Vazante Group Research Articles

Sedimentology, stratigraphy and glacial genetic model of the coromandel phosphate deposit, Vazante group, central Minas Gerais state, Brazil

The Coromandel sedimentary phosphate deposit is inserted at the external zone of the Brasília Fold Belt geological context, more specifically in the Retiro Formation, basal unit of the Vazante Group. Compared to the world-class Rocinha Formation deposits, widely studied due to high economic interest, the Coromandel Deposit is the one that most lacks studies focused on the main rocks description, faciological characterization and proposal of a plausible metallogenetic model according to the depositional environments. Thus, from the detailed field description of outcrops, geological cartography, microscopic petrography and X-ray diffraction and fluorescence analysis, it was possible to contribute to a better understanding of the deposit. The Retiro Formation is characterized by a glaciogenic facies association that comprises polymictic diamictite, conglomeratic sandstone, fine whitish arkosean, massive and laminated siltstone, besides phosphate facies, including phosphate siltstone, laminated phosphorite and brecciated phosphorite. The phosphatic facies occur in straight relation to the glaciogenic sediments and not rare directly over diamictite, which matrix can be phosphated as well. These rocks P2O5 contents range from 2% to 34% and the succession suggest an establishment of a glaciotransitional environment responsible to constrain favorable alkalinity, temperature and oxi-reduction conditions to directly chemical precipitation of fluorapatite in a mechanism analogue as the cap dolomites, supporting an idea of “cap phosphorites”. The phosphate source is related to the glacial sedimentary supply of continental origin (granite, carbonatite and other alkaline bearing rocks). In addition, the input of cold water, as result of ice melting episodes, became a limiting development factor for phosphorus metabolizing organism which improves the P2O5 system enrichment. For the unique genetic conditions, this phosphatic deposit has been called as the Coromandel Deposit Type.

Structural controls on the Bonsucesso Zinc-Lead Deposit, Vazante Group, Brazil

Structural controls on the Bonsucesso Zinc-Lead Deposit, Vazante Group, Brazil

LA-ICP-MS Trace Element Composition of Sphalerite and Galena of the Proterozoic Carbonate-Hosted Morro Agudo Zn-Pb Sulfide District, Brazil: Insights into Ore Genesis

The metal-rich Vazante-Paracatu Mineral Belt, in central Brazil, hosts the Zn-Pb sulfide Morro Agudo District in the Mesoproterozoic (1.3–1.1 Ga) upper carbonate sequence of the Vazante Group. The Morro Agudo district is comprised of the Morro Agudo deposit and the Bento Carmelo, Sucuri, and Morro do Capão occurrences. This carbonate sequence also hosts the Fagundes, Ambrósia and Bonsucesso Zn-Pb sulfide deposits (northern part) and the zinc silicate Vazante and North Extension deposits (southern part). The structurally controlled, stratabound and stratiform styles of mineralization in the Morro Agudo orebodies have been variably classified as sedimentary exhalative, Irish-type and Mississippi Valley-type. In this study, laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) spot analyses of sphalerite and galena from the Morro Agudo district revealed that red sphalerite (interpreted as the last stage) has higher Fe and Mn and lower Bi, Co, Cu, Ge, Hg, Tl compared to the other types of sphalerite, whereas the first generation of galena (Gn-I) is enriched in Ag, Cd, and Se and depleted in Cu and Mn relative to later galena (Gn-II). Mineral paragenesis and principal component analysis (PCA) of ore mineral composition suggest that the Morro Agudo, Sucuri and Morro do Capão mineralized zones formed by similar processes involving Zn-Pb mineralizing fluids with various compositions, comprising two main elemental associations: (1) Fe, As, In, Mn, Sb, Ag; and (2) Cd, Bi, Co, Ga, and Se. Bento Carmelo is distinguished in PCA by its unique dolomite-hosted sphalerite composition with elevated concentrations of Cu, Ge, Hg and likely formed from distinct fluids or processes. Temperatures of the mineralizing fluids for the Morro Agudo district range from 82 to 320 °C, calculated based on the trace element composition of sphalerite. The styles of mineralization and ore compositions are consistent with MVT deposits; however, fluid temperatures are hotter than typical MVT mineralizing fluids and may reflect a higher geothermal gradient or active advective fluid flow during the Brasiliano orogeny.

