Abstract

PERALTA-LOZADA, Valentina; RODRIGUEZ-VARGAS, Andrés Ignacio  and  NITESCU, Bogdan. Petrographic, Mineralogical, and Geochemical Characterization of Trace Elements in Sphalerites from the Municipality of Chiquinquirá, Colombia. Bol. geol. [online]. 2026, vol.48, n.1, pp.33-52.  Epub Apr 23, 2026. ISSN 0120-0283.  https://doi.org/10.18273/revbol.v48n1-2026002.

The increased demand for metals considered critical by numerous countries, such as gallium (Ga), germanium (Ge), and indium (In) for the development of new technologies, has generated a resurgence of interest in zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) deposits. Such deposits are the largest source of these metals and are typically found in MVT environments, where the main host mineral is sphalerite. The Cretaceous units of the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia present an ideal setting for the formation of these deposits, as they have the geological characteristics that favor their formation and coincide chronologically with the main events that led to the formation of most known Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposits around the world. The occurrence of sphalerite located in Vereda Caldas in the municipality of Chiquinquirá, Boyacá was characterized petrographically and mineralogically to determine the relationship of these critical elements with this type of mineralization. Significant concentrations of Ga, Ge, and In were found hosted within these sulfides, which are emplaced within Cretaceous units mainly composed of clastic and locally calcareous sedimentary rocks. The origin of the mineralizing fluids is primarily related to the migration of connate waters rich in metals leached from weathered rocks, which are subsequently subjected to reducing environments that generate the precipitation of sulfides such as sphalerite and chalcopyrite. The results obtained confirm the potential of this geological environment for hosting elements of economic interest, which could become a geological indicator that favors the expansion of exploration of these metals on a regional scale.

Keywords : Critical metals; Gallium; Germanium; Indium; MVT deposits; Sphalerite.

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