The Proterozoic Vazante hypogene zinc silicate district, Minas Gerais, Brazil: a review of the ore system applied to mineral exploration

The Proterozoic Vazante zinc silicate district in Minas Gerais, Brazil, hosts world-class hypogene willemite deposits in dolomitic rocks interbedded with siliciclastic rocks deposited in subtidal to supratidal environments. Willemite ore bodies are structurally controlled along regional NE-trending structures which are interpreted as being active during the Neoproterozoic Brasiliano orogeny. The hydrothermal alteration is characterized by an early stage of Fe-dolomite, which replaced the host dolomitic rocks, followed by precipitation of minor sphalerite and then hematite and willemite. Elements commonly enriched in the zinc ore include As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Fe, Ge, In, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, U, V and W. Mineralogical, fluid inclusion and isotopic data indicates that mixing of S-poor metalliferous saline fluids with meteoric water favored the formation of willemite ore. Carbonaceous phyllites from the underlying thick siliciclastic sequence show evidence of early enrichment in zinc (and ore-related metals) and remobilization, respectively, prior to and during the Brasiliano orogenic event. This unit is interpreted as a possible source of ore-related elements. It is proposed that during the Brasiliano orogeny, hot (T > 170 degrees C) saline fluids (>15 wt % eq. NaCl) leached metals from siliciclastic source rocks and precipitated willemite ore in the overlying dolomitic sequence along structures that favored mixing with oxidizing meteoric water

As técnicas NASVD e MNF e sua aplicação na redução de ruídos em dados gamaespectrométricos

A desintegração radioativa é um processo aleatório e a estimativa de todas as medidas associadas é governada por leis estatísticas. Os perfis de taxas de contagem são sempre "ruidosos" quando utilizados períodos curtos como um segundo para cada medida. Os filtros utilizados e posteriormente as correções feitas no processamento atual de dados gamaespectrométricos não são suficientes para remover ou diminuir, consideravelmente, o ruído oriundo do espectro. Dois métodos estatísticos que atuam diretamente nos dados coletados, isto é, nos espectros, vêm sendo sugeridos na literatura para remover e minimizar estes ruídos remanescentes o Noise-Adjusted Singular Value Decomposition - NASVD e Maximum Noise Fraction - MNF. Estes métodos produzem uma redução no ruído de forma significativa. Neste trabalho eles foram implementados dentro do ambiente de processamento do software Oasis Montaj e aplicados na área compreendida pelos blocos I e II do levantamento aerogeofísico que recobre a porção oeste da Província Mineral do Tapajós, entre os Estados do Pará e Amazonas. Os dados filtrados e não-filtrados com as técnicas de NASVD e MNF foram processados com os parâmetros e constantes fornecidos pela empresa Lasa Engenharia e Prospecções S.A., sendo estes comparados. Os resultados da comparação entre perfis e mapas apresentaram-se de forma promissora, pois houve um ganho na resolução dos produtos.The radioactive decay is a random process, and the measurement precision is ruled by statistical laws. The counting ratios of the profiles are alwaysnoisy when analyzed for short periods, such as one second per measurement. Corrections made at the end of conventional processing in the airborne gamma-ray spectrometric method data are not enough to remove and minimize, or even reduce considerably, the spectrum's originated noise. Two statistic methods that actlocally in collected data, in the spectrum domain, have been suggested by literature to remove such remaining noises, the Noise-Adjusted Singular Value Decomposition - NASVD and Maximum Noise Fraction - MNF. These methods produce a significantly noise reduction. In this work both methods were applied in an area comprehended by two blocks, I and II, of the airborne survey that covers the west area of Mineral Province of Tapajós between Pará and Amazon states. The filtered and non-filtered data with the NASVD and MNF techniques were processed with the Lasa's parameters. The comparison of results between maps and profiles shows that both methods are valuable, since there was resolution gain in these products.27226928

Chemostratigraphy of the Carajás banded iron formation, Brazil : a record of Neoarchean Ocean chemistry

