Abstract
The correlation between hypogene mineral deposits and seismically active fracture zones, cutting the continental lithosphere of convergent plate margins in South America, Indonesia and Mexico, was investigated. It was found that all large mineral deposits and most important mining districts in Andean South America between 18-34° S, Sumatra and Java, and central and southern Mexico are situated in the outcrops of deep rooted seismically active fracture zones induced and/or activated by the process of subduction of the Nazca, Indo-Australian and Cocos plates. We suppose that active fracture zones, penetrating the whole thickness of the continental lithosphere, effectuate a channeling of ore-bearing solutions liberated from the subducting oceanic lithosphere. The repeated seismic activity stimulates the long-term permanent re-opening of import paths for ore-bearing solutions that causes the accumulation of enormous amounts of metals in restricted domains of the earth crust. It appears that the fracturing of the continental lithosphere remains preserved in time and space, being re-activated under favourable conditions by a sequence of subduction cycles of different age.
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