TECTONIC TRIGGERS FOR

PORPHYRY COPPER
MINERALIZATION: THE CENTRAL
ANDEAN EXAMPLE

Constantino Mpodozis,
Antofagasta Minerals
 Richards, 2015, Ore Geol Rev

- Many porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposits (PCD’s) occur in collisional or post -collisional

tectonic settings (as the Tethyan Domain)
 Richards, 2015, Ore Geol Rev

- Yet lhe largest PCD's occur primarily in non-

collisional subduction settings

  -In the Andes subduction has been episodically

active from more than 500 Ma, when Laurentia
broke away from western Gondwana

--However, despite its long history as an active

continental margin, the giant Andean PCD's were
emplaced during very short time intervals Calbuco volcano, 2015
during the Cenozoic
 Bertrand et al, 2014 Ore Geol Rev

205

16

>500

Mton of fine
copper content

-The great majority of giantCentrl Andean PCD’s were emplaced between 45 -33
(Eocene- early Oligocene) and 20-5 Ma (Miocene-Pliocene)

What is the reason?, Are the PCDs, somehow, a feature of mature magmatic
arcs ?. A tectonic trigger is needed?. Is the nature of the continental crust a
factor to consider?
 Rosario (35-33)
45-32 Ma PCD’s of the Northern Ujina (35)

Chile Porphyry Province were Quebrada Blanca (35)

emplaced along the >1000 km

Domeyko Fault System formed El Abra (39)
Radomiro Tomic (32)
during the orogen-scale “Incaic” Chuquicamata (35-32)
Mina Sur
MM (32-31)
Tectonic Event Toki (37-35)
Genoveva (37-35)
Opache (39-37)
El Tesoro
Esperanza (42)
Telégrafo (42)
Caracoles (42)
Centinela (44)
Polo Sur (42)

tem
-Trasspressional deformation Gaby (43-40)

Fault Sys
along the (thermally Chimborazo (38)
Zaldívar (39-37)
weakened) arc front Escondida Norte (39-37)

Domeyko
Escondida (38-34)
- No volcanism
-Rapid exhumation (fission
track data)
-Uplift and enhanced erosion
-Syn-tectonic sediments Exploradora (33-32)

-Crustal thickening Maria Delia (35)

El Salvador (42)

Chuquicamata (35-32 Ma) Cornejo et al, 1997

Potrerillos (37)
 Yabricoya-
Queen Elizabeth La Escondida
Queb Blanca-
Collahuasi

Chuquicamata-
El Abra

PCD Clusters
Centinela

La Escondida
Long-lived
“plumbing
Sierra Exploradora
systems”
Potrerillos-
El Salvador
 Chuquicamata-El Abra-Cluster

-All clusters show a long

mgmatic history that includes
numerous intrusive events
begining well before the main
episodes of mineralized
porphyry intrusions

Late Cretaceous
(87-67 Ma)
El Abra-
Fortuna El Abra
Intrusive
Complex

(45-37)
Ma
R Tomic

Paleocene Chuquicamata
Alejandro Hales
Toki
(63-60 Ma Chuquicamata
Intrusive Complex
(36-33 Ma)
 AGES OF “INCAIC” INTRUSIVES
Chuquicamata Cluster

1 2 3
I II III FORTUNA COMPLEX
(39-37 Ma)

E
UR
MINERALIZED

S
PORPHYRIES

FIS
2
(36-33Ma)

ST
WE
3

44 42 40 38 36 34 32 30
Age (Ma) Barra et al, 2013,et
Barra Min
al,Deposita
2013, Mineralium Deposita
 Richards & Kerrich, 2007, Ec Geol
200
5km
Geochemistry La Escondida
“Adakites”
150

Sr/Y
100

Zaldívar
Escondida 50
Norte
“Normal” magmatic arc
rocks of the Central Andes
Pampa
Escondida 0
0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40
Y (ppm)
60

Escondida E
50

La Escondida 40

La/Yb 30

20

10
Water-rich. oxidized, High Sr/Y
and La/Yb, “Adakitic” Magmas 0
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 3.0 3.5 4.0 4.5
Yb (ppm)
10 Eocene. pretectonic E Oligocene, post
intrusives tectonic intrusives

