The mineral resources of the Pan Amazon are not randomly distributed across the region but are located on landscapes with specific geological histories. There are three conspicuous macro regions: A. The Amazon Craton is the term used to describe the complex of ancient rocks that form the heart of the continent, which was created via the serial accretion of continental plates between one to three billion years ago. Each such orogenic event was accompanied by magmatic intrusions that are imbued with the mineral resources. B. The Andean Cordillera was formed after the Amazon Craton collided with the Nazca plate starting about 500 million years ago; this massive orogenic process occurred in phases with subregional variations characterized by volcanisms and magmatic intrusions that are impregnated with mineral deposits of global importance. C. The Sedimentary Plain of the Western Amazon can be subdivided into basins that are the repository of significant hydrocarbon reserves, which were formed in what was once a shallow sea located between the Amazon Craton and the Andean Cordillera. Older sedimentary rocks that overlie parts of the Craton hold globally important reserves of bauxite and potash, while the upper horizons of multiple landscapes are rich in alluvial gold. The distribution of corporate mines among the Tectonic Provinces of the superficial exposure of the Amazon Craton: (I) Carajás – Imataca, (II) Transamazon – Guiana Coast, (III) Central Amazon, (IV) Tapajós – Parima, (V) Rondônia – Juruena, (VI) Rio Negro, and (VII) Sunsas / Macarena, as well as Proterozoic formations of…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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