El valor científico de una colección mineralógica en la reconstitución de tres antiguos distritos argentíferos: Arqueros, Algodones y Rodaito (Norte de Chile)

Abstract

Arqueros, Algodones and Rodaíto are silver districts from northern Chile that were of major economic importance during the XIX century. Since the deposits were extensively mined during the last century, at present, the main mineralogical record is kept at the «Colección Ignacio Domeyko», a major collection belonging to the Mineralogical Museum of La Serena (Chile). The study of the collection together with a revision of the local geology of the districts led to the following conclusions: 1) the districts are formed by Comstock/Creede-type epithermal silver-base metals deposits, which are hosted by volcanic and sedimentary rocks of Cretaceous age: 2) the studied parageneses can be ascribed to the Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag association (e.g. Creede, Colorado, USA; Zacatecas, Mexico); 3) the presence of skutterudite and erythrite suggests, however, a transitional character towards other mineralogical associations: Ag-Bi-Co-Ni-As (e.g. Cobalt, Ontario, Canada) and Pb-Zn-Ag (Sb-As) (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA).