Economic Geology

Vol. $7, 1962, pp. 1247-1261

REGIONAL GEOLOGY OF THE CHANARCILLO SILVER

MINING DISTRICT AND ADJACENT
AREAS, CHILE 1

KENNETH SEGERSTROM

CONTENTS
PAGE

Abstract ............................................................. 1247

Introduction ......................................................... 1248
Sedimentaryand volcanic rocks ....................................... 1248
Intrusive and contact-metamorphic rocks ............................... 1253
Structure ............................................................ 1254
Geologichistory ..................................................... 1257
Ore deposits......................................................... 1258
Potential silver resources ............................................. 1259
Literature cited ...................................................... 1261

ABSTRACT

Chafiarcillo, renowned for its fabulous bonanzas,is in a long belt of

silver-producingmining districts in northern Chile. Part of the belt,
parallel to the Pacific Coast and the Andes mountains,has been mapped
recently in some detail. New conceptsof the regional stratigraphy and
structurethat resultedfrom this work aid in reappraisingthe Chafiarcillo
deposit and those of adjacent areas.
The belt, which correspondsroughly to the Andean geosyncline,is
bordered to the west by basementrocks of Paleozoic and possibly Pre-
cambrianage. The oldestgeosynclinalstrata are clastic rocks of Triassic
age. These are succeededby marine sedimentarybeds of Early Jurassic
age and volcanicsof Jurassic(?) age. The succeedingChafiarcilloGroup
and BandurriasFormation, of Early Cretaceousage, crop out extensively.
These two stratigraphic units interfinger, and the rocks in the zone of
facies change are the host of the Chafiarcillo deposit and many other
mineral deposits of the belt. The overlying Cerrillos and I-Iornitos
Formations, comprising volcanic and sedimentaryrocks of Late Creta-
ceous (?) age are the hosts of the rest of the silver depositsof the
region. All of the formations are intruded by rocks of intermediate
composition.
The chief structural features are folds, domes, and faults that follow
the same NNE trend as that of the silver deposits,and which are cut by
northwest-strikingfaults. Chafiarcillo is on the south flank of an open
dome with radial fractures and faults of the northwest-striking system.
The ore depositsof Chafiarcillo occur as vein fillings of the radial
fractures, and to a lesser extent of the northwest faults. The relation
between ore depositionand doming here seemsto be analogousto that
describedby Wisser (16) for the North American Cordillera. A well
x Published with the approval of the Directors of the United States Geological Survey and
the Instituto de InvestigacionesGeo16gicas;work done cooperatively under the auspicesof the
United States Agency for International Development of the Department of State.
1247
 1248 KENNETH SEGERSTROM

developedzone of oxidized and supergenesulfide enrichedrock has

yieldedmostof the ore that hasbeenminedat all of the silvermining
districtsin thebelt. With few exceptions,the unenrichedhypogene zone
hasnot yieldedore. Thereis little likelihood that Chafiarcillo
will pro-
ducemuchmore ore, exceptfrom dumps. Nearby areasof doming,
fracturingand deepoxidation,on the other hand,may well be the sites
of new ore bodies.

INTRODUCTION

THE Chafiarcillosilver mining district is locatedat 27o48.6

' S. Lat. and
70o25.6' W. Long.in northernChile50 km southof Copiap6 andabout10
km eastof the Pan-American highway. Altitudesin the districtrangefrom
about750m to 1,500m but the groundsurfaceat mostof the minesis between
900 and 1,200m abovesealevel. The districtis veryarid andthereis little
or no vegetation. Chafiarcillois the chief one of about 20 silver mining
districts(Fig. 1) that lie withina narrowbeltroughlyparallelto the coast
and30 km to 90 km inlandfromthesea,in AtacamaandCoquimbo provinces.
The areais in the mostsouthwesterly oneof eight 15-minutequadrangles
mappedby the author,aidedin part by other geologists, during the period
1957-1962. Mappingof the regionwas greatlyfacilitatedby the use of
vertical airphotographs made by the HYCON Companyin 1955 with an
approximatescaleof 1:60,000. Field work in the Chafiarcilloquadrangle
was accomplished with the aid of Aldo Moraga, of the Instituto de Investi-
gacionesGeo16gicas, and the geologywas plottedon a topographicbaseat
1:50,000 scalereleasedby the Instituto Geogr•ficoMilitar in March 1962.
A reconnaissance map of mostof the regionwas madeby CarlosRuiz F. in
1946-53at 1:500,000scale,and the presentauthoris greatlyindebtedto him
not only for the useof his unpublishedmap, later incorporatedin the Metallo-
genicMap of Chile (in press), but for criticallyreviewingthe presentmanu-
script and illustrations. Thanks are also due to W. D. Carter, of the U.S.
GeologicalSurvey,for review of the manuscript.
Of publishedreports on Chafiarcillo by many authors, those of F. A.
Moesta (3, 4), basedon observationsmade about a century ago, and those
of W. L. Whitehead (14, 15), basedon observations made about 50 years
ago, are the most complete. These publicationssupplyvaluableinformation
on the now virtually inaccessible mines, but they were prepared,of course,
without our presentknowledgeof the local and regionalgeology,leaving
much to be said about the stratigraphicand structural setting of the ore
deposits. The purposeof the presentpaper is to describefirst the regional
geologyof the westernpart of Atacamaand Coquimboand then the geologic
settingof the Chafiarcillodistrictin somedetailcomparingit in a generalway
with that of other silverminingdistrictsin theseprovinces.
Areas where similar conditionsexist that may be favorablein the explora-
tion for new depositsare suggested.

