Structure and Tectonics of the Peruvian Andes:

Regional Geological Data and Implications for Exploration

Russell Mason

Data

Geological data captured from 1:100000 maps. Polygons labeled according to age and basic rock type

Data

Mineral deposit data - location, type Geochronology data - location, age, rock type Remote sensing - Landsat

Interpretation of Structures from Data

Assumptions: that linear shaped margins or contacts of tectonostratigraphic units are fault controlled Structures that influence the shapes and locations of tectono-stratigraphic units are likely to be important structures (as a subset of lineaments)

Interpretation of Structures from Data

Aim: To identify structures that have important geological significance and tectonic context.

Interpretation of Structures from Data

Lineament analysis (Butler 2007) - approx 20 000 objects

Interpretation of Structures from Data: Examples

Fault controlled basins influence areal distribution of sediments and volcanics Major basin boundary faults can be very large structures Segmented basins indicate transfer structures

Interpretation of Structures from Data: Examples

Basement uplift along regionally significant structures Inverted basin margin faults

Figure from Vaughan Stagpoole, Andy Nicol, Rob Funnell, Richard Cook GNS website (New Zealand)

Interpretation of Structures from Data: Examples

Horst boundary faults at margins of basement uplifts

Figure from CCOP EPF website

Interpretation of Structures from Data: Summary

The shape and distribution of many tectono-stratigraphic units indicates that their contacts are controlled by faults. It is anticipated that such structures may have been extensional during basin formation but have been reactivated during contractional deformation. This interpretation is specifically concerned with those structures that affect the tectono-stratigraphy
it is assumed that these will be large and potentially long-lived structures and whose definition using other datasets may not be obvious.

It is also postulated that large, long-lived structures have the potential to localise magma and associated mineralising fluids and therefore influence the location of mineral deposits

Tectonics Peru - Pre-Cambrian

Distribution of Precambrian outcrops in Peru and their likely extent under shallow cover.

Tectonics Peru - Pre-Cambrian

Structures interpreted from the shapes of Precambrian basement.

Tectonics Peru - Pre-Cambrian

Coastal block separate to main areas of preCambrian outcrops Differing Paleozoic stratigraphy on the coastal PreCambrian basement to that of the main PreCambrian basement suggests different Paleozoic histories Main Pre-Cambrian (Maranon Rise) form(ed) a contiguous part of the Amazonian craton while coastal block (Arequipa Block) was accreted to the margin pre-Mesozoic

Tectonics Peru - Paleozoic

Paleozoic and Pre-Cambrian rocks with structures interpreted from the distribution of Paleozoic rocks.

Paleozoic rocks are partly contiguous with Pre-Cambrian rocks.

Tectonics Peru - Paleozoic

End Paleozoic commonly marked by hiatus Paleozoic essentially passive margin to Amazonian craton or back arc to subduction zones that accreted terranes through the Paleozoic. Volcanics at base of Ordovician may reflect the presence of an outboard arc at this time perhaps associated with the accretion of the Arequipa Block. Proto-Andean margin essentially in place at end Paleozoic

Tectonics Peru - Mesozoic

Development of Marianas-type subduction zone with back arc extension Significant development of back-arc rifts and basins

Tectonics Peru - Mesozoic

Jurassic
Shelf carbonates central and west Volcanics in north and south but absent in central part Late Jurassic continental sediments due to uplift of shallow marine shelf Structure

Shallow marine basins (shelf env) controlled by back-arc extensional faults

Volcanics location - shape of arc? Late Jurassic inversion (Vicusian Orogeny) ?increased convergence rate? Inversion caused erosion of carbonates to form continental deposits
Late Jurassic continental sediments Mid Jurassic marine sediments Triassicearly Jurassic marine sediments Early Jurassic volcanics Interpreted faults

Tectonics Peru - Mesozoic

Cretaceous
Cretaceous sedimentation

coincident with earlier Jurassic sedimentation East of Maranon high continued continental sedimentation to early Cretaceous

Cretaceous rocks in shades of green

Maranon high

Jurassic to Cretaceous back-arc sea

Tectonics Peru - Mesozoic

Mid-Cretaceous
Deposition of >6km Cretaceous volcanics in the Huarmey-Canete trough, a back-arc rift. Otherwise Creatceous sedimentation dominated by shallow marine conditions.

Tectonics Peru - Cenozoic

Cenozoic characterized by current day continental Andean-type margin as distinct from the Mesozoic Marianas-type subduction zone Arc and back-arc in compression Cordillera becomes emergent

Tectonics Peru - Cenozoic

Tertiary Volcanics Single elongate arc Significantly wider in the vicinity of and south of the Abancay Deflection Due to migration of flat slab geometry during Tertiary (James and Sacks, 1999).

