SGA WORKSHOP ON MINERAL DEPOSITS RELATED TO ACID MAGMATISM
Due to the success of the first workshop devoted to pegmatites organized by the Barcelona Student Chapter a year ago, a second workshop was planned for the days 19th to 21st of September of this year. In this occasion the topic was the ore deposits related to acid magmatism.
The workshop, held at the Faculty of Geology of the University of Barcelona, was addressed to students and young researchers interested in this type of ore deposits, as well as to professors, researchers and professional geologists who wanted to increase their knowledge and be up to date of the latest research on this topic. Therefore, the aim of this workshop was to provide an advanced overview of mineral deposits related to acid magmatism, including mineralogy, textures, petrology, geochemistry and economic interest of these deposits.
The workshop included an enlightening two-hour introductory lesson entitled “Felsic magmatism and hydrothermal systems” kindly given by Prof. Bernd Lehmann (Technical University of Clausthal – Germany).
The main day of the workshop consisted of a one-day session of lectures given by international experienced specialists on this topic. Thus, the talk by Prof. José Mangas (Universidad de las Palmas de Gran Canarias – Spain), entitled “Spanish Sn deposits associated to Hercynian granitic intrusives” explained the three stages of formation registered in the Spanish deposits deduced from the fluid inclusion study; Prof. Mangas also emphasized the economic potential of tin mines, most of them closed, in countries such as Spain, Portugal, Germany or the Czech Republic. Prof. Fenando M.P. Noronha (Universidade do Porto) moved from tin to tungsten deposits with the talk entitled “Tungsten ore deposits in Central Iberian Zone”; all the audience could enjoy his talk in which the Panasqueira mine was clearly the main focus. Prof. Bernd Lehmann (Technical University of Clausthal – Germany), with his talk “Granite-related rare-metal mineralization”, explained the geochemistry of the tin and the tantalum in the magmatic-hydrothermal system and the concentration mechanisms. Finally, Dr. Hildebrando Leal-Mejía (University of British Columbia - Canada) explained the evolution of the Phanerozoic acid magmatism in the Colombian Andes and its relationship with Gold Deposit genesis.
At the end of the conference session, homage to Prof. Antonio Arribas Moreno was held. The act, leaded by Prof. José Mangas, served for introducing this important personality in the world of the mineral deposits to those who did not know his very active and complete scientific live. Prof. Antonio, who is now 90 years old, kindly attended our workshop. Some personalities such as Prof. Fernando Noronha and Dr. Joan Carles Melgarejo took advantage of the homage to publicly thank Prof. Antonio for their support during the development of their scientific careers. Some videos of people who could not attend the workshop were reproduced, such as those recorded by Saleh Lehbib (PhD student from the Sahara Occidental) and Prof. Antonio Arribas Jr. (president of the SEG and son of Prof. Antonio Arribas Moreno). Finally, Prof. Antonio Arribas Moreno was proposed as Honorary Advisor of our Student Chapter. After he accepted (with pleasure, according to his words) this position, we are so pleasured and honored of announcing that Prof. Antonio Arribas Moreno is now our Honorary Advisor.
Additionally, a fieldtrip leaded by Dr. Joan Carles Melgarejo, advisor of the Barcelona Student Chapter, to the Barberà Basin (Conca de Barberà) took place. During this one-day fieldtrip the attendance could observe the quartz-wolfram veins in hercinian granitoids, polymetallic sulphide mineralisations (Pb-Zn-Cu-Au-PGE-Bi-Te-As-Ni-Co-V-Cr), barite veins and XVIth century alum mines. Mineralogical and petrographical aspects of the ores and host rocks were combined with geochemistry, fluid inclusion data and large-scale tectonics, in order to have a broad view of the visited ore deposits and their environment.
We hope that you all enjoyed the workshop.