Evidence for metabolic diversity in Meso-Neoproterozoic stromatolites (Vazante Group, Brazil)

Deciphering the evolution of ecological interactions among the metabolic types during the early diversification of life on Earth is crucial for our understanding of the ancient biosphere. The stromatolites from the genus Conophyton cylindricus represent a datum for the Proterozoic (Meso to Neoproterozoic) on Earth. Their typical conical shape has been considered a result of a competition between microorganisms for space, light and nutrients. Well-preserved records of this genus from the “Paleontological Site of Cabeludo”, Vazante Group, São Francisco Craton (Southern Brazil) present in situ fossilized biofilms, containing preserved carbonaceous matter. Petrographic and geochemical analyses revealed an alternation between mineral laminae (light grey laminae) and fossilized biofilms (dark grey laminae). The dark grey laminae comprise three different biofilms recording a stratified microstructure of microbial communities. These three biofilms composing the dark grey laminae tend to be organized in a specific pattern that repeats through the stromatolite vertical section. Iron and manganese are distributed differently along the dark and light grey laminae; X-ray absorption and luminescence data showed possible different areas with authigenic iron and iron provided from diagenetic infiltration. Cryptocrystalline apatite in the lowermost biofilms in each dark grey laminae may suggest past metabolic activity of sulfide-oxidizing bacteria. These findings suggest that the microorganisms reached a complex metabolic diversification in order to maintain an equilibrium situation between the three different biofilms along the vertical section of the structures, thus benefiting the whole microbial community. This means that the stromatolites from the Conophyton genus may have formed as a result of a greater complexity of interactions between microorganisms, and not only from competition between photosynthesizers.

Drill core structural analysis and extensional-contractional controls on the sulfide mineralization at the Ambrosia Sul zinc deposit, Vazante group, Western São Francisco craton, Brazil

The Ambrósia Sul Zn-(Pb) sulfide deposit is located in the southern section of the Vazante Group, which is the border area between the Brasília belt and the southwestern edge of the São Francisco craton. This region is characterized by a typical karst environment in a tropical climate that is commonly represented by the intense development of thick and uneven soil cover, which hinders structural geologic mapping. A survey with oriented core samples allowed a full structural investigation and description of structures such as faults, fractures, veins, bedding, folds, foliations, and lineations. The structural analysis suggests an extensional phase with down block in the west, during which normal faults and high-angle veins were generated, followed by a contractional phase associated with the reactivation of bedding planes, the nucleation of reverse faults and low-angle veins, and east-vergent folding. The zinc sulfide ore bodies are preferentially hosted in high-angle veins and in cataclastic rocks generated during the extension. Low-angle veins, rarely mineralized with Zn, cut the high-angle veins, suggesting that the mineralization event lasted even during the tectonic inversion phase. The regional context indicates that the Ambrósia Sul deposit formed in the bulge region of the foreland basin and that it was affected first by an extensional phase during its nucleation and subsequently by a compressive phase with the advancement of thrusting in the Brasília belt to the east.

Metal sources in the Proterozoic Vazante-Paracatu sediment-hosted Zn District, Brazil: Constraints from Pb isotope compositions of meta-siliciclastic units

