Características geológicas e origem dos conglomerados diamantíferos das regiões de Diamantina (Mesoproterozóico) e de Romaria (Cretáceo Superior), Minas Gerais

Diamond-bearing conglomerates occur in the Sopa Brumadinho Formation of the Middle Proterozoic Espinhaço Supergroup and have been mined in the area of Diamantina, central Minas Gerais, since 1725. On the other hand, similar deposits occur at the base of the Upper Cretaceous Uberaba Formation in the area of Romaria in western Minas Gerais and have been mined since the end of the last century. Although these occurrences differ in age by almost 1.5 Ga, they display several geological characteristics that point to their deposition in fans developed in tectonically active áreas. In addition, their diamond content is low, ranging from 0.01 up to 0.07 ct/m³. Apparently the most remarkable difference between them is the absence of kimberlitic indicator minerais such as Cr-pyrope garnet and Mg-ilmenite among the heavies in the Diamantina District.São descritos e comparados os principais parâmetros estratigráficos, sedimentológicos, estruturais e mineralógicos dos conglomerados diamantíferos que ocorrem na região de Romaria (Cretáceo Superior), situada no sudoeste do Estado de Minas Gerais, com os do Distrito de Diamantina (Mesoproterozóico), localizada no centro-norte do mesmo estado. Demonstra-se que, apesar do amplo intervalo de tempo envolvendo a deposição dos conglomerados nesses dois locais, existem diversos aspectos que indicam similaridades entre eles. Ambos foram depositados em leques aluviais, indicando áreas-fonte continentais tectonicamente ativas. As condições de rápido soerguimento e erosão provavelmente nivelaram as rochas matrizes primárias, ainda desconhecidas, às suas zonas críticas de esterilidade. O teor em diamantes é baixo nos conglomerados, variando de 0,01 a 0,07 ct/m³. Dados disponíveis até o presente momento mostram que a principal diferença entre os dois locais é a ausência de minerais indicadores de kimberlitos tais como Cr-piropo e ilmenita magnesiana entre os pesados da região de Diamantina

Diamantes de capa verde: freqüência, distribuição e possível origem nos depósitos diamantíferos de Minas Gerais

Diamantes mostrando uma ínfima película verde, na forma de manchas irregulares, conhecidos como diamantes de "capa verde", são comuns principalmente em certos depósitos sedimentares de Minas Gerais. Cristais de diamante com essas características foram estudados nas mais importantes áreas produtoras da Província Diamantífera do Espinhaço e, comparativamente, na região de Coromandel. A freqüência de diamantes com capa verde nesses depósitos varia em percentagens, mas elas são relativamente altas na Província do Espinhaço, onde mostram valores sempre superiores a 25%, podendo localmente alcançar 90%. De outra forma, na região de Coromandel, este valor é inferior a 0,5%. São discutidas as duas principais hipóteses para a origem da capa verde: irradiação in situ a partir de minerais radioativos, ou presença de certos elementos cromóforos na parte mais externa dos cristais. A análise dos dados, porém, mostrou que existe uma associação entre os dois fatores, restando determinar a contribuição relativa de cada um deles na intensidade da pigmentação verde.Mottled green diamond crystals and green-coated diamonds are common in diamondiferous sedimentary deposits of Minas Gerais. Diamonds with this characteristic were studied in the most significant áreas of the Espinhaço Province and compared with diamonds of the Coromandel region. The frequency of green-coated diamonds in these deposits varies but is relatively high in the Espinhaço deposits with values of 25% or higher, locally up to 90%. On the other hand, in the Coromandel deposits this value is less than 0,5%. We discuss the two main hypotheses for the origin of the green coatings, i.e., radiation damage in situ, or the presence of chromophorous elements in the externai part of the crystals. Analitycal data reveal both factors contributed to the green color. However, the relative contribution of each to the intensity of green coloration has yet to be determined

FEIçOES QUIMICAS DE PEROVSKITAS EM KIMBERLITOS E KAMAFUGITOS DA PROVINCIA ALCALINA DO ALTO PARANAIBA (MG-GO)

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Caracterização das inclusões fluidas dos topázios imperiais da região de Ouro Preto, MG

