Structural and temporal relationships between volcanic activity, hydrothermal alteration, epithermal Ag–Pb–Zn mineralization and regional stress regime in the Quevar Volcanic Complex (Puna plateau, Salta Province, NW Argentina)

In the Cenozoic Central Volcanic Zone of the Andes, the genetic relationships between regional deformation, volcanic activity, and epithermal mineralization are not fully established. In order to shed some light on the matter, we present new macro and mesoscopic structural data, fault-slip data inversion and 40Ar-39Ar geochronology for volcanic rocks, hydrothermally altered equivalents and epithermal Ag–Pb–Zn mineralization of the Quevar Volcanic Complex, which is located in the Puna plateau of NE Argentina.