Abstract The Dolores project is located in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range of northern Mexico, near the historic mining district of Dolores in the state of Chihuahua. Exploratory drilling by Minefinders Corporation, Ltd., began in 1996 and has resulted in the discovery of one of Mexico's largest undeveloped gold-silver deposits. The regional geologic history of the area is dominated by three phases of volcanism: (1) A period of intermediate composition volcanism that resulted in deposition of voluminous andesitic flows and volcaniclastics interlayered with lesser amounts of felsic ash (the Lower volcanic series). This occurred from ˜46 to 35 Ma, (2) The first phase was closely followed by eruption of dominantly felsic ash flow tuffs and flows of rhyolitic to latitic composition (the Upper volcanic series), which occurred between ˜35 and 27 Ma, (3) Finally, intermittent eruption of basaltic andesite in thin flows occurred from <27 to 3 Ma. Deposition of the Baucarit Formation, a conglomeratic basin-fill sedimentary unit with thin interlayers of basalt, also occurred in down-dropped basins during the Pliocene to Pleistocene, or approximately 5 to 1 m.y. ago. Definitive age dates for the mineralization at Dolores have yet to be established. Ages of vein-style Ag-Au mineralization throughout the Sierra Madre Occidental are reported to be between about 49 to 27 Ma (Clark et al., 1979 ). Geologic observations at Dolores suggest that mineralization occurred following the episode of voluminous andesitic volcanism and generally at the same time as deposition of the overlying latitic pyroclastic tuffs of the Lower volcanic series, because mineralization and alteration are generally confined to the andesites and the lowermost portion of the volcaniclastic rocks. It follows that the Dolores mineralization occurred prior to deposition of the Upper volcanic series and dates from about 38 to 35 Ma of age. Within the district, regional north-northwest-trending structures controlled emplacement of a series of porphyritic andesitic to latitic dikes and sills in conjunction with emplacement of several larger hypabyssal north-northwest-elongate, domal intrusive bodies that formed during deposition of the Lower volcanic series. Epithermal, low-sulfidation fluids, believed to be associated with the waning stages of the intrusive episode, deposited quartz-adularia and precious metals. Wider zones of mineralization formed within areas of higher permeability and where boiling and episodic hydrothermal brecciation were focused in areas of greater structural complexity. Consequently, the mineralization occurs both within high-level stockworks, breccias, and disseminations formed near the contact of the felsic volcaniclastic rocks with the underlying andesites and within more tightly confined north-northwest-trending feeders that continue to depth. Gold predominates in the higher levels of the system and can be found across widths of 100 m or more at an average grade of from 1 to up to 2 g/t. Mineralized feeders occur below these zones and can be from 2 to more than 20 m in width, with gold content of up to 10 to more than 200 g/t and silver content of 1 to more than 5 kg/t. In the studied resource area, Ag/Au ratios appear to be zoned about a central domal intrusive and vary from about 100:1 near the intrusive to less than 10:1 to the north and south. Trace element geochemistry includes variable Hg, As, and Sb in the higher elevations with increasing amounts of Pb, Zn, and minor Cu at depth. A combined program of reverse circulation and core drilling totaling 61,441 m in 291 holes has revealed mineralization that occurs within an area that is approximately 2,800 m long by more than 600 m across. Additional drill intercepts and surface geochemical assays outside of this area indicate the potential to increase the resource base throughout an overall area that is approximately 4,000 m by 1,200 m. A resource study within the most densely drilled 1,900 by 300 m area was completed in 2000. Economic analysis, based on work by a major international engineering firm, indicates that a bulk-minable resource of approximately 67 Mt, at a gold equivalent (Aueq) grade of 1.85 g/t, can be developed by open-pit mining methods. The total calculated resource within the study area is 100.1 Mt containing 2.45 Moz of gold and 129.7 Moz of silver, or 4.62 Moz of Aueq at a 60:1 ratio.

