TITLE:
Geochemical Prospection of the Chapala Ciénega at Michoacán State
AUTHORS:
José Martínez Reyes, Ivan Vera Romero, Meliton Estrada Jaramillo, Agustina Ortiz Soriano, Ignacio Moreno Nava, Francisco Gabriel Montes Ayala, Francisco García Ávalos, Ernesto Mendez Ruiz
KEYWORDS:
Geochemical Prospection, Ciénega, Michoacán
JOURNAL NAME:
International Journal of Geosciences,
Vol.5 No.9,
August
27,
2014
ABSTRACT: The
geochemical prospection as a branch of Applied Geochemistry or “Geochemistry of
the Landscape” studies the spatial and temporal location of geochemical
anomalies in order to locate geological resources of economic value. The
Ciénega de Chapala zone in Michoacán is located east of the Citala rift hosting
a geological system that leads to regional hydrothermal activity, mainly the Pajacuaran
and Ixtlan failures. The regional geothermics include a superficial
hydrothermalism consisting of springs and wells of hot water with temperatures
between 48°C and 94°C in
Ixtlan de los Hervores and mud volcanoes in the water with temperatures between
48°C and 94°C in Ixtlan de los Hervores and
mud volcanoes in the Los Negritos. The waters and gases of these hydrothermal
manifestations have physicochemical characteristics that indicate the presence
of geothermal fluids. To search for possible presence of minerals of economic
value, a study of elemental chemical analysis was performed by scanning
electron microscopy in samples of rock of the sierra de Pajacuaran, the result
of the analysis is clearly abnormal values which may be indicative a
geochemical anomaly as well as the possible presence of minerals of economic
value in the region. Given the above, the area of the Ciénega de Chapala in
Michoacán is a zone where work can be continued both geothermal and
mineralogical exploration by conventional techniques or even totally innovative
technologies.