Basement control of Tertiary intrusions and associated mineral deposits along Tijeras-Cañoncito fault system, New Mexico

A major zone of basement anisotropy in central New Mexico, the Tijeras-Cañoncito fault system, has been episodically active since Precambrian time and has formed shears in Precambrian rocks, open fractures for fissure filling, and breccias with open spaces for mineral deposition. Tertiary plutons emplaced along this zone of crustal weakness were the sources of mineralizing solutions, provided heat for hydrothermal systems, and may have remobilized mineral deposits from Precambrian basement rocks. Recurrent movement along the faults was important in ore genesis, as emplacement of intrusions was followed by further fault movement to create open spaces for mineral deposition.