to be further explored at a greater detail. The associations
that have been initially considered here
are Ag-Au (mostly epithermal), Ag-Pb-

Number 25

SGA News

June 2009

Zn (epithermal, skarn, VMS), Au-Cu (porphyry, high sulphidation epithermal), Fe-Cu

(skarn, IOCG), Hg-Sb (shallow hydrothermal), Ag-Au-Pb-Zn-Cu (several types of
deposits). Also, Sn deposits may have some
genetic affinity with Hg and Sb deposits, as
they share a common distribution in central
Mexico. Alternatively, their affinity may
not be genetic as much as it may be due to
sharing the same crustal environment. All
the metals in the established metal associations show a good correlation. Au correlates
well with Cu and Ag elsewhere, and so does
Ag with Pb and Zn. Cu deposits are particularly abundant in southwestern Mexico,
where the correlation between Cu and Au is
the weakest. That is explained by the close
association of Cu with Fe in iron deposits
(IOCG clan and similar deposits). Such
interpretation is favoured by the discrete
distribution of Fe in only a few regions.
If we put together the geographical distribution of all analysed elements, the resulting features should display different levels
of general prospectiveness in space. As
expected, the most prospective areas are
the western and eastern parts of the Sierra
Madre Occidental (SMO), the area around

the Mesa Central, and the Sierra Madre

del Sur (Fig. 7). However, that distribution
leaves several gaps. Most gaps are apparent
because there are known important deposits
in those areas or the possible deposits are
buried under large piles of volcanic rocks
in the SMO or the Trans-Mexican Volcanic
Belt. The thickest pile of volcanic rocks in
the SMO (Fig. 7) determines the curiously
straight end of the area with abundant deposits in the western SMO (see Ag-Au and
Au-Cu distribution in Fig. 6). Other areas
(C, G and H in Fig. 7) are dubious because
they contain vast exposures of the SMO
magmatism and are not buried under large
piles of volcanic rocks. Thus, following
the general scheme of ore deposits in the
region, these areas should have relevant
ore deposits. The area H contains important
Miocene epithermal deposits in the Bolaos
Graben but, intriguingly, areas G and H
have scarce deposits, especially because
they experienced virtually non-stop volcanism from the Eocene to the Miocene, during the most metallogenically productive
epochs in Mexico. Compared with neighbouring areas like the southern portion of
the Mesa Central or the southernmost end

SGA Council
invites applications to
organize the
12th Biennial SGA Meeting
(2013)
by December 31, 2009

of the SMO (see also Fig. 2), ore deposits

are very scarce in areas G and H. Moreover,
if we look back to typical metal associations
in Fig. 6, a large gap devoid of relevant ore
deposits occurs in areas G, H and J, which
apparently contain only F and Sn deposits.
The relative scarcity of ore deposits in this
region and the apparent lack of ore deposits
with the most common metal associations
are features that cannot be satisfactorily
explained so far.

Acknowledgements
This paper contains data obtained by means
of research projects financed by CONACYT (46473, G42642, J51127), PAPIIT
(117800, 107203, 103807, 107003-3), and
the Peoles and CMBJ-Pea Colorada mining companies. For further information
about Mexican ore deposits, the readers
are referred to the sites http://www.geomin.
com.mx/general.htm and http://portal.sgm.
gob.mx/publicaciones_sgm/Menu.jsp to access the whole, fully available contents of
the historical archives of the AIMMGM,
Uramex and the Mexican Geological Survey (SGM, formerly CRM, CRNNR, and

Applications to SGA for meeting

sponsorship must be submitted
to Jan Paava, SGA Executive
Secretary, on appropriate forms
available at the SGA website:
www.e-sga.org
Other requests will not be considered.

Please follow the guidelines on

how to organize SGA Biennial
Meetings that you can download
from the SGA

web-site

http://www.e-sga.org

19 <<<

Your suggestions and ideas

for any topic of interest to SGA
are welcome!
They can be addressed to any Council member or to
Dr. Jan Paava
SGA Executive Secretary
Czech Geological Survey
Klrov 131/3
CZ-118 21 Prague 1
Czech Republic

Tel.: +420 2 5108 5506

Fax: +420 2 518 18 748
e-mail: jan.pasava@geology.cz

>>> 20

SGA News

INIRM). Although none of them is cited

here, as a most valuable support to his research, the author used no less than forty
1:250,000 and 1:50,000 maps edited by
the Mexican Geological Survey (available
at http://www.sgm.gob.mx). Dante Morn,
Elena Centeno, Carles Canet, ngel Nieto,
Tawn Albinson, Rosa M. Prol, Eduardo
Gonzlez-Partida, and M. Guadalupe Villaseor provided data and ideas that helped

Number 25

to greatly improve this paper, though noone must be held responsible for its content
but the author. Also, Massimo Chiaradia
is thanked for (nicely) challenging the
author to write it. Collecting information
for this paper, especially from out-of-print
publications or relatively obscure sources,
was facilitated by the personal archives and
documentary wealth left by the late Ernesto
Lpez-Ramos and Francisco Fabregat.

June 2009

References
A full list of references is available as
Electronic Supplementary Material at
http://www.e-sga.org

>>> FO RTHC O M ING E V E NT S <<<

* marks a new entry
2009
June 21-26
GOLDSCHMIDT2009 - Challenges to Our
Volatile Planet - Davos, Switzerland. Several
sessions on ore deposits. Contact: http://www.
goldschmidt2009.org/
July 27-29
Iron Ore 2009, Perth, WA - Contact: Katy Wynn;
Telephone: +61 3 9658 6125; Facsimile: +61 3
9662 3662
*August 6-9
LARGE IGNEOUS PROVINCES OF ASIA,
MANTLE PLUMES AND METALLOGENY,
Novosibirsk, Russian Federation. Website: http://lip-asia.igm.nsc.ru/index.php?lang=english.
Contact name: Dr. Evgeniy Naumov
August 17-20
10TH BIENNIAL SGA MEETING. Townsville,
Australia. http://www.e-sga.org/, www.ees.jcu.
edu.au/SGA2009
August 24-26
7TH INTERNATIONAL MINING GEOLOGY
CONFERENCE 2009. Queenstown, New Zealand. The AusIMM Events Department, Phone
+61 3 9662 3166, Fax +61 3 9662 3662, E-mail
concerence@ausimm.com.au, www.ausimm.
com
August 30 September 4
18TH INTERNATIONAL MASS SPECTROMETRY CONFERENCE. Bremen, Germany.
http://www.imsc-bremen-2009.de/