Optical investigation revealed a great number of fluid inclusions in the imperial variety of topaz that occurs at several localities around Ouro Preto, Minas Gérais, Brazil. The inclusions are biphasic at 25 ºC and display several patterns of morphology, orientation, and dimensions. Microthermometric studies revealed that the inclusions are filled mainly with aqueous solutions and CO2 . Moreover, for all the morphological types of inclusion, temperatures of formation are always similar. The data also suggest that all the inclusions developed simultaneously or under very similar conditions of PT. On the other hand, distinct group of inclusions display peculiar characteristics suggesting some sort of interaction between the fluids and the country rock. Finally, one should bear in mind the influence of postcrystallization events on the composition and thermodynamic properties of the original fluid inclusions.Um grande número de inclusões fluidas de dimensões, orientações e morfologias variadas, bifásicas à temperatura de 25 ºC, ocorre no topázio imperial da região de Ouro Preto. Estudos microtermométrícos desses vários tipos de inclusões mostraram que elas são constituídas essencialmente por soluções aquosas e CO2 ; possuem, ainda, salinidades e temperaturas mínimas de formação semelhantes, quaisquer que sejam suas morfologias e orientações. Os dados obtidos sugerem que a formação das inclusões, em cada agrupamento, foi concomitante, ou em etapas de condições de P e T levemente distintas. No entanto, em grupos distintos de inclusões fluidas, foram observadas características próprias, sugerindo uma interação entre os fluidos e as rochas encaixantes. Todavia, não deve ser descartada a influência dos eventos pós-cristalização nos fluidos originais

Petrographic, geochemical, and isotopic evidence of crustal assimilation processes in the Indaiá-II Kimberlite, alto Paranaíba Province, Southeast Brazil

The Indaiá-I and Indaiá-II intrusions are hypabyssal, small-sized ultrabasic bodies belonging to the Cretaceous magmatism of the Alto Paranaiba Alkaline Province (southeast-central western Brazil). While Indaiá-I is classified as an archetypal group-I kimberlite, Indaiá-II (its satellite intrusion) presents several petrographic and chemical distinctions: (1) an ultrapotassic composition (similar to kamafugites), (2) lower volumes of olivine macrocrysts, (3) diopside as the main matrix phase (in contrast with the presence of monticellite in Indaiá-I), (4) high amounts of phlogopite, and (5) abundant felsic boudinaged and stretched microenclaves and crustal xenoliths. Disequilibrium features, such as embayment and sieve textures in olivine and clinopyroxene grains, are indicative of open-system processes in Indaiá-II. Mineral reactions observed in Indaiá-II (e.g., diopside formed at the expense of monticellite and olivine; phlogopite nearby crustal enclaves and close to olivine macrocrysts) point to an increase in the silica activity of the kimberlite magma; otherwise partially melted crustal xenoliths present kalsilite, generated by desilification reactions. The high Contamination Index (2.12-2.25) and the large amounts of crustal xenoliths (most of them totally transformed or with evidence of partial melting) indicate a high degree of crustal assimilation in the Indaiá-II intrusion. Calculated melts (after removal of olivine xenocrysts) of Indaiá-II have higher amounts of SiO2, Al2O3, K2O, slightly higher Rb/Sr ratios, lower Ce/Pb and Gd/Lu ratios, higher 87Sr/86Sr, and lower 143Nd/144Nd than those calculated for Indaiá-I. Crustal contamination models were developed considering mixing between the calculated melts of Indaiá-I and partial melts modeled from the granitoid country rocks. Mixing-model curves using major and trace elements and isotopic compositions are consistent with crustal assimilation processes with amounts of crustal contribution of ca. 30%. We conclude that (1) Indaiá-II is representative of a highly contaminated kimberlitic intrusion, (2) this contamination occurred by the assimilation of anatectic melts from the main crustal country rocks of this area, and (3) Indaiá-I and Indaiá-II could have had the same parent melt, but with different degrees of crustal contamination. Our petrological model also indicates that Indaiá-II is a satellite blind pipe linked to the main occurrence of Indaiá-I

Major- and trace-element composition of olivine, perovskite, clinopyroxene, Cr-Fe-Ti oxides, phlogopite and host kamafugites and kimberlites, Alto Paranaiba, Brazil

An integrated whole-rock petrographic and geochemical study has been carried out on kamafugites and kimberlites of the Late Cretaceous Alto Paranaíba igneous province, in Brazil, and their main minerals, olivine, clinopyroxene, perovskite, phlogopite, spinels and ilmenite. Perovskite is by far the dominant repository for light lanthanides, Nb, Ta, Th and U, and occasionally other elements, reaching concentrations up to 3.4 3 104 chondrite values for light lanthanides and 105 chondrite for Th. A very strong fractionation between light and heavy lanthanides (chondrite-normalized La/Yb from ~175 to ~2000) is also observed. This is likely the first comprehensive dataset on natural perovskite. Clinopyroxene has variable trace-element contents, likely due to the different position of this phase in the crystallization sequence; Sc reaches values as high as 200 ppm, whereas the lanthanides show very variable enrichment in light over heavy REE, and commonly show a negative Eu anomaly. The olivine, phlogopite (and tetra-ferriphlogopite), Cr–Ti oxide and ilmenite are substantially barren minerals for lanthanides and most other trace elements, with the exception of Ba, Cs and Rb in mica, and V, Nb and Ta in ilmenite. Estimated mineral / whole-rock partition coefficients for lanthanides in perovskite are similar to previous determinations, though much higher than those calculated in experiments with synthetic compositions, testifying once more to the complex behavior of these elements in a natural environment. The enormous potential for exploitation of lanthanides, Th, U and high-field-strength elements in the Brazilian kamafugites, kimberlites and related rocks is clearly shown