ABSTRACT Different types of sediment-hosted whole-rock Pb isotope (206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb, 208Pb/204Pb) compositions were determined from phyllites, carbonaceous phyllites (>1% TOC), and meta-litharenites belonging to the Serra do Garrote Formation, which is part of the Proterozoic Vazante Group, Brazil. Results were integrated with lithogeochemistry in order to identify the Pb isotopic signature of Zn enrichment (up to 0.24 wt.% Zn) associated with meta-siliciclastic-hosted sulfide mineralization that formed prior to the Brasiliano Orogeny (850 to 550 Ma) in order to (1) understand the nature of siliciclastic sediment sources, (2) identify possible metal sources in pre-orogenic meta-siliciclastic-hosted Zn mineralization, and (3) evaluate the genetic links between the Zn enrichment in the relatively reduced phyllite package, and different styles of syn-orogenic Zn ± Pb mineralization (hypogene Zn-silicate and Zn-Pb sulfide) in overlying dolomitic carbonates throughout the Vazante-Paracatu Zn District, Brazil. The whole-rock 206Pb/204Pb and 207Pb/204Pb isotope ratios of meta-siliciclastic rocks plot as positively sloping, sub-parallel arrays with radiogenic, upper continental crust compositions, which could represent a detrital contribution from at least two upper continental crust sources. However, the 206Pb/204Pb versus207Pb/204Pb isotope system does not distinguish between Zn-enriched samples and un-mineralized samples. In the whole-rock 206Pb/204Pb–208Pb/204Pb plot, Zn-enriched samples form a flat trend of lower 208Pb/204Pb values (38.3 to 39.5) compared to the Zn-poor ones that follow common upper crustal trends. Zinc-enriched samples have low whole-rock Th/U values (<4) and higher whole-rock U concentrations compared to unmineralized samples. These support the hypothesis that U (± Pb) was added by pre-orogenic metalliferous fluids, which were in turn derived from underlying Paleoproterozoic and Archean basement rocks. Due to U addition, the original whole-rock thorogenic and uranogenic Pb isotope systems were decoupled in mineralized samples. Pre-orogenic metalliferous fluids have similar present-day first-order characteristics, including: (1) relatively high U/Pb and (2) low Th/U values, when compared to galena in the major carbonate-hosted Zn ± Pb deposits (Vazante, Morro Agudo, Ambrosia, Fagundes) in the Vazante Group. These results support the hypothesis that Zn-rich layers and veins in mineralized carbonaceous phyllites could be linked to the same origins as carbonate-hosted mineral deposits throughout the Vazante Basin, but further data are warranted. We suggest that the tectonic evolution of the Vazante Basin saw multiple phases of Zn-rich mineralization over protracted time periods from around 1200 to 550 Ma.

Stratigraphy and U–Pb geochronology of the basal units of the vazante group: A lateral correlation with the glaciogenic Jequitaí formation (Minas Gerais, Brazil)

The basal units of the Vazante Group, the Santo Antônio do Bonito and Rocinha formations, present different stratigraphic records and younger ages than the rest of the group. These units are characterized by diamictites, sandstones, pelites and rare carbonates originated from subaqueous gravitational sedimentation. U–Pb geochronological data in detrital zircon indicate a Tonian maximum depositional age for both formations. The youngest zircon grains yielded ages ranging from 903 to 935 Ma. The main source for zircon is Paleoproterozoic (mainly Rhyacian and Orosirian) to Mesoproterozoic (Calymmian and Ectasian) areas being probably the São Francisco paleocontinent the main area. Due to the complete absence of ice-rafted debris within fine-grained sediments in the Santo Antônio do Bonito Formation, we interpret a gravitational reworking as the main process of diamictites deposition, probably during a period of ice retreat and sea level rise. The U–Pb data corroborate a lateral correlation between the Santo Antônio do Bonito and Rocinha formations with the glaciogenic Jequitaí Formation (Bambuí Group). From east to west, glacial sediments of the Jequitaí Formation were reworked probably by a slope-apron system during a late-glacial to post-glacial stage on the western margin of the São Francisco paleocontinent. Therefore, the Vazante Group can be divided into two successions: the upper Lagamar-Serra do Garrote formations and the lower Santo Antônio do Bonito-Rocinha formations. The Lagamar-Serra do Garrote sedimentation comprises a late Mesoproterozoic mixed carbonate-siliciclastic deposition in passive margins. The second succession is a gravitational slope-apron resedimentation and probably correlates with the Neoproterozoic glacial rocks of the Jequitaí Formation from the Bambuí Group. Finally, the collisional phase of the Brasília Belt was responsible for stratigraphic inversion, placing the older Lagamar-Serra do Garrote formations over the younger Santo Antônio do Bonito-Rocinha formations.

Discovery of Precambrian deep-water turbidites and submarine volcanism in the Brasília Belt, Central Brazil: The Quilombo Formation