September 3-7
AN INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON
THE CAMBRIAN EXPLOSION. Banff, Alberta, Canada. http://www.geology.utoronto.ca/
facultycaron/Walcott2009.htm
September 5-9
MANGANESE IN THE TWENTY-FIRST
CENTURY Short Course, SGA co-sponsored,
Hotel OZIS, Ajka or Veszprm, Hungary Contact: Mrta Polgri Institute for Geochemical Research, Hungarian Academy of Sciences,
rodokrozit@gmail.com, +3613193137; mobile:
+36209284650
October 5-9
INTERNATIONAL SYMPOSIUM ON THE
GEOLOGY OF THE BLACK SEA REGION II.
Ankara, Turkey. E-mail uiab@mta.gov.tr, PhoneFax +90-312-287 91 93 , http://www.mta.gov.tr/
October 18-21
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA, 121
ANNUAL MEETING, Portland, Oregon, USA Contact address: GSA Meetings Dept., P.O. Box
9140, Boulder, CO 80301-9140, USA; phone:
+1 303 447 2020; fax: +1 303 447 1133; e-mail:
meetings@geosociety.org; website: http://www.
geosociety.org/meetings/index.htm
October 25-30
SOCIETY OF EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICISTS (SEG) INTERNATIONAL EXPOSITION & 79TH ANNUAL MEETING, Houston,
Texas, USA - Contact address: e-mail: meetings@seg.org

2010
February 4-7
6th INTERNATIONAL DYKE CONFERENCE
(IDC) - Varanasi, India. Contact: Prof. Rajesh K.
Srivastava; E-mail idcindia2010@yahoo.co.in,
http://www.igpetbhu.com/idc6/index.htm

GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION OF CANADA

AND THE MINERALOGICAL ASSOCIATION
OF CANADA (Joint Meeting), (GAC-MAC):
GeoCanada 2010, Calgary, Canada - Contact address: website: http://www.halifax2005.ca/
June 21-24
11th INTERNATIONAL PLATINUM SYMPOSIUM, Sudbury (Canada), Website: http://11ips.
laurentian.ca. Contact: Prof. Dr. Michael Lesher,
11ips@laurentian.ca
August 22-27
20th GENERAL MEETING OF THE INTERNATIONAL MINERALOGICAL ASSOCIATION. Budapest, Hungary. http://www.univie.
ac.at/Mineralogie/IMA_2010/
October 31-November 3
GEOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA: 122
ANNUAL MEETING, Denver, Colorado, USA
- Contact address: GSA Meetings Department,
P.O. Box 9140, Boulder, CO 80301-9140, USA;
phone: +1 303 447 2020; fax: +1 303 447 0648;
e-mail: meetings@geosociety.org; website:
http://www.geosociety.org/meetings/index.htm

2011
*May 25-27
GAC/MAC Annual Meeting. Ottawa, Canada.
Web-site: http://www.gac.ca/ANNMEET/annmeet.html
*September
11th BIENNIAL SGA MEETING, Antofagasta,
Chile - Dr. Eduardo Campos, Departamento de
Ciencias Geolgicas, Universidad Catlica del
Norte, Antofagasta, Chile; e-mail: edcampos@
ucn.cl; Web-site: http://www.e-sga.org

TABLE 1

Compilation of the known ages of ore deposits in Mexico.

Deposit
Proterozoic (2500-542 Ma)
Huitzo (El Muerto)
Telixtlahuaca
Pluma Hidalgo
Novillo
La Panchita
La Joya (San Andrs
Nuxio)

State

Deposit type

Age (Ma)

Dating method

Selected references, and comments

Oaxaca

U-Th-Nb-Ta-REE pegmatites

1063-1053

U/Pb

Solari et al. (2003)

Oaxaca
Tamaulipas

Ti-bearing anorthosites
Au veins in gneiss

1010-998
<1000?

U/Pb
Sm-Nd

Oaxaca
Oaxaca

pegmatites
pegmatites

980
930-770

Pb-
K-Ar & Rb-Sr

Schulze et al. (2000)

Patchett and Ruiz (1987), Eguiluz de Antuano et al.
(2004)
referred by Salas (1975)
referred by Salas (1975)

Cr-PGE in ophiolites

>478

U/Pb*

Puebla
Sonora

Zn-Pb-Ag VMS (Besshi type?)

barite SEDEX

345-327
U/Pb
Late Devonian

ngeles-Moreno et al. (2003)

Johnson et al. (2009)

Baja California Sur

Cr-Ni-Co-Cu-Au-PGE in
ophiolites
porphyry Cu
Cu and barite VMS

221.0-220.0

Kimbrough and Moore (2003), Kimbrough and LedesmaVazquez (2008)

Damon et al. (1981b)
Klesse (1968)

PGE in ultramafic rocks

(pyroxenites)
magnesites in ophiolites
porphyry Cu-Au

Early Jurassic biostratigraphy

173.0
164.1

U/Pb
Re-Os

Rodrguez-Castaeda et al. (2003). The pyroxenites are

hosted by the Caracahui and Santa Rosa Formations
Kimbrough and Moore (2003)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

polymetallic VMS
polymetallic VMS

157.2-154.0
151.3-147.9

U/Pb*
U/Pb*

Bissig et al. (2008)

Mortensen et al. (2008)

polymetallic VMS
polymetallic VMS
Mn SEDEX

146.2-142.3 U/Pb*
146.1
U/Pb*
Oxfordian-Kimmeridgian?

Paleozoic (542-251 Ma)

Tehuitzingo Tecomatln Puebla

Teziutln
Cerro Cobachi Sierra
El Aliso Barita de
Sonora
Triassic (251.0-199.6 Ma)
Vizcano Peninsula
(several deposits)
San Juan Mazatln
La Dicha La Esperanza
(Ixcuinatoyac)

Oaxaca
Guerrero

Early and Middle Jurassic (199.6-161.2 Ma)

El Remolino La Ftima Sonora
Cedros Island
El Arco Calmall

Baja California
Baja California

Late Jurassic (161.2-145.5 Ma)

Cuale
Jalisco
San Nicols El
Zacatecas
Salvador
Campo Morado district
Guerrero
El Gordo
Guanajuato
Molango
Hidalgo

U/Pb

190.6
K-Ar*
Late Triassic-Early Jurassic

The orebodies are part of the Xayacatln Formation, which

is crosscut by the Tetcic metagranitoids, dated at 478
Ma (Campa-Uranga et al., 2002)

Mortensen et al. (2008)

Mortensen et al. (2008)
Okita (1992)

La Caja & La Casita

Formations (many
locations)

Zacatecas /
Coahuila

Early Cretaceous (145.5-99.6 Ma)

Timaro
Michoacn
Tlanilpa Azulquez
State of Mxico
district
Dos Hermanas La
Zacatecas
Virgen

sedimentary phosphorites

Kimmeridgian-Early Berriasian

Rogers et al. (1961)

porphyry Cu
polymetallic VMS

140.0-131.0
139.7-138.8

U/Pb & Ar/Ar

U/Pb*

Garza-Gonzlez et al. (2006)

Mortensen et al. (2008)

polymetallic VMS

117.94?

Ar/Ar

It is assumed that the nearby basaltic andesite dated by

Iriondo et al. (2003) is likely to be associated with the
mineralisations

San Fernando

Baja California

Fe-Cu-Au IOCG deposit

114.8-111.9? U/Pb*
100?

Staude and Barton (2001), Lopez et al. (2005) are for an

Early Cretaceous age. Here, the ages for the Misin San
Fernando pluton by Busby et al. (2006) are tentatively
used, though ore deposition might have occurred more
likely during a brief rifting event at 111-110 Ma. Cruise et
al. (2007) indicate that ore deposition occurred during a
compression event after extension at 100 Ma.