One of the most important occurrences of banded iron formation (BIF) worldwide is situated in the Carajás Mineral Province, southeastern Amazonian Craton. The BIFs are jaspilites and are hosted in the Neoarchean ( 2.74 Ga) volcano-sedimentary sequence of the Grão-Pará Group. They are mostly composed of cm-thick intercalations of hematite, jasper, and chert. Their primary textures and structures are still preserved, which make them an ideal archive to evaluate the paleomarine environment. Low abundance of Al2O3 (<1.0 wt%) and HFSE (<1 ppm) for most BIF samples indicate an essentially detritus-free depositional environment. Overall, the rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) patterns show a weak positive lanthanum (La) anomaly, and a pronounced positive europium (Eu) anomaly (Eu/EuPAAS = 1.86 – 5.05), although the presence of true cerium (Ce) anomaly is not evident. Stratigraphic variations in iron isotope compositions, up to 0.80‰ (d56Fe = +1.10 to +1.90‰) over tens to hundreds of meters of stratigraphic section, point to relative changes in the iron isotope composition of Carajás seawater over periods of a few million years. The jaspilites show heterogeneous distribution of Nd isotopic signature throughout the BIF sequence, and rocks from near the basaltic flows/jaspilite contact (type-II) have negative eNd (t) values (–4.97 to –0.90). In contrast, predominantly positive eNd(t) values (–0.84 to +5.40) are common in the remaining samples (type-I). The strongly positive d56Fe values indicate a low degree of partial oxidation of Fe(II), which, combined with the pronounced positive Eu anomalies and the absence of Ce anomalies, hint towards that the deposition occurred mainly on a deep-sea environment with intense hydrothermal activity under anoxic and suboxic conditions, distal to continental landmasses. Locally, considerable oxygen was probably present in the ancient ocean’s water masses, which led to the precipitation of BIFs

Archean to Paleoproterozoic evolution of the Crixás greenstone belt, Central Brazil : insights from two contrasting assemblies of metaigneous rocks

The Archean-Paleoproterozoic Crixás greenstone belt is one of the most important components of the Crixás-Goiás Domain, the oldest crustal segment of the Central Brazil Goiás Massif. This gold-bearing greenstone comprises amphibolite facies ultramafic-mafic metavolcanic rocks overlaid by a low-grade metasedimentary succession associated with rocks of intermediate composition. We present new integrated geochemical and isotopic data of the metaigneous rocks to characterize the stages of magmatism and delineate the petrogenetic processes and tectonic environment of the different units. The data give important insights into the geological evolution of the Crixás greenstone belt during the Archean and Paleoproterozoic, including that the Crixás greenstone belt consists of genetically and temporal unrelated rocks that are spatially associated in a structural framework marked by stacking and imbrication. Two lithological assemblies were described: i) a Mesoarchean komatiite-tholeiite association formed by heterogeneous mantle plume melting in an oceanic plateau setting, and ii) a Rhyacian intraoceanic arc association. These units are allochthonous and override an Archean crustal basement dominated by granites and gneisses of mostly TTG composition. Chemical composition of the komatiites is similar to the Barberton-type Al-depleted komatiites, whilst the basalts consist of high-Mg tholeiites with flat chondrite-normalized REE patterns and immobile trace element systematics that resemble Phanerozoic oceanic plateau lavas. Eruption age of the ultramafic and mafic lavas is roughly estimated at ~3.0 Ga, based on previously published Smsingle bondNd and Pbsingle bondPb isotopic studies, whereas whole-rock Resingle bondOs isotopic data of samples of komatiite and basalt presented here yielded a 2609 ± 65 Ma isochron age. This younger age may reflect a Neoarchean overprinting event associated with metasomatic Re-addition recorded in the lower ultramafic-mafic metavolcanic rocks, possibly related to the late stages of the cratonization of the Crixás-Goiás Domain during the emplacement of the youngest Archean granites of the region (~2.70 Ga). Newly described andesites and diorites possess a subduction zone fingerprint. LA-ICP-MS Usingle bondPb zircon dating of an andesite sample provided an upper intercept Concordia age of 2172.2 ± 12.7 Ma, constraining the age of the intermediate magmatism. Therefore, these rocks are correlated with the Rhyacian syn-orogenic poorly-sorted graywackes and carbonaceous phyllites of the greenstone's upper stratigraphy. Andesites and diorites have homogeneous Paleoproterozoic two-stage Nd model ages of 2.28 to 2.26 Ga and positive initial εNd values of +2.34 to +2.69, indicating a juvenile nature for the arc magmatism. Resingle bondOs geochronology of gold-related arsenopyrite from a metasedimentary rock-hosted massive sulfide provided an age of 2137 ± 11 Ma, suggesting that the mineralization is also coeval to the Rhyacian collisional stage

