The Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of southeastern Peru and

its extension to the Chilean porphyry copper

province
Stefanie Weise
Supervisor: PD Dr. Th.Seifert (Department of Economic Geology and Petrology, TU Bergakademie Freiberg,
Germany)

Abstract
The Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene Andahuaylas-Yauri belt, situated in southeastern
Peru is an rapidly emerging porphyry copper province with growing importance.
Copper, gold and molybdenum mineralizations are associated with the calc-alkaline
Andahuaylas-Yauri batholith that emplaced into clastic and carbonate strata. Probable
extensions of the belt into southeastern Peru and Northern Chile are difficult to define
because of a Post-Oligocene volcanic cover in the corridor between the two areas.
Nevertheless the similar geologic setting of both porphyry copper provinces provides the
idea of a close relationship.

Regional Overview
The northwest tending Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of southeastern Peru extents for about
300 km between the localities of Andahuaylas in the northwest and Yauri in the
southeast (Fig.1). At a rough estimate the belt covers an area of 25,000 km. Until the
1980s this territory was mainly known for its copper bearing, magnetite skarn deposits
like in Tintaya, Atalaya and Las Bambas. Wrongly the occurences were considered to be
copper skarns with barren intrusions, although potassic alteraton in host porphyritic
stocks had been described. The metallogenic diversity of the belt evolved during the
1990s, when the presence of porphyry style alteration and mineralization was
confirmed. This discoveries resulted in the recovery of potentially economic porphyry
copper deposits at Antapaccay, Los Chancas and Cotabambas. Moreover is the variety of
deposits completed by porphyry-skarn and Mississipi Valley-type mineralizations.
This paper focuses on systems for which the bulk of mineralization is of porphyry
type, exactly it excludes those deposits in which other styles of mineralization are
dominant. In fact, the deposits and prospects range from gold-rich, molybdenum-poor
examples and systems that contain gold and molybdenum, to molybdenum-enriched,
gold-depleted endmembers. Regional geologic features are described, that try to support
the theory of the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt as a new and important porphyry copper
province.
In addition this paper tries to establish regional correlations and comparisons with the
neighbouring and coeval copper province of northern Chile. The line of argument
includes the Collahuasi district, the Chuquicamata-El Abra district and the Escondida
area of the Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene porphyry copper belt of northern Chile.
The enormous geologic potential of the Chilean copper porphyries has triggered
numerous mining companies to concentrate their exploration efforts in Chile. In round
terms the presence of a direct connection between the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt and

Stefanie Weise

porphyry provinces in northern Chile has not only scientific relevance, but also has
economic and social significance for the development of Peru in the following decades.
Methods
For most of the deposits and especially for the prospects there is a lack of published
descriptions. Most of the puplished information represent field work by exploration
geologists. This present work is influenced by field work of the author in the UtuparaCopper-Gold-project between the Leonor and Cristo de los Andes prospects in the
southwestern part of the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt, that included detailed mapping (1:5000
scale) and logging of approximately 900 m perforation. K-Ar studies by Noble et al.
(1984, 1978) and Re-Os studies by Mathur et al. (2001) provided geochronologic data
for several systems of the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt. K-Ar ages were chiefly determined
for hydrothermal alteration silicates, for instance biotite, associated with potassic
alteration and mineralization. The analysis of U-Th-Pb isotopes in zircon with the help
of exciter laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ELA-ICP-MA)
by Campbell et al. (2006) determined crystallization ages for samples from the
Chuquicamata-El Abra belt of northern Chile. 40Ar/39Ar biotite, illite and alunite dates
presented by Masterman et al. (2004) for the Collahuasi district in northern Chile
represent ages of hydrothermal activity in the according deposits.
Regional Overview
The approximately 300 km long Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of southeastern Peru is situated
250-300 km upcountry from todays Peru-Chile trench. The area is part of the magmatic
arc that was built up in various diachronous pulses throughout the Mesozoic. The
essential idea of the tectonic evolution along the western coast of South America is the
subduction of the Nazca Plate eastwards under the South American Plate. The western
margin of South America has been a destructive plate boundary since the Mesozoic,
when it formed the estern seaboard of Gondwana. The geometry and character of
tectonic events was closely linked to variations in the dip of the subducting Nazca Plate
and changes in the relative convergence rate and azimuth. The area between
Andahuaylas and Yauri enfolds sections of the intermontane depressions between the
Eastern and Western Cordillera and the northern part of the Altiplano (Carlier et al.,
1996; Chvez et al., 1996). It marks the zone of transition between the southern, normal
subduction conditions of southern Peru and northern Chile and the northern, flat
subduction zone of central and northern Peru (Cahill and Isaks, 1992).
The orogenic evolution of the Peruvian Andes is the result of 3 major geodynamic
cycles in the Precambrian, Paleozoic to Early Triassic and Late Triassic to present. The
opening of the South Atlantik started the last cycle (65.5-89.3 Ma) and includes at first a
phase of Mariana-type subduction, which is characterized as extensional and which leads
to crustal attenuation. It was the site of major marine sequences, including the products
of a volcanic island arc or marginal rift. A geodynamic change in the Late Cretaceous
led to the Andean type of subduction that is described by marine withdrawl and therefore
lacks marine sedimentation along the cordillerean belt. The recurrence of compressive
episodes, intense continental volcanic and plutonic activity, crustal thickening and a
massive uplift characterized this phase and emerged the Cordillera (Benavides-Cceres,
1999). Episodes of compressions formed 3 major eastward shifting fold and thrust belts.
This compressive episodes, yclept Peruvian (84-79 Ma), Incaic (59-22 Ma) and Quechua
(17 Ma-Early Pleistocene), record the advantage of the orogeny in an eastern direction
and phases of intense plutonic and volcanic activity. This paper is restricted to the Incaic
episode, due to the fact that the bulk of deformation begun at ~42 Ma and it is argued
that this period was the most important event of compressive deformation in the region
between Andahuaylas and Yauri (Perell et al. 2003).

The Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of southeastern Peru and its extension to the Chilean porphyry
copper province

Fig.1. a. Schematic illustration of the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt and its possible southward
extension. The transition to the northern Chilean porphyry copper province is marked by younger
volcanic and sedimentary cover sequences. Ages of intrusions at La Escondida, Zaldvar and
Chimborazo are based on U-Pb (zircon) dating by Richards et al. (1999), other ages are for
hydrothermal alteration assemblages dated by Perell et al. (2003). b: Greatly simplified geologic
map of the Andahuaylas-Yauri batholith with porphyry Cu depostits/clusters modified after Perell
et al. (2003).

Stefanie Weise

Because of missing particularized structural data in regional maps, it is complicated to

understand the regional tectonics as a whole. Structural geology of the AndahuaylasYauri area is differentiated between the main regional physiographic provinces: Western
Cordillera (in the southern and western part), Eastern Cordillera (western and
northwestern part) and Altiplano (southestern part) (Jaillard et al., 2000). Moderately to
intensely deformed Mesozoic to Cenozoic sequences in large northwest-tending folds
dominate the northeastern border of the Western Cordillera. This folds certainly have a
northerly vergence. The southern part of the Western Cordillera shows low- and highangle thrusts with northerly vergence and represents the most intense deformation and
folding (Perell et al., 2003) of the whole area. The border between the Western
Cordillera and the Altiplano is defined by two northwest-tending fault systems
(Limatambo-Ayaviri and Abancay-Yauri) with nearly 300 km lenght. Each fault system
is made up of various petite faults or segments with extents up to 50 km and indicates
high-angle reverse and strike-slip movements (Perell et al. 2003). These main fault
systems have been active during Mesozoic time and have controlled the extension of the
Cuzco-Puno high in the area and this does necessarily mean that they constitute
structures reactivated during Andean deformation (Benavides-Cceres, 1999). The
corridor defined by the two fault systems is occupied by the synorgenic rocks of the
Anta Formation and the San Jernimo Group. The south-eastern extension of the
Abancay-Yauri fault in the Santa Luca area produces high-angle reverse structures that
are interpreted by Jaillard and Santander (1992) to be associated with a major fold-thrust
deformation event.
The Andahuaylas-Yauri batholith
Bonhomme and Carlier uttered the name for the batholith in 1990 and it is used by the
author in this work. The fragmentary outcrops of the Andahuaylas-Yauri batholith are
made up by a variety of intrusions. Porphyry copper deposits in the region are closely
connected with the Andahuaylas-Yauri batholih, which uplift is correlated with the
Incaic orogeny. After Perell et al. (2003) batholith emplacement took place in 3 stages.
The early stage is characterized by calc-alkaline cummulates (gabbro, olivine gabbro,
diorite) that crystallized at the bottoms of shallow magma chambers at temperatures of
1000C and a pressure of 2-3 bar. In the next stage intermediate rocks (monzo-diorite,
quartz diorite, quarz monzodiorite and granodiorite) dominated the emplacement. They
can be described as lighter gray in color with a medium to coarse grain size and textures
that seem to be equigranular to porphyritic. This rocks built up the majority of the
batholith and can be found in the field regulary. In the terminal stage, subvolcanic
intrusions with a granodioritic to dacitic composition rounded up the batholiths
emplacement. K-Ar ages published by Carlier et al. (1996), Carlotto (1998) and Perell
et al. (2002,2003), point out a Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene age (~48-32 Ma). For
the cummulate rocks these authors confirm ages between 48-43 Ma and for the
intermediate stage rocks 40-32 Ma.
The geodynamic modell for the batholith emplacement confirms that older basinbound structures (e.g., Cuzco-Puno high) were reactivated into high-angle reverse faults
that favoured the uplift of the Andahuaylas-Yauri batholith between 40-32 Ma (Carlier et
al. 1996; Carlotto, 1998).
Porphyry Copper Geology
First and foremost the arrangement of the prospects and deposits is disposed in 5 main
clusters with 19 systems and 13 seperate porphyry centres (Perell et al., 2003). The
position of the porphyry copper bodies is remarkable due to the fact, that they are around
the corners of the main intrusions which make up the Andahuaylas-Yauri batholith.
Exceptions are the porphyry stocks at Panchita, Potada, Liticia, Cotabambas and

The Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of southeastern Peru and its extension to the Chilean porphyry
copper province

