An Overview on the Mineral Resources of the Argentine Antarctic Sector

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 researchesat the time of any other project about Geology mainly. Anyway, this knowledgemeans a reservoir of information when the Antarctic Treaty would start a processof discussion. Metallic minerals, Cu Zn and Mo are located at many localities inthe 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 smalloutcrops at many areas represented with pyrite. Mn nodules in Aurora Basin andWilkes Land, U in Amery Basin and oil in two basins, Weddell Sea Basin and RossSea Basin. Some coal was reported and exploited many years ago, at Mary BirdLand. Rare earth elements are also considered in the Transantarctic Mountains.