Arroyo de la Cueva, Ronda Massif, Málaga, Andalusia, Spaini

Regional Level Types
Arroyo de la Cueva	- not defined -
Ronda Massif	Massif
Málaga	Province
Andalusia	Autonomous Community
Spain	Group of Countries

Ancient mining district dated since XVIII century, which are located both sides the margin of "La Cueva ravine".

The adits mentioned local names as La Herrumbrosa mine, Majar del Toro, Robledalillo, San Pedro and Piña mine. There are more than 30 small copper explorations which finally resulted unsuccessfull.
Unfortunately, the visit to main adits is hardly to carry out as entrances and roofs are rather blocked by loose debris. Even some others, remain quite unstable material, with loose overhanging blocks of highly disturbed peridotites, where huge slickenside surfaces endanger the access. In other cases, the old adits collapsed remaining hardly visible on site, the entrance and trenches. As a consequence of water percolation, copper sulphates and carbonates mineralized at the roof of the adits.

Along the site, it have been compiled more than 20 mineralized pervasive gossan veins, normally filling low angles fractures (1-3 meters long), with thickness varying between 10-30cm.

Such Cu-Fe-Ni (Co-Au-Pt) sulphides ores include in alpine garnet lherzolites were formed as irregular hydrothermalized veins, after the emplacement of Lherzolite-type Ronda Massif. The sulphide veins are close to the tectonic settings to high grade metamorphic sequence sillimanite-cordierite gneis (kinzigites). When weathered, the sulphide veins crop out at surface as Fe gossan which includes limonite, malachite, chrysocolla and replaced Cu-Fe-Ni-Co sulphides. Mineralized veins are closely related to low angles tension fractures.

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References