8
+++ L Eocene, syntectonic
intrusives
+ C
A

6 +++
La/Sm + +
++++ +
+ B
4 + +
+ + Paleocene
volcanics

2 L Cretaceous
intrusives & volcanics
Geochemical changes during the Eocene
“Incaic” event, El Salvador region (26ºS)

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Cpx Hb Gr
Sm/Yb
Cornejo, Mpodozis y Mathews, 1999
 Active volcanism “Model”
EOCENE (>45 Ma)
Pre-tectonic intrusions.Thin crust

Amphibolitic Lower Crust

(storing Cu and water)
Copper Porphyries
Arrested volcanism

+
+++ + ++
COPPER EVENT
++
+ (42-33 Ma)

Compression Crustal
OLIGOCENE (<32 Ma)
thickenning Post-tectonic intrusions

Mash zone

Amphibole Garnet
(Fluids & Cu released)
Water-rich magmas with
high Cu content

Cornejo et al, 1999 Eclogitic Lower Crust

Kay & Mpodozis, 2001 GSAT (“Dry” Magmas)
 INCAIC EVENT

Large
(continental)
scale processes

- The Domeyko
Fault System
was formed and
and giant
porphyry
coppers were
emplaced
during the
FORMATION OF
THE BOLIVIAN
OROCLINE Mpodozis & Cornejo, 2012, SEG Spec Pub
Eocene-early Oligocene
Eastern
Incaic event Cordillera
Western Cordillera
(Active CVZ Arc) Interandean
Central Zone
Depression
Coastal Cordillera
Subandean Fold
and Thrust Belt
Brazilian
Shield
La Paz

Santa
Cruz
Precordillera/ Arica
Cordillera de
Domeyko Altiplano

Collahuasi

Chuquicamata

Major tectonic
Antofagasta shortening has been
La Escondida
Puna documented, in the
Eastern Bolivian
Cordillera
 Eastern
Cordillera
Morococala
Volcanic
Complex
6-8Ma

Strongly folded
Altiplano Paleozoic unitsunts

Lago Poopó

Eastern Cordillera: Strong deformation on Paleozoic, Cretaceous and Paleocene (> 55 Ma)
rocks: very weak deformation on Late Oligocene.Miocene (<26 Ma) sedimentary sequences
(Horton, 2005)
 Eichelberger & McQuarrie, 2015
11
Eastern Cordillera
N S 10 /Interandean

9
Shortening (km)

Deformation rates were an

Estimated shortening rate (mm/yr)

8
order of magnitude greater in
the Eastern Cordillera than 7

synchronous deformation in 6
the Cordillera de Domeyko,
5
Chile (Oncken et al, 2006)
Orocline 4
Axis 3

2
Precordillera
1 /Cord Domeyko

0 0
50 40 30 20 10 0
-Total horizontal
50 tectonic
40 shortening
30 20 reaches
10 0
Time (Ma)
Time (Ma)
up to 400 km on the axis of Bolivian Orocline
decreasing rapidly, and symmetrically, towards
the north and south
 Andesitic arc volcanism -Andean
Collisional
tectonics?
a) 50 Ma
Distance (km)

Plate hydration and

Arc migration
crustal foreshortening
-Several authors
have attempted to
explain the
formation of the
b) 40 Ma
BO (and also the
Volcanic null
associated PCD´s)
by the collision and
subsequent
subduction of an
c) 35-25 Ma oceanic plateau or
0’Driscoll et al, 2012, Tectonics ridge

-However, no evidence about this elusive “ghost” really exists

 Lamb, 2001 Bolivian orocline

No “collision “ with ridges or plateus needed

Differential compressive collapse of inherited mechanically
weak crust (Bolivian Paleozic basin)
 “Incaic”
Begining of Neogene volcanisn Deformation K Event
in the Central Andes Event”
3

E W component

2
Porqué se produjo esto???
Velocity (cm/yr)

-
Decomposed
S N component
absolute
1 velocity
vector,
Porphyry South
Coppers
American
Plate
Age (Ma)
0
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80

Beyond local factors, the Incaic deformation coincides with a major change in the
absolute velocity of the South-America plate, first described by Silver et al (1998,
Nature)
 Absolute Plate Motions Müller et al, 2016, Ann Rev Earth & Planet Sci

40
60 Ma
0 5 10 15 20
Plate speed (cm yr-1)
... which coincide with a complete reorganization of the global plate
system
 Jagoutz et al, 2015, Nature Geosience

4080
50 MaMa
Ma

Continental Collision
30°N
30°N
30°N

0°0°
0°

30°S
30°S 120°E
30°S
Arc collision

Age (Ma)
0°0° 60°E
60°E 60°E
60°E
0° 60°E 60°E

...resulting from the final India-Asia Collision ……at 45 Ma

 Yulong P Copper Belt, Tibet

200
Hou et al, 2010
X
Yulong
X
Transtension160
Stress
Transpresion Gangdese
Drop
Dexing C Porphyries
X X Yulong Belt
Magmatism and Mineralizatio

40 Ma X
MLYMB
X 6 Arasbaran
36 Ma X
Lateral
120 RigthX Kerman belt
Adakite Field
Intensity

Lhasa
Sr/Y

X X X La Escondida
4

K2O (%)
32 Ma X X
X
Sh
Lateral

X
80
X
Left

XXX
K-Ca
X
2
X
X
Ca
40 X
No0rmal isla
Th
nd arc ande
20 30 50 50 60 70 45
-dacite-rhyo site55 65 75
lite field
Post Mineral Mineralizad Pre Mineral Age (Ma) SiO2 (%)
Intrusives Intrusives Intrusives Hou et al, 2003

Hou et al, 2006 0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

Y (ppm)

which is also recorded by the emplacement

of syn-collisional PCD´s
 WHAT WAS GOING ON IN CENTRAL CHILE DURING THE INCAIC EVENT?
Arriagada et al, 2008, Tectonics
Mpodozis & Cornejo, 2012, SEG Spec Pub

Re tre
st nc
or h
e d at
po 45
sit Ma
io
n
of

Total
displacement vectors
(45-0 Ma) 40 Ma
Müller et al, 2016

-Both map-view tectonic

restorations and relative plate
displacements indicate a
significant transport of meterial
from the south towards the core of the Bolivian Orocline, leading to extension
and progressive crustal thining in Central and southern Chile
Coinciding with the disappearance of 45-33 80
Ma PCD´s south of 31oS and loss of the La Escondida, 38
Ma (24°S)
“adakitic” signal in the upper Oligocene- El Salvador, 43-38
60
Eocene (barren) intrusive rocks Adakites
Ma (26°S)
Los Pelambres,
35-34 Ma (31°S)
40

La/Yb
Los Pelambres
area
20
e

“Normal” arc rocks

dg

Altiplano 0 Yb
Ri

1 2 3 4
a

10
zc
Na

La Escondida
Puna 6 LP

La/Sm
El Salvador PLACA
4
SUDAMERICANA

0 Px Hb Gt
Los Pelambres 0
Sierras
0 2 4 6 8 10
Sm/Yb
Pampeanas
(Jordan et al, 2001) .... and the formation of a very
large extensional volcano-
tectonic “intra-arc” basin”

-Extensional Oligocene-early Miocene

“intra-arc” basins extend for more than 1500
km along the Andean range from 32ºS to
the Chile Triple Junction(47º S )

-Basins were filled by very thick volcanic

and volcano sedimentary sequences. South
of 42 ºS “primitive arc tholeitic” pillow lavas
accumulated in a deep marine environment

- Associated sedimentary facies change

from fluvial to lacustrine and marine to
Large Miocene the south
plutons in the
North Patagonian
Batholith - Outcrop belt width increases as
horizontal shortening decresases
southwards

Mid-L Miocene volcanics

? Oligocene-Mid Miocene
Volcanic and sedimentary units
Sedimentary strata

? ? Mafic flows of the Somún Cura plateau

Eocene volcanics
 Silver et al (1998)
Average
preserved 3
Eastern Pacific half-spreading
rate (cm/yr) Westward drift of the
Western Pacific 2,5 South American
Plate (cm/yr)
Southern Pacific
10 -The extensional
East Indian 9 2 intra-arc basin (or
Abanico
basins) formed
8
Abanico
1,5 volcanic when the rate of
flareup
volcanic 7 oceanic crust
flareup
6
1 production in the
80 70 60 50 40 30 20
Time (Ma) 16
eastern Pacific and
5 Nazca (Farallon)-
4 Nazca (Farallon)- S America
SAM convergence
convergence rate
(cm/yr)
12 drastically increased
3

2 ---and the westward

8
drift of SAM
1 ?
decreased
70 60 50 40 30 20 0 4
40 30 20
Time (Ma) Time (Ma)
Conrad & Lithgow-Bertelloni (2007) Somoza (1998)

--denoting a low inter-plate coupling between the subducting Nazca slab and
the overriding SAM plate
 Lamb, 2015, Canadian Journal of Earth Sci

> 45 Ma, “Normal”

subduction stage

Late Eocene-Oligocene -Incaic

event,
-Extreme compression
-Bolivian Orocline Formation
-Slab shallows

Oligocene (33-26 Ma)

-No magmatism
-Red bed & evaporite sequences
-Extensional basins

Miocene (26 -10 Ma )

- Progressive slab steepening,
-Ignimbrite flareup,
-Begining of modern CVZ arc
-Delamination
-Altiplano-Puna uplift
- while, at the same time, in the Central Andes increasing convergence
rates and interplate decoupling led to extension, slab seteepenig, and giant
ignimbrite eruptions
 E W
The volcanic fill of the Central Chile Intra-arc basin
is, today, strongly deformed

-Folded Late Oligocene-Early Miocene volcanic rocks (Abanico Formation, Cordillera

Principal, 32o30’S). Laguna del Inca, Portillo. Looking south
 70º30’ W 69ºW
+
Farías et al, 2008 +
+ +
33ºS + + 33ºS
Río Mendoza
+
+ +
+ + ++
+ +
+
+
+ +
+ +
+

ipal
+ V Tupungato
V V
+ + V

l
V Tupungato
ocho

nta
Río Map
rinc
+ V V
+ +

Fro
+ V +
Santiago
P
+ +

B
+ V +
era

+ +

AFT

lera
+ + + +
+ + Tunuyán
dil

ipo +

dil
Ma + +
Río +
Cor

Cor
+
V n
+ + V Marmolejo yá
+ V V V + nu
V V V Tu
+ + + V o
V V
+ + Rí
+ V VSan José
+ +
+ + +
+ +
+ + + +
+ +
+ V V
+ V V V V V
+ 20 km
V
70º30’W + VV V + 69ºW
34ºS V V 34ºS

-Between 20 to 18 Ma the Abanico intra-arc basin (in the Cordillera Principal)

collapsed and the Oligocene-early Miocene volcanic rocks were thrusted to the east over
Jurassic (blue) and early Cretaceous (green) sedimentary sequences of a former Mesozoic
back-arc basin (Neuquén Basin) to form the ACONCAGUA FOLD AND THRUST BELT
(AFTB)
 18 Ma

-Stratigraphic age versus

thickness diagram
showing sediment
accumulation curves for
sites in the northern
Neuquén Foreland
basin. Note the three
phase, rapid-slow-rapid
post-100 Ma
accumulation history

Horton & Fuentes, 2016, Geology

The onset of Neogene compressional deformation is also indicated by a

sharp increase in sedimentation rates in the eastern foreland basins at ca.
18 Ma
 18-20 Ma

40 Ma

Horton & Fuentes, 2016, Geology

 Silver et al (1998)
Eastern Pacific
3
Western Pacific Westward drift of the
10 South American
Southern Pacific 2,5 Plate (cm/yr)

East Indian 9

8 2

Abanico Abanico
event
7 1,5 event

6
1
5 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Time (Ma) 16
4

3 Nazca (Farallon)-
S America
12
2 convergence
rate
(cm/yr)
1
? 8

0 ?
70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0
Average
Time (Ma) 0 4
preserved 40 20 10
30
half-spreading Somoza (1998)
rate (cm/yr) Time (Ma)

-At ca 20 Ma the rate of oceanic crust production in the eastern Pacific and the
Nazca (Farallon)-SAM convergence velocity abruptly decreased