Tectonics Peru - Cenozoic

Tertiary Volcanics Faults interpreted have an approximate conjugate arrangement High level brittle structures developed

Structure - Fold Belts

Interpreted fold axes from map data
Two main fold belts: Incaic and sub-Andean

Structure - Fold Belts

Interpreted fold axes from map data
Faults interpreted from fold axis segmentation post-folding offset of fold axes Syn-folding strain accommodation structures Pre-folding basement structure influenced fold development.

Structure - Abancay Deflection

Paleozoic rocks and interpreted fold axes in the vicinity of the Abancay deflection

Structure - Abancay Deflection

Interpreted extent of Pre-Cambrian basement Pre-Cambrian basement structure (ie. Re-entrant) may be responsible for the deflection

Nazca ridge influence?

Flat slab geometry to north

Structure - Intermontane Basins

Tertiary continental sediments highlight a zone of intermontane basins.
Fault bounded

Structure - Intermontane Basins

Present day development of small intermontane graben

Structure - Intermontane Basins

Intermontane basin observed in Landsat image

Structure - Forearc Basins

Fore-arc basin developed during Tertiary are onshore with continental sedimentation in the south.

Structure - Forearc Basins

Fore-arc basins also developed offshore during the Tertiary in northern Peru (?turbidite filled)

Landsat interpreted structure

Despite the common assertion that Landsat interpreted features (linear and circular) are associated with mineral deposits - difficult to observe here.

Aster data

Structures interpreted (by Mayor, 2007) from aster data Structures smaller scale than those interpreted in this study.

Structure from intrusive rocks

The Coastal Batholith

Intruded mainly during Cretaceous Geochron 100Ma - 55Ma (some workers to 30Ma) Geochron suggests younging to the north Represents zone of focussed crustal extension during emplacement

Structure from intrusive rocks

Paleozoic intrusives
Interpreted faults

Structure from intrusive rocks

Tertiary intrusives
Interpreted faults

Definition of major structures

All interpreted structured colour coded for age from which tectono-stratigraphic unit they were interpreted
Highlights zones of longlived structural activity (overlapping structures)
Tertiary intermontane and fore-arc basins faults Tertiary volcanics faults

Cretaceous faults

Jurassic faults Triassic Jurassic marine sediments faults Paleozoic intrusives faults Paleozoic faults Precambrian faults

Definition of major structures

Major faults defined where several interpreted faults overlap

Definition of major structures

Major faults defined where several interpreted faults overlap

Major faults from Mesozoic and Tertiary only units

Mineral deposits and major structures

Mineral deposits, without regard to their type or age, have a distribution that can be described as:
- Forming in zones of different frequency that are bounded by interpreted major structures, or - Occur in zones that are sublinear and are on or near, but similarly oriented to, interpreted major structures, and - Generally do not occur where there are no major structures.

Mineral deposits and major structures

Porphyry and related deposits

Occur in Tertiary volcanic arc Difficult to relate deposits to individual major structures

Mineral deposits and major structures

Porphyry and related deposits

Show better spatial relationship to Tertiary aged structures

Southwestern Resources (MISOSA) projects

Tintaya and Antay faults

Southwestern Resources (MISOSA) projects

Huachocoi and Azulcocha faults
Sami, Sumaq, Marcia Claims

Josnitoro Claims

Southwestern Resources (MISOSA) projects

Minaspata and Antay faults may form major underlying structure through the Liam JV area

Southwestern Resources (MISOSA) projects

Canta claims adjacent to Santander major fault

Conclusions
The conclusions of this study can be summarised as follows:
- Structures can be interpreted from regional geological data. - Regional structures can be related to the tectonic evolution of the Peruvian Andes. - Major structures are those where data indicates they have been active over extended periods of geological time. - Many major structures are spatially related to mineral deposits and should be considered prospective unless determined otherwise. - The Antay area comprises several major faults and their intersections and is considered highly prospective for porphyry and porphyry-related deposits. - The Liam JV area is notable for its lack of major structures although this is thought to be due to thick successions of Tertiary volcanics that obscure earlier-formed structures. Major structures may exist in the area and fieldwork may help quantify the relationship between locally developed and regional structures. - Several other Minera del Suroeste SAC project areas are considered prospective from a structural point of view. These include Condorama, Kim, groups of claims on or near the Tintaya Fault, the Sami, Sumaq and Marcia areas and the Josnitoro areas. - Because major faults interpreted here are considered prospective for mineralisation they should be considered as part of exploration area selection criteria.