Abstract The Dolores project is located in the Sierra Madre Occidental mountain range of northern Mexico, near the historic mining district of Dolores in the state of Chihuahua. Exploratory drilling by Minefind-ers Corporation, Ltd., began in 1996 and has resulted in the discovery of one of Mexico’s largest undeveloped gold-silver deposits. The regional geologic history of the area is dominated by three phases of volcanism: (1) A period of intermediate composition volcanism that resulted in deposition of voluminous andesitic flows and vol-caniclastics interlayered with lesser amounts of felsic ash (the Lower volcanic series). This occurred from ∼46 to 35 Ma, (2) The first phase was closely followed by eruption of dominantly felsic ash flow tuffs and flows of rhyolitic to latitic composition (the Upper volcanic series), which occurred between ∼35 and 27 Ma, (3) Finally, intermittent eruption of basaltic andesite in thin flows occurred from > 27 to 3 Ma. Deposition of the Baucarit Formation, a conglomeratic basin-fill sedimentary unit with thin interlayers of basalt, also occurred in down-dropped basins during the Pliocene to Pleistocene, or approximately 5 to 1 m.y. ago. Definitive age dates for the mineralization at Dolores have yet to be established. Ages of vein-style Ag-Au mineralization throughout the Sierra Madre Occidental are reported to be between about 49 to 27 Ma ( Clark et al., 1979 ). Geologic observations at Dolores suggest that mineralization occurred following the episode of voluminous andesitic volcanism and generally at the same time as deposition of the overlying latitic pyroclastic tuffs of the Lower volcanic series, because mineralization and alteration are generally confined to the andesites and the lowermost portion of the volcaniclastic rocks. It follows that the Dolores mineralization occurred prior to deposition of the Upper volcanic series and dates from about 38 to 35 Ma of age. Within the district, regional north-northwest-trending structures controlled emplacement of a series of porphyritic andesitic to latitic dikes and sills in conjunction with emplacement of several larger hypabyssal north-northwest-elongate, domal intrusive bodies that formed during deposition of the Lower volcanic series. Epithermal, low-sulfidation fluids, believed to be associated with the waning stages of the intrusive episode, deposited quartz-adularia and precious metals. Wider zones of mineralization formed within areas of higher permeability and where boiling and episodic hydrothermal brecciation were focused in areas of greater structural complexity. Consequently, the mineralization occurs both within high-level stockworks, breccias, and disseminations formed near the contact of the felsic volcaniclastic rocks with the underlying andesites and within more tightly confined north-northwest-trending feeders that continue to depth. Gold predominates in the higher levels of the system and can be found across widths of 100 m or more at an average grade of from 1 to up to 2 g/t. Mineralized feeders occur below these zones and can be from 2 to more than 20 m in width, with gold content of up to 10 to more than 200 g/t and silver content of 1 to more than 5 kg/t. In the studied resource area, Ag/Au ratios appear to be zoned about a central domal intrusive and vary from about 100:1 near the intrusive to less than 10:1 to the north and south. Trace element geochemistry includes variable Hg, As, and Sb in the higher elevations with increasing amounts of Pb, Zn, and minor Cu at depth. A combined program of reverse circulation and core drilling totaling 61,441 m in 291 holes has revealed mineralization that occurs within an area that is approximately 2,800 m long by more than 600 m across. Additional drill intercepts and surface geochemical assays outside of this area indicate the potential to increase the resource base throughout an overall area that is approximately 4,000 m by 1,200 m. A resource study within the most densely drilled 1,900 by 300 m area was completed in 2000. Economic analysis, based on work by a major international engineering firm, indicates that a bulk-minable resource of approximately 67 Mt, at a gold equivalent (Aueq) grade of 1.85 g/t, can be developed by open-pit mining methods. The total calculated resource within the study area is 100.1 Mt containing 2.45 Moz of gold and 129.7 Moz of silver, or 4.62 Moz of Aueq at a 60:1 ratio.

Abstract The Dolores project is located in the Sierra Madre Occidental Range in the State of Chihuahua, northern Mexico, at latitude 29± 00' N, longitude 108±32' W. It is in the municipality of Madera, about 94 km by road (45 km by air) southwest of the town of Madera, and 250 km west of the city of Chihuahua.

Abstract The lithic succession exposed in the Lampazos area of east-central Sonora comprises an irregular alternation of terrigenous shales and carbonates divisible into three lithic packages. Those rocks yielded abundant planktonic microfossils (foraminifera and colomiellids) allowing us to assign the succession to Biozones K-6 through K-15 of the standard planktonic zonation for the Cretaceous of Mexico ( Longoria, 1984a ) corresponding to the Comanchean Series (Aptian–Albian, 119–95.7 Ma). The succession was divided into three lithic units: (1) Cliff-forming, thick- to massive-bedded carbonates of Unit 1 (Biozones K6 through K-11) represent deposition on a carbonate platform; (2) slope-forming thin- to medium-bedded, nodular limestone packages of Unit 2, which yielded abundant favusellids and colomiellids indicative of deeper-water environments, ranging from K-12 to K-14; and (3) an alternation of thin- to medium-bedded limestone and thin-bedded shale, which yielded radiolaria and planktonic foraminifera indicative of deep-water facies that range from Biozone K-6 through K-15. Our biostratigraphic analysis demonstrated that the Lower Cretaceous succession as exposed on the west flank of Sierra Las Azules is involved in four structural segments separated by faults. West-verging thrust faulting is related to the mid-Cretaceous tectonic phase of this region. Both microfacies types and microfossils found in the Lampazos Comanchean succession are remarkably similar to coeval rocks from northeastern Mexico and are interpreted as indicative of the western extension of the Comanchean facies belts from Tamaulipas into eastern Sonora. Geologic Problem Solving with Microfossils: A Volume in Honor of Garry D. Jones SEPM Special Publication No. 93, Copyright © 2009 SEPM (Society for Sedimentary Geology), ISBN 978-1-56576-137-7, p. 269-285.