SEDIMENTARY AND VOLCANIC ROCKS

The oldestrocksin the area (Fig. 1) are regionallymetamorphosed

sedi-
mentaryrocksof probablePaleozoicage occurringalongand near the coast.
 GEOLOGYOF SILVER MINING AREAS IN CHILE 1249
71ø W
LONG 70 ø
26 ø
S. LAT.

EXPLANATION

Alluvium and terrace

depolils

Gr ariadiorite and
re•ofed racks

Continental sedimentary
and volcanic rocks

Kg
Marine and continental Ku
sedimentary and volcanic rocks

Volcanic racks

Marine sedimentary rocks

Continental clostic rocks

Granite

Regionally metamorphosod rocks

28 ø 28 ø

KEY TO NUMBERED
MINING DISTRICTS

I½Florida
•.-
Tree Puntos
Chimber as

4.- Gar(n Nuevo

5.- Gor[n Viejo

6- L adritlos

7.- Chaco de Plata

8.- Pampa Largo

9.- Cabeza de Voca

I0.- Elisa de Bardos

II- Cabeza de Vaca

29 o 12.- Lamas 8ayae

Q Chai•arcillo
II14.-SanAnlonio
15.- Chuschampes

16- Arteaga
G Viscachitas
18. Tunas

19.- Barr anconcitos

20•Condoriaco

(•) Arqueros
22.-Rodoho

', 23• Algadanes

1• Major d•slr•clsare circled.

LA SERENA
Coqulmbo SCALE
30 ø -- 0 25 50 Kin.

72 ø 71ø W
LONG

FtG. 1. Geologicmapof partsof Atacamaand Coquimbo provinces,showing

locationsof silver-miningdistricts. Outlinedarea southof Copiap6is shownin
more detail in Figure 3.
 1250 KENNETH SEGERSTROM

In the northernpart, wherethey are of low metamorphic grade,the rocks

consistof phyllites,quartzitesand a little marble,but in the southernpart,
wherethe degreeof metamorphism is higher,micaschistsare present. At
this time no namehasbeenassignedto theserocks,but a tentativecorrelation
with the E1 Toco Formationof Antofagasta
provincehas beenmadefor a
sequence of phylliteand quartzitein the vicinityof Chafiaral. The age of the
E1 Toco Formationis believedto be late Paleozoic(6). The mica schists
westand southwestof Vallenar and in the regionof La Serenamay possibly
be as old as early Paleozoicor Precambrian.

BASE OF

NANTOCO
Slmly
beds)
-•oa--..
'• Verde
t.ff
Nonloco •
• -400-
'v• Negro
limestone
7.• •_Bocono

•,•600- Delirio
limestone

Abundoncio

-8•0•'"•
-oo- '•Segundo
tuff
Ouearodo Choaorc///o
Me/endez

FIG. 2. Stratigraphic columnsat Quebrada Me16ndez(Corval•m, in prepa-

ration) and Chafiarcillo (14), showingprobablecorrelations. (The words "lime-
stone"and "tuff" in the righthand columnshouldbe capitalized.)

Acidic volcanicrocks,subaeriallydepositedconglomerates with granite

cobbles,and localcoalbedsunconformably overliethe rocksof Paleozoic(?)
age at severallocalities. Coal bedsnortheastof Copiap6containingplant
remains of Rhaetic (Late Triassic) age have 1)eenassignedto the La
Ternera Formation (11).
Limestone and sandstonecontainingammonitesand other marine fauna
of Early Jurassic(Liassic) age and overlyingthe continental,coal-bearing
bedshavebeenassignedto the Lautaro Formation (8). These rocksare in
turn unconformably overlainby a predominantlyvolcanicseries,chiefly of
lavaswhichare probablycorrelativewith the La Negra Formation,of Middle
 GEOLOGY OF SILVER MINING AREAS IN CHILE 1251

