Spatial and Temporal Controls on the Distribution of Indium in Xenothermal Vein-Deposits: The Huari Huari District, Potosí, Bolivia

Research reveals that indium (In) in the Huari Huari district of Potosí, Bolivia, is primarily concentrated in iron-rich sphalerite and stannite, with its distribution strongly influenced by copper activity. The study found that In incorporation into sphalerite occurs via a coupled substitution mechanism involving Cu+ and In3+, while in stannite, it follows an In3+ ↔ (Cu+ + ½ Sn4+) substitution. Coexisting sphalerite and stannite yielded the highest In concentrations at temperatures between 350–250 °C. The research used paragenetic sequence analysis, compositional studies of sphalerite, and district-scale spatial distribution to constrain these findings. This insight sheds light on the controls governing critical metal accumulation in xenothermal vein deposits.

Torró, L., Melgarejo, J., Gemmrich, L., Mollinedo, D., Cazorla, M., Martínez, Á., Pujol-Solà, N., Farré-de-Pablo, J., Camprubí, A., Artiaga, D., Torres, B., Alfonso, P., & Arce, O. (2019). Spatial and Temporal Controls on the Distribution of Indium in Xenothermal Vein-Deposits: The Huari Huari District, Potosí, Bolivia. Minerals, 9(5), 304. https://doi.org/10.3390/min9050304