Palmar Chico San

Pedro Limn
San Juan de Otates

State of Mxico

114.0-104.0

Ar/Ar

referred by Ortiz-Hernndez et al. (2006)

112.8

K-Ar

referred by Ortiz-Hernndez et al. (2006)

El Tamarindo

Guerrero

112.0

referred by Ortiz-Hernndez et al. (2006)

La Minita Sapo Negro

El Fenmeno Corte de
Madera Cerro El
Topo El Gaviln
Loma Baya

Michoacn
Baja California

Cr-Ni-Co in island-arc ultramafic

rocks
Cr-Ni in island-arc ultramafic
rocks
Cr-Ni in island-arc ultramafic
rocks
Zn-Pb-Ba-Ag VMS
W skarns

100.4
100.0-83.0

Rb-Sr
Ar/Ar

Ortigoza-Cruz et al. (1994)

Ortega-Rivera (2003). Some deposits referred by Salas
(1975) and Clark and Fitch (2009)

Guerrero

Cr-Ni in island-arc ultramafic

rocks

Early Cretaceous

referred by Ortiz-Hernndez et al. (2006)

Bacubirito

Sinaloa

PGE-Cu-Co-Ni in ophiolites,
and Au-Ag veins

probably Albian

Cerecero-Luna et al. (1984), referred by Ortiz-Hernndez

et al. (2006)

Guanajuato

Late Cretaceous (99.6-65.5 Ma)

San Pedro
Sinaloa
Tobora
Sinaloa
Los Uvares
Baja California Sur

Bacamacari
La Parrilla

Sinaloa
Durango

Cu-PGE-Au in ultramafic rocks 96.0

W skarn
91.0-88.0
orogenic Au?
90.0-80.0

?
K-Ar*
K-Ar* & FT*

Rodrguez-Castaeda et al. (2003)

Henry (1985), referred by Clark and Damon (1979)
Carrillo-Chvez et al. (1999) advocate for an epithermal
model, whereas Clark and Fitch (2009) do so for an
orogenic gold model instead

porphyry Cu
polymetallic skarn

K-Ar*
K-Ar*

Damon et al. (1980)

Clark et al. (1979)

88.0
87.4-79.2

Metates
Talpa de Allende
Caborca
El Promontorio
Quitovac
Los Humos
Santa Mara Zaniza
El Limn
Los Naranjos
Agua Dulce (Talpa de
Allende)
Cerro del Oro

Durango
Jalisco
Sonora
Sonora
Sonora
Sonora
Oaxaca
Guerrero
Sinaloa
Jalisco

porphyry Au-Ag
polymetallic VMS
porphyry Cu
porphyry Cu
orogenic Au
porphyry Cu-Mo
Fe-Cu IOCG (?) deposit
Au skarn
porphyry Mo
Fe IOCG (?) deposit

85.0
71.9
70.9-67.6
69.6-51.8
69.51-61.29
67.6
<67.0?
66.6-65.4
66.3-65.0?
65.6

Sonora
Sinaloa

Late Cretaceous to Early

Paleocene
Late Cretaceous to Early
Paleocene

Gonzlez-Gallegos et al. (1991)

San Javier (Badiraguato)

Fe-Cu skarn (part of the IOCG

clan??)
Ni-Cr-Co in diatremes
(described as kimberlites) in
ultramafic rock complex
Fe IOCG (magnetite-apatite
type)
W skarn
Fe IOCG (magnetite-apatite
type)
W skarn
porphyry Cu
porphyry Au-Ag
Fe-Au skarn (part of the IOCG
clan??)
Fe IOCG (magnetite-apatite
type)
porphyry Cu-Au-Mo

65.3-65.0

K-Ar*

referred by Tritlla et al. (2003)

64.9
64.9-62.1

K-Ar
K-Ar

64.1-49.6
64.0
64.0
64.0-63.0

K-Ar*
U/Pb
K-Ar
U/Pb & Ar/Ar

Mead et al. (1988)

Miranda-Gasca and Roldn-Martnez (2003), Zamora et al.
(1975)
Mead et al. (1988)
Anderson and Silver (1977)
Petersen et al. (2001)
referred by Camprub et al. (2006a)

63.3-48.2

K-Ar & Ar/Ar

63.1-59.0

Re-Os & K-Ar

Fe IOCG (magnetite-apatite
type)
porphyry Cu-Mo
porphyry Mo-Cu
Mo-Cu-W porphyry (breccia
pipes)
porphyry Cu-Au

63.0-61.24

K-Ar* & Ar/Ar*

63.0
63.0
63.0-40.0

Re-Os
Re-Os
?

62.8

K-Ar

Paleocene (65.5-55.8 Ma)

El Encino

Michoacn

Carnaval
El Violn (Mochitln)

Sonora
Guerrero

Cerro Mariachi
El Coralillo
Cerro San Pedro
Mezcala

Sonora
Sonora
San Luis Potos
Guerrero

Pea Colorada
Arrayanes
Milpillas

Colima

Aquila

Michoacn

La Mariquita
Lucy (Cananea district)
Cumobabi (San Judas)

Sonora
Sonora
Sonora

Los Cimientos

Michoacn

Sonora

K-Ar
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
Ar/Ar
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
Ar/Ar & Re-Os
K-Ar*
K-Ar*

Warnaars and Girn-Garay (1999)

Zrate del Valle et al. (2000)
Damon et al. (1980)
Roldn-Quintana (1991)
Iriondo (2001), Iriondo et al. (2005)
Damon et al. (1981b)
Murillo-Muetn et al. (1986)
Canela-Barboza (2005)
referred by Bustamante-Yez (1993)
Jurez-lvarez et al. (1985)

Bustamante-Yez (1985), Servais et al. (1985)

Tritlla et al. (2003), Sol et al. (2007), A. Camprub,

unpublished data
referred by Singer et al. (2005) and Valencia-Moreno et al.
(2006, 2007), Valencia (2006)
Iriondo et al. (2004), K-Ar age referred by Camprub et al.
(2006a)
Barra et al. (2005)
Barra et al. (2005)
referred by Mead et al. (1988), Singer et al. (2005) and
Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

Copper King (Las

Salinas)
La Herradura
Sierra del Alo

Guerrero

porphyry Cu

62.8

K-Ar

referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

Sonora
Jalisco

61.0
61.0-53.0

Re-Os
K-Ar*

Quintanar-Ruiz et al. (2008)

Mungua-Rojas and Prez-Vargas (1989)

El Alacrn
Los Alisos (La Caridad
district)
Mara (Cananea district)
Piedras Verdes
Cananea

Sonora
Sonora

orogenic Au
Fe IOCG (magnetite-apatite
type)
porphyry Cu-Mo
porphyry Cu-Mo

60.9-56.7
60.4-60.2

Re-Os & K-Ar

U/Pb

referred by Salas (1975) and Barra et al. (2005)

Rascn-Heimpel and Valencia-Moreno (2007)