A deep-water volcano-sedimentary sequence exposed along the Brasília Orogenic Belt was discovered and is herein presented and ascribed to a new stratigraphic unit. This sequence was previously unknown to contain volcanic rocks and to represent a turbidite record. It has been earlier loosely assigned to the Vazante Group based only on map continuity and interpreted as part of the Neoproterozoic passive margin of the western São Francisco Craton, but comprehensive studies have not been conducted for this specific sequence. Based on recent detailed fieldwork integrated with petrology, stratigraphy, geochronology and geochemistry, we describe a previously ignored succession of volcanic rocks interleaved in deep-water turbidites in the Brasilia Belt, and named as the Quilombo Formation. This formation comprises two sub-units, the Ribeirão da Porteira Member (lithoarenite, greywacke, siltstone, shale, and minor conglomerate) and the Ribeirão do Franco Member (fine-grained greywacke, siltstone, shale, and minor intermediate volcanic layers interpreted as subaqueous lavas). The lavas are strongly altered by SiO2 enrichment and depletion of Ca, K and Na. Based on immobile and rare earth elements analysis results, the volcanic rocks are classified as andesite to basaltic-andesite with a calk-alkaline to shoshonitic signature. U–Pb zircon dating of crystals extracted from lava samples yielded an age of 1394.46 ± 19.4 Ma, considered as the maximum depositional age of the sequence. Nonetheless, given the scarcity of zircon grains in the volcanic sample and the possible presence of xenocrysts, the exact age of the volcanic rocks still demands confirmation. The Quilombo Formation is for sure stratigraphically positioned between the Traíras Group (maximum depositional age of ca. 1543 ± 31 Ma) and the Bambuí Group (Ediacaran age). However, it is not yet possible to establish a confident correlation with either the Vazante, Paranoá, Canastra or (Upper) Traíras groups. Nonetheless, the volcanic rocks found represent the first tangible chance to obtain an absolute age for one of these groups, up to now only dated via detrital zircon ages.

Isotope stratigraphy of the uppermost Vazante Group, Brazil: Insights on paleoenvironments and regional correlation

Rocks of the Vazante Group in the Morro Agudo region (SE-Brazil) integrate a thick clay-carbonate sequence composed of twelve sedimentary facies and four facies associations (FAs), deposited in a mixed marine passive margin environment. This work carried out systematic isotope analyses of δ13C and δ18O on the two upper stratigraphic units of the Vazante Group (Morro do Calcário and Serra da Lapa formations) and on the Serra do Landim Formation. Despite the pervasive secondary dolomitization and hydrothermal overprint, most samples can be classified as least-altered dolostone, with some exceptions. Samples of Serra do Landim Formation are the ones with the highest degree of alteration, together with a small group of dolomites collected in a sphalerite-mineralized zone, at the top of the Morro do Calcário Formation. The isotopic profiles and the facies analysis showed the Morro do Calcário Formation presents homogeneous values of δ13C, and the Serra da Lapa Formation negative values of δ13C at the base, upwards inflected towards positive values. These coupled data suggest a significant change of environment in the depositional setting and conditions between these two formations, passing from calmer and stable (Morro do Calcário) to energetic and disturbed (Serra da Lapa). The strong negative values of δ13C, namely Lapa anomaly, are associated with diamictite facies below thick layer of carbonates, suggesting the influence of the Sturtian glacial event, in the lower Serra da Lapa Formation. The Lapa anomaly is the best chemostratigraphic marker throughout the sequence and guides the regional correlation of the Vazante Group. The basal diamictites of the Serra da Lapa Formation include dolomitic fragments of Morro do Calcário facies, indicating an intra-basinal source. Based on the isotopic profile correlation, it is inferred that the upper units (Morro do Calcário and Serra da Lapa formations) of the north and south portions of the Vazante Group were deposited in the same basin, or in connected basins, possibly separated, in part, by the Rio Escuro basement High.

