Mineralogy and geological context of the oldest mine in Costa Rica during the Colonial period: Cóncavas of Paraíso, Cartago
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| Egileak: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Formatua: | artículo original |
| Egoera: | Versión publicada |
| Argitaratze data: | 2026 |
| Deskribapena: | One of the first mining claim in Costa Rica dates back to 1664 at the Cóncavas site (east of Cartago). By 1750, there was already talk of a mine or deposit, which was exploited for copper extraction sometimes between 1750 and 1804, well before the discovery and exploitation of the gold mines in the Montes del Aguacate. Mineralization occurs in veins and veinlets hosted by porphyritic andesite lava flows associated with the La Cruz Formation, possibly laterally interfingered with the Pacacua Formation. This is a monometallic copper deposit (native copper, carbonates, sulfides, sulfates and oxides), where the main minerals are malachite, chalcopyrite, brochantite, chalcocite, cuprite, bornite, azurite, and djurleite, with minor occurrences of covellite, chrysocolla, and native copper, as well as rare occurrences of, anilite and digenite. Copper mineralizations are associated with gangue minerals such as zeolites (mainly laumontite), quartz, calcite, hematite, goethite, kaolinite-type clays, and rare occurrences of prehnite, siderite and clinochlore. The mineralization appears to correspond to mesothermal hypogene sulfides, somewhat like stratabound copper deposits, where a temporal decline in sulfur activity in the mineralized fluids occurred, with the consequent release of iron. Geochemically, the Ag content in certain samples is interesting for future prospecting. |
| Herria: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Erakundea: | Universidad de Costa Rica |
| Repositorio: | Portal de Revistas UCR |
| Hizkuntza: | Español |
| OAI Identifier: | oai:portal.revistas.ucr.ac.cr:article/10286 |
| Sarrera elektronikoa: | https://revistas.ucr.ac.cr/index.php/rgeologica/article/view/10286 |
| Gako-hitza: | Colonial mining claim Monometallic veins Stratabound copper deposits Mineralogy La Cruz Formation Denuncio minero colonial Vetas monometálicas Depósitos de cobre estratoligados Mineralogía Formación La Cruz |