ABSTRACT We will embark on a five-day journey through northern, western, and central Sonora, in which we will see excellent examples of mostly Mesozoic to Cenozoic tectonics, sedimentation, and metallogeny. On Day 1, we will visit the porphyry copper deposit at Ajo, Arizona, and several Pleistocene cinder cones and maar craters in the Pinacate Biosphere Reserve. On Day 2, we will see L- and L-S tectonites at the type locality of the Mojave-Sonora megashear in Sierra Los Tanques, Noche Buena orogenic gold deposit, Ediacaran Gamuza beds in Caborca, and have an overview of the Carnero detachment fault on the south side of Sierra La Gloria. Day 3 will explore faults and related sedimentary and volcanic rocks associated with the late Miocene oblique opening of the Gulf of California rift and visit outcrops that record late Miocene timing constraints for flooding of the Gulf of California seaway, including several localities on southern Isla Tiburón accessible only by boat. Day 4 will visit exposures of Permian sedimentary to Paleogene igneous rocks in Hermosillo (Cerro La Campana); Puerto del Sol detachment fault zone; Aconchi batholith and a hot spring localized on a Basin and Range normal fault; Santa Elena low-sulfidation epithermal gold mine; and the Upper Jurassic Cucurpe Formation. On Day 5, we will visit several exposures of different crustal levels of the Magdalena-Madera metamorphic core complex, including the spectacular stretched pebble conglomerates in Arroyo Amolares.

Abstract The composition of the lithosphere can be fundamentally altered by long-lived subduction processes such that subduction-modified lithosphere can survive for hundreds of millions of years. Incorrect petrotectonic interpretations result when spatial–temporal–compositional trends of, and source contributions to, magmatism are not properly considered. Western Mexico has had protracted Cenozoic magmatism developed mostly in-board of active oceanic plate subduction beneath western North America. A broad range of igneous compositions from basalt to high-silica rhyolite were erupted with intermediate to silicic compositions in particular, showing calc-alkaline and other typical subduction-related geochemical signatures. A major Oligocene rhyolitic ignimbrite ‘flare-up’ (>300 000 km 3 ) switched to a bimodal volcanic phase in the Early Miocene ( c. 100 000 km 3 ), associated with distributed extension and opening of numerous graben. Extension became more focused c. 18 Ma resulting in localized volcanic activity along the future site of the Gulf of California. This localized volcanism (known as the Comondú ‘arc’) was dominantly effusive and andesite–dacite in composition. Past tectonic interpretations of Comondú-age volcanism may have been incorrect as these regional temporal–compositional changes are alternatively interpreted as a result of increased mixing of mantle-derived basaltic and crust-derived rhyolitic magmas in an active rift environment rather than fluid flux melting of the mantle wedge above the subducting Guadalupe Plate. Supplementary material: References from which whole-rock geochemical and radiometric age data have been compiled in this paper are available at http://www.geolsoc.org.uk/SUP18645

The Sierra Madre Occidental is the result of Cretaceous-Cenozoic magmatic and tectonic episodes related to the subduction of the Farallon plate beneath North America and to the opening of the Gulf of California. The stratigraphy of the Sierra Madre Occidental consists of five main igneous complexes: (1) Late Cretaceous to Paleocene plutonic and volcanic rocks; (2) Eocene andesites and lesser rhyolites, traditionally grouped into the so-called Lower Volcanic Complex; (3) silicic ignimbrites mainly emplaced during two pulses in the Oligocene (ca. 32–28 Ma) and Early Miocene (ca. 24–20 Ma), and grouped into the “Upper Volcanic Supergroup”; (4) transitional basaltic-andesitic lavas that erupted toward the end of, and after, each ignimbrite pulse, which have been correlated with the Southern Cordillera Basaltic Andesite Province of the southwestern United States; and (5) postsubduction volcanism consisting of alkaline basalts and ignimbrites emplaced in the Late Miocene, Pliocene, and Pleistocene, directly related to the separation of Baja California from the Mexican mainland. The products of all these magmatic episodes, partially overlapping in space and time, cover a poorly exposed, heterogeneous basement with Precambrian to Paleozoic ages in the northern part (Sonora and Chihuahua) and