Sonora
Sonora
Sonora

porphyry Cu-Mo
porphyry Cu-Mo
porphyry Cu-Mo-Zn

60.4-57.4
~60.0
59.9

Re-Os & K-Ar

Re-Os
K-Ar

La Azulita

Sinaloa

porphyry Cu-Mo

59.5

K-Ar

La Reforma

Sinaloa

polymetallic skarn

59.2-58.6

K-Ar

San Jos del Desierto

Sinaloa

porphyry Cu-Mo-W

59.1

K-Ar

Chutla

Guerrero

59.0

K-Ar*

Magistral (Choix)
Cosal

Sinaloa
Sinaloa

Fe skarn (part of the IOCG

clan??)
porphyry Cu-Mo-W
Fe skarn (part of the IOCG
clan??), telescoped by IS
polymetallic epithermal

Barra et al. (2005)

Barra et al. (2005)
referred by Singer et al. (2005) and Valencia-Moreno et al.
(2006, 2007)
referred by Clark and Damon (1979), and Valencia-Moreno
et al. (2006, 2007)
referred by Bustamante (1978), and Valencia-Moreno et al.
(2006, 2007)
referred by Clark and Damon (1979), and Valencia-Moreno
et al. (2006, 2007)
Bastida et al. (1988)

59.0-56.0
58.5-57.7
(skarn)

?*
K-Ar

referred by Bustamante (1978), Clark and Damon (1979)

referred by Bustamante (1978), Clark and Damon (1979),
and Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

Cuatro Hermanos
San Manuel (Altar)
El Barqueo
San Antonio de la Huerta
Moctezuma

Sonora
Sonora
Jalisco
Sonora
Sonora

58.0-55.7
<58.0
57.9
57.4
57.3

K-Ar & Re-Os

K-Ar*
Ar/Ar
K-Ar
130Te-130Xe

referred by Singer et al. (2005) and Barra et al. (2005)

referred by Carrillo et al. (1984)
Camprub et al. (2006a)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Srinivasan et al. (1972)

Santo Toms Cuchicari

Sinaloa

porphyry Cu-Au-Mo
porphyry Au / LS Au epithermal
LS-IS Au-Ag epithermal
porphyry Cu-Mo
polymetallic skarn and IS
epithermal; gossan
porphyry Cu-Au-Mo

57.2

K-Ar

Arteaga

Michoacn

57.0

K-Ar*

Suaqui Verde
Tameapa

Sonora
Sinaloa

Fe skarn (part of the IOCG

clan??)
porphyry Cu-Mo
porphyry Cu-Au-Mo and
polymetallic skarn

referred by Clark and Damon (1979), Singer et al. (2005)

and Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Bastida et al. (1988)

57.0
57.0-53.0
(porphyry)
54.1-52.2
(skarn)

Re-Os
Re-Os
?*

referred by Singer et al. (2005) and Barra et al. (2005)

referred by Bustamante (1978), Clark and Damon (1979),
Singer et al. (2005) and Barra et al. (2005)

El Batamote

Sonora

porphyry Cu-Au-Mo

56.8

K-Ar

La Caridad

Sonora

porphyry Cu-Au-Mo

56.8-51.3

Huepac (Padercitas
Washington)
San Alberto (lamos)
Los Chicharrones
Tres Piedras

Sonora

56.8-45.7
56.4
56.2
<56.1-55.7

Ar/Ar
K-Ar
Ar/Ar

Clark et al. (1979), Mead et al. (1988) and ValenciaMoreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Mead et al. (1988)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Mead et al. (1988)

Cerro Tnel
Cerro Mazomique

Sinaloa
Sinaloa

<56.0
<56.0?

K-Ar*
?

Henry (1975), referred by Clark and Damon (1979)

Bustamante and Soberanes (1978)

Bella Esperanza
Aurora

Sonora
Sonora

porphyry Cu-W-Mo-Ag (veins &

breccia pipes)
W-Cu skarn
porphyry Mo
porphyry Mo-W-Cu (breccia
pipes)
porphyry Cu (breccia pipes)
IOCG (hematite-magnetite-AuCu)
porphyry Cu-Mo
porphyry Cu-Mo

K-Ar, U/Pb &

Re-Os
K-Ar

55.9
55.8-53.5

K-Ar
K-Ar

Ojos Negros

Baja California

Ni-Co in ultramafic rocks

San Francisco (Autln)

Jalisco

Mn lacustrine SEDEX

Late Cretaceous to Early

Paleocene
Paleocene?

referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

referred by Salas (1975) and Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006,
2007)
referred by Ortiz-Hernndez et al. (2006)

Sonora
Sonora
Sinaloa
Sonora
Sinaloa
Chihuahua

orogenic Au
HS Cu-Au epithermal
porphyry Cu-Mo
orogenic Au
porphyry Cu
porphyry W-Cu-Mo

55.54
55.0
54.1
54.8
54.1
54.0-51.5

Ar/Ar
U/Pb
Re-Os
K-Ar
K-Ar*
K-Ar

Sonora
Jalisco
Sonora
Zacatecas

W-Cu-Ag pegmatite
porphyry Cu
orogenic Au
polymetallic skarn / IS
epithermal veins and mantos
porphyry Mo
porphyry Cu-Mo-W
orogenic Au
porphyry Cu-Au-Mo

54.0
54.0
53.68
53.6 (skarn)

K-Ar
?
Ar/Ar
K-Ar

53.5
~53.0
52.43
52.4

K-Ar
?
Ar/Ar
K-Ar

Eocene (55.8-33.9 Ma)

El Chacn
La Caridad Antigua
Malpica
Sierra Pinta
Tamcapa
La Guadalupana
Sonoita (El Desierto)
La Sorpresa
Campo Bustamante
La Colorada
(Chalchihuites)
El Crestn
Pilares
La Toita
Florida-Barrign

Sonora
Sinaloa
Sonora

Sonora
Sonora
Sonora
Sonora

referred by Singer et al. (2005) and Valencia-Moreno et al.

(2006, 2007)
referred by Singer et al. (2005) and Barra et al. (2005)

Zantop (1978)
Iriondo (2001), Iriondo et al. (2005)
Valencia et al. (2008)
Barra et al. (2005)
Araux-Snchez et al. (2001)
Damon et al. (1981b)
referred by Mead et al. (1988) and Valencia-Moreno et al.
(2006, 2007)
Mead et al. (1988)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Iriondo (2001), Iriondo et al. (2005)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Iriondo (2001), Iriondo et al. (2005)
referred by Singer et al. (2005) and Valencia-Moreno et al.
(2006, 2007)

Satev (Batopilas
district)
La Guadalupana
Las Higueras
Villa Jurez
La Negra
Tlayca
Badiraguato
Jacala
Los Verdes (Ycora,
Buenavista district)
La Choya
Santa Rosa (San Felipe
de Jess district)
Las Higueras
Mala Noche
Doa Marcia
Piedras Verdes

Chihuahua

porphyry Au-Ag-Cu

51.6

K-Ar

referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

Chihuahua
Sinaloa
Hidalgo
Sonora
Morelos
Sinaloa
Hidalgo
Sonora

porphyry W-Cu-Mo
porphyry Mo-Cu
Fe-Cu-wollastonite skarn
orogenic Au
Cu skarn
porphyry Cu (breccia pipes)
Ag-Au skarn
porphyry W-Mo-Cu

51.0
51.0
51.0-49.0
50.24
50.0?
50.0-49.0
<50.0
49.6

K-Ar
K-Ar*
K-Ar
Ar/Ar
?
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar

Clark et al. (1979)

referred by Bustamante (1978), Clark and Damon (1979)
Flores et al. (2003)
Iriondo (2001), Iriondo et al. (2005)
Alam-Hernndez et al. (2000)
Henry (1975), referred by Clark and Damon (1979)
Flores-Castro et al. (2006)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

Sonora
Sonora

orogenic Au
polymetallic skarn

49.59-46.26
49.5

Ar/Ar
K-Ar

Iriondo (2001), Iriondo et al. (2005)

referred by Salas (1975) and Mead et al. (1988)

Sinaloa
Durango
Sonora
Sonora

K-Ar
K-Ar*
Ar/Ar
K-Ar

referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

Clark et al. (1979)
Iriondo (2001), Iriondo et al. (2005)
referred by Castro-Escrrega (2007)

Palo Verde (El Tungsteno)

Batopilas
Tronco de Peras
Charcas
Baviacora
Cerro Colorado
San Martn

Sonora
Chihuahua
Durango
San Luis Potos
Sonora
Chihuahua
Zacatecas

Ar/Ar & Rb-Sr

K-Ar*
K-Ar*
?
K-Ar
K-Ar
K-Ar

Mead et al. (1988)

referred by Wilkerson et al. (1988)
Clark et al. (1979)
referred by Megaw et al. (1988)
Mead et al. (1988)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Damon et al. (1983)

Geras de Fernando
Real de ngeles
La Vasca
Cerro Mercado

Durango
Zacatecas
Coahuila
Coahuila

K-Ar*
FT
Ar/Ar*
Ar/Ar*

Clark et al. (1977)

referred by Pearson et al. (1988)
Iriondo et al. (2004)
Molina-Garza et al. (2008)

Tibor

Michoacn

K-Ar*

Bastida et al. (1988)

Sierra Pea Blanca

Chihuahua

Topia
Zimapn

Durango
Hidalgo

porphyry Cu-Mo
49.0
Epithermal
48.9
orogenic Au
48.55-45.81
Cu in supergene enrichment
48.4
zone
W skarn
48.1
IS Ag deep epithermal
48.0-45.0?
polymetallic skarn
47.2
polymetallic skarn
46.6
W-Cu-Mo skarn
46.6-35.2
porphyry Cu-Mo
46.3
polymetallic skarn / deep IS Ag 46.2
epithermal
Ag-Au epithermal
<45.5
IS polymetallic epithermal
45.2
polymetallic skarn
44.59
Fe skarn (part of the IOCG
44.3?
clan?)
Fe skarn (part of the IOCG
44.0
clan??)
continental volcanogenic44.0-37.3
hydrothermal U
(32.08)
IS(?) polymetallic epithermal
43.8
polymetallic skarn
43.6-40.8

FT, K-Ar* &

U/Pb
K-Ar
K-Ar*

George-Aniel et al. (1991). Fayek et al. (2006) provided

preliminary wide-dispersion data (in parenthesis)
Loucks et al. (1988)
Vassallo et al. (2008)

Gaviln
San Marcos Caldera

Durango
Chihuahua

El Burro La Minita

Coahuila

Talamantes
Bismark
El Meln
San Francisco
Providencia
Concepcin del Oro
Real de Guadalupe
La Negra (Macon)
Orin
Guanacev
Cerro Panuco
San Dimas (Tayoltita)

Chihuahua
Chihuahua
Chihuahua
Sonora
Zacatecas

Promontorio
Ind Cieneguillas
(Cerro Blanco)
Taxco

Durango
Durango

Dolores
Sierra del Gallego

Chihuahua
Chihuahua

Los Reyes
Mapim
Sombrerete

Chihuahua
Durango
Zacatecas

Placer de Guadalupe (La

Virgen Puerto del
Aire)

Chihuahua

San Ignacio (Villa

Ahumada)
El Cuarenta

Chihuahua

Sierra de Aconchi

Sonora

Guerrero
Quertaro
Durango
Durango
Coahuila
Durango

Guerrero

Durango

porphyry Au
continental volcanogenichydrothermal U
Fe-Co-Ni skarns (part of the
IOCG clan??)
Mn veins (epithermal??)
polymetallic skarn
epithermal (?) barite veins
orogenic Au
porphyry Zn / polymetallic skarn

>43.2
<43.0

K-Ar
?*

Warnaars and Girn-Garay (1999)

referred by Ferriz (1981)

42-51-41.13

Ar/Ar*

Iriondo et al. (2004)

<42.5
~42.0
<41.88
~41.0
40.0-38.8

K-Ar*
K-Ar*
Ar/Ar*
Ar/Ar*
K-Ar & Rb-Sr

Clark et al. (1979)

Baker and Lang (2003)
Iriondo et al. (2004)
Prez-Segura et al. (1996)
referred by Megaw et al. (1988)

IS polymetallic epithermal
polymetallic skarn
epithermal
LS-IS polymetallic epithermal
porphyry Cu-Mo
IS-LS Ag-Au and polymetallic
epithermal
epithermal
intrusion-related fluorite and
polymetallic deposit (skarn?)
polymetallic skarn / IS
epithermal
LS Au-Ag epithermal
continental volcanogenichydrothermal U
Cu-W skarn
polymetallic skarn
Sn veins & IS polymetallic
epithermal
continental volcanogenichydrothermal U-Au-REE-CdGe-V

40.0-37.0
39.6-38.1
39.5
<38.7?
38.64
38.6-31.9

K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
Ar/Ar
K-Ar

Albinson and Parrilla (1988)

Vassallo et al. (2008)
Clark et al. (1979)
Clark et al. (1979)
Iriondo et al. (2003)
Enrquez and Rivera (2001)

38.5
38.4

K-Ar
Ar/Ar*

Fries and Rincn-Orta (1965)

Tuta et al. (1988)

38.0-36.0?