(?) and/orLate (?) Jurassic

age,the typelocalityof whichis eastof Anto-
fagasta (6).
Marine limestoneof Early Cretaceous(Neocomian)age, with interbeds
of clasticrocks,formsthe ChafiarcilloGroup. Clasticand volcanicrocksof
the Bandurrias Formation are of equivalentage, for the most part. The
ChafiarcilloGroup and the BandurriasFormation crop out in a north-
strikingbeltthat extendslengthwise
acrossthe areaof Figure 1 (shownwith
the symbol"KI"), and are the host rock of mostof the silver depositsin
the region.
The Chafiarcillo
Groupis composed of 4 formations,of whichthe Abun-
dancia,namedfor a coppermine38 km northeast of Chafiarcillo,
is the oldest.
In QuebradaMeldndez,4 km northof the Abundancia mine,the Abundancia
Formationconsistsof interbeddedlimestoneand tuff (or tuffaceoussand-
stone) with a total thicknessof 205 m (Corvalgn,in preparation). At
Chafiarcillothe SegundoTuff, about70 m thick (14), andwhichappearsonly
in the deepestmine workings,is probablyequivalentin age to the upperpart
of the Abundancia Formation.
The Nantoco Formation is the secondoldestof the group. Nantoco, a
smallvillageon the Copiap6river about32 km northeastof Chafiarcillo,is
the type locality of the formation and of three members,Alpha, Beta,
Gamma(1). At Chafiarcilloa sedimentary seriesthat is probablyequivalent
to the Alphaand Beta Membersof the NantocoFormationhasbeendivided
into sevenmembers(14). There is no paleontological evidence to establish
the correlationbetweenbedsat the two localities(Fig. 2), but the gypsiferous
NantocoGammaMember,lithologicallyuniquein the region,cropsout not
only in QuebradaMel•ndezbut alsoimmediatelynorthof Chafiarcillo,where
it overlies Whitehead's Descubridora Limestone. The correlation indicates
a facieschange
fromlimestone
with argillaceous
interbeds
andvery littletuff
in QuebradaMeldndezto limestonewith abundanttuff at Chafiarcillo.
The Nantoco Formation is overlain by the Totoralillo and Pabel16n
Formations,namedby Biese for towns upstreamfrom Nantoco,on the
Copiap6river (op. cit.) Theseformationsconsists of shalylimestoneand
chertylimestonewith clasticinterbeds,respectively,
at their type localities.
A thick lens of volcanicrocks is intercalatedin the shaly limestoneof the
Totoralillo Formation immediatelyeast of Chafiarcillo.
The BandurriasFormation,consistingof volcanicand clasticrocks,crops
out west of Chafiarcillo,at the samestratigraphiclevelsas those of the
ChafiarcilloGroup. From its type localityin Sierra Bandurrias,54 km
northwestof Chafiarcillo,2 to Cerro Negro, 20 km south,the formation inter-
fingers with the ChafiarcilloGroup, thus producinga strong facies change
from west to east (10). During preparationof the geologicmap of the
Chafiarcilloregion it was decidedthat mappablelensesof clasticand volcanic
rockscroppingout well to the east of the main Bandurrias-Nantoco contact
shouldbe assignedto the BandurriasFormation (Fig. 3). Other clastic
and volcanicbeds (Verde, Ahuesado,Constancia,and SegundoTuffs) in the
areas assignedto the Nantoco, Totoralillo or Pabel16nFormationsare not
•-Not to be confused with another Sierra Bandurrias immediately south of Chafiarcillo.
1252 KENNETH SEGERSTROM

shownon the map,eitherbecause

of their smallsize,or because
they are seen
only in mines;thesebedsshouldprobablybe considered
as interfingering
members of the Bandurrias Formation.
Subaerially
deposited conglomerates
andsandstones of earlyLate Creta-
ceousageoverliethe olderrocksof the regionwith angularunconformity.

• x"a ,efta
• • EXPLANATION
P,nlaCia

II• //•emcas • {•.• • •K.c / •

• Sierra KC' ca.lact

O Ant,gllne SyncDine
Cerro fT-. ',, n• /• ( del •ra•le / /

• 5 D•on,sto KC •'• ............ ., ,

Overt•ru•t

/ 0 • I0Kllemelers
I
moro . •,• / •o',•
WLOaG L• •opos/ w-Loa

FIc. 3. Geologicmapof the Chafiarcilloquadrangle

andadjacentareas. Outlined
area near center of map is shown in more detail in Figure 4.

