Temporal evolution of magmatic rocks at the Coroccohuayco Cu-skarn deposit, Tintaya cluster, Peru

Cyril Chelle-Michou, Massimo Chiaradia Section of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Geneva, Rue des Marachers 13, 1205 Geneva, Switzerland Gustavo E. Villn Durand Xstrata Tintaya S.A., Av. San Martn 301, Vallecito, Arequipa, Peru

Abstract. High Sr/Y ratio seems to be a common (but not systematic) feature of magmatic rocks spatially and temporally associated with major porphyry copper systems and so it does at Coroccohuayco. Petrographic observations, crosscutting relationships and comparison with the nearby Tintaya igneous rocks allow distinguishing at least 5 magmatic pulses at Coroccohuayco. Preliminary U-Pb LA-ICP-MS zircon ages indicate an important magmatic event between ~3735 Ma that is spatially (and probably temporally) related to the Cu skarn alteration and mineralization in the limestone Ferrobamba formation. This magmatichydrothermal event coincides with the onset of a high Sr/Y ratio in the magmatic rocks. A comprehensive dataset of whole rock geochemical data on this magmatic suite is consistent with a process of amphibole crystal fractionation under hydrous and high-pressure conditions preventing early plagioclase crystallization. Increasing influence of titanite and zircon fractionation over trace element budget is also suggested. Garnet implication is not clear but cannot be excluded at this stage. Keywords: High Sr/Y, porphyry Cu system, crystal fractionation, petrology

deposit displaying evidences of increasing values of the Sr/Y ratio through time and with geochemical evolution of the rocks, that we attribute to amphibole and titanite fractionation with no obvious involvement of garnet.

1 Introduction
An increasing number of studies are reporting magmatic rocks with high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios in spatial and temporal association with major porphyry copper systems around the world (e.g. Thiblemont et al., 1997). This specific geochemical signature (often termed adakitic or adakite-like) encountered at convergent margins is commonly attributed either to slab melting in the presence of residual garnet (Defant and Drummond, 1990), or to crustal processes such as deep melting of a thickened continental crust with garnet in the residuum or crystal fractionation of garnet and/or amphibole titanite (e.g. Petford and Atherton, 1996; Mntener et al., 2001; Richards and Kerrich, 2007). The Coroccohuayco deposit is located in the Tintaya cluster, at the very south of the middle Eocene early Oligocene Andahuaylas-Yauri belt. This emerging metallogenic province is known for hosting several important Cu (-Au, -Mo) skarn and porphyry deposits such as Tintaya, Antapaccay and Las Bambas (Perell et al., 2003). The Tintaya cluster is currently the most actively explored in the area with the Tintaya mine, the development of the Antapaccay project and nearby prospects namely Coroccohuayco and Quechua. We report original whole rock geochemical data on the magmatic suite of the Coroccohuayco Cu skarn

Figure 1. Schematic cross section over the Coroccohuayco deposit showing observed crosscutting relationships between different magmatic pulses. The skarn mineralization (not represented here) is hosted by the Ferrobamba formation.

2 Magmatic history of the Coroccohuayco Cu skarn deposit

The magmatic history at Coroccohuayco started with the intrusion a heterogeneous hornblende diorite sill emplaced above the limestone-bearing Ferrobamba formation (Fig. 1) hosting the skarn mineralization (Maher, 2010). The whole sequence is crosscut by at least two monzonite porphyries dykes, so called hornblende monzonite and hornblende biotite monzonite (Fig. 1) respectively, that are affected by and spatially linked to the skarn alteration and mineralization. They are followed by the intrusion of post-mineral rhyolite porphyry dikes (Fig. 1). Minor pyroxene basaltic andesite porphyry dikes are found in the area (Fig. 1) and although not yet dated they are thought to record the latest magmatic event at Coroccohuayco and Tintaya (Zweng et al., 1997). This relative timing of the intrusive rocks is deduced from clear crosscutting relationships observed in outcrops and drill cores. In addition we have conducted preliminary LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of zircons on these rocks. The two monzonites and the rhyolite gave similar ages between ~37-35 Ma, that cannot be resolved within the precision of the method used,

whereas the diorite sill yielded an older age of ~41 Ma.

3 Geochemical data
The diorite, monzonites and rhyolite range in composition from basalt/basaltic andesite to trachydacite and rhyolite/trachydacite respectively (according to the classification diagram of Le Bas et al., 1986). Based on silica content two distinct groups can be distinguished with a compositional gap in between, the diorite+basaltic andesite (DBA group, <55 wt% SiO2) and the monzonite+rhyolite (MZR group, >62 wt% SiO2) groups respectively (Fig. 2). In the analysed samples MgO, FeO*, CaO and TiO2 contents decrease with increasing SiO2. Al2O3 and K2O contents have broadly constant values within each of the two groups. P2O5 content increase for the DBA group and decrease for the MZR group, with increasing SiO2. Sr concentrations increase with SiO2 with a peak in the hornblende biotite monzonite (up to 931 ppm), and decrease in the rhyolite, but keep generally high values in the second group (>500-900 ppm). In contrast, Y concentrations continuously decrease with increasing SiO2 in the second group (from 15 to 6 ppm). It results that the Sr/Y ratio keeps increasing with SiO2, up to 127 in the most evolved rocks (Fig. 2).

