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Geochemistry of tourmaline-rich rocks in the Gavião Block, Northern São Francisco craton: implications for its formation

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Abstract

Tourmaline is a valuable forensic mineral that contains a wide range of elemental components capable of reconstructing its geologic evolution. In this study, we developed detailed petrographic and geochemical research on tourmaline-bearing rocks and tourmalinites found surrounding the ca. 3.30 Ga rhyolite of the Gavião Block, northern São Francisco Craton. Two distinct types of mineral assemblages in the tourmaline-bearing rocks are recognized based on the presence of sulfides, oxide minerals, and carbonaceous matter. Along with these tourmaline-bearing rocks, tourmalinite samples are found. The mineral chemistry of tourmalines from the two types of tourmaline-bearing rocks reveals mainly schorl-dravite as tourmaline from a mineral assemblage containing quartz, tourmaline, pyrite, and hematite, and a diverse composition ranging from schorl-dravite, feruvite-uvite, and schorl-feruvite solid solutions for tourmalines present in the mineral assemblage that contains quartz, pyrite, and carbonaceous matter. The tourmaline composition is essentially foitite-schorl in tourmalinite samples. Most of the metasedimentary rocks studied have felsic and mafic source compositions. The interaction of hydrothermal fluid was crucial for the formation of sulfide and tourmaline minerals. However, distinct tourmaline origins are recognized in tourmaline-rich rocks, pointing out the relevance of sedimentary and metamorphic processes.

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Acknowledgements

Author E.M.B.F is grateful to the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior for providing a scholarship and Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto for institutional support. We are thankful for the assistance of the Microscopy and Microanalysis Laboratory of the Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto and the SGS Geosol Laboratórios Ltda., Minas Gerais State, Brazil. We are also grateful to the anonymous reviewers and the editors, Qihai Shu and Lutz Nasdala, for their insightful comments and suggestions on this manuscript.

Funding

Author E.M.B.F was funded by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior. S. A. Z. received financial support from Ministério da Ciência, Tecnologia e Inovação and Conselho de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (436648/2018), Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa do Distrito Federal (193.001.263/2017), and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior and Conselho de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (465613/2014-4).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Programa de Pós-Graduação em Evolução Crustal e Recursos Naturais, Departamento de Geologia, Escola de Minas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, 35400-00, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Eliana Marinho Branches Farias, Stefano Albino Zincone, Cláudia dos Santos, Gláucia Nascimento Queiroga, Flávia Braga de Oliveira & Leonardo Martins Graça

  2. Departamento de Engenharia Metalúrgica e de Materiais, Escola de Minas, Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, Campus Morro do Cruzeiro, Ouro Preto, 35400-00, Minas Gerais, Brazil

    Gilberto Henrique Tavares Álvares da Silva

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  1. Eliana Marinho Branches Farias
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E.M.B.F., S.A.Z., and L.M.G. conceived and carried out the research. E.M.B.F. drafted the manuscript. G.N.Q. contributed the resources. C.S., G.H.T.A.S., and F.B.O. contributed to the data discussion and revision of the manuscript.

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Correspondence to Eliana Marinho Branches Farias.

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Farias, E.M.B., Zincone, S.A., dos Santos, C. et al. Geochemistry of tourmaline-rich rocks in the Gavião Block, Northern São Francisco craton: implications for its formation. Miner Petrol (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-024-00852-7

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