Early Jurassic arc related magmatism associated with porphyry copper mineralization at Zafranal, Southern Peru unraveled by zircon U-Pb ages

Abstract

Early Jurassic arc-related igneous rocks host porphyry copper prospects and gold-bearing quartz vein deposits in southern Peru. Ten new zircon U-Pb ages for wall rocks of gold-bearing quartz veins, Jurassic rocks and copper-mineralized porphyry bodies in Zafranal porphyry copper, together with published ages for Jurassic rocks, reveal a continuous magmatic evolution of the early Jurassic arc. The Jurassic rocks and gold-bearing quartz vein systems in the western flank of the Western Cordillera are hosted by Paleo- and Meso-proterozoic orthogneisses of the Arequipa Massif (1.75-1.44 Ga) that underwent Grenville-age metamorphism ~1 Ga. The early mafic magmatism is recorded between 199.6-193.2 Ma, and was followed by dominantly felsic magmatism from 184.1-174.9 Ma. Both magmatic events have formed the thinnest intrusive belt (