Geología y Metalogenia de la Puna

Relationships between geological evolution, tectonic setting, magmatism and mineralization are pointed out. The geological Puna province is considered as two geological subprovinces: a northern and southern one. being the Olacapato megafault the boundary between them. Two principal pulses for the metalic mineralization are recognized: an Ordovician and a Miocenic one. Three north-southward mineralizated belts for the Ordovician time are described: eastern (Zn, Pb, Ag, baritine), central polymetalic (Cu, Fe, Zn, Pb, baritine and quartz) and western (Au, quartz) which would be the southern end of some Bolivian belts. On the other hand, four transversal (WNW-ESE) mineralizated belts for the Miocenic times, associated with the transversal volcanic ranges are described. From north to south: Coyahuaima (Sn, Ag, Pb, Sb); Quevar (Ag, Pb, Zn); Antofalla (Pb, Ag, Zn); Carachipampa (Cu). At last, relationships between the geological evolution of the Puna province and the non-metalic mineral occurrences are described, pointing out that northern Puna can be defined as "metal-bearing region" and the southern Puna as "nonmetal bearing regíon". En este trabajo se puntualizan una serie de conceptos sobre las relaciones existentes entre evolución geológica y metalogénesis de la Puna. El análisis de la sedimentación, magmatismo y metamorfismo de la provincia geológica Puna, permite diferenciarla en dos subprovincias con historia geológica y metalogenia propia que son: Puna Austral y Puna Septentrional. Ambas subprovincias están separadas por una megafractura regional de rumbo ONO-ESE, el lineamiento de Olacapato o Transpuneño. La región en estudio se considera como una pieza clave en el desarrollo del orógeno andino