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Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico

Citation

Burnham, C. Wayne (1955) Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico. Dissertation (Ph.D.), California Institute of Technology. doi:10.7907/M954-D370. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:12182015-163332200

Abstract

Some of the metallogenic provinces of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico are defined by the geographic distribution of trace elements in the primary sulfide minerals chalcopyrite and sphalerite. The elements investigated include antimony, arsenic, bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, gallium, germanium, indium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, silver, tellurium, thallium, and tin. Of these elements, cobalt, gallium, germanium, indium, nickel, silver, and tin exhibit the best defined geographic distribution.

The data indicate that chalcopyrite is the preferred host for tin and perhaps molybdenum; sphalerite is the preferred host for cadmium, gallium, germanium, indium, and manganese; galena is the preferred host for antimony, bismuth, silver, tellurium, and thallium; and pyrite is the preferred host for cobalt, nickel, and perhaps arsenic. With respect to the two minerals chalcopyrite and sphalerite, antimony, arsenic, molybdenum, nickel, silver, and tin prefer chalcopyrite; and bismuth, cadmium, cobalt, gallium, germanium, indium, manganese, and thallium prefer sphalerite. This distribution probably is the result of the interaction of several factors, among which are these: the various radii of the elements, the association due to chemical similarities of the major and trace elements, and the degree of ionic versus covalent and metallic character of the metal-sulfur bonds in chalcopyrite and sphalerite. The type of deposit, according to a temperature classification, appears to be of minor importance in determining the trace element content of chalcopyrite and sphalerite.

A preliminary investigation of large single crystals of sphalerite and chalcopyrite indicates that the distribution within a single crystal of some elements such as cadmium in sphalerite and indium and silver in chalcopyrite is relatively uniform, whereas the distribution of some other elements such as cobalt and manganese in sphalerite is somewhat less uniform and the distribution of tin in sphalerite is extremely erratic. The variations in trace element content probably are due largely to variations in the composition of the fluids during the growth of the crystals, but the erratic behavior of tin in sphalerite perhaps is related to the presence of numerous cavities and inclusions in the crystal studied.

Maps of the geographic distribution of trace elements in chalcopyrite and sphalerite exhibit three main belts of greater than average trace element content, which are called the Eastern, Central, and Western belts. These belts are consistent in trend and position with a beltlike distribution of copper, gold, lead, zinc, silver, and tungsten deposits and with most of the major tectonic features. However, there appear to be no definite time relationships, for as many as four metallogenic epochs, from Precambrian to late Tertiary, are represented by ore deposits within the Central belt.

The evidence suggests that the beltlike features have a deep seated origin, perhaps in the sub-crust or outer parts of the mantle, and that the deposits within each belt might be genetically related through a beltlike compositional heterogeneity in the source regions of the ores. Hence, the belts are regarded as metallogenic provinces.

Item Type:Thesis (Dissertation (Ph.D.))
Subject Keywords:(Geochemistry and Petrology) ; metallogenic provinces, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, molybdenum, silver deposits, lead deposits, gold deposits, copper deposits, zinc deposits, tungsten deposits
Degree Grantor:California Institute of Technology
Division:Geological and Planetary Sciences
Major Option:Geochemistry
Minor Option:Geology
Thesis Availability:Public (worldwide access)
Research Advisor(s):
  • Noble, James A. (advisor)
  • Jahns, Richard H. (co-advisor)
Thesis Committee:
  • Unknown, Unknown
Defense Date:1 January 1955
Additional Information:Supplemental Files Information: Cobalt content of chalcopyrite: Supplement 1 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Indium content of chalcopyrite: Supplement 2 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Nickel content of chalcopyrite: Supplement 3 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Silver content of chalcopyrite: Supplement 4 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Tin content of chalcopyrite: Supplement 5 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Combined metal content of chalcopyrite: Supplement 6 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Cobalt content of sphalerite: Supplement 7 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Gallium content of sphalerite: Supplement 8 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Germanium content of sphalerite: Supplement 9 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Indium content of sphalerite: Supplement 10 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Silver content of sphalerite: Supplement 11 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Combined metal content of sphalerite: Supplement 12 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Date(s) Collected: 1954-10-1. Silver deposits of the Western United States: Supplement 13 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Copper deposits of the Western United States: Supplement 14 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Gold deposits of the Western United States: Supplement 15 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Lead deposits of the Western United States: Supplement 16 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Zinc deposits of the Western United States: Supplement 17 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Tungsten deposits of the Western United States: Supplement 18 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Tectonic map of the Western United States: Supplement 19 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis). Orogenic belts of the Western United States: Supplement 20 from "Metallogenic Provinces of the Southwestern United States and Northern Mexico" (Thesis).
Record Number:CaltechTHESIS:12182015-163332200
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechTHESIS:12182015-163332200
DOI:10.7907/M954-D370
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.441DOISupplement 1 in CaltechDATA: Cobalt content of chalcopyrite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.442DOISupplement 2 in CaltechDATA: Indium content of chalcopyrite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.443DOISupplement 3 in CaltechDATA: Nickel content of chalcopyrite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.444DOISupplement 4 in CaltechDATA: Silver content of chalcopyrite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.445DOISupplement 5 in CaltechDATA: Tin content of chalcopyrite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.446DOISupplement 6 in CaltechDATA: Combined metal content of chalcopyrite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.447DOISupplement 7 in CaltechDATA: Cobalt content of sphalerite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.448DOISupplement 8 in CaltechDATA: Gallium content of sphalerite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.449DOISupplement 9 in CaltechDATA: Germanium content of sphalerite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.450DOISupplement 10 in CaltechDATA: Indium content of sphalerite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.451DOISupplement 11 in CaltechDATA: Silver content of sphalerite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.452DOISupplement 12 in CaltechDATA: Combined metal content of sphalerite
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.453DOISupplement 13 in CaltechDATA: Silver deposits of the Western United States
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.454DOISupplement 14 in CaltechDATA: Copper deposits of the Western United States
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.455DOISupplement 15 in CaltechDATA: Gold deposits of the Western United States
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.456DOISupplement 16 in CaltechDATA: Lead deposits of the Western United States
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.457DOISupplement 17 in CaltechDATA: Zinc deposits of the Western United States
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.460DOISupplement 18 in CaltechDATA: Tungsten deposits of the Western United States
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.458DOISupplement 19 in CaltechDATA: Tectonic map of the Western United States
https://doi.org/10.22002/D1.459DOISupplement 20 in CaltechDATA: Orogenic belts of the Western United States
Default Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:9332
Collection:CaltechTHESIS
Deposited By: Benjamin Perez
Deposited On:21 Dec 2015 20:01
Last Modified:10 Jul 2023 17:39

Thesis Files

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PDF (Plate 1: Cobalt content of chalcopyrite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 2: Indium content of chalcopyrite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 3: Nickel content of chalcopyrite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 5: Tin content of chalcopyrite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 6: Combined metal content of chalcopyrite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 7: Cobalt content of sphalerite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 9: Germanium content of sphalerite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 10: Indium content of sphalerite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 11: Silver content of sphalerite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 12: Combined metal content of sphalerite) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 13: Silver deposits of the western United States) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 14: Copper deposits of the western United States) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 15: Gold deposits of the western United States) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 16: Plate 16: Lead deposits of the western United States) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 17: Zinc deposits of the western United States) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 18: Tungsten deposits of the western United States) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 19: Tectonic map of the western United States) - Supplemental Material
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PDF (Plate 20: Orogenic belts of the western United States) - Supplemental Material
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