K-Ar*

referred by Camprub et al. (2003)

38.0-35.0?
>37.0

K-Ar*

Referred by Overbay et al. (2001)

Bockoven (1981)

36.6
36.1
36.0

K-Ar
?
K-Ar*

referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

referred by Megaw et al. (1988)
Albinson (1988)

36.0-35.0

U/Pb

Gonzlez-Reyna (1956), Fries (1962)

polymetallic skarns and REEbearing carbonatites

disseminated Hg (shallow
epithermal?)
rare-element pegmatites /
volcanogenic U deposits

36.0

Ar/Ar

Nandigam et al. (1999), Nandigam (2000)

36.0-32.0

K-Ar* & Ar/Ar*

Tuta et al. (1998)

<35.9
K-Ar*
(pegmatites)

referred by Martnez et al. (1979)

Real de Catorce
Santa Mara de la Paz

San Luis Potos

San Luis Potos

Inguarn
Buenavista de Cullar

Michoacn
Guerrero

Zacatecas

Zacatecas

Villa Pasqueira (La

Venada)
El Anteojo

Sonora

Huautla
Los ngeles
Concheo
La Cinega

Morelos
Chihuahua
Chihuahua
Durango

Oligocene (33.9-23.03 Ma)

La Verde
Velardea

Chihuahua

Michoacn
Durango

Temascaltepec (La
Guitarra)
Chorreras

State of Mxico

Aguachile

Coahuila

La Azul (Taxco district)

Guerrero

San Isidro
Rancho Blanco

Michoacn
Chihuahua

Ro Verde
La Pasta
La Morena
Puerto Rico (Sierra del
Carmen)
Hrcules
Tepetate Villa de
Arriaga

Durango
Chihuahua
Coahuila
Coahuila

Chihuahua

Coahuila
San Luis Potos

IS polymetallic epithermal
polymetallic skarn / IS deep
epithermal
porphyry Cu-W
Fe skarn (part of the IOCG
clan??)
IS to LS polymetallic to Au-Ag
epithermal
W-Cu-Mo skarn

35.7?
37.0-35.7
(skarn)
35.6
35.5-34.7

K-Ar*
Ar/Ar* & U/Pb
K-Ar
Ar/Ar

Tuta et al. (1988), Gunnesch et al. (1994)

Tuta et al. (1988), Gunnesch et al. (1994), Pinto-Linares et
al. (2008)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Meza-Figueroa et al. (2003)

35.5-30.8

K-Ar

referred by Camprub and Albinson (2007)

34.8-34.1

Ar/Ar

Mead et al. (1988)

Fe skarn (part of the IOCG

clan??)
IS polymetallic epithermal
LS Au-Ag epithermal
LS Au-Ag epithermal
IS-LS polymetallic epithermal

34.7

K-Ar*

Clark et al. (1979)

34.5-33.0??
<34.0?
<34.0?
<34.0?

Ar/Ar* & U/Pb*

K-Ar*

Gonzlez-Torres et al. (2008)

referred by Albinson et al. (2001)
referred by Albinson et al. (2001)
de la Garza et al. (2001)

porphyry Cu-Co
polymetallic skarn / IS
epithermal
LS-IS polymetallic epithermal

33.4
33.4-30.2

K-Ar
K-Ar & FT

referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

referred by Gilmer et al. (1988)

33.3-32.9

Ar/Ar

Camprub et al. (2003)

Fe skarn (part of the IOCG

clan?)
fluorite-Be in ring-dike complex
(skarn??)
fluorite mantos, inconclusive
type (MVT? epithermal?)
porphyry Cu
Fe veins (part of the IOCG
clan?)
rhyolite-hosted Sn deposits
IS Zn epithermal (?)
IS polymetallic epithermal
Pb-Zn MVT or skarn (?)

33.13-32.69

Ar/Ar*

Iriondo et al. (2004)

~33.0

?*

Takeda (1977)

33.0-30.0

(U-Th)/He

32.5
<32.34

K-Ar
Ar/Ar*

Pi et al. (2005), disputed affiliation by Tritlla and Levresse

(2006)
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Iriondo et al. (2004)

32.3
<32.77
<32.71
32.0??

Rb-Sr
Ar/Ar*
Ar/Ar*
K-Ar*

IOCG (magnetite-apatite)
rhyolite-hosted Sn & topaz
deposits

32.0??
32.0-30.0?

Huspeni et al. (1984)

Iriondo et al. (2004)
Iriondo et al. (2004)
Takeda (1977) describes it as a skarn, whereas GonzlezSnchez et al. (2009) as an MVT
referred by Corona-Esquivel and Henrquez (2004)
Aguilln-Robles et al. (1994)

Mulatos
La Perla La Negra

Sonora
Chihuahua

HS Au-Cu epithermal
IOCG (magnetite-apatite)

<31.6 >25.0
31.5-27.2?

K-Ar* & Ar/Ar*

K-Ar*

Cerro de Mercado

Durango

IOCG (magnetite-apatite)

31.4-29.7

El Tovar
La Ochoa
Cerro de los Remedios
San Carlos

Durango
Durango
Durango
Chihuahua

31.3
31.1-29.6
31.1-28.6
31.0 (skarn)

Ro Verde (El Realito &

El Refugio)

Guanajuato

epithermal
rhyolite-hosted Sn deposits
rhyolite-hosted Sn deposits
polymetallic skarn / IS
epithermal
fluorite MVT

FT, Ar/Ar & (UTh-Sm)/He

K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
?

<30.9-30.5

K-Ar*

Tuta et al. (1998) seem to advocate for a skarn model

whereas the surveys due this papers author suggest a
fault-controlled MVT deposit

Guanajuato

Guanajuato

30.7-27.4

K-Ar

Gross (1975), Randall et al. (1994)

San Francisco del Oro

Santa Brbara Parral
Gavilanes
San Nicols

Chihuahua

30.6-26.5

K-Ar

Grant and Ruiz (1988)

<30.5
<30.45?

K-Ar*
Ar/Ar*

Dinamita

Durango

30.4

K-Ar*

Clark et al. (1977)

It is assumed that the nearby diorite dated by Iriondo et al.
(2003) is likely to be associated with the mineralisations
Clark et al. (1979)

Amrica-Sapiors
El Sauzal
El Presn Leones
Villa de Arriaga
Villa de Reyes
Las Cuevas

Durango
Chihuahua
Chihuahua
San Luis Potos
San Luis Potos
San Luis Potos

IS to LS polymetallic to Au-Ag
epithermal
polymetallic skarn / IS
epithermal
LS? Ag-Au epithermal
polymetallic skarn to IS
epithermal (??)
Fe-Cu skarn (part of the IOCG
clan??)
rhyolite-hosted Sn deposits
HS Au-Cu epithermal
HS Au-Cu epithermal
rhyolite-hosted Sn deposits
rhyolite-hosted Sn deposits
fluorite MVT

30.3
<~30.0
<~30.0
30.0-29.0
30.0-29.0
29.9-29.2?

Rb-Sr
?
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar*

Sain Alto
Fresnillo
Avino-Zaragoza
Ahualulco

Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Durango
San Luis Potos

Hg veins (shallow epithermal?)