A combined multivariate approach analyzing geochemical data for knowledge discovery: The Vazante – Paracatu Zinc District, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The Vazante Group comprises a Proterozoic sequence of carbonate and siliciclastic rocks located in Minas Gerais, Brazil. It is the host of the Vazante-Paracatu Zinc District, including world-class hypogene zinc silicate deposits, in the southern part, and several Pb – Zn sulfide deposits in the northern part, all hosted in dolomitic rocks. A recent study revealed the occurrence of base metal sulfide mineralization that formed prior to the Brasiliano orogenic event in the siliciclastic rocks (Serra do Garrote Formation) that underlie these dolomite-hosted silicates and sulfide deposits. These siliciclastic rocks were considered as potential sources of elements for the hydrothermal fluids that formed the dolomite-hosted deposits, however there was little evidence of depletion of the source rocks during the orogenic event. In this paper, Random Forest is used in unsupervised mode along with t-distributed Stochastic Neighbor Embedding (t-SNE) and principal component analysis (PCA) over a lithogeochemical dataset of samples of the Serra do Garrote siliciclastic rocks collected throughout the basin to provide insights about processes related to the mineralizing system at the Vazante-Paracatu District.Multivariate analysis reveals that the Serra do Garrote Formation geochemical signature typical of pre-orogenic mineralization. This is characterized by PC1+ with association of Zn, Cd, Cu, Hg, In, V ± Sb, Se, Mo, Re, which corresponds to nearly 60% of the variance in the data. This suggest that these elements are related to a widespread and/or, long-living hydrothermal activity without an efficient mechanism to focus the metal-bearing fluids, causing basin-scale sub-economical Zn and related metal enrichment. Furthermore, PC2 and PC6 distinguish the zones with signatures interpreted to be related to depletion. PC2+ separates Cd-poor sphalerite, which is typical of the generation of sphalerite that occur in zones with textural evidence of remobilization. PC6+ with association of As, organic carbon and S, identified the zones where sphalerite was leached from the pyrite-rich layers. Areas with multivariate signatures of both pre-orogenic enrichment and syn-orogenic depletion in the source siliciclastic rocks include the Vazante-North Extension and Varginha zinc silicate deposits/occurrence, Ambrósia silicate zinc deposit and the Engenho Velho prospect. Preliminary exploration in this prospect revealed hydrothermal alteration typical of the zinc silicate deposits. This study is pioneering in applying these numerical models in possible source rocks to assist in identifying targets for exploration in basins.

Stromatolites in Caves in Southeastern Brazil and their Importance to Geoconservation

This article presents a detailed description of stromatolites formed simultaneously with caves’ bedrock, within karstic areas in Southeastern Brazil. We discuss the importance of such fossils for geoconservation and their legal preservation under the Brazilian law. Six caves are described with occurrences of Conophyton-type stromatolites. All those caves are located in the State of Minas Gerais, one of which in the Arcos-Pains-Doresopolis Karst (Bambui Group) and the others in the Vazante-Paracatu-Unai Karst (Vazante Group). In general, the stromatolite columns are not exquisitely preserved, yet conspicuously exposed in cross section and lateral view. The stromatolite caves are easily accessed, making them suitable for scientific and educational activities to both academic and non-specialized public. Yet, such activities should rely on the implementation of a management plan for monitoring potential damage due to anthropic interference. Given the rarity of caves with fossils embedded in their host rocks, these structures should be treated with the status of maximum importance for conservation, according to the Brazilian legislation, thereby ensuring their permanent protection, with the support of the public entities for environment and nature.

Exploratory Data Analysis: Connecting X-Ray Diffraction and Lithogeochemical Data

The Vazante Group is a district in east-central Brazil that consists of a carbonate-dominated marine platform sequence of Late Mesoproterozoic age. The district is home to a north-south belt that contains several zinc mines, but the petrogenesis of the ore body is not yet fully understood. Samples from this district were analyzed using both X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) and lithogeochemical assay techniques by Dr. Neil Fernandes in 2016. An analysis was conducted in order to explore the statistical correlations between the XRD and lithogeochemical test results. The purpose of the analysis was to determine whether the raw (uninterpreted) XRD data alone could be used to identify the samples enriched in zinc and other elements indicative of economic mineralization. The results showed very subtle trends that were not significant enough to make conclusions about the possibility of using XRD data without accompanying lithogeochemical data. The higher-than-average correlation of the intensity of pyrite peaks in the XRD data with elements associated with mineralization suggests that there are potentially more robust and significant trends that were not fully uncovered by this analysis, as pyrite has already been associated with mineralized zones. The analysis process itself could be valuable in future projects, and future work on this technique is proposed that uses machine learning to cluster the data and detect trends that may not be obvious using conventional techniques.

