SEG SEG www.segweb.org Advancing Science and Discovery OCTOBER 2009 NUMBER 79 NEWSLETTER FIGURE 1. Major ore deposits in the physiographic provinces of Bolivia. 2010 Dues Reminder (p. __ for member- ship benefits and p. __ for online dues procedures) INTRODUCTION Bolivia covers an area slightly larger than 1 million km 2 and has long been recognized as one of the world’s most remarkably metal rich regions. Many metalliferous deposits have been known for more than 3,000 years (Mesa et al., 1997); Ag, Au, Cu, and Sn were extracted by Incan and earlier civilizations (Capriles, 1977). Soon after conquest of “Upper Peru” by the Spaniards in the 1530s, discovery of the excep- tionally rich Cerro Rico de Potosi veins made Bolivia the largest silver producer in the world for more than two centuries. By the early 1900s, the great tin deposits had been discov- ered and had replaced silver as the most valu- able metal for the nation’s economy, and con- tinued as such until collapse of the tin market in 1985. Throughout the 20 th century, mining was the country’s top industry, producing much of the world’s antimony, bismuth, lead, silver, tin, tungsten, and zinc. Bolivia is presently ranked as the third largest producer of antimony in the world, as well as ranking fourth in tin and zinc, and sixth in tungsten. In addition, the salt lakes (salars) of the southern Altiplano are estimated to contain >50% of the world’s lithium resources. Finally, Bolivia has large resources of gold, platinum, palladium, tantalum, chromium, nickel, cadmium, indium, bismuth, Metallogeny of Bolivia Osvaldo R. Arce-Burgoa † (SEG 2008 F), EMUSA, Casilla 291, La Paz, Bolivia; and Richard J. Goldfarb (SEG 1989 F), U.S. Geological Survey, Box 25046, Mail Stop 973, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO, 80225-0046,USA, and School of Earth and Geographical Sciences (M004), The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia † Corresponding author: e-mail, osvaldo_arce@ yahoo.es to page 8 ... 69°W 66°W 63°W 60°W 22°S 19°S 16°S 13°S 10°S 100 300 Km SANTA CRUZ DE LA SIERRA Western Cordillera Altiplano Eastern Cordillera Subandean Zone Chaco-Beni Plains Precambrian Shield Capital of Department Don Mario Puquio Norte Miguela Rincón del Tigre El Mutún Tucavaca San Simon Cuevo SEDEX BIF iron VMS MVT IOCG PGM in mafic/ultramafic Epithermal Pulacayo San Cristobal Lipeña-Lamosa San Antonio de Lipez Jaquegua Corocoro La Española Berenguela Orkho-Piña Cuprita Kori Kollo Laurani Chacarilla Caracota Chilcobija Apolobamba Cascabel-Muñecas Aucapata Yani Chacaltaya-H.Potosi Illimani Los Machos Rosario Cocapata-El Molino Colquiri Vinto Amayapampa San Bernardino Kori Chaka (Iroco) Carma Orogenic Au (Sb) Tasna Chocaya Animas Tatasi Esmoraca-Galan Matilde Independencia Mallku Khota Llallagua Colquechaca Siete Suyos Porco Maragua Japo-Santa Fe-Morococala Huanuni Chojlla Chambillaya Bolivian polymetallic vein Empexa Chiguana Pastos grandes Capina Challviri Tupiza Kellhuani Bolivar Salar of Coipasa Salar of Uyuni Madre de Dios District Río Itenez Ñuflo de Chavez Río Madidi Charazani-Suches Tipuani Vein-type Zn-Pb-Ag San Vicente Fabulosa Carangas Bolsa Negra Lake Poopo Salinas de Garci Mendoza Huara Huara San Lucas Toropalca Cornaca Sedimentary rock-hosted copper Mojo Lake Titicaca San Juan Alluvial gold Evaporite layered intrusions Chorolque Colavi POTOSI LA PAZ COCHABAMBA Cerro Rico-San Bartolome Antequera Quechisla Cajuata TRINIDAD COBIJA SUCRE TARIJA del Oro ORURO Ulla Ulla DEPOSIT TYPE Pluton-related tin-polymetallic 0 200