Doctor of Philosophy

dissertationA 670-meter vertical section of the igneous wall rocks of the Mayflower Mine, Park City District, Utah, was studied with the purpose of documenting quantitatively some fluid flow parameters and the mineral abundance in the altered igneous rocks. Fracture abundance and fracture aperture determinations allowed an estimation of the permeability and flow porosity of the igneous rocks by using a parallel plate model for a fractured medium. Values for the permeability fell in the range of 0.1 to 10 darcies, whereas flow porosity values ranged from 0.05 to 0.4%. Total porosity was calculated from bulk and grain densities of the rocks and analyzed in a model in which flow, diffusion and residual porosities are its major contributing parts. Residual porosity accounted for most of the total porosity of the fractured igneous rocks. Mapping of the fractures revealed two prominent fracture directions, N50°E/80°NW and N50°W/80°SW, which apparently constitute a conjugate set of shear fractures supposed to have been formed soon after the stocks crystallized (solidus temperature) and under a high confining pressure. Mineralogical compositions of the rocks were determined by a computer technique which requires chemical composition of the rocks and mineral phases as input data. The rocks were analyzed for Si, Al, Fe (total iron as Fe++), Mg, Ca, Na, K, Mn and Ti with X-ray flourescence instrumentation, and for sulfide sulfur, sulfate sulfur and carbon dioxide with LECO equipment. The mineral phases were analyzed for the same components, except for the last three, with an electron microprobe. Chemically simple phases were considered to be stoichiometric. The resulting mineral abundances disclosed two broad zonings over the sampled N-S cross-section of the mine: one lateral, characterized by both an increase of the K-feldspar, kaolinite and quartz abundances and a decrease of andesine, biotite and chlorite towards the main veins; and the other vertical, characterized by major deposition of K-feldspar, anhydrite, pyrite and kaolinite below the 2,200' level; and calcite, quartz and biotite more abundantly precipitated above. Mineral and component gains and losses were also computed and agreed with the abundance of reactant and product minerals. Estimated initial solution composition was derived from available fluid inclusion data and constraints imposed by equilibrium relationships of the alteration assemblages at 300°C. The interpretation of the major alteration mineral constitutents was based upon a physico- chemical model in which H+ ion consumption was the major chemical change of the solution composition and was also based upon a sequence of isothermal conditions for the wall rocks. Activity diagrams depicting chemical equilibrium among the major alteration phases at 100°C, 200°C, and 300°C and 1 bar total pressure were used for such an interpretation

Contexto geológico, estudos isotópicos (C, O e Pb) e associação metálica do depósito aurífero Tocantinzinho, domínio Tapajós, Província Tapajós-Parima