IS polymetallic epithermal
rhyolite-hosted Sn deposits
rhyolite-hosted Sn-Hg deposits
and polymetallic (epithermal?)
veins

29.7-28.4
29.7
29.6
<29.3

K-Ar*
Ar/Ar
Rb-Sr
K-Ar

Huspeni et al. (1984)

Sellepack (1997), Feinstein and Goodell (2007)
Padilla-Palma et al. (1995)
Torres-Hernndez et al. (2001)
Torres-Hernndez et al. (2001)
Vassallo et al. (2008). Tuta et al. (1998) favour a skarn
model whereas Levresse et al. (2003) advocate for MVT
Tuta et al. (1998)
Velador et al. (2008)
Huspeni et al. (1984)
Tristn-Gonzlez et al. (2009)

Ocampo
Pueblo Nuevo

Chihuahua
Durango

LS Au-Ag epithermal
epithermal

<29.2-27.8
29.0

K-Ar*
K-Ar*

Clark et al. (1979), Swanson and McDowell (1985)

Clark et al. (1979)

Durango
Tamaulipas

Staude (2001)
referred by Labarthe-Hernndez and Tristn-Gonzlez
(1988), and Corona-Esquivel and Henrquez (2004)
Lyons (1988a), Iunes et al. (2002), McDowell et al. (2005)
Clark et al. (1979)
Tuta et al. (1998)
Tuta et al. (1998)
Immitt (1985)

San Carlos

Tamaulipas

REE-bearing skarns and

pegmatites after alkaline
magmatism

28.8

K-Ar

Cepeda-Dvila et al. (1975)

El Rincn (La Gloria)

Tamaulipas

Au-Ag-Co-Ni-Cr skarns

28.78

Ar/Ar*

It is assumed that the nearby monzonite dated by Iriondo

et al. (2003) is likely to be associated with the
mineralisations

Lluvia de Oro
El Pilote
Guadalczar

Sonora
Coahuila
San Luis Potos

orogenic Au
28.5
fluorite skarn
28.4
granite-hosted Sn-W greisen, 28.3-28.0
partly skarn, late Ag-Hg veins
(epithermal?)

Ar/Ar
?
Ar/Ar* & K-Ar*

Rothemund et al. (2001)

Levresse et al. (2006)
Tuta et al. (1998)

Comanja de Corona
Cusihuiriachic

Guanajuato
Chihuahua

>28.2
28.1

K-Ar*
K-Ar

Nieto-Samaniego et al. (1996)

Clark et al. (1979)

San Jos de Gracia

San Martn
La Encantada
Bacs
El Oro-Tlalpujahua

27.6
27.5
27.4
27.0
27.0

K-Ar*
K-Ar*
?
K-Ar
K-Ar

Clark et al. (1979)

referred by Camprub et al. (2003)
referred by Megaw et al. (1988)
Albinson et al. (2001)
referred by Albinson et al. (2001)

Canoas

Sinaloa
Quertaro
Coahuila
Durango
State of Mxico /
Michoacn
Zacatecas

IS-LS polymetallic epithermal

IS polymetallic & HS Au-Cu
epithermal
Ag-Au epithermal
LS Au-Ag epithermal
polymetallic skarn
LS-IS polymetallic epithermal
IS-LS polymetallic epithermal

27.0-26.3

K-Ar* & Ar/Ar*

Tuta et al. (1998)

Santa Eulalia
Naica
El Rodeo
San Antonio
Los Vasitos

Chihuahua
Chihuahua
Durango
Sonora
Sinaloa

26.6
26.2-25.9
<26.0
<25.59?
25.3

?
?
?
Ar/Ar*
K-Ar*

referred by Megaw et al. (1988)

referred by Megaw et al. (1988)
referred by Clark et al. (1973)
Iriondo et al. (2004)
Clark et al. (1979)

El Picacho
La Colorada
Granaditas (Arizpe)
Monterrey Formation
(San Hilario)
Coneto de Comonfort

Tamaulipas
Sonora
Sonora
Baja California Sur

Hg breccias and veins (shallow

epithermal?)
polymetallic skarn
polymetallic skarn
LS? Ag-Au-fluorite epithermal
LS? Au epithermal
Fe skarn (part of the IOCG
clan??)
Th-Y-Nb-REE carbonatites
LS? Au epithermal
volcanogenic U
sedimentary phosphorites

Miocene (23.03-5.33 Ma)

Lluvia de Oro

Durango

Sn veins in rhyolites, Ag veins

(IS epithermal?)

Durango

LS Au-Ag epithermal

24.0-17.5?? K-Ar
23.8-22.5
Ar/Ar
>23.5
Ar/Ar*
Late Oligocene to Early
Miocene
Oligocene to Miocene

Ramrez-Fernndez et al. (2000)

Zawada et al. (2001)
Gonzlez-Len et al. (2000)
Alatorre (1988)

23.0-20.0

referred by Camprub et al. (2003)

K-Ar*

Ponce-Sibaja and Gutirrez-Tapia (1978)

Almagres

Veracruz

pollen

Martnez-Hernndez et al. (2001)

Sonora

synsedimentary shallow
<23.0
submarine Fe
lacustrine-hydrothermal borates 22.7-21.5

Magdalena basin (Mesa

del lamo)
Altagracia

K-Ar*

Miranda-Gasca et al. (1998)

Oaxaca

LS-IS (?) Ag-Au epithermal

Bolaos
Tubutama basin
Cinco Minas
(Hostotipaquillo)
San Pedro Analco
El Indio-Huajicori
El Zopilote
El Pinabete
Nuevo Milenio
Los Nopalitos
Los Espejos Las
Cruces
Mezquital del Oro
San Martn de Bolaos
Pachuca-Real del Monte
Angangueo
La Yesca

Jalisco
Sonora
Jalisco

<22.31-17.09
(~15-16?)
IS-LS polymetallic epithermal 22.2
lacustrine-hydrothermal borates 22.0
LS? Au-Ag epithermal
~21.0?

Ar/Ar*

Iriondo et al. (2004)

K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar*

Lyons (1988b)
Gmez-Caballero et al. (1980)
referred by Camprub et al. (2003) **

Jalisco
Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit
Nayarit

LS? Au-Ag epithermal

LS? Au-Ag epithermal
IS? polymetallic epithermal
IS? polymetallic epithermal
LS? Au-Ag epithermal
Sn veins in rhyolites
Sn veins in rhyolites

~21.0?
~21.0?
~21.0?
~21.0?
~21.0??
~21.0??
~21.0??

Zacatecas
Jalisco
Hidalgo
Michoacn
Nayarit

LS? Au-Ag epithermal

IS polymetallic epithermal
IS-LS polymetallic epithermal
IS-LS polymetallic epithermal
IS? polymetallic epithermal

~21.0?
20.8
20.3
<20.0
<19.5

Ar/Ar*
FT
K-Ar
Ar/Ar
Ar/Ar*, K-Ar*

Santa Mara del Oro

Nayarit

LS? Au-Ag epithermal

<19.5

Ar/Ar*, K-Ar*

Cebadillas (Compostela)
Cerro Colorado
Ixtacamaxtitln
(Sotoltepec Tuligtic)
San Antonio
Caballo Blanco

Nayarit
Chiapas
Puebla

LS Au-Ag epithermal
part of the IOCG clan??
porphyry Au / polymetallic
skarn / LS epithermal
orogenic Au
porphyry Cu-Au / HS Au-Ag
epithermal

<19.0
?
18.0
?
17.8 (porphyry) Ar/Ar
17.32
17.0-7.48

Ar/Ar
K-Ar*

Tzitzio
El Carmen
Cerro Colorado Cerro
Bustillo

Michoacn
Chiapas
Chiapas

LS Ag-Au epithermal
part of the IOCG clan??
part of the IOCG clan??

