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Loma Blanca

Producer in Jujuy, Argentina with commodities Boron-Borates, Calcium, Arsenic, Sulfur, Clay, Gypsum-Anhydrite
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Sections on this page
  1. Identification information
  2. Geographic coordinates
  3. Site location context
  4. Geographic areas
  5. Commodities
  6. Materials information
  7. Mineral occurrence model information
  8. Host and associated rocks
  9. Nearby scientific data
  10. Geologic structures
  11. Ore body information
  12. Economic information about the deposit and operations
  13. Ownership information
  14. Reserves and resources
  15. Links to other databases
  16. Bibliographic references
  17. General comments
  18. Reporter information

Geologic information

Identification information

Deposit ID 10023505
MRDS ID I000505
Record type Site
Current site name Loma Blanca

Geographic coordinates

Geographic coordinates: -66.44945, -23.04752 (WGS84)
Elevation 4150
Relative position ABOUT 70 KM SE OF ARGENTINA-BOLIVIA-CHILE BORDER; 10 KM SW OF THE TOWN OF CORANZULI.

Site location context

Political divisions (FIPS codes)

Jujuy(province)

Argentina(country)

South America(continent)

Land(continent)

Geographic areas

Country State
Argentina Jujuy

Commodities

Commodity Importance
Boron-Borates Primary
Calcium Tertiary
Arsenic Critical Tertiary
Sulfur Tertiary
Clay Tertiary
Gypsum-Anhydrite Tertiary

Materials information

Materials Type of material
Borax Ore
Inyoite Ore
Tincalconite Ore
Ulexite Ore
Aragonite Gangue
Calcite Gangue
Chlorite Gangue
Gypsum Gangue
Illite Gangue
Montmorillonite Gangue
Orpiment Gangue
Realgar Gangue
Sulfur Gangue

Mineral occurrence model information

Model code 260
USGS model code 35b.3
Deposit model name Lacustrine borates

Host and associated rocks

  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic)
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Pliocene
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Rhyodacite
  • Host or associated Associated
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Felsic Volcanic Rock > Dacite
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Sedimentary Rock > Clastic Sedimentary Rock > Mudstone > Claystone
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Miocene
    Chronological age 6.99
  • Host or associated Host
    Rock type Volcanic Rock (Aphanitic) > Pyroclastic Rock > Tuff
    Rock unit name Sijes Formation
    Rock description Sijes Formation
    Stratigraphic age (youngest) Late Miocene
    Chronological age 6.99

Nearby scientific data

(1) -66.44945, -23.04752
ListMap

Economic information

Geologic structures

Type of structure Local
Structure description Ne-Sw Trending Reverse Faults Crossed By Transverse Fractures; Subordinate Ne-Sw Trending Folds (Small)

Ore body information

  • Strike N-S, NE-SW
    Dip 15-20E
    Thickness 30M

Comments on the geologic information

  • NEOGENE PLAYA-L;AKE VOLCANO-SEDIMENTARY SEQUENCE RESTS UNCONFORMABLY ON LOWER ORDOVICIAN ROCKS. THE SEDIMENTS IN THE LOMA BLANCA REGION ARE PREDOMINANTLY VOLCANICLASTIC. IN THIS AREA, VOLCANISM BEGAN IN MMIO AND REACHED ITS MAXIMUM BY LMIO. THE TERTIARY VOLCANO-SEDIMENTARY SEQUENCE IS 300 M THICK IN THIS AREA. THE STRATIGRAPHY (IN ASCENDING ORDER): LOWER PYROCLASTIC ROCKS (LARGELY IGNIMBRITES AND SURGES)-- ABOUT 50 M THICK; LACUSTRINE SEDIMENTS (INCLUDING TUFFITE, CLAYSTONE, TUFF, BORATE DEPOSITS, AND TRAVERTINE OVERBURDEN)-- ABOUT 113 M THICK; UPPER PYROCLASTICS-- ABOUT 106 M THICK.

Economic information about the deposit and operations

Development status Producer
Commodity type Both
Deposit size Large
Significant No
Discovery year 1982
Year of first production 1983
Production years 1960'S (INYOITE),

Ownership information

  • Type Operator
    Owner Industrias Quimicas Baradero S.A.

Reserves and resources

  • Type In-situ
    Estimate year 1987
    Total resources 1000000000mt ore
    Commodity Subtype Grade units Group Importance Year
    Boron-Borates B2O3 16 wt-pct Boron Major 1987

Comments on development

  • MINED BY GARCIA PINTO CO IN THE 1960'S FOR INYOITE. INYOITE WAS THE MAIN MINERAL HERE UNTIL 1982 WHEN BORAX BEDS WERE DISCOVERED AT SHALLOW DEPTH.

Reference information

Bibliographic references

  • Deposit

    ALONSO, R.N., HELVACI, C., SUREDA, R.J., AND VIRAMONTE, J.G., 1988, A NEW TERTIARY BORAX DEPOSIT IN THE ANDES: MINERALIUM DEPOSITA, V. 23, P. 299-305.

  • Deposit

    RICCI, S.M., 1973, MAPA MINERO DE LAS PROVINCIAS DE JUJUY Y SALTA: MINISTERIO DE ECONOMIA DE REPUBLICA ARGENTINA, ESCALA 1:750,000.

  • Deposit

    ALONSO, R.N., 1986, OCCURRENCE, STRATIGRAPHIC POSITION, AND GENESIS OF THE BORATE DEPOSITS OF THE PUNA REGION OF ARGENTINA: SALTA, UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE SALTA, UNPUBLISHED PH.D DISSERTATION, 196 P.

  • Other Database

    CIMRI

  • Reserve-Resource

    ALONSO AND OTHERS, 1988.

General comments

Subject category Comment text
Deposit Discovery Year: 1982 (BORAX)
Deposit DEPOSIT FORMED IN PLAYA-LIKE ENVIRONMENT DURING THE NEOGENE. THE PRIMARY BORATE MINERAL CHANGES WITH DEPTH: FROM 0-10 M-- INYOITE IS UNDERLAIN BY ULEXITE WHICH IN TURN IS UNDERLAIN BY BORAX WHICH IS UNDERLAIN BY ULEXITE; 10-20 M-- THE ULEXITE IS UNDERLAIN BY INYOITE WHICH IS UNDERLAIN BY ULEXITE WHICH IN TURN IS UNDERLAIN BY BORAX; 20-30 M-- THE BORAX IS UNDERLAIN BY ULEXITE WHICH IS UNDERLAIN BY INYOITE WHICH IS UNDERLAIN BY COLEMANITE.
Deposit First Production Year: ABOUT 1983 (BORAX)

Reporter information

Type Date Name Affiliation Comment
Reporter 01-DEC-1991 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 01-JUN-1993 Sow, Thierno U.S. Geological Survey
Updater 02-NOV-1994 Orris, Greta J. U.S. Geological Survey

Beyond USGS

Supplemental information added by qvyshift.com. Not part of the original USGS MRDS record.

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