Theserocks,together
with intercalations
of lavahigherin thesection
comprise
the CerrillosFormationin the vicinity of Copiap6(12). This formationof
continentalrockstogetherwith the overlyingHornitosFormationare the
hostsof mostof the silver-oredeposits that are not in rocksof Neocomian
age. The HornitosFormation, lithologically
similarto the CerrillosForma-
tion,but alsocontaining
lenticularashflowsoverliesthe Cerrillosandolder
formationswith angulardiscordance(8).
 GEOLOGY OF SILFER MINING ,4RE/iS IN CHILE 1253

Alluvium,both in the form of valleyfill depositsand high terracedeposits,

is extensively
distributed
in the westernpart of the areaof Figure 1.

INTRUSIVE AND CONTACT-METAMORPHIC ROCKS

Granite,generallycoarse-grainedand repletewith crystalsof pink ortho-

clase,intrudesthe metamorphic rocksof Paleozoic(?) age. The radio-
metricageof this granite,as determinedby the lead-alphamethodon zircon,
is late Paleozoic(6). Granite of similar appearanceoccursabundantlyas
cobblesin the La Ternera Formation, of Late Triassic age. These circum-
stancesindicatethat the two granitesmay be equivalent.

Showing
trice ef isil! litone.end directionof A ::: . Kn•' .. .. A'
....,.., ..,.. -,,•-•.•
.:•,. ,•.__ •,.•o. •,..' .. ,, .,•.
,,.,
.... , ,,,., ,.,.. •.,. '•-•••••••..'• VERTICAL
•:•
EXAGGERATIOM
.•.• _,•
•m. 4. •colog•c m•p •d secfio• o• •e Ch•c•]]o dome •d mi•g d•s-
tHct. Out]i•ed A•eA[• ]owe• ]e•t-hA•d pA•t o• map is show•

All of the rocksdescribed

aboveexceptthe alluviumare intrudedby rock
of intermediatecomposition,chieflygranodiorite,whichoccursas an extensive
batholithin the westernpart of the region,and stocksor cupulas,in the east-
ern part. Innumerabledikesand severalsills of considerable continuityare
exposedin the centralpart. In the batholithand stocks,the granodiorite,
with its gradationsto tonalite,granite, diorite or rarely gabbro,is character-
isticallyof equi-granulartexture though finer-grainedthan the pre-Rhaetic
granite. In the dikes and sills, on the other hand, the intrusive rock is
characterizedby a porphyritictexture. At Cerro de los Carres, in Chafiar-
cillo, the intrusive rocks consistof a cupolaof altered granodioritewith an
outcropareaabout200 m wide,and manyhighlyalteredaugite(?) porphyry
dikesrangingin thicknessfrom 1 to 5 m. It is probablethat the dikeswere
originallydiorite or tonalite (14, p. 17).
1254 KENNETH SEGERSTROM

Garnetiferous
contactrocksare exposed
at the surfacein the southwestern
part of the Chafiarcillodomeand mining district (Fig. 4, area with 'Kmc'
symbol),aswell asin minesof the entiredistrictbelowthe surface,suggesting
that there is more intrusiverock at depth. In placeseven the upper lime-
stonescontaincrystalsof hornblendeand scapolite,resultingfrom the contact
effects.
The age of the granodioriteand related porphyriesis about 100,000,000
years (early Late-Cretaceous)(6), at leastin part, but someof the intrusive
rocks of intermediatecompositionthat are near the coast may be as old as
Late Jurassic.
STRUCTURE

A strongnortheasterly
structuralgrain is notedin the Chafiarcilloarea
(Fig. 3) and extendsthroughoutthe region of Figure 1. The elementsthat
comprisethis grain are: (1) the Tierra Amarilla anticlinorium,and other
folds; (2) elongationof the principaloutcropareasof granodioriteand of
roof pendants;(3) long zonesof faulting of layeredrocksand closelyspaced
shearingof granodiorite.
The complex Tierra Amarilla anticlinorium can be traced from about
27øS. Lat. (9, on p. 15) to 27ø45', a distanceof 85 to 90 km. A clusterof
relativelysmall,doublyplunginganticlinesor domesfollowsthe sametrend
south of Lat. 27o45' (Fig. 3). On the gently dipping southeastlimb of
this structuralhigh the NantocoGamma memberand the successively younger
Totoralillo, Pabel16n,Cerrillosand Hornitos formationscrop out in parallel,
northeaststrikingbelts (9). Repetitionof this sequence on the northwest
limb is interruptedby the intrusionof granodiorite.
Well marked and persistentelongationof batholithicbodiesand stocks,
as well as of roof pendantsof the BandurriasFormation, suggestthat the
emplacement of the granodioritewas influenced
by the roughlyparallelTierra
Amarilla anticlinorium and other folds antedating the batholith. Moreover,
almostall the mappedintrusionssoutheast of the mainbatholitharea (north-
westcornerof Fig. 3) are either sills or other concordantintrusivebodies
of porphyry. It is possiblethat Sierra Bandurrias,immediatelysouthof
Chafiarcillo,is a laccolith,and Cerro S. Dionisio, farther to the southeast,
is a lopolith.
Shearingof granodioritealong a persistentN. 20øE. trend betweenthe
Pan-Americanhighwayand the coast,and betweenCopiap6and Vallenar
hasproduced zonesof schistose and gneissoid
rockas muchas 500 m wide
(13). Parallelingthe trend of thesezonesis a seriesof alluvialplains,or
llanostraversedby the Pan-Americanhighway.
A northeast-striking
fault zone that can be followedfor at least 50 km
dropsthe southeasternpart of the Chafiarcillo
quadrangle
and adjacentareas
(southeastcornerof Fig. 3). Narrow outcropbelts of granodioriteand
porphyryfollowtheedgeof the upthrownblock. Nearlyverticalfaultplanes
are exposedin the zone,but the amounts of displacement
are unknown.
In addition to the northeasterlystructural grain there is a well defined
north to northwest-strikingfracture systemeast of Copiap6 (9), in the
 GEOLOGY OF SILVER MINING AREAS IN CHILE 1255

Copiap6quadrangle(13), and farther south. In theseareas,includingthat

of Chafiarcillo,the north-northwestsystemis later than the northeastsystem
but it doesnot producelarge displacements of the older system.
In the area of domesthe generalstructuralpatternof long northeastele-
mentsand shorternorthto northwest
•lementsis complicated
by elements
of diversestrike. In Sierra Fritis, Sierra de Chafiarcilloand Sierra Bandur-
rias the orientationand arrangementof fracturesindicatethat at least some
of them are radial or concentricto the domes(Fig. 3).
The domein the Sierra de Chafiarcillo(Fig. 4), hithertoundescribed
in
published reportsof thearea,hasa diameter of 8 or 9 km. It is asymmetric,
with a longerslopedue to topography towardthe southwest than toward
the northeast. The Sierrade Chafiarcillo comprises all of the dome,but the
miningdistrictfrom whichmostof the silverore wasproduced is nearthe
southwestern base. Exceptwhereit is interruptedby a small,open,south-
west-plunging anticlineanda syncline, andby faulting,the part of the dome
thatis in thedistrictdipsregularlyfrom8ø to about13ø towardthe southern
quadrants.Nevertheless, dipsfromhorizontal to 55oSW are seenin a dis-
turbedzonenearwheretheanticline is cutby a transverse fault (Fig. 5).
The fracturepatternin the Chafiarcillodistrictcomprises N and NE-
strikingfractureswhichare more-or-less radialto the dome,and N-to NW-
strikingfracturesthat cut the radialfractures. A horsetailing of the trans-
versenorthwest fracturesis notedin thewestern partof thedistrict(Fig. 5).
The radialfractures(vein-filled),andthebedsof limestone andtuff thatthey
cut are displaced by the northwest fractures(generallydike-filled).Little
or no displacement of bedsby the radialfracturesis evident. The Loreto
fault, with a displacement of about50 m downon the southwestern side
"separates whathavebeencalledthe northernand southern areasof the
district"(14, p. 31). To the northand northeast of the districtappear
severalcurvedfractureswhichare approximately concentric to the dome.
The domingof Sierrade Chafiarcillo, as wellas that of SierraFritis to
the northwest and Sierra Bandurrias, to the south, resulted either from ver-
tical upliftor from compresslye
foldingdue to the applicationof horizontal
stresses.The presence of concurrent(?) radialand concentric(?) tension
fracturesfavorsthe hypothesisof essentially
verticalstresses.Inasmuchas
metallized veinsoccupythesefractures,therelationdescribed
by Wisser(16)
betweenore depositionand domingin the North AmericanCordilleraseems
to applyaswellto thepartof the SouthAmericanCordillerathatis described
herewith.
On the other hand,accordingto Whitehead (14), the Corrida Coloradaand
Veta Descubridora,the principalore-bearingveins,occupytensionfractures
along the crestsof anticlinesthat resultedfrom the applicationof lateral
compressive forces(14, p. 18, 23). He statesfurther that theseare members
of the samebifurcatingfold and are separatedby a shallowsyncline. During
detailedmappingof the surfaceof the district in 1962 it was found that the
only mappablefolds in the area of Figure 5 are the small local synclineand
anticline described above. The anticline culminates about 100 m northwest
of the Corrida Colorada. The synclinestrikesat an angle of about 120ø to
1256 KEN'A•rETH oeEGERSTROM

Kn

Kn

Kn

Oc

io
? o io

I Kb i
i
i
Krl
/
!