Antapaccay, where the pluton was grasped. Apart from that the isolated systems at the
Tintaya cluster, Los Chancas and Chaccaro are akin with small-sized plutons and
possible outliners of the same Andahuaylas-Yauri batholith.
Porphyry copper-bearing stocks are typically calc-alkaline in composition
(Bonhomme and Carlier, 1990). Most of the porphyry-related intrusions exhibit an
intermediate composition, predominated by dacite and granodiorite. Besides other
premises like Cotabambas, Tintaya and Panchita are dominated by monzodioritc,
monzogranitic and quarz monzonitic stock composition (Perell et al., 2003). The
groundmass composition is controlled by quartz, plagioclase and orthoclase in
microfelsic aggregates with interstitially biotite. There are two remarkably phenocryst
populations in the porphyry bodies. On the one hand biotite and amphibole make up the
most frequent ferromagnesian phenocrysts and on the other hand plagioklase (30 to 80
vol%) and subordinate quartz eyes and orthoclase with ~10 vol% each stand for
important phenocrysts (Perell et al., 2003).
The genetical association of the bulk of mineralization with only one phase of
intrusion appears to be present in most deposits. Besides there are deposits like Los
Chancas and Lahuani were two phases are recognizable and at Antapaccay up to six
phases have been described (Jones et al., 2000). It has been proved that inter- to latemineral porphyry intrusions have similar characters in all systems of the AndahuaylasYauri belt. A distinction between early inter-mineral intrusions is difficult because they
show similar textures, compositions and alteration products. Apart from that later intermineral and younger phases evolve deserve compositions and textures with weaker
alteration processes. The porphyry copper stocks of the belt show four different geologic
attributes that range from a cylindrical form of the porphyry copper-bearing stock with a
central location of the late-mineral porphyry dike, structurally controlled systems to
clustered structures with late-mineral domes and dike swarms as well as supergene
enriched zones (Perell et al., 2003).
Hydrothermal alteration and mineralization
Porphyry systems at the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt show at least six distinct types of
alteration-mineralization. Table 1 illustrates alteration types of Meyer and Hemley
(1967), as well as Sillitoe (2000) with their specific characters. Hydrothermal alteration
provides the most usefull footprint for explorers. The Andahuaylas-Yauri porphyry
systems are principally dominated by potassic alteration characteristics that are
associated with mineralizations. The replacement of magmatic hornblende and magmatic
biotite by hydrothermal biotite occurs early in the evolution of the systems (Perell et al.,
2003). Significant mineralizations in the form of chalcopyrite and/or bornite are visible
in veinlets. An other kind of veinlets is described by chalcopyrite and molybdenite. In
the gold-rich porphyry copper deposits in the Cotabambas cluster veinlets contain high
amounts of magnetite. In many deposits the early-stage potassic alteration is overprinted
by copper-depleting sericite-clay-chlorite alteration.

Stefanie Weise

Table 1. Types of alteration-mineralization recognizable in the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt porphyry

systems (after Perell et al. 2003)
Alteration Type

Characteristics

potassic

quartz, biotite, K-feldspar

calcic-potassic

veinlets of quartz, actinolite, hornblende, K-feldspar, biotite, apatite, calcite;

minor amounts of clinopyroxene and epidote

sericite-clay-chlorite

pale-green overprint to potassic alteration, associations of sericite, illite,

smectite, chlorite, calcite, quartz and variable amounts of epidote, halloysite,
albite

quarz-sericitic

white, texturally destructive aggregates of quartz, sericite, illite, several

percent pyrite

prophylitic

chlorite, epidote, calcite, veinlet pyrite ~1 vol%

calc-silicate

garnet, diopside, epidote, actinolite

Ore zones and metal contents

Generally the mineralization of porphyry deposits and prospects of the AndahuaylasYauri belt are hosted by porphyry stocks and the immediate country rocks. After Perell
et al. (2003) three different styles of mineralization can be distinguished by the facies of
the country rocks. Where country rocks are dominated by the terrigenous facies of the
Yura Group (as at Lahuani, Los Chancas, Quechua) or by volcanoclastic and red bed
horizons of the Anta Formation (Morosayhuas cluster) porphyry stocks constitute the
main host to ore. At Cotabambas the intrusions of the Andahuaylas-Yauri batholith make
up the predominant country rock. In this case ore seems to be evenly distributed between
porphyry stocks and wall rocks. An other kind of mineralization appears where porphyry
stocks intrude carbonate rocks of the Ferrobamba Formation (as at Tintaya, Alicia and
Chalcobamba. Mineralized skarns are present in these units.
Porphyry copper deposits and prospects of the belt range from gold-rich,
molybdenum-poor examles (Cotabambas), through deposits with gold and molybdenum
(Tintaya, Los Chancas), to molybdenum-rich, gold-poor end-members (Lahuany). Goldonly porphyry systems are poorly exlored and present at the areas of Morosayhuas and
Winicocha. Gold-rich occurences show average Au grades >0.3 ppm and molybdenum
contents <100ppm. Table 2 helps to identificate the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt as an
important copper province.
Table 2. Geologic resources for main deposits of the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt, modified after
Perell et al. (2003) [References: Fierro et al.(2002), www.BHPBilliton.com, E.Tejada (2003)]
Deposit
Tonnage (x106)
Cu (%)
Au (g/t)
Mo (%)
Tintaya district
Antapaccay
Coroccohuayco
Ccatun Pucara
Quechua
Tintaya

383
155
24
300
139

0.89
1.57
1.44
0.68
1.39

0.16
0.16
n.a.
n.a.
0.23

n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.
n.a.

