Transpressional folding and associated cross-fold jointing controlling the geometry of post-orogenic vein-type W-Sn mineralization: examples from Minas da Panasqueira, Portugal

The world-class W-Sn Panasqueira deposit consists of an extensive, subhorizontal vein swarm, peripheral to a late-orogenic greisen cupola. The vein swarm consists of hundreds of co-planar quartz veins that are overlapping and connected laterally over large distances. Various segmentation structures, a local zigzag geometry, and the occurrence of straight propagation paths indicate that they exploited a regional joint system. A detailed orientation analysis of the systematic joints reveals a geometrical relationship with the subvertical F2 fold generation, reflecting late-Variscan transpression. The joints are consistently orthogonal to the steeply plunging S0–S2 intersection lineation, both on the regional and the outcrop scale, and are thus defined as cross-fold or ac-joints. The joint system developed during the waning stages of the Variscan orogeny, when already uplifted to an upper-crustal level. Veining reactivated these cross-fold joints under the conditions of hydraulic overpressures and low differential stress. The consistent subperpendicular orientation of the veins relative to the non-cylindrical F2 hinge lines, also when having an inclined attitude, demonstrates that veining did not occur during far-field horizontal compression. Vein orientation is determined by local stress states variable on a meter-scale but with the minimum principal stress consistently subparallel to fold hinge lines. The conspicuous subhorizontal attitude of the Panasqueira vein swarm is thus dictated by the geometry of late-orogenic folds, which developed synchronous with oroclinal buckling of the Ibero-Armorican arc.

Publication year:2017

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IOF-keylabel:yes

BOF-publication weight:6

CSS-citation score:2

Authors:International

Authors from:Higher Education