Err
!

I Kn
I
I
I

200
I I 400
I I I?OMTS

FIG. 5. Geologyof the centralpart of the Chafiarcillominingdistrict,based

on an unpublished
mapmadein 1862by F. A. Moesta. Explanationis the same
as that of Figure 4, where applicable.
 GEOLOGY
OF SILVERMINING AREASIN CHILE 1257

the crosscutting
Veta Descubridora.
Thus,thereappears to be no direct
geneticrelationbetween
the smalllocalfoldsandthe two principalveins.
On the other hand,theseveinsare more-or-lessradial to the dome--at least
asmuchsoasthoseof Ophir,Utah,oneof Wisser'sclassic
NorthAmerican
localities(16, p. 20-21).
GEOLOGIC HISTORY

The Chafiarcillosilver miningdistrictand adjacentareasare in the

Andeangeosyncline and in an areaof basement rocksto the west. Geo-
synclinal
sedimentationthatcommenced in Middle(?) Triassic
timewiththe
deposition
of clasticdepositswasaccompanied by extrusionof silicicrocks.
Submergence
and marinetransgression
in Early Jurassic(Lias) time were
accompanied
by extrusion
of andesites.Followinguplift,thisextrusion
con-
tinued until Early Cretaceous(Neocomian)time, when a narrow seaway
formedalongthe middleof the geosynclinal belt.
The area that is now the Chafiarcillominingdistrictwas at or near the
westernshoreof the Neocomianseawayand was subjected to 4 or 5 trans-
gressionsand regressions of the sea. During the fluctuationsof sea level,
volcanism
tookplaceon the landmass
betweenthe seawayand the Pacific
Ocean,so that in additionto sedimentation with rapid facieschanges,an
interfingeringof lavasand tuffs took place.
Reneweduplift wasaccompanied by late Neocomian or Aptfan (?) fold-
ing,constituting
the firststrongorogenythat affectedthe Andeangeosynclinal
deposits.With upliftanderosionthefoldsweretruncated
andcoarse,clastic
bedsweredeposited subaerially
producingan angularunconformity
between
the marine and continentalrocks. Extrusion of andesitewas repeatedand
morefoldingtookplace. Ash flowsweredeposited
on the foldedvolcanic
rocksand terrestrialsediments.Fracturingfollowed,chieflyalong north-
northeast-striking
trends.
A long cycle of magmaticactivity that beganabout 100,000,000years
ago and probablylastedfor millionsof years,accompanied the foldingand
faulting. The firsteffectof thisactivitywasto producetheAndeanbatholith
and its apophyses: stocks,sillsand dikes;possiblya laccolithand a lopolith
as well. Emplacement of the intrusiverockswas largelycontrolledby the
pre-existingfaults,foldsand beddingplanes. Locally,however,the vertical
forces of intrusion and subsidence modified some of the earlier structures or
producednew ones. In someplaces,particularlywherethe beddingwasfiat,
domes (Chafiarcillo,Fritis, Bandurrias) and basins (San Dionisio, Don
Beno) were formed. The intruded rocks were thermally metamorphosed
for considerable
distancesfrom their contactswith plutonicrocks,but the
dikes and sills had little or no thermal effect.
A late stageof the cycleof magmaticactivity was the circulationof hydro-
thermal solutions. Metalliferousdepositswere precipitatedfrom thesesolu-
tions in the regional northeastfractures and in local fractures related to the
doming. In the Chafiarcillodistrict there was little or no hydrothermal
akeration of the wall rock. At a still later stage,north-to northwestfaulting
 258 KENNETH SEGERSTROM

took place, and the last of the dikes were intruded along the fault planesa
little before metallization ceased.
Epeirogenicuplift, and processes
resultingfrom the uplift are the principal
events of the Cenozoic Era in the Chafiarcillo district and adjacent areas.
Valley cutting,alluvial fill, and trenchingof the fill are consequences
of the
changesin sea level that have taken place, chiefly during the Quaternary
Period. Oxidation,leaching,and supergenesulfideenrichmentof the metal-
liferous depositsare processesthat have accompaniedthe erosion. Move-
ments along the fault planes have continueduntil the present time. The
latestdisplacementshavebeenlateralat manyplaces,as shownby horizontal
slickensidesalongfault planesand in veins.

ORE DEPOSITS

Copper,gold, silver and iron depositsaboundin the area of Figure 1.