-The westward displacement of SAM turner faster

…. and interplate coupling became stronger

 PERUVIAN
10°S

Pe
FLAT SLAB

ru
20°

Tr
en
SOUTH AMERICAN

ch
Oligocene PLATE
Central Andes
extensional Volcanic Zone
basins

25° NAZCA
RIDGE

20°S
.
.Z
CAF CVZ
Z
NA
Chilean
30°

Chile Trench
(Pampean)
Flat Slab region 25°S

NAZCA
PLATE
g e
ández Rid
35° Juan Fern
100 km
Soutthern Andes Los Pelambres 125 km
30°S
Volcanic Zone CHILEAN
FLAT SLAB
A NDEZ
FERN
Eoc-early JUAN 200 km
RIDG E
Miocene
intra-arc basins Santiago
Río Blanco-Los Bronces 35°S
40°
El Teniente
SVZ
Z.
CH A F.
MO
80° 75° 70° 80°W 70°W
40°S

How the Miocene –Pliocene Central Chile porphyries fit in this story?
 Los Azules (10 Ma)
72° 70° 68°

Miocene Rincones de Araya (10 Ma)

Porphyry Copper Belt

El Altar (11-10 Ma)

Piuquenes (10 Ma)
30°
ARGENTINA
Illapel
LOS PELAMBRES Pachón (9-8 Ma
(11-10 Ma)
Salamanca
Los Pelambres
32° El Yunque (15 Ma)

Los Bronces
Amos Andrés (8-6 Ma)
34°
nt ina
e
Arg Vizcachitas (12-10 Ma)

El Teniente
Morro Colorado
Pimentón(10 Ma)

Novicio(15-14 Ma)
36°
West Wall (11-10 Ma)
San Felipe
 PIMENTÓN

Strongly altered early Miocene 25-20 Ma volcanics rocks (Pelambres

Fm) and Miocene (12-10 Ma) granodioritic to dacitic stocks
 N
Cerro del Toro
(6200 m)
S
Río de Las Taguas
Río Valeriano

Argentina

Late Pz-Tr basement block

Chile

Early Miocene
volcanics

Valeriano

Encierro

Cajón del Encierro

New discoveries: Valeriano and Encierro Porphyry Coppers, (ca 10 Ma).

Frontal Range, Vallenar (29°S), far away (500 km) from any “influence”
or “control” by the Juan Fernández Ridge
 -The emplacent of the
giant Central Chile
PCD’s began at 10 Ma
later, almost 10 Ma
later that the tectonic Los Pelambres
collapse of the 14-10 Ma

“Abanico” Intra-arc
basin
Cordillera
WHY? Frontal

-At that time the

deformation front Aconcagua
migrated from the Río Blanco-Los Bronces
7,7-4,7 Ma –La Ramada
Aconcagua Fold and FTB
Thrust Belt to the
eastern edge of the
Cordillera Frontal and
old crustal
components were El Teniente
underthrusted from 6,5-4,6 Ma

the east below the

Andes
N S
Cerro Mercedario
6720 m

Oligocene-Miocene RIO BLANCO-

Frontal
volcanic rocks LOS BRONCES
(Abanico & Farellones
Fms)

Santiago

ra
Late Paleozoic volcanic and

Cordille
intrusive basement
Miocene
intrusive
rocks

EL TENIENTE

B FT
gua
nca
Oligocene early-Miocene (33-21 Ma) volcanic
Aco

rocks of the Abanico intra-arc basin

The upper Paleozoic basement of the Cordillera Frontal was uplifted

thousands of meters in the Late Miocene. Cerro Mercedario (Permian
rhyolites) is the structural culmination of the entire Andean chain
 16
Western Cordillera DM
14
Principal magmas
12
10 Oligocene-Miocene RIO BLANCO-

Frontal
volcanic rocks LOS BRONCES
8 (Abanico & Farellones
6 Fms)
Eastern Cordillera
4 Santiago
Principal magmas

ra
eHfl

Cordille
Miocene CHUR
0 intrusive
rocks
-2
-4 WPC EPC
-6 Paleozoic cores
Frontal Range
-8 signature at 6 Ma Marmolejo
a
EL TENIENTE
Coastal Range Cordillera
volcano
M Ma
-10 Principal
-4
18 -0