The Tocantinzinho ore deposit is located along a NW-SE-trending lineament, southwestern of Itaituba (Pará, Brazil), and is the largest known gold deposit of the Tapajós Province. The host Tocantinzinho granite is essentially isotropic and dominated by syenogranites and monzogranites that have been weakly to moderately altered by hydrothermal fluids. Microclinization (earliest), chloritization, sericitization, silicification and carbonatization (latest) are the main types of alteration. Most mineralization was contemporaneous with the sericitization/silicification and is represented by sulfide- and gold-bearing veinlets which locally occur as stockwork. Pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena are the most common sulfides. Among the ore metals, Cu, Pb and Zn present the highest contents, but Mo, As and Bi locally show anomalous concentrations. The relationship of Au with Cu, Pb or Zn is at random and the Au/Ag ratios range from 0.05 to 0.5. The higher the sulfide contents, the higher the Au concentrations, though it occurs mainly included in pyrite. Zircon monocrystals from the Tocantinzinho granite yielded an average Pb-Pb age of 1982 ± 8 Ma and may represent an earlier event of the Creporizão magmatic arc. δ13C PDB values for calcite from the carbonatization stage fall dominantly between -3.45 and -2.29‰, being compatible with a deep crustal source that may include carbonatite reservoirs. In turn, δ18O SMOW values vary from +5.97 to +14.10‰, being indicative of magmatic derivation, although the less positive values suggest contribution from surficial waters. Unpublished fluid inclusion study reveals the presence of aquo-carbonic fluids, whose CO2 could have been dissolved in the granitic magma rather than being related to the shear zone. The available data allow the Tocantinzinho deposit to be classified as a granite-hosted, intrusion-related gold deposit.O depósito Tocantinzinho, localizado em um lineamento de direção NW-SE, a SW de Itaituba (PA), é atualmente o maior depósito aurífero conhecido na Província Tapajós. Está hospedado no granito homônimo, essencialmente isótropo, no qual dominam rochas sieno e monzograníticas, que foram fraca a moderadamente alteradas por fluidos hidrotermais. Microclinização (mais precoce), cloritização, sericitização, silicificação e carbonatação (mais tardia) são os mais importantes tipos de alteração. O principal estágio de mineralização é contemporâneo à sericitização/silicificação e é representado por vênulas com sulfetos (pirita ± calcopirita ± galena ± esfalerita) e ouro associado, as quais mostram localmente trama stockwork. Além de teores expressivos de Cu, Pb e Zn, são anômalos, em algumas amostras, os de As, Bi e Mo. A relação dos teores do Au com os dos metais-base é aleatória e as razões Au/Ag variam de 0,05 a 5,0. O Au é mais enriquecido nas porções com maior abundância de sulfetos de metais-base, embora ocorra principalmente incluso na pirita. Monocristais de zircão, extraídos do granito Tocantinzinho, forneceram idade Pb-Pb média de 1982 ± 8 Ma, permitindo interpretá-lo como uma manifestação magmática precoce do arco Creporizão. Valores de δ13C PDB em calcita do estágio de carbonatação, dominantemente entre -3,45 e -2,29‰, são compatíveis com fonte crustal profunda, quiçá carbonatítica, enquanto os de δ18O SMOW (+5,97 a +14,10‰) indicam forte contribuição magmática, ainda que mascarada por influxo de águas provavelmente superficiais. Estudos de inclusões fluidas em andamento revelam a presença de fluidos aquocarbônicos, cujo CO2 poderia ter estado dissolvido no magma granítico em vez de ser relacionado à zona de cisalhamento. Os dados até aqui disponíveis permitem classificar o depósito aurífero Tocantinzinho como do tipo relacionado à intrusão

Mineral chemistry and geothermometry of alteration zones in the IOCG Cristalino deposit, Carajas Mineral Province, Brazil

The Cristalino deposit, located in the Serra do Rabo region (Para State, Brazil), is related to a hydrothermal system in which two major alteration stages could be distinguished most likely with the involvement of a hypersaline fluid. The first stage (410-650 degrees C) is characterized by a distal sodic metasomatism that produced almost pure chessboard albite, minor schorlitic tourmaline and REE-rich minerals (allanite-Ce, monazite). It was followed by a pervasive calcic-ferric alteration that generated abundant actinolite (X-Mg = 0.87-0.69, Cl up to 0.59 wt %) in addition to Ce-allanite and magnetite associated with sulfide disseminations and breccia-like bodies composed of chalcopyrite-pyrite-magnetite-Au (early ore association). Locally, Fe-edenite (X-Mg = 0.67-0.42, Cl up to 2.94 wt %) replaced calcic-ferric assemblages within restrict sodic-calcic alteration halos. From 410 down to 220 degrees C, the previous alteration assemblages were overprinted by the hydrothermal products of the second stage. Potassic (K-feldspar, minor biotite) and propylitic (epidote, chlorite, calcite) alterations came into play successively. K-feldspar is practically stoichiometric, but it contains some impurities, notably BaO (up to 1.21 wt %). Chlorite shows the greatest compositional variation among all minerals and its composition seems to have been particularly controlled by the type of host rock, chemistry of the hydrothermal fluid and temperature. Both chamosite and clinoclore (X-Fe = 0.37-0.80) are present, the former being more common. Chlorine contents are in general < 0.02 wt % and a little more significant in chlorites that replaced chessboard albite (up to 0.06 wt %). Their formation temperature ranges from 220 degrees to 360 degrees C, with infill chlorites showing the highest values. The late ore association (chalcopyrite +/- Au +/- hematite +/- pyrite) is contemporaneous with the potassic and propylitic alterations and bears evidence that the Cristalino system evolved to the final stages with increase in oxygen fugacity. Comparatively to other IOCG deposits from the southern sector of the Carajas domain, especially the Sossego and Visconde deposits, two varieties of amphibole (mainly actinolite and edenite) have been formed, but the Cristalino chlorites, despite some overlapping, present very distinct populations not yet described in the other two deposits, confirming the diversity of IOCG systems in Carajas92481505FUNDAÇÃO AMAZÔNIA DE AMPARO A ESTUDOS E PESQUISAS DO PARÁ - FAPESPA573733/2008-