Twenty-threeof the 34 silverminingdistrictsshownon the new metallogenic
map of Chile (7, in press) are in this area. From 1860 to 1885 a dozen
mines on 3 veins in the Chafiarcillo district, the Corrida Colorada, Descubri-
dora,and Candelaria,produced2,500,000kg of silver (15, p. 216). During
its entireperiodof activityof 90-100 yearsthe now-abandoned Chafiarcillo
districtproducedat least U.S. $100,000,000in silver. Almost all of the
productioncamefrom 15 or 20 minescrowdedwithin an area of abouta
third of a squaremile.
Becauseof flooding,the minesare now inaccessible at depth; even the
upper levelswere difficultof accessin 1962. Much of the surfaceis covered
by dumps,and where bedrockis exposed,finely disseminatedpyrite is the
only product of metallizationthat is seen megascopically.The veins that
have not been stopedout are narrow and apparentlywithout ore minerals
at the surface. Even the dumpshave beenso thoroughlypickedover that
only rarely can even a small sampleof high-gradeore be found, although
large volumesof the dump materialscontainas muchas 300 g of silver per
metric ton (Carlos Ruiz Fuller, oral communication). Because of these
circumstances very little canbe addedto Whitehead'sdescriptions of the size
and shapeof the ore depositsof Chafiarcillo,their mineralsand paragenesis.
The known ore bodiesof Chafiarcillowere pods along nearly vertical
veins, most of them of the north-to northeast-strikingradial fracture system,
which cut the interbedded limestones and tuffs. A notable feature of the ore
depositsof the district is their closelithologiccontrol. During exploitation
of the mines it was found that ore bodies in limestone as much as several
meterswide and 100 to 200 m long were reducedto as little as a few centi-
meters wide and severalmeterslong where the samevein passedthrough
tuff. This feature is well illustrated in the Constanciamine (14, Fig. 2).
The veins are stronglyzonedvertically. The most productiveparts occur
in the zonewheresupergenesulfideenrichmenthas takenplace. Progressive
erosion has permitted deeper and deeper oxidation and leaching, leaving
oxidizedoresabovethe water table, and producingsupergenesulfideenrich-
ment of primary ore below the water table. Becauseof the absence,locally,
 GEOLOGY OF SILFER MINING AREAS IN CHILE 1259

of a major drainagesystem,erosionin the Chafiarcillodistrictdid not stripthe

supergenezonefaster than it couldform, as it did alongthe Coplap6river,
farther to the northeast,where primary sulfide ores are exposedat the
surface (13).
The zone of oxidized rock at Chafiarcilloextendsto a depth of 190 m
east of the Loreto fault and 100 m west of the fault (14, p. 36). Most of
the ore minerals of this zone have been found in the Descubridora limestone
eastof the fault and in the Negro limestonewest of the fault. Theseminerals
includethe followinghalidesof silver that have replacedearlier silver min-
erals and calcite: cerargyrite,iodobromite,bromyrite,embolite,and iodyrite.
Locally in the zone, the oxidation reactionshave been reversedand halides
havebeenreplacedby nativesilverand argentite(14, p. 38).
The zone of supergenesulfide enrichedrock is in the Negro limestone
(Fig. 2) in the easternpart and in the Dellrio limestonein the western
part of the district. In this zone the primary ore, containingpearceite,
proustite,,tetrahedrite,polybasite,and pyrargyrite (14, p. 31), has beenre-
placedfirst by stephaniteand argentite,and then through oxidation of the
sulfides,by dyscrasite andnativesilver(14, p. 35).
Characteristicssharedby Chafiarcillowith the other silver mining dis-
trictsshownin Figure 1 are: (1) The oresof highestgradeare in the upper
partsof the deposits. (2) Limestoneandandesiteor rocksof similarcompo-
sitionare the mostfavorablehostrocks. Calcareous sedimentary rocksare
the mostfavorableand andesiticrocksthe leastfavorablehostsfor ore depo-
sition at Chafiarcillo. For no apparentreason,the reverseis true at Tres
Puntas,Arquerosand someotherdistricts(5, p. 1153-1154). (3) Barite
is an abundantganguemineral.
The favorabilityof limestoneas a hostrockat Chafiarcillocanbe explained
by its susceptibility
to replacement,but even in that district the limestoneis
richestin silvernearits contactswith the tuffs (5). A similarrelationship
is notedin the Gran Bonet6ncopperminingdistrict,9 km north of Chafiar-
cillo,whereinterfingeringof the Bandurriasand Nantocoformationsis also
evident. Ore bodiesof the manto type at the Gran Bonet6nare either in
limestonevery near a sedimentarycontactwith andesiteor in andesitevery
near a sedimentarycontact with limestone.

