Libro: Geological Resources of Tierra del Fuego
Capítulo: An Overview on the Mineral Resources of the Argentine Antarctic Sector
pp 343-355
Autores: Claudio Parica, Marcela Remesal
Abstract
Acknowledge of Antarctic mineral resources is not an easy task, at first, because the hard regulations about any possible interest on mining, oil production. Most of the information has some years or it depends of the observations of researches at the time of any other project about Geology mainly. Anyway, this knowledge means a reservoir of information when the Antarctic Treaty would start a process of discussion. Metallic minerals, Cu Zn and Mo are located at many localities in the South Shetland Islands and Antarctic Peninsula, related to Andean magmatism, also at Wilkes Basin. Ni, Cr and Co, at the northernmost of the Antarctic Peninsula, meanwhile at the south, Au and Ag. Fe at Queen Fabiola Land and some small outcrops at many areas represented with pyrite. Mn nodules in Aurora Basin and Wilkes Land, U in Amery Basin and oil in two basins, Weddell Sea Basin and Ross Sea Basin. Some coal was reported and exploited many years ago, at Mary Bird Land. Rare earth elements are also considered in the Transantarctic Mountains.