Carbonate chemostratigraphy of the Vazante Group, Brazil: A probable Tonian age

The thick carbonate-siliciclastic succession of the Vazante Group was deposited on the western border of the São Francisco craton, central Brazil, which was deformed during the Brasiliano Orogeny that ended at 540 Ma. In this research, we studied five drill cores and outcrops to obtain integrated isotope data (δ13Ccarb, δ18Ocarb, and 87Sr/86Sr) as well as U-Pb ages of detrital zircons to understand the chronostratigraphic relationships between the Tonian and Cryogenian periods. The Vazante Group forms a succession of more than 3 km thick of limestones, dolostones, shales and rare sandstones. These rocks were deposited on a marine shelf that shows distinct δ13C variations throughout the stratigraphic succession. The lower limestone of this group (Lagamar Formation) has low positive δ13C values (0.3–1.0‰) and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.70646–0.70692 (with 423–1,719 ppm Sr), and possible vase-shaped microfossils (VSMs) that may be equivalent to those found in Huaibei Group in northern China (lower Tonian) or has stratigraphic correlations to the VSMs-bearing units of the upper Tonian. The Serra do Poço Verde Formation has a plateau of moderate δ13C positive values (0.0–4‰) followed by dolostones of the Morro do Calcário Formation, which is a 50-m-thick interval with negative values (as low as −4‰). The upper unit of the Vazante Group (Serra da Lapa Formation) begins with a sharp negative δ13C excursion locally overlying a few layers of diamictite, which may be the equivalent of the Sturtian glacial age. Restrictions on establishing the depositional age of the Vazante Group continue; however, the combination of biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic data and the detrital zircons spectra suggest a Tonian age for the Vazante Group.

Análise de fácies e ambientes deposicionais do Grupo Vazante na região da mina de Morro Agudo, Paracatu, noroeste do estado de Minas Gerais

Rochas do Grupo Vazante afloram no noroeste do estado de Minas Gerais, em uma faixa contínua de aproximadamente 250 km, da região de Vazante, ao sul, até Unaí, ao norte. Nessa região está localizada a mina de zinco e chumbo de Morro Agudo, que juntamente com os depósitos de Vazante, Ambrósia e Fagundes, todos hospedados no Grupo Vazante, compõe a principal província zincífera do país. Foram descritas, em seis testemunhos de sondagem e afloramentos de campo na região, 12 fácies sedimentares e quatro associações de fácies (AFs), que indicam deposição em ambiente de margem passiva mista carbonática-siliciclástica. A associação mais basal (AF01) é composta por pelitos e ritmitos silto-arenosos carbonosos, representando sedimentação em plataforma profunda de baixa declividade, em regime de transgressão marinha. Após a inundação máxima, em trato de mar alto, depositou-se a AF02 em ambiente de recife com barreiras em borda de plataforma, composta por dolomitos laminados com estromatólitos, dolarenitos e brechas dolareníticas, e ainda pelitos carbonáticos carbonosos com fácies diamictito. O abaixamento do nível relativo do mar gerou uma regressão forçada e a deposição da AF03 em trato de sistema do estágio de queda. É composta, na base, por diamictito argilo-carbonoso com fragmentos de AF02, passando a pelito e ritmito silto-arenoso. A retomada da subida do nível relativo do mar proporcionou a deposição da AF04 e ainda de rochas da AF03 em posição mais distal. A AF04 é composta por dololutitos argilosos laminados e maciços, e dolarenitos intraclásticos depositados em plataforma carbonática. O padrão de empilhamento observado sugere que a deposição de todas as unidades ocorreu progressivamente, em processo de subida do nível relativo do mar

The Vazante and Canastra groups revisited: Sm-Nd and Sr isotopes - evidence for contribution from Tonian intraplate magmatism during passive margin development along the SW São Francisco margin, Brazil

Abstract Combined Sm-Nd isotope studies and U-Pb ages of detrital zircons have shown significant differences between the provenance patterns of Neoproterozoic metasedimentary successions in the Southern Brasilia belt. The Vazante and Canastra groups are passive margin deposits with source areas in the Archean/Paleoproterozoic Sao Francisco Craton basement and Mesoproterozoic cover units. In literature, the younging trend of Nd model ages observed in the Vazante Group is interpreted as resulting from the contribution of the Neoproterozoic Goias Magmatic Arc. Also, detrital zircons younger than 0.90 Ga were not recorded in the Vazante or Canastra groups, which zircon populations are older than 0.93 Ga. This work presents new Sm-Nd and Sr isotope data of metasedimentary rocks from the Vazante and Canastra groups, collected in a 400 km2 area in northwest Minas Gerais, Brazil. The improved database of previously published and new data corroborates with the younging pattern of TDM along the Vazante Group. Isochronic diagrams show that samples from Vazante and Canastra groups scatter along mixing lines between the fields defined by the older cratonic rocks and the more juvenile ones. Here we present the Tonian Intraplate Magmatism within the Sao Francisco Craton as the juvenile source.