New near-mine prospecting approach using multivariate analysis and reflectance spectroscopy to define surface footprint: A case study of the Pequizão Gold Deposit, Crixás Greenstone Belt, Central Brazil

The Pequizão gold deposit in the Crixás greenstone belt, central Brazil, is structurally-controlled mineralization hosted mainly in carbonaceous phyllite with pervasive hydrothermalized zones and large amounts of disseminated sulfides and gold. Usually, regoliths of Au deposits are either unstudied or understudied in exploration surveys because of lower Au content and the difficulty and complexity of soil profiles. However, such investi gation can be beneficial in brownfield exploration to assess larger areas than drilling. In this work, results of clustering and machine learning of soil geochemistry and reflectance spectroscopy integrated with a multivariate approach to determine soil footprints and to target new deposits in the surface of the Crixás greenstone belt. Reflectance spectroscopy was applied in 939 soil samples and is a valuable tool in mineral exploration for an immediate investigation of mineral assemblage from the target. It was calibrated with X-ray diffraction, geochemical, and multivariate approaches providing consistent vectors toward mineralization, with Pequizão soil samples developing gibbsite and phengitic-white mica as minerals related to mineralized samples. Multi variate analysis reveals that the deposit has a typical orogenic gold deposit chemical signature. Principal components and factor analysis first defined samples derived from carbonaceous phyllite and dolomite as the main ore hosts. The chemical aspects of hydrothermal alteration are As, Ag, Te, Ca, and Mg, with enrichment of Sb, V, Na, Ba, and W and depletion of Zn, Ga, and Pb that, according to ensemble learning, they have significant importance in the detection of gold. Understanding surface footprints of known deposits can be an exploratory guide for finding new soil geochemical halos related to mineralization zones. The research revealed new asso ciations of minerals and chemical elements that can be determined as exploration vectors. It was possible to clarify further the knowledge about the footprint of mineralization in soil. Combining the soil-related methods applied in this study and a broad-coverage spectral approach in soil and drill cores can enhance success in prospecting in brownfield areas and expand to greenfields.Instituto de Geociências (IG)Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geologi

The Proterozoic Vazante hypogene zinc silicate district, Minas Gerais, Brazil: a review of the ore system applied to mineral exploration

The Proterozoic Vazante zinc silicate district in Minas Gerais, Brazil, hosts world-class hypogene willemite deposits in dolomitic rocks interbedded with siliciclastic rocks deposited in subtidal to supratidal environments. Willemite ore bodies are structurally controlled along regional NE-trending structures which are interpreted as being active during the Neoproterozoic Brasiliano orogeny. The hydrothermal alteration is characterized by an early stage of Fe-dolomite, which replaced the host dolomitic rocks, followed by precipitation of minor sphalerite and then hematite and willemite. Elements commonly enriched in the zinc ore include As, Ba, Be, Bi, Cd, Co, Fe, Ge, In, Mo, Ni, Sb, Se, U, V and W. Mineralogical, fluid inclusion and isotopic data indicates that mixing of S-poor metalliferous saline fluids with meteoric water favored the formation of willemite ore. Carbonaceous phyllites from the underlying thick siliciclastic sequence show evidence of early enrichment in zinc (and ore-related metals) and remobilization, respectively, prior to and during the Brasiliano orogenic event. This unit is interpreted as a possible source of ore-related elements. It is proposed that during the Brasiliano orogeny, hot (T > 170 degrees C) saline fluids (>15 wt % eq. NaCl) leached metals from siliciclastic source rocks and precipitated willemite ore in the overlying dolomitic sequence along structures that favored mixing with oxidizing meteoric water