Depósito aurífero Tocantinzinho, província do Tapájós-PA: granito hospedeiro, alteração hidrotermal e química mineral

This paper presents geological, petrographic and mineralogical data about the granite that hosts the Tocantinzinho gold deposit and aimed at contributing to the understanding of the hydrothermal processes related to the ore genesis. The host granite is a late to post-tectonic biotite monzogranite that fits in the oxidized sub-type of the ilmenite series. It was emplaced at depths of 6 - 9 km and reveals no deformation other than fracturing and brecciation. This intrusion has undergone mild to moderate hydrothermal alteration that generated two main rock varieties (salami and smoky), with no significant mineralogical or chemical differences, though quite distinct macroscopically. Several types of hydrothermal alteration have been recognized in the granitic rocks, greatly represented by filling veins and/or replacement of primary minerals. The hydrothermal history started with microclinization, during which the granitic protolith was in part transformed into the salami variety. This process was followed by chloritization when the temperature dropped to ~330 ºC producing chamosite with XFe in the 0.55 - 0.70 range. Then it evolved to sericitization, at the same time that ore-bearing fluids precipitated pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and gold. As alteration advanced, solutions saturated in silica and formed quartz veinlets. At the latest stage (carbonatization), aqueous and aqueous-carbonic fluids might have mixed, allowing Ca2+ e CO2 to react to form calcite. Most sulfides are present in veinlets that crosscut the granite, some arranged as stockwork. Gold is normally very fine-grained and occurs mainly as submicroscopic inclusions or along microfractures in pyrite and quartz. The Tocantinzinho deposit is very similar to the Batalha, Palito and São Jorge deposits, and to those of the Cuiú-Cuiú goldfield. Topologically, it has been classed as an intrusion-related gold deposit.Este trabalho apresenta dados geológicos, petrográficos e mineralógicos referentes ao granito que hospeda o depósito aurífero Tocantinzinho e objetivou contribuir ao entendimento dos processos hidrotermais associados à sua gênese. O depósito ocorre em biotita monzogranito tardi a pós-tectônico, do subtipo oxidado da série ilmenita, que foi alojado a profundidades de 6 - 9 km. Esse granitoide encontra-se bastante fraturado e localmente brechado, tendo experimentado processos hidrotermais de grau fraco a moderado, os quais geraram duas principais variedades (salame e smoky) sem diferenças mineralógicas ou químicas importantes, porém macroscopicamente muito distintas. Vários tipos de alteração hidrotermal foram reconhecidos nas rochas granitoides, sendo representados principalmente por vênulas e pela substituição de minerais primários. A história hidrotermal teve início com a microclinização, durante a qual o protólito granítico foi em parte transformado na variedade salame. A temperaturas em torno de 330 oC ocorreu a cloritização, que produziu chamosita com XFe na faixa de 0,55 - 0,70. Seguiu-se a sericitização, durante a qual os fluidos mineralizadores precipitaram pirita, calcopirita, esfalerita, galena e ouro. À medida que a alteração progrediu, as soluções se saturaram em sílica e precipitaram quartzo em vênulas. No estágio mais tardio (carbonatação), provavelmente houve mistura entre fluidos aquosos e aquocarbônicos, de que teria resultado a reação entre Ca2+ e CO2 e formação de calcita. A maioria dos sulfetos encontra-se em vênulas, algumas em trama stockwork. O ouro é normalmente muito fino e ocorre principalmente como inclusões submicroscópicas ou ao longo de microfraturas em pirita e quartzo. O depósito Tocantinzinho é muito similar aos depósitos Batalha, Palito e São Jorge, e aos do campo Cuiú-Cuiú. Tipologicamente poderia ser classificado como depósito relacionado a intrusões

Petrographic and geochemical study of the ironstones from the base of the Pimenteiras Formation, Western border of the Paraíba Basin, Tocantins

Ironstones that occur at the base of the Devonian Pimenteiras Formation (northwestern border of the Parnaíba basin) were investigated along the Xambioá-Vanderlândia and Colinas do Tocantins-Couto Magalhães sections. The ironstones consist of discontinuous decimeter-thick layers intercalated in sandstones and shales that underlie rocks of the Neoproterozoic Araguaia belt. The Xambioá-Vanderlândia ironstones are texturally and chemically quite distinct from those of the Colinas do Tocantins-Couto Magalhães area. Besides the presence of oolites, the former shows smaller amounts of terrigenous material (especially quartz) and higher iron oxide-hydroxides proportions. They also are more enriched in V, Sr, Zr and ΣREE, and poorer in Al2O3 and Rb. The North American Shale Composite (NASC) normalized REE distribution pattern is also different, especially concerning the IREEN values, which, being higher in the oolithic ironstones, display convex curves and, being lower in the non-oolithic ironstones, display concave ones. In the field, spatial relationships could not be defined between both ironstone types. It is then suggested that they represent different lithological facies of the same iron formation. Probably, the deposition of the non-oolithic facies occurred in deeper and quieter waters away from the continental border, where larger amounts of detrital sediments were discharged, whereas the deposition of the oolithic facies took place in shallower and more agitated waters, with less supply of terrigenous material. Iron was largely derived from the erosion of continental areas where reduced environments favored its mobilization and transport by rivers as suspended particles, colloids, and organic complexes.Ironstones, que ocorrem na base da Formação Pimenteiras (Devoniano), na borda noroeste da Bacia do Parnaíba, foram investigados ao longo dos perfis Xambioá-Vanderlândia e Colinas do Tocantins-Couto Magalhães. Esses ironstones formam camadas de espessura decimétrica, descontínuas e intercaladas em arenitos e siltitos, que jazem sobre rochas do cinturão Araguaia. Além da textura oolítica, os ironstones de Xambioá-Vanderlândia diferem dos de Colinas do Tocantins-Couto Magalhães por conterem menores quantidades de material terrígeno, notadamente quartzo, e maiores proporções de oxi-hidróxidos de Fe. São ainda mais enriquecidos em V, Sr, Zr e ΣETR e mais empobrecidos em Al2O3 e Rb. Diferem também no padrão de distribuição dos ETR normalizados ao North American Shale Composite (NASC), especialmente com relação aos valores de (ETRI)N, os quais, mais altos nos ironstones oolíticos e mais baixos nos não oolíticos, geram curvas convexas e côncavas, respectivamente. No campo, não foram estabelecidas as relações espaciais entre as duas variedades de ironstones, porém sugere-se que elas representem diferentes fácies da mesma formação ferrífera. Possivelmente, a deposição da fácies não oolítica ocorreu mais afastadamente da borda continental, em ambiente de águas mais profundas e calmas, onde foram descarregadas maiores quantidades de sedimentos detríticos; a deposição da fácies oolítica transcorreu em águas mais rasas e agitadas, com menor suprimento de material terrígeno. O transporte do Fe poderia ter resultado, em grande parte, da erosão fluvial de áreas continentais marcadas por ambientes redutores, o que teria favorecido a solubilidade daquele metal na forma de complexos orgânicos

Geological setting, isotope studies (C, O and Pb) and associated metals in the Tocantinzinho gold deposit, Tapajós domain, Tapajós-Parima Province