Figure 3. Chondrite-normalized REE spider diagrams (Sun and McDonough, 1989) of analysed samples from the Coroccohuayco magmatic suite.

4 Discussion
LILE enrichment and Nb and Ta negative anomalies of the magmatic suite are typical of subduction-related magmas. Major element evolution with increasing SiO2 is consistent with amphibole and clinopyroxene fractionation. The listric-shape of REE spider diagrams and the relatively unfractionated MREE to HREE patterns and smoothly decreasing Y concentrations with increasing SiO2 are most likely caused by amphibole fractionation. Detailed analysis of geochemical dataset further suggests a three-steps evolution of the magmatic system with increasing contribution of titanite, zircon and plagioclase on the trace element budget. Crystal fractionation (FC) modelling is presented in Figure 4: 1. In the diorite stage, trace element evolution is best explained by fractionation of clinopyroxene and amphibole in similar proportions. After diorite emplacement, magma probably started to evolve at deep crustal levels toward more silicic compositions. Simple FC process would require ~80% fractionation (Fig. 4) to reach the parent monzonite composition which is unlikely to happen. Hence combined FC and assimilation and/or magma recharge at depth would be more likely processes. The monzonite stage is marked by decreases of Nb, Ta and P2O3 with increasing SiO2 suggesting that together with clinopyroxene and amphibole, titanite (Nb, Ta) and apatite (P) also started to fractionate. Zr appears to stop increasing with SiO2 at this stage, probably due to minor zircon fractionation. The weak Eu negative anomaly in the monzonite (Fig. 3) while Sr keeps increasing might indicate the beginning of plagioclase fractionation. Sr increasing with SiO2 up to the monzonite stage and decreasing in the rhyolite stage is interpreted as reflecting the initial suppression of plagioclase fractionation, probably due the high pH2O conditions of magmatic evolution and the later onset of plagioclase fractionation (rhyolite stage)

Figure 2. SiO2 versus Sr/Y plot of analysed samples of the Coroccohuayaco magmatic suite showing a constant increase of Sr/Y with differenciation.

Relative to the primitive mantle, large ion lithophile elements (LILE) are enriched while high field strength elements (HFSE) are depleted in all the samples and Nb and Ta display negative anomalies. Nb and Ta increase with SiO2 in DBA group and decrease for the MZR group. Zr content increases until the monzonite stage and decreases in the rhyolite. Zr/Sm and Zr/Y ratios (Fig. 4) constantly increase with SiO2. Light Rare Earth Elements (LREE) are weakly fractionated with respect to Heavy Rare Earth Elements (HREE) in the DBA group (LaN/YbN=2-4) and moderately fractionated in the MZR group (LaN/YbN=711). Chondrite-normalized REE patterns (Fig. 3) in the MZR group essentially lack Eu anomaly and show a listric-shape with relatively constant MREE/HREE ratios (GdN/YbN~1.5).

2.

3.

due to decreasing pH2O following water exsolution from the magma at the monzonite stage. This model would be consistent with volatile exsolution and associated mineralization at the monzonite stage as inferred from field relationships. The decrease of Zr at this stage is attributed to a greater zircon fractionation. Crystal fractionation seems to control trace elements evolution, but the amount of fractionation required by the model (Fig. 4) is significantly too high, suggesting that assimilation also occurred. This is further supported by the increase of Rb with SiO2.

crystal fractionation with limited contributions of early accessory and sulfide phases might be a mechanism of primary metal enrichment in residual melts (Mustard et al., 2006). In addition, the hydrous character of a continuously evolving magma might be a key factor to the formation of metal-rich magmatic hydrothermal fluids (Candela and Piccoli, 2005).

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Figure 4. Ta versus Zr/Y diagram emphasizing titanite and zircon contributions to trace elements evolution. Crystal fractionation trends are modelled using DePaolo (1981) equation. Black dots represents 10% fractionation increments from parent compositions.

Figure 5. Variation of the Sr/Y ratio of through time. Relative ages are deduced form crosscutting relationships, preliminary U-Pb LA-ICP-MS zircon data and similarities with the nearby intrusive suite at Tintaya (Zweng et al., 1997). The mineralization event appears to be concomitant with the onset of a high Sr/Y ratio (>40).

5 Metallogenic implications
The mineralization event seems to be concomitant with the emplacement of felsic rocks with a high Sr/Y signature (Fig. 5) after a period of ~4 Ma of magma maturation at deep crustal levels. The same tendency has also been reported among others at Tampakan, Philippines (Rohrlach and Loucks, 2005) and Yanacocha, Peru (Chiaradia et al., 2009). Extensive