U-Pb ages, Sr-Nd- isotope geochemistry and petrogenesis of kimberlites, kamafugites and phlogopite-picrites of the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province, Brazil

The kimberlites, kamafugites and phlogopite-picrites of Alto Paranaiba Igneous Province (APIP), southern Brazil, span a range between similar to 91 and 78 Ma with new in-situ, more tightly constrained U-Pb ages. The kimberlites show porphyritic texture with olivine xeno- and phenocrysts plus phlogopite, Fe-Ti-Cr oxides and perovskite microcrysts set in a carbonate-rich matrix. The kamafugites are feldspar-free rocks represented by ugandites and mafurites. Ugandites and mafurites are porphyritic and contain olivine and clinopyroxene phenocrysts in a fine-grained groundmass composed by clinopyroxene, perovskite, apatite, magnetite, phlogopite, leucite and/or analcime in ugandites, and by olivine, clinopyroxene, amphibole, phlogopite, perovskite, magnetite, kalsilite and Ba-zeolites in mafurites. Phlogopite-picrites have a pseudo-fluidal porphyritic texture with olivine phenocrysts and abundant phlogopite microcrysts in a groundmass composed by olivine, spinel, apatite, perovskite, calcite and rare garnet. New in-situ Sr and Nd isotopic data on perovskites (Sr-87/Sr-86(i) = 0.70467-0.70565 and Nd-143/Nd-144(i) = 0.51222-0.51233) fall within the known ranges of APIP rocks (Sr-87/Sr-86(i) = 0.70431-0.70686; Nd-143/Nd-144(i) = 0.51205-0.51280). The APIP magmas derived from a source assemblage made up of an old metasomatized mica-carbonate garnet lherzolite, that did not suffer interaction with convective mantle, nor with any hypothetical melts derived from a Trindade mantle plume. Geochemical modelling show that low degree melting (f = 0.5-2%) of such a source can produce compositions resembling the APIP rocks. The geochemical and isotopic composition of the magmas, the calculated degrees of partial melting, the composition of the calculated source and the absence of a hot spot track from Goias to Alto Paranaiba igneous provinces can be explained with the presence of chemically and mineralogically heterogeneous mantle sources that melted at different pressures

Major- and trace-element composition of olivine, perovskite, clinopyroxene, Cr-Fe-Ti oxides, phlogopite and host kamafugites and kimberlites, Alto Paranaiba, Brazil

An integrated whole-rock petrographic and geochemical study has been carried out on kamafugites and kimberlites of the Late Cretaceous Alto Paranaiba igneous province, in Brazil, and their main minerals, olivine, clinopyroxene, perovskite, phlogopite, spinels and ilmenite. Perovskite is by far the dominant repository for light lanthanides, Nb, Ta, Th and U, and occasionally other elements, reaching concentrations up to 3.4 x 10(4) chondrite values for light lanthanides and 105 chondrite for Th. A very strong fractionation between light and heavy lanthanides (chondrite-normalized La/Yb from similar to 175 to similar to 2000) is also observed. This is likely the first comprehensive dataset on natural perovskite. Clinopyroxene has variable trace-element contents. likely due to the different position of this phase in the crystallization sequence; Sc reaches values as high as 200 ppm whereas the lanthanides show very variable enrichment in light over heavy REE, and commonly show a negative Eu anomaly. The olivine, phlogopite (and tetra-ferriphlogopite), Cr-Ti oxide and ilmenite are substantially barren minerals for lanthanides and most other trace elements, with the exception of Ba, Cs and Rb in mica, and V, Nb and Ta in ilmenite. Estimated mineral/whole-rock partition coefficients for lanthanides in perovskite are similar to previous determinations, though much higher than those calculated in experiments with synthetic compositions, testifying once more to the complex behavior of these elements in a natural environment. The enormous potential for exploitation of lanthanides, Th, U and high-field-strength elements in the Brazilian kamafugites, kimberlites and related rocks is clearly shown