The Las Cuevas deposit, Almaden district (Spain): An unusual case of deep-seated advanced argillic alteration related to mercury mineralization |
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| Authors: | P Higueras R Oyarzun R Lunar J Sierra J Parras |
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| Institution: | (1) Departamento de Ingeniería Geológica y Minera, Escuela Universitaria Politécnica de Almadén, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Plaza M. Meca 1, 13400 Almadén, Spain e-mail: phiguera@igem-al.uclm.es, ES;(2) Departamento de Cristalografía y Mineralogía, Facultad de C.C. Geológicas, Universidad Complutense, 28040 Madrid, Spain, ES;(3) Departamento de Ingeniería Geológica y Minera, Escuela Universitaria Politécnica de Almadén, Universidad de Castilla La Mancha, Plaza M. Meca 1, 13400 Almadén, Spain, ES |
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| Abstract: | The Hercynian mercury mineralization of Las Cuevas is hosted by a highly folded and sheared sequence of basalts, intrusive
breccias, slates, psamitic rocks and quartzites. The mineral paragenesis is simple and consists of cinnabar, native mercury
and pyrite. Hydrothermal alteration can be divided into `proximal' and `distal' with respect to the mineralized bodies. The
proximal alteration (≤1.3 m wide) consists of quartz-pyrophyllite-kaolinite, quartz-pyrophyllite-(kaolinite)-(illite), and
quartz-illite-(pyrophyllite)-(kaolinite). The distal alteration (∼100 m wide) consists of (quartz)-illite-chlorite-(pyrophyllite),
or rectorite-(chlorite). These assemblages overprint an earlier, regional alteration consisting of quartz-chlorite-albite-carbonates
(±ankerite, ±siderite, ±magnesite, ±calcite). The mercury deposit of Las Cuevas can be regarded as an unusual combination
of mercury deposition and advanced argillic alteration within a relatively deep environment (≥1.8 km).
Received: 3 February 1998 / Accepted: 8 June 1998 |
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