<14.0
13.0-12.0
<12.7

K-Ar*
K-Ar*
K-Ar*

Sonora
Veracruz

Ar/Ar*
Ar/Ar*

Nieto-Obregn et al. (1981)

referred by Camprub et al. (2003) **
referred by Camprub et al. (2003) **
Nieto-Obregn et al. (1981)
**

referred by Camprub et al. (2003)

referred by Scheubel et al. (1988)
McKee et al. (1992)
Corona-Chvez et al. (2001)
referred by Aguilar-Nogales (1987a,b), Camprub et al.
(2003) **
referred by Aguilar-Nogales (1987a,b), Camprub et al.
(2003) **
referred by Morolinia-Garca and Zaldvar-Ruiz (1980)
referred by Clark and Fitch (2009)
Tritlla et al. (2004)
Iriondo (2001), Iriondo et al. (2005)
Negendank et al. (1985), Ferrari et al. (2005a). The
likeliness of one of the ages is disputed, and no clear
association can be established between the ores and
the dated rocks
referred by Bentez et al. (1977)
referred by Clark and Fitch (2009)
Montesinos and Virgen-Magaa (1983)

Tatatila Las Minas

Veracruz

San Felipe
El Boleo

Baja California
Baja California Sur

Tolimn
Xoconostle
Sierra de Chapultepec
El Naranjo Los ngeles
(Sombrerete district)
El Gaviln
El Chico
Lucifer

Chiapas
Michoacn
Zacatecas
Zacatecas
Baja California Sur
Hidalgo
Baja California Sur

Pliocene-Present (5.33-0 Ma)

Sierra Pea Blanca
Chihuahua
Ixhuatn

Chiapas

Santa Fe
Punta Mita

Chiapas
Nayarit

La Victoria Knoll

Baja California

Guaymas Basin

offshore Sonora /
Baja California
Sur

Concepcin Bay

Baja California Sur

21N East Pacific Rise

offshore Nayarit /
Baja California
Sur

Popocatpetl
stratovolcano
Colima stratovolcano

Puebla / State of
Mxico
Jalisco

polymetallic and Fe-Cu-Au

skarns (part of the IOCG
clan??) / IS polymetallic
epithermal?
HS-IS-LS? Ag-Au epithermal
shallow Cu-Co-Zn SEDEX

11.0? (intrusive K-Ar*

rocks)

porphyry Cu
HS Au-Ag-Hg epithermal
Sn veins in rhyolite domes
Sn-W-In-Ga veins in rhyolite
domes
shallow Mn SEDEX (?)
IS-LS? Polymetallic epithermal
shallow Mn SEDEX

5.75
<5.45
Miocene?
Miocene?

Middle Miocene to Pliocene

Late Miocene
Late Miocene to Early Pliocene

Camprub et al. (2008)

Nolasco-Vargas and Huitrn-Esquivel (1977)
referred by Camprub et al. (2008)

supergene oxidation and

reduction events
porphyry Au-Ag and Cu-AuMo, and alkaline LS Au
epithermal

3.1, 1.6, 0.085, U-series

0.041
~2.8
K-Ar & Ar-Ar

Fayek et al. (2006)

Cu-Au skarn
Hg-Ba in shallow submarine
vents, passive margin
Hg-Ag-Cr in Fe-Mn submarine
crusts
Cu-Co-Zn-Ni-Au-Ag Cyprustype VMS

2.29-2.24
Recent

referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)

Prol-Ledesma et al. (2002)

~9
7.1-6.76

Negendank et al. (1985)

?
referred by Clark and Fitch (2009)
Ar/Ar & magneto- Holt et al. (2000)
stratigraphy
K-Ar
referred by Valencia-Moreno et al. (2006, 2007)
Pasquar et al. (1988)
Bracho-Valle, 1960
Bracho-Valle, 1960

K-Ar

Miranda-Gasca et al. (2005)

Recent

Hein et al. (2005)

Recent

Lonsdale et al. (1980)

Mn-Ba-Hg in coastal vents,

passive margin
Cu-Co-Pb-Ag-Cd-Mn-Ba
Cyprus-type VMS

Recent

Canet et al. (2005)

Recent

Bischoff et al. (1983)

Au-Ag-Cu high sulphidation

mineralization
Au in high-temperature
sublimates

Recent

Larocque et al. (2007)

Recent

Taran et al. (2000)

Path Yexth
(Tecozautla)
Los Azufres

Hidalgo / Quertaro LS kaolinite epithermal in

Recent
geothermal field
Michoacn
LS polymetallic-bearing
Recent
epithermal fluids in geothermal
field

Aguilera (1907)

Barra de Colotepec
Mazunte La Colorada
La Ventosa

Oaxaca

Ti(-REE-Ag) fluvial and beach

placers

Recent

Carranza-Edwards et al. (1988)

Amrica-Sapiors

Durango

Recent

Smith et al. (1956), Fabregat (1966)

Coneto de Comonfort

Durango

Recent

Smith et al. (1956), Fabregat (1966)

Guadalczar

San Luis Potos

Recent

Fries and Schmitter (1948)

Placer de Guadalupe

Chihuahua

Recent

Gonzlez-Reyna (1956)

El Tambor
El Boludo
Xicotepec de Jurez
Tenejapa

Sinaloa
Sonora
Puebla
Chiapas

Sn and topaz alluvial and

fluvial placers
Sn-Au alluvial and fluvial
placers
Sn-Au-Ag alluvial and fluvial
placers
Au-U alluvial and fluvial
placers
Au alluvial and fluvial placers
Au alluvial and fluvial placers
bauxites
bauxites

Recent
Recent
Recent
Recent

Gonzlez-Reyna (1956)
Wilson et al. (2009)
Wing-Morales (1987)
Wing-Morales (1987)

Gonzlez-Partida and Torres-Rodrguez (1997)

Notes: In many deposits, the cited authors did not consign the deposits to the types noted here; the author of this paper did so by interpreting the data provided in the existing
publications. Also, in many cases the authors used the ages they obtained for purposes other than characterising ore deposits and may not refer to them explicitly; thus, again,
the author of this paper must be held responsible for the interpretation given here.
The Laramide age spans ~80 to ~40 Ma in NW Mexico (Late Cretaceous to Eocene; Staude and Barton, 2001).
Some of the recent deposits, none of them dated so far, may have started forming during the Pliocene-Pleistocene or before.
* Age determinations carried out in host and overlying rocks, and are considered reasonable age ranges for the formation of the epithermal deposits correlating their age with the
local geology. ** Aguilar-Nogales (1987a), based on several geochronological determinations in country rocks, suggested a preferential range of ages for epithermal deposits in
Nayarit between 19.55 and 12.60 Ma.
The term polymetallic stands for metal associations that generally include base (Zn-Pb-CuCdSn) and precious (Ag-Au) metals; different metal associations are otherwise
noted.
Key: HS = high sulphidation; IS = Intermediate sulphidation; LS = low sulphidation; FT = fission track dating.

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