FTB
10
Coastline

0 5 10 15 20 25 30

gua
Age (Ma) Crust

nca
?
Aco ?
? Mantle Lithosphere
33°40’S
Asthenosphere
-At 10 Ma Hf isotopes in zircons show the occurrence of a old crustal component ("Grenvillian”) in magmas
linked to volcanic and intrusive rocks of the Eastern Cordillera Principal (EPC) (Muñoz et a, 2013, Geology)
Giambiagi et al, 2012, Geol Soc Am Bull
 ntal
Fro
La Serena 1) Paleomagnetism

era
18°

dill
Cor
Los Pelambres

Segment
Flat Slab
Río Blanco-Los Bronces
MENDOZA
ge
z R id
n á nde
r Valparaíso
ua n Fe SANTIAGO
J 4°
El Teniente
al
incip
h
enc
r
ile T

r a Pr
ú Ch

Normal Subduction
ang

Ma
Per

Concepción
ipo
alley

ille
R

Oro

nch
stal

Cord

clin
Segment
al V

e
Coa

Tre
tr

hile
Cen

u-C
Per

32°

This event also coinide with

the formation of the Maipo
Orocline at ca 10 Ma
 CHALINGA INTRUSIVE COMPLEX
Chile Argentina
LOS PELAMBRES
Mondaca Strata
(22-21 Ma)
Pal
Tr
Pachón Fm
(22-21 Ma) Ol-
Cu Mineralization
22 Ma Cs
Mioc

Gabbro-Diorite Est Fuentecillas

Pelambres
18 Ma
Granodiorites,
Mineralization
Gabro-Diorite
12-10
Quartz Ma end
Diorites
occured at the
Amphibole-bearing
of aDacitic
long Porphyries
magmatic Los Pelambres Río Carn
icería
cycle, including
15-13 Ma
Pachón Cs
multiple 23-21 Ma
pre, syn
18 Ma
8-9 Ma
Granodiorite-
and postectonic
Pz
Granodiorite-
Monzgranite Ol-
El Pachón
intrusions, that
Monzogranite Mioc

P el a
Ol-
lasted more than 10 Mioc
u e

mbr
Ma Río
M anq
es
br
m

es F
P ela
o
Rí
Tot

ault
or Río Mondaquita
Cs
al F
au l

Csg
dán
t

enca
“Pelambres Fm” Río T

(33-18? Ma)
District-scale geology, Los Pelambres
W E
The giant Los Pelambres PCD is associated with a post-
tectonic composite stock (14-10 Ma) emplaced on the trace of a
major regional thrust fault formed at 18 Ma during compresional
collapse of the Abanico Basin

Pelambres Fm
(33-21 Ma) lt Pachón Fm
u
Fa (23-21 Ma)
res
b
lam
Pe
 LOS PELAMBRES

W E

+ +
+
+ + + +
+ Post –tectonic +
m
b r e sF + + Los Pelambres +
e lam5 Ma composite stock
s P -2
Lo 33
+
+ (14-10 Ma)
+ + +
Ma
)
+ +
( 72
c
us
eo ites
l
+
ta
Cre hyo
ate R a)
M
L
lt 1
Fau 5 -2
s (2
bre Fm
m ón
P ela Pa
c h
s
Lo

Main deformation event. ca 18 Ma

 358000 360000

LOS PELAMBRES
6492000
Phase I (14-12,5 Ma)
Abanico
Quartz diorite, pre-mineral ,host
+ stock (4 x 1.5 x >1.5 Km.)
10.8-10.6
10.2 +
?+ +
12.7
13.9 Pahse II (12-10 Ma)
12.5 +
6490000 + +
11.5-10.7 + +? • Long-lived magmatic hydrothermal
13.8 system
+ +
10.6
• Many coeval porphyry-breccia
“fingers”
10.8-10.5
res

• Coalescent mineralization
Falla Pelamb

6488000
• Locally telescoped alteration-
11.3
Pelambres
mineralization
0 1000
Cret Based on Perelló et al, 2007
 Re-Os
Deckart et al, 2014, Min Deposita Los Piches
Sur Sur Plomo
San Manuel
-A similar long
Los Bronces (open pit)
magmatic
Relative Probability)