Mesozoic ages beneath the rest of the Sierra Madre Occidental. The oldest intrusive rocks of the Lower Volcanic Complex (ca. 101 to ca. 89 Ma) in Sinaloa, and Maastrichtian volcanics of the Lower Volcanic Complex in central Chihuahua, were affected by moderate contractile deformation during the Laramide orogeny. In the final stages of this deformation cycle, during the Paleocene and Early Eocene, ∼E-W to ENE-WSW–trending extensional structures formed within the Lower Volcanic Complex, along which the world-class porphyry copper deposits of the Sierra Madre Occidental were emplaced. Extensional tectonics began as early as the Oligocene along the entire eastern half of the Sierra Madre Occidental, forming grabens bounded by high-angle normal faults, which have traditionally been referred to as the southern (or Mexican) Basin and Range Province. In the Early to Middle Miocene, extension migrated westward. In northern Sonora, the deformation was sufficiently intense to exhume lower crustal rocks, whereas in the rest of the Sierra Madre Occidental, crustal extension did not exceed 20%. By the Late Miocene, extension became focused in the westernmost part of the Sierra Madre Occidental, adjacent to the Gulf of California, where NNW-striking normal fault systems produced both ENE and WSW tilt domains separated by transverse accommodation zones. It is worth noting that most of the extension occurred when subduction of the Farallon plate was still active off Baja California. Geochemical data show that the Sierra Madre Occidental rocks form a typical calcalkaline rhyolite suite with intermediate to high K and relatively low Fe contents. Late Eocene to Miocene volcanism is clearly bimodal, but silicic compositions are volumetrically dominant. Initial 87 Sr/ 86 Sr ratios mostly range between 0.7041 and 0.7070, and initial ϵNd values are generally intermediate between crust and mantle values (+2.3 and -3.2). Based on isotopic data of volcanic rocks and crustal xenoliths from a few sites in the Sierra Madre Occidental, contrasting models for the genesis of the silicic volcanism have been proposed. A considerable body of work led by Ken Cameron and others considered the mid-Tertiary Sierra Madre Occidental silicic magmas to have formed by fractional crystallization of mantle-derived mafic magmas with little (<15%) or no crustal involvement. In contrast, other workers have suggested the rhyolites, taken to the extreme case, could be entirely the result of partial melting of the crust in response to thermal and material input from basaltic underplating. Several lines of evidence suggest that Sierra Madre Occidental ignimbrite petrogenesis involved large-scale mixing and assimilation-fractional crystallization processes of crustal and mantle-derived melts. Geophysical data indicate that the crust in the unextended core of the northern Sierra Madre Occidental is ∼55 km thick, but thins to ∼40 km to the east. The anomalous thickness in the core of the Sierra Madre Occidental suggests that the lower crust was largely intruded by mafic magmas. In the westernmost Sierra Madre Occidental adjacent to the Gulf of California, crustal thickness is ∼25 km, implying over 100% of extension. However, structures at the surface indicate no more than ∼50% extension. The upper mantle beneath the Sierra Madre Occidental is characterized by a low-velocity anomaly, typical of the asthenosphere, which also occurs beneath the Basin and Range Province of the western United States. The review of the magmatic and tectonic history presented in this work suggests that the Sierra Madre Occidental has been strongly influenced by the Cretaceous-Cenozoic evolution of the western North America subduction system. In particular, the Oligo-Miocene Sierra Madre Occidental is viewed as a silicic large igneous province formed as the precursor to the opening of the Gulf of California during and immediately following the final stages of the subduction of the Farallon plate. The mechanism responsible for the generation of the ignimbrite pulses seems related to the removal of the Farallon plate from the base of the North American plate after the end of the Laramide orogeny. The rapid increase in the subduction angle due to slab roll-back and, possibly, the detachment of the deeper part of the subducted slab as younger and buoyant oceanic lithosphere arrived at the paleotrench, resulted in extension of the continental margin, eventually leading to direct interaction between the Pacific and North American plates.