O depósito Tocantinzinho, localizado em um lineamento de direção NW–SE, a SW de Itaituba (PA), é atualmente o maior depósito aurífero conhecido na Província Tapajós. Está hospedado no granito homônimo, essencialmente isótropo, no qual dominam rochas sieno e monzograníticas, que foram fraca a moderadamente alteradas por fluidos hidrotermais. Microclinização (mais precoce), cloritização, sericitização, silicificação e carbonatação (mais tardia) são os mais importantes tipos de alteração. O principal estágio de mineralização é contemporâneo à sericitização/silicificação e é representado por vênulas com sulfetos (pirita ± calcopirita ± galena ± esfalerita) e ouro associado, as quais mostram localmente trama stockwork. Além de teores expressivos de Cu, Pb e Zn, são anômalos, em algumas amostras, os de As, Bi e Mo. A relação dos teores do Au com os dos metais-base é aleatória e as razões Au/Ag variam de 0,05 a 5,0. O Au é mais enriquecido nas porções com maior abundância de sulfetos de metais-base, embora ocorra principalmente incluso na pirita. Monocristais de zircão, extraídos do granito Tocantinzinho, forneceram idade Pb-Pb média de 1982 ± 8 Ma, permitindo interpretá-lo como uma manifestação magmática precoce do arco Creporizão. Valores de δ¹³C_PDB em calcita do estágio de carbonatação, dominantemente entre -3,45 e -2,29‰, são compatíveis com fonte crustal profunda, quiçá carbonatítica, enquanto os de δ¹⁸O_SMOW (+5,97 a +14,10‰) indicam forte contribuição magmática, ainda que mascarada por influxo de águas provavelmente superficiais. Estudos de inclusões fluidas em andamento revelam a presença de fluidos aquocarbônicos, cujo CO₂ poderia ter estado dissolvido no magma granítico em vez de ser relacionado à zona de cisalhamento. Os dados até aqui disponíveis permitem classificar o depósito aurífero Tocantinzinho como do tipo relacionado à intrusão.ABSTRACT: The Tocantinzinho ore deposit is located along a NW–SE-trending lineament, southwestern of Itaituba (Pará, Brazil), and is the largest known gold deposit of the Tapajós Province. The host Tocantinzinho granite is essentially isotropic and dominated by syenogranites and monzogranites that have been weakly to moderately altered by hydrothermal fluids. Microclinization (earliest), chloritization, sericitization, silicification and carbonatization (latest) are the main types of alteration. Most mineralization was contemporaneous with the sericitization/silicification and is represented by sulfide- and gold-bearing veinlets which locally occur as stockwork. Pyrite, chalcopyrite, sphalerite and galena are the most common sulfides. Among the ore metals, Cu, Pb and Zn present the highest contents, but Mo, As and Bi locally show anomalous concentrations. The relationship of Au with Cu, Pb or Zn is at random and the Au/Ag ratios range from 0.05 to 0.5. The higher the sulfide contents, the higher the Au concentrations, though it occurs mainly included in pyrite. Zircon monocrystals from the Tocantinzinho granite yielded an average Pb-Pb age of 1982 ± 8 Ma and may represent an earlier event of the Creporizão magmatic arc. δ¹³C_PDB values for calcite from the carbonatization stage fall dominantly between -3.45 and -2.29‰, being compatible with a deep crustal source that may include carbonatite reservoirs. In turn, δ¹⁸O_SMOW values vary from +5.97 to +14.10‰, being indicative of magmatic derivation, although the less positive values suggest contribution from surficial waters. Unpublished fluid inclusion study reveals the presence of aquo-carbonic fluids, whose CO₂ could have been dissolved in the granitic magma rather than being related to the shear zone. The available data allow the Tocantinzinho deposit to be classified as a granite-hosted, intrusion-related gold deposit

Cursos de geologia: expansão, interiorização e consolidação do ensino de geologia no brasil

A short time after the creation of the first Geology courses in Brazil (in 1957 with the pioneers in the University of São Paulo and in the Federal Universities of Ouro Preto, Pernambuco and Rio Grande do Sul, and then in the following year in the Federal Universities of Bahia and Rio de Janeiro), there arose other initiatives that spread almost twenty Geology courses throughout Brazil. In addition to expanding the Geology teaching in the South, Southeast and Northeast regions, these initiatives succeeded in allowing access to geological education for the population in the North and Central-west of Brazil. In the 1960s, the courses in the Federal University of Para in Belém (1964), University of Brasilia (1965) and São Paulo State University in Rio Claro (1969) were implanted. In the following decade, the courses in the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro in Seropédica (1970), the Federal University of Ceará in Fortaleza (1970), the University of Rio dos Sinos in São Leopoldo (1973), the Federal University of Paraná in Curitiba (1973), the Federal University of Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte (1973), the Federal University of Amazonas in Manaus (1976), the Federal University of Mato Grosso in Cuiabá (1976), the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte in Natal (1976), and the State University of Rio de Janeiro in Rio de Janeiro (1977) were all created. At the close of the twentieth century, the course was implanted in the State University of Campinas (1998). Now, at the beginning of the twenty-first century, new Geology courses are being implanted, accentuating the movement inland of Geology teaching in Brazil. The Federal University of Pará began a new course in its campus in Marabá in the south-east of Pará and the Federal University of Bahia implanted a new course in its campus in Barreiras in the west of Bahia. Finally, the Federal Universities of Sergipe, Espírito Santo and Roraima commenced Geology courses in Aracaju, Alegre and Boa Vista, respectively. This chapter will present the synthesis of the Geology courses which, over the last decades of the twentieth century, contributed to the expansion of Geology teaching in the country, taking it to every region and giving opportunities to a large number of Brazilian citizens to realize their dreams and tread the paths of their professional vocation