Re-Os
history is Los Bronces
recorded at Río Río Blanco U-Pb
Blanco-Los U-Pb
Bronces, the
world largest Ar-Ar
U-Pb Ar-Ar
U-Pb
PCD (> 200 Mt of Ar-Ar
fine copper
U-Pb
content)
5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14
Age (Ma)
Mpodozis & Cornejo, 2012, SEG, Spec Pub
 1000
… all of these changes are
Bergoeing and Mpodozis, 2016
recorded in the temporal
evolution of magmas

Los Pelambres Region

100
Los Pelambres & El Altar

Sample/REE chondrite
REE patterns and Sr/Y ratios Porphyry Coppers Late Eocene Intrusives
(11-10 Ma) (35-34 Ma)
200

Porphyry Coppers

10
(11-10 Ma)
150

Adakites
La Pr Sm Gd Dy Er Yb
100

18-14 Ma
1
Sr/Y

Intrusive and Ce Nd Eu Tb Ho Tm Lu
volcanic rocks

90-20 Ma
150

-80 to 20 Ma volcanic and intrusive rocks

fill the “normal arc” field. 18 to 14 Ma
“Normal” arc samples occur in a transitional zone with
adakites, while mineralized porphyries
reside exclusively in the adakitic domain
0

0 10 20
Y 30 40
 80
Los Pelambres Region
REE ratios
Late Miocene Porphyry

60
Coppers (11-10 Ma)

La/Yb
Early to Mid Miocene
(18-14 Ma)

40
10

Los Pelambres region

8

Intrusive rocks

20
Eocene
6
La/Sm

Late Miocene Porphyry

Coppers (11-10 Ma)

0
100 80 60 40 20 0
Age (Ma)
4

Early to Mid Miocene

(18-14 Ma)

Cretaceous to
>20 Ma: Magmas in the px stability field
2

Early Miocene
(90-20 Ma) 18- 14 Ma: In the px-hb transition region
< 11 Ma: All inside the hb & gt stability zone
Px Hb Gt
0

0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14
Sm/Yb
 Another “Model”

-Strong intraplate
W coupling
Fast subduction Los Pelambres
Abanico
Slow Weak intraplate
subduction Basin Intra-Arc Aconcagua FTB
E
coupling
Strong intraplate Syntectonic intrusives
W coupling (20-18 Ma)
Abanico Basin
Collapsed
Aconcagua Fold
and Thrust Belt E
W Abanico Basin Mesozoic
ront
al E
Coastal Range ra F
Sedimentary Wedge
i l le
Vr Cord

Coastal Range
Coastal Range Future
Cordillera Frontal
Vo
Cordillera Frontal

Moho
Lower crust melting and Litosphere
mixing with
mantle-derived magmas
10-8 Ma Mantle partial melting
Lithosphere
Astenosphere
-Low convergence velocity 33-20Delaminated
Ma 20-18
Astenosphere Ma
-Strong intraplate coupling. lower crustal blocks Astenosphere
Su

-Continued slab-shallowing S Sh -Very rapid convergence .

bd
St ting

ub all
-Thick-skinned deformation -Weak intraplate coupling.
ee

du ow
uc

cti ing
p Sla

and uplift
-Decreasing of the Cordillera
convergence ng -Slowly advancing overriding
Sl
Frontal
velocities -Strong intraplate ab plate.
b

-Subduction of JFR
coupling. -Extension.
- Incipient continental (A -Major crustal thickenning --Begining
-Abanico “Intraarc” Basin of slab-shallowing
-Tectonic subduction erosion
type) suduction
-Accelerating fromplate.
overriding -Compression
the -Piecemeal removal of lower crust (delamination)
east? -Enhanced subduction erosion -Abanico Basin collapse
-”Adakitic” Magmas -Aconcagua Fold and Thrus Belt
-Pelambres-Pachón-Altar Cu porphyries Mpodozis & Cornejo, 2012
 “Adakites” Age (Ma)
El Teniente Porphyries
“Adakites”