Cotabambas Area
Azulccacca
Ccalla

24
112

0.42
0.62

0.39
0.36

<0.01
<0.01

Los Chancas

200

1.00

0.12

0.08

The Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of southeastern Peru and its extension to the Chilean porphyry
copper province

Supergene Effects
After Perell et al. (2003) the depth of complete to partial oxidation of sulfides in the
deposits and prospects of the belt is frequently 30-50 m and extents locally to 150 m. It
is a matter of fact that most of the porphyry systems lack economically significant zones
of supergene enrichment. Firstly this is owed to relatively low pyrite contents, secondly
quartz-sericitic alteration is poorly developed and finally the high neutralization
capacities of potassic alteration zones and carbonate country rocks prevent supergene
enrichment processes. Therefore most cappings are immature and exemplary for a
goethitic composition. Some cappings contain copper in the form of malachite,
chrysocolla, neotocite and pitch limonite. In general, the cappings have developed by in
situ oxidation of chalcopyrite-bornite mineralization with total sulfide contents of <3 vol
%. Supergene chalcocite formation in quarzites and sandstones is controlled by the
presence of high volumes of pyrite in intermediate argillic and quartz-sericitic alteration
zones. In these cases chalcocine and varying portions of covellite are the main hosts for
copper. The local formation of supergene alunit in leached cappings is connected with
the more pyritic parts of the porphyry copper systems.
Unfortunately the age of formation of leached cappings and chalcocite blankets is
barely investigated. Considering the facts that most chalcicite blankets are immature,
situated parallel to the present surface and are only partially exposed, strongly favours a
Pliocene or younger age for supergene processes. Supergene alunite from the
Cotabambas cluster returned a K-Ar age of 3.3Ma (Perell et al., 2003).

Disscussion

Probable extensions
In the first place, the northern and southern boundaries of the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt
are not well understood and defined. The Abancay Deflection, a nearly east-west tending
structure, seems to be a significant northern interuption of the belt and it may stop at this
latitude. The problem is, that in central Peru (Noble et al., 1984; Soler and Bonhomme,
1988; Clark et al., 1990; Noble and McKee, 1999; Petersen, 1999) and northeast of Lima
(Noble and McKee, 1999) Late Eocene to Oligocene magmatism, related to Incaic
deformation is present, but no evidence for porphyry copper mineralization has been
recognized yet. More speculative is the dilatation of the belt in a southern direction. As a
matter of fact, reconstructions for Late Eocene to Early Oligocene magmatism and
mineralization from Sillitoe (1988, 1989), Clark et al.(1990), Clark (1993), James and
Sacks (1999) as well as Petersen (1999) suppose a meaningfull segmentation along the
belt at the Bolivian Orocline in the central Andes. Tracking the extension of the belt into
southeastern Peru and into northern Chile is nearly impossible because of a PostOligocene volcanic cover in this region.
Extensions into southeastern Peru
Nevertheless Perell et al. (2003) give 3 lines of evidence, that Late Eocene to Early
Oligocene deformation and magmatism is demonstrable in the interstice between the
Andyhuaylas-Yauri belt and the Chilean border. In this region the Ataspaca and Santa
Luca Middle Eocene to Early Oligocene porphyry copper deposits conduce the
following argumentation. First of all Perell et al. (2003) point out, that during the Late