Fluid evolution in the southern part of the Proterozoic Vazante Group, Brazil: Implications for exploration of sedimentary-hosted base metal deposits

The Proterozoic Vazante Group carbonate rocks were submitted to multiple stages of fluid circulation from diagenesis to orogenesis as documented by detailed mineralogical, fluid inclusion and isotopic studies of the Upper Morro do Pinheiro and Lower Pamplona members from the Serra do Poço Verde Formation in the southern part of the paleo-basin. These units are the main hosts for the hypogene, structurally-controlled zinc silicate deposits in the Vazante Zinc District, including the Vazante mine, which is considered to be the largest willemitic (Zn2SiO4) deposit in the world, with estimated total resources of 40–60Mt at 20% Zn. Five hydrothermal alteration types were identified in the Southern Extension of the Vazante Group. (I) Early stage alteration comprises dolomite substitution bands and nodules, associated with moderate salinity H2O-NaCl-CaCl2 fluids, with temperatures around 90°C, interpreted as late-diagenetic. The calculated C and O isotopic compositions of the fluids suggest meteoric and/or connate origin and interaction with organic carbon. (II) Pre-ore stage alteration is evidenced by dog-tooth dolomite and quartz with minor Fe-oxi/hydroxides which fills dissolution voids formed by H2O-NaCl-CaCl2±MgCl2 fluids at temperatures around 100° to 150°C. The C isotopic data also indicate interaction with organic carbon. The two first stages are poor in ore-related elements. (III) Ore stage encompasses four phases of mineral precipitation. The first is distal and characterized by red stained dolostones due to disseminated hematite and red dolomite. The second is the main phase of the ore stage, composed of massive red dolomite, massive hematite and willemite with enrichment mainly in Fe2O3, SiO2, Ag, As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn. The third phase comprises white dolomite, hematite and traces of willemite with enrichment in MnO, Cd, Ni and Pb. The calculated C and O isotopic compositions of the fluids (at 180°C) associated with pervasive alteration yielded values heavier than the diagenetic stage and lower than the host rock. The fourth phase corresponds to Zn-chlorite and quartz which are associated with H2O-NaCl fluids of variable salinities and distinct temperatures (90–140°C and 170–190°C). (IV) Pyrite-bearing vein characterized by pyrite, sphalerite, white dolomite, fine hematite and late quartz, with C and O isotopic and fluid inclusion compositions that are similar to the three phases of dolomite of the ore stage. These data suggest a co-genetic relationship of these two alteration styles. (V) The late sulfide stage characterized by rare galena-bearing stringers with sphalerite, chalcocite, greenockite, covellite and white dolomite that cross-cut the main ore stage phases. The ore-related fluid compositions associated with the silicate zinc mineralization in the southern part of the Vazante Group are also similar to the fluids reported in previous work for the sulfide zinc-lead deposits in the northern part, indicating favorable conditions for metal transport during the Brasiliano Orogeny. Sulfide ore would have precipitated in zones where sulfur was available and silicate zinc in structures where mineralizing fluids interacted with evolved meteoric water. This finding implies that carbonate sequences in other districts with sulfide lead-zinc deposits may also host hypogene silicate zinc deposits.

The thrust contact between the Canastra and Vazante groups in the Southern Brasília Belt: structural evolution, white mica crystallinity and implications for the Brasiliano orogeny

ABSTRACT: Two regional thrust-sheets of Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks occur in the Southern Brasília Belt, northwest Minas Gerais. The lower one comprises the Vazante Group, that is formed in the studied area, from base to top, by the Serra do Garrote (metapelites interlayered with carbonaceous phyllite), Serra do Poço Verde (beige to pink stromatolitic metadolomite with interlayered greenish slates), Morro do Calcário (gray stromatolitic metadolomite interlayered with gray slates) and Serra da Lapa (phyllite with dolarenitic lenses interlayered with slates) formations. The upper thrust sheet consists of the Canastra Group (Paracatu formation): laminated sericite phyllites and carbonaceous phyllites interlayered with quartzite. The Braziliano orogeny resulted in four phases of contractional deformation, associated with low-grade metamorphism. The first two (D1 and D2) are ductile, while the third and fourth ones (D3 and D4) are brittle-ductile. D1 developed a slaty S1 cleavage subparallel to the primary layering, with shallow to steep dips to NW. D2 developed a crenulation cleavage (S2) that dips moderately to NW and is associated with tight to isoclinal folds. D3 and D4 phases developed crenulations and open folds and kink bands. S3 dips steeply to NW, while S4 has moderate to steep dips to NE and SW. White mica crystallinity (Kübler index) measurements in metapelites indicate that both the Canastra and Vazante groups reached anchizone/epizone conditions, and metamorphic discontinuities along thrusts indicate that the peak of metamorphism is pre or syn-thrusting.