POTENTIAL SILVER RESOURCES

Sincethe cessationof virtually all silver-miningactivity in Chile at the

beginningof the 1930's,importantproduction(about 50,000 kg in 1960)
has continuedonly becausesilver is a by-productrecoveredfrom most ores
minedfor theircopperandgoldcontent. Removalof pillarsin theminesand
hand-sortingof dumpmaterialhaveresultedin a minusculerecoveryof silver
ores from the Chafiarcillodistrict during the past 30 years. With recent
improvementof the position of silver in the commoditiesmarket and the
promiseof higher pricesin the near future, it is possiblethat the many
thousands of tonsof dumpmaterialcontaining300 g or moreof silverper
metric ton may be utilized.
1260 KENNETH SEGERSTROM

The possibilityof findingnewore bodiesalongknownveinsin the Chafiar-

cillo districtis not great,because
explorationhasbeenvery thorough,espe-
cially during the period 1900-1920, when practicallyevery stringer was
followedin the enrichedzoneand when workingswere extended500 m and
even600 m or morebelowthe surface. With rare exceptions the gradesof
mineralizedrock at depth, in the unenrichedhypogenezone, seem to be
uncommercial.
Only in the supergene
zonedo goodpossibilities
for discovery
of newore
bodies exist in the region. Exploration should be limited, therefore, to
localitieswhere the zonesare well developed. Keeping this in mind, old
erosionsurfacesthat haveformedon bedrockhavingfavorablelithologicand
structural characteristicsshould provide attractive ground for exploration.
Where thesesurfacesare reneeredwith graveldeposits,or evenwherethey
are deeply buried, silver ore bodiesthat have escapeddetectionso far may
possiblyyield to discoveryby geochemical or geophysicalmethods.
Judging from ore occurrenceat Chafiarcilloand in many of the other
silver-miningdistrictsin Atacama and Coquimboprovinces,favorablelitho-
logic conditionsare presentedin the Bandurriasformationand other strati-
graphicunits of equivalentage, preferablywhere there is interfingeringof
calcareousstrata and andesiticrocks, and near where the strata are cut by
small intrusive bodies. A favorable structural environment would be where
strata have gentle dips, especiallyon the flank of an open dome or doubly
plunging anticline, or near the crest. Presenceof a fracture system is re-
quired, but the fracturesneed not be long, wide or continuous,and if there
has beenfault movementthe displacements need not be great.
The ridge that is 3 to 5 km north of the Chafiarcillo district, as well as
the least inclined of its slopes,appears to have a geomorphicand geologic
environmentfavorableto the localizationof silver ores. The only factor
lackingseemsto be a well definedfracture system. More or less the same
is true of the ridge that extendsin a northeasterlydirectionfrom the district,
exceptthat mappablefracturesare present,as well. The two ridges are on
the same broad domal structureas the Chafiarcillomining districts. Much
of the crestal area of the Tierra Amarilla anticlinorium (Fig. 3), which
extends from these ridges northeastwardto the Ladrillos district (Fig. 1,
no. 6), and beyond,is favorablegeomorphologically, stratigraphicallyand
structurallyfor the depositionof oxidizedsilver minerals.
In other domesor doublyplunginganticlinessouth of Chafiarcilloand
on the sidesof the structuralbasin southeastand east of these small uplifts
(Fig. 3) there are numerousmineral depositsthat have been mined on a
small scalefor silver, gold, copper,and iron. Further prospecting,particu-
larly near contactsbetweenrocksof different lithology,may revealnew silver
depositsor extensionsof the old ones. The prospectingshouldyield better
resultson hilltopsor gentleslopes,evenwherethereis a veneerof Quaternary
clastic deposits,than near water-coursesor on the steep sides of valleys.
Geochemicalprospecting,so far untried in the Chafiarcillodistrict and adja-
cent areas, may be useful in detectingsilver halides,for example,in mantle
rock.
 GEOLOGY OF SILVER MINING AREAS IN CHILE 1261

An old erosion surface that extends southward from a line of broad, north-
strikingvalleysor pampasis the localeof the Cabezade Vaca and Lomas
Bayasdeposits(Fig. 1, nos.9, 11 and 12). North of 27ø S Lat. this surface
is immediatelyeasto• the 70th Meridian, and between27ø and 28ø (where
it finally dies out), the surfaceis to the west of the same Meridian. The
southernextensionof the surfaceis represented by terraceremnantsdeveloped
in deeplyweatheredsedimentaryrocksand andesiteo• the Cerrillosand Hor-
nitosFormation,and partly coveredwith Quaternaryclasticdeposits. Parts
o• the terrain are known to be argentiferous. Hitherto-unknownsilver de-
positsmay exist in othersectorso• this old erosionsurface,particularlywhere
it is coveredby streamgravelsor by the productsof masswasting.
SANTIAGO,CHILE,
June 7, 1962

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