Young Plutonic Complex

Farellones
and.. Late
Hornblende
near 33.5°
Late Abanico
(almost) to Dikes
Teniente Santa Rosa
near 33.5°

conclude Plutonic
Complex
TVC
de Rengo
pluton
La/Yb

Lower
Sewell TVC
Maqui CEHIMAL
Chico

La Obra pluton
Coya-Machalí

Marmolejo

Bajo Cachapoal
TVC Upper Sewell

Kay et al, 2005, Geo.l Soc Am Bull

At El Teniente, adakitic “spikes” at 19-18 Ma and 6-4 Ma on top of the long-term

increasing La /Yb trend have been attributed to a extra contribution of crustal
material entrained into the mantle due to enhanced subduction erosion during
episodes of migration of the arc front
 Major chemical
changes occur at
times of eastward
migration of the arc
magmatic front:
~ 50 km eastward
at 7 to 4 Ma
north of ~ 34.5°S.
~ 35 km eastward
at ~ 19 - 16 Ma
north of ~ 36°S.

Chemistry remains
relatively constant
from 27 to 0 Ma
south of ~ 36°S.
Kay et al, 2005
 NS changes in tectonic thortening and crustal thickness
70
S N -Variations in horizontal
55 km
60
shortening (Principal and
Horizontal 50
Frontal cordilleras) since 18
48 km

shortening al
Tot

(km)
36 km
33km
40 Ma. See the decrease in
25 km
31 km
30 structural shortening
ipal
between 34°40’ (55 km) and
23 km
21 km 22 km ra Princ
19 km 24km Cordille
17 km 20
13 km
15 km 14 km

dille
ra 36°10’S (10km)
Cor
8km
n ta
l 10
10 km 5km Fro
20’
0 Giambiagi et al (2014), GSA Bull
10’
36° 50’ 40’ 30’ 20’ 10’
35° 50’ 40’ 30’ 20’ 10’
34° 50’ 40’ 30’

Río Blanco-
El Teniente Los Bronces Los Pelambres
0

-N-S changes in crustal

Moho
thickness from 29° to 50
36°S. Also shown: depth
Depth (km)

to the top of the

Top of Subducted ++ ++++
++ ++++++
++ +++
+ +++ +
subducting Nazca slab 100 ++++
+ +++ +
+ + + +++++++++ ++
Nazca plate + + ++ ++ ++ +++++
+++ + + + ++ + + +
+++ ++ ++ + JFR +
+
Anderson et al (2007), Geophys J +
Int. ++
150 ++
++ + NS Section at 70°W

200
-37 -36 -35 -34 -33 -32 -31 -30 -29 -28

Why no giant PCD´s have been found south of 34 S?

 33°
Tupungato
Maipo
2) Geochemistry

Range
35°
Tinguiririca

La Serena
Nev de Longaví

Frontal
Nev de Chillán
37°
Antuco N
Los Pelambres Callaqui
Llaima
Río Blanco-Los Bronces 39°
MENDOZA Villarica

Puyehue
Valparaíso 41°
Osorno
SANTIAGO S
Huequi
43° Corcovado
El Teniente
h

Mentolat Basalt
c
Tren

Basaltic andesite
arc

45° Maca Andesite

Dacite
e

Rhyolite
Chil

Hudson
CV
ge
Ran
Perú

Concepción
ive
alley

47°
Act

0 5 10 15 20 25
stal

La/Yb
ral V
Co a
Cent

N-S variations in La/Yb ratios. Modern arc

lavas of the active Southern Volcanic Zone
Hickey-Vargas et al (2016, Litrhos)
 CONCLUSIONS

-Textbook “Andean-style subduction systems” are very rare in

the Andes.

-The emplacement of most of giant Andean PCD’s occurred,

during and after very unusual late Eocene-Oligocene (45-33 Ma)
and Miocene (18-5 Ma) tectonic events.

-These events, that reshaped the whole Andean margin, resulted in

intense tectonic shortening and crustal thickening, creating
exceptionally favorable conditions for the generation of hydrous
magmas capable of carrying a large content of metals.

-Such events are a consequence of major readjustments of the

global plate circuit.

-A tectonic trigger seems to be an inescapable requirement for the

generation of giant porphyry copper deposits in the so-called
“subduction related” PCD’s.