A genetic model for the Los Uvares gold deposit, Baja California Sur, Mexico

Abstract

Los Uvares gold deposit is a relatively small ore deposit (-500,000 tons of ore averaging 3 grams of gold per ton), located in the crystalline complex of the Cabo San Lucas block in southern Baja California peninsula. Previous proposed ge- netic models for Los Uvares gold deposit are: porphyry gold, and tonalite dike-fault (Escandón, 1983, Romero, 1986). However, the petrographic evidence suggests that Los Uvares is a fault-related disseminated gold deposit (Carrillo, 1990; Carrillo and Huyck, 1990). A comparison between the Los Uvares deposit with porphyry gold-copper, detachment-fault, Carlin type and epithermal deposits suggests that the Uvares is most similar to epithermal gold deposits. The model presented here could be applied as an exploration tool for other deposits in the Baja California península.