Stefanie Weise

Eocene (~40 Ma) deformation of fold-thrust belt type took place in the Santa Luca area.
This event is associated with a molasse-type sedimantation of the Puno Group (Portugal,
1974; Jaillard and Santander, 1992) that is noticable analogical with the San Jernimo
Group near to Cuzco in the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt. Secondly the connection of
magmatism at Santa Luca in the Early Oligocene (~30-32 Ma; Clark et al. 1990), and
~30 Ma old flows interbedded in the San Jernimo Group red beds and the ~30-35 Ma
magmatism of the Katanga area in the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt underline a close
connection. Thirdly, magmatism and Incaic deformation appear along the same crustal
discontinuity in the Santa Luca area and in the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt, called the
Cuzco-Puno high (Jaillard and Santander, 1992).
Extensions to the north Chilean porphyry province
The next line of evidence Perell et al. (2003) conclude that southeasterly extensions of
the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene structures visible at the belt, seem to propagate
across the border into the northernmost parts of Chile (Garca et al., 2002). Finally the
connection with the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene porphyry copper belt of northern
Chile is synthesized by magmatic and hydrothermal activity (~45-39 Ma) in the Tarata
district at Ataspaca, Peru (Clark et al., 1990). The listed ideas by Perell et al. (2003)
illustrate the certainly connection between the Andahuaylas-Yauri and the north Chilean
porphyry copper belt during Middle to Late Eocene to Early Oligocene (~45-30 Ma).
A genetic connection between Incaic compression, uplift, denudation and the Late
Eocene to Early Oligocene porphyry copper belt of northern Chile is recently
acknowledged (Maksaev and Zentilli, 1999). Perell et al. (2003) speculate that the Late
Eocene to Early Oligocene porphyry copper mineralization of northern Chile might have
taken place under conditions of subduction flattening (Mpodozis and Perell, 2003) as it
is conspicuous in southern Peru during the same time.
A direct comparision between the porphyry copper belts of northern Chile and
southeastern Peru seems to be speculative, but nevertheless the following line of
arguments includes the Collahuasi district, the Cuquicamata-El Abra district and the
Escondida area and shows up obvious and common properties of both systems. After
Richard et al. (2001), Northern Chiles worlds premier porphyry copper district lies in a
30-50-km-wide orogen-parallel belt that stretches over 1000 km from 28S to 19S. This
area is known as the West Fissure zone and characterized by orogen-parallel faults with
strike-slip and normal movements. It is also referred to as the Sistema de Falla de
Domeyko in former publications. The position of the West Fissure zone coincided with
the eastern margin of the Andean magmatic arc during the Late Eocene and Early
Oligocene. It is marked by calc-alkalic volcanism and plutonism and porphyry Cugenerating intrusions were typically emplaced at the last major plutonic phase in the Late
Eocene, a period of extensive dioritc plutonism.
The Collahuasi district covers an area of 1,200 km and is situated 5 to 10 km from
the border to Bolivia. It represents the northernmost comparative porphyry copper
deposit in this work. The district contains the Rosario and Ujina porphyry Cu-Mo
deposits as well as the nearby Quebrada Blanca deposit. In general this district makes up
the third largest concentration of copper mineralization associated with the West Fissure
Zone in northern Chile and it enfolds total reserves of 2.2Gt at 0.90wt % Cu (Masterman
et al., 2004). Geochronologic ages for this area deliver 40Ar/39Ar ages from biotite for
early hydrothermal events at 34.4 Ma and 32.6 Ma from alunite for late hydrothermal
events (Mastermann et al., 2004). At least two episodes of hydrothermal activity can be
recognized at this district. Porphyry intrusions range from monzonites to granodiorites
and are hosted in andestitc to rhyolitic volcanic units that are interbedded by sandstone
and limestone. Alterations assamblages show an illite-chlorite overprint on potassic
alteration and are associated with porphyry-style copper-molybdenum mineralization
(Masterman et al., 2004).

The Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of southeastern Peru and its extension to the Chilean porphyry
copper province

The Cuquicamata-El Abra Porphyry Copper belt hosts some of the largest porphyry
copper deposits in the world (Campbell et al., 2006). Significant magmatism is noticible
in this district during the Eocene and Oligocene. Igneous complexes are characterized by
a dioritic to granitic composition. After Campbell et al.(2006) the U-Th-Pb zircon ages
show that the porphyry copper intrusions that host copper (Chuquicamata, Radomiro
Tomic, El Abra and Opache) were emplaced from 37.1 to 33.1 Ma.
Situated in the Chilean Precordillera the Escondida district consists of 3 significant
porphyry copper deposits namely Escondida, Zaldvar and Chimborazo. Calc-alkaline
arc magmatism that was responsible for porphyry copper formation is coeval with
voluminous Late Eocene dioritic plutonism. Richards et al. (1999) state that
emplacement of synmineralization porphyry magmas took place at ~38 Ma. The
metalliferous porphyry stystems of this area are located within the intersection of the
West Fissure Zone and a northwest-tending lineament and have andesitic to dacitic
compositions. The intrusions show abundant feldspar phenocrysts, quartz and biotite in a
fine grained quartzofeldspatic matrix. An important feature is the fact that the highest
grades of ore emerge from supergene-enriched chalcocite and Cu-oxide blankets,
whereas hypogene ore grades are subeconomic.

Conclusion
The previous ideas suggest a continuity between the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of
southeastern Peru and the northern Chile porphyry copper belts from ~45 to 30 Ma based
on ages for hydrothermal activities, porphyry copper characterization and geologic
settings. The controlling factor for porphyry emplacement in northern Chile is at first
sight the West Fissure zone, a north-south strike-slip fault that built the eastern margin of
the Andean magmatic arc during the Late Eocene to Early Oligocene. But nevertheless
northeast and north-west tending cross orogen lineaments also play an important role.
Especially the points of intersection of north-south-tending fault zones and structures
that tend toward northwest may play important roles in the emplacement of porphyry
bodies. The two northwest-tending fault systems (Limatambo-Ayaviri and AbancayYauri) with nearly 300km lenght at the Andahuaylas-Yauri belt represent similar strikeslip structures. In round terms, investigations of structural geology are necessary to
refine this analogy.
Further investigations should on the one hand try to identificate the source and
conditions of sulfide ore deposit formation with the help of 34S values. Moreover trace
element analysis could try to figure out correlations between the two porphyry copper
belts in comparing platinum-group element and indium contents in sulfide minerals. As
well should sulfides be used for radiogenic isotope geochronometers like 206Pb/204Pb and
187
Re/187Os. In addition to that, former 40Ar/39Ar ages should be reviewed. On the other
hand the probable genetic association of the magma source should be analyzed with the
help of country rocks. Variations in their isotope ratios measured with methods like
87
Sr/86Sr, 147Sm/143Nd and 206Pb/204Pb may indicate the origin of parental melts during
emplacement. To put it in a nutshell, all these factors are necessary to generate an
exploration model for one continuous porphyry copper system.

Stefanie Weise

10

References
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ed., Geology and Ore Deposits of the Central Andes: Society of Economic Geologists Special Publication 7, p.
61107.
Bonhomme, M.G., and Carlier, G., 1990, Relations entre magmatisme et minralisations dans le Batholite d
Andahuaylas-Yauri (Sud Prou): Donnes gochronologiques: 2nd International Symposium on Andean
Geodynamics, Grenoble, France, p. 329331.
Campbell, I.H., Ballard, J.R., Palin, J.M., Allen, C., 2006, U-Pb Zircon Geochronology of Granit Rocks from
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The Andahuaylas-Yauri belt of southeastern Peru and its extension to the Chilean porphyry
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