Neoproterozoic Re–Os systematics of organic-rich rocks in the São Francisco Basin, Brazil and implications for hydrocarbon exploration

The São Francisco Basin contains a remarkable archive of Neoproterozoic strata and its hydrocarbon-bearing strata are receiving increasing attention as global oil and gas exploration targets progressively deeper and older rocks. New Re–Os geochronology for the Paracatu Slate Formation of the Canastra Group, Brazil, yields a depositional age of 1002±45Ma. This age represents the first successful application of the Re–Os system to rocks of this group and indicates excellent agreement with a previously published U–Pb detrital zircon age (Rodrigues et al., 2010). Together with TOC values of ca. 2wt.% (despite greenschist metamorphism), it might be argued that the São Francisco Basin has had the potential for hydrocarbon generation since the Tonian (1000–850Ma). In addition, we also report an imprecise Re–Os age (1304±210Ma) for the Serra do Garrote Formation, a further potential source rock of the Vazante Group. We suggest, based on petrological evidence, that the Re–Os systematics were disturbed by post-depositional fluid flow that was most likely associated with Vazante ore deposit mineralization. An attempt to determine a Re–Os date for the Sete Lagoas Formation, a putative post-Sturtian cap carbonate, is precluded owing to low Re abundances (≤100ppt). Major environmental changes in the aftermath of the Jequitaí glaciation, particularly the development of palaeotopography such as subglacial tunnel valleys, may account for the apparent random distribution of TOC enrichment in these Cryogenian/Ediacaran post-glacial deposits. This scenario might thus have major implications for the hydrocarbon prospectivity of this post-glacial succession.

Review of the geological and geochronological framework of the Vazante sequence, Minas Gerais, Brazil: Implications to metallogenic and phosphogenic models

The Vazante Group, as originally described, is a thick marine carbonate-dominated succession adjacent to the Brasilia Fold Belt, on the western border of the São Francisco Craton, in south-central Brazil. The sedimentary dolomites of this group contain economically important Zn–Pb and phosphate deposits, but age constraints for the host rocks and mineralization have been controversial. New geochronological data and geological observations have indicated that the upper and middle sections of the Vazante succession belong to a Mesoproterozoic sequence that was thrust over a Neoproterozoic succession correlative with the Bambuí Group. This new stratigraphic framework has significant implications for metallogenic exploration models in both intra-cratonic and passive-margin basins of the São Francisco Craton. Although hosted in Mesoproterozoic units, most of the Zn–Pb mineralization occurred in the Neoproterozoic by circulating hydrothermal fluids during the prolonged breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent. The possibility that an initial stage of mineralization occurred earlier is considered. Phosphorite generation in the Neoproterozoic units is conceivably related to glacial events. The refined stratigraphy combined with a new mineralization model will significantly contribute to the exploration strategy for phosphate and sulfide deposits in the Mesoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic successions of the São Francisco Craton and beyond.

Re–Os age constraints and new observations of Proterozoic glacial deposits in the Vazante Group, Brazil

A new Re–Os radiometric age date for an organic-rich shale horizon from the Vazante Group in Brazil, coupled with geological observations, provide evidence for late Mesoproterozoic glacial episodes, conflicting with the general view of greenhouse conditions marked by a eustatic high stand at this time. Field observations of a reverse fault juxtaposing older Mesoproterozoic sedimentary rocks above younger Neoproterozoic strata provide a new stratigraphic framework and reconcile the apparent inversion of U–Pb detrital zircon ages through the succession. Combined, the geochronological, geochemical and stratigraphic evidence suggest that the Vazante Group sediments accumulated along a passive margin of the São Francisco craton and are correlative with the neighboring Paranoá Group. Biomarker, sulfur isotope and iron speciation analyses support the interpretation of a strongly stratified water column during post-glacial transgression and deposition of one of the bituminous shale horizons. The relationship of the glaciogenic Vazante Group to other late Mesoproterozoic successions, such as the non-glacial Atar Group in West Africa and Bylot Supergroup in arctic Canada, however, remains enigmatic.