The basement of the Tonga intraoceanic forearc comprises Eocene arc volcanic crust formed during the earliest phases of subduction. Volcanic rocks recovered from the forearc include boninites and arc tholeiites, apparently erupted into and upon older mid-oceanic ridge tholeiites. Rock assemblages suggest that the forearc basement is a likely analog for large supra-subduction zone (SSZ) ophiolites not only in structure and Ethology, but also in the style of hydrothermal alteration. Dredged volcanic samples from the central Tonga forearc (20-24�� S) exhibit the effects of seafloor weathering, low (<200��C, principally <100��C) alteration, and high temperature (>200��C) alteration. Tholeiites and arc tholeiites are significantly more altered than boninites. Seafloor weathering is due to extensive interaction with cold oxidizing seawater, and is characterized by red-brown staining and the presence of Fe-oxyhydroxides. Low temperature alteration is due to circulation of evolving seawater-derived fluids through the volcanic section until fluid pathways were closed by secondary mineral precipitation. Low temperature alteration is characterized by smectites, celadonite, phillipsite, mixed-layer smectite/chlorite, carbonates, and silica. All phases fill veins and cavities; clay minerals and silica also replace the mesostasis and groundmass phases. Low temperature alteration enriches the bulk rock in K, Ba, and Na, and mobilizes other elements to varying extents. The few high temperature samples are characterized by mobilizes other elements to varying extents. The few high temperature samples are characterized by epidote, chlorite, quartz, oxides, and fibrous amphibole, which replace groundmass and phenocrysts, and fill cavities, and are presumed to have originated in zones of concentrated hydrothermal upflow.These three alteration types are similar to those seen in many ophiolites such as Troodos, where low temperatures prevailed in the volcanic section except in localized upflow zones. Alteration mineral chemistries are also broadly similar to those observed for the Troodos Ophiolite. Tonga forearc alteration differs from mid-oceanic ridge alteration in the presence of Al-rich dioctahedral smectites (not common in mid-oceanic ridge crust), the high Al content of saponite, and the predominance of K as an interlayer cation in clays. Hydrothermal alteration of the Tonga forearc is likely the product of extensive interaction with compositionally evolving seawater-derived fluids beginning at the time of emplacement. The distribution and intensity of alteration in these crustal sections depend principally on the porosity and permeability of the crust during alteration, which are influenced by the primary porosity, igneous morphology, and the presence of faults and fractures which could affect fluid flow. / Graduation date: 1999

[Truncated abstract] Mineralogical and geochemical characteristics were identified for regolith overlying two Australian Au deposits that discriminate mineralized and associated hydrothermally-altered rock from weathered rock that was not hydrothermally-altered. Mineralization was lithologically controlled within a previously unrecognized diorite dyke at the lower Proterozoic mesozonal Groundrush deposit, Tanami region, Northern Territory. Although hydrothermal alteration effects within the dyke were subtle and obliterated by weathering, Ti/Zr ratios clearly discriminated the diorite dyke from visually indistinguishable but generally unmineralized dolerite. In contrast, the Carboniferous Vera Nancy low-sulphidation epithermal Au deposit, located in the Drummond Basin, northeast Queensland, comprises structurally-controlled quartz veins within a relatively chemically homogenous suite of andesitic lavas and subvolcanic intrusions. A zoned hydrothermal alteration system in the hangingwall of the main vein grades from a proximal silica-pyrite alteration zone through an argillic zone into regionally extensive propylitic 'background'. Deep chemical weathering has destroyed the minerals diagnostic of the different alteration zones in bedrock to leave a kaolinitic regolith overlying all alteration zones. However, the silica-pyrite alteration zone is identified in regolith by retention of the anomalous concentrations of Au, As, Sb and Mo present in bedrock, and mineralogical characteristics, determined from X-ray diffraction investigations, discriminated weathered argillic from propylitic alteration zones. ... Metasomatic reactions, including weathering reactions, are typically difficult to specify, as some reactants and products may be removed by fluids, and thus evidence for their involvement is absent from the observed assemblages. In addition, the range of possible reactions even for relatively simple systems is such that identifying the real reaction may be intractable without additional information. Linear algebra provides an approach to this problem. If minerals and aqueous phases are represented as columns in a matrix with elements as rows, any vectors in the null space of this matrix (if it is greater than 0-dimensional) provide coefficients to balance reactions between the phases. The 'Gale' vectors for a set of phase are the row vectors of any basis for this null space. The relationships between phases are clarified through examination of these vectors in d-dimensional Gale vector space, where d is the dimension of the null space. The hyperplane normal to any vector in Gale vector space separates the space into reactant and product half-spaces. The geometric relationships between the Gale phase vectors describe all the possible reactions. Because changes to parameters (e.g. volume, mass, density) can be determined for each possible reaction, Gale analysis can be used to identify reactions consistent with these constraints. Gale analysis of weathering at the Vera deposit indicated that all the possible weathering reactions producing kaolinite, goethite and quartz from illite, pyrite and siderite resulted in minor reductions in volume and mass only, whereas acid-neutral weathering of propylitic rocks exhibited greater mass losses, consistent with observation and geochemical interpretation.

No description available.

Abstract Orogenic gold deposits from the Reefton goldfield in New Zealand hosted in Ordovician metasediments of the Greenland group have produce 67 tons of gold before 1951. The Blackwater mine in Waiuta account for about 1/3 of the gold production at Reefton prior 1951. The ore system at Blackwater consist of NE trending steeply dipping gold-bearing quartz veins (Birthday reef) occurring in faulted, sheared and folded alternating sequence of sandstone-mudstone metamorphosed to low greenschist facies and hydrothermally altered proximal to distal from the quartz vein. Host rock and ore forming fluids interaction resulted in a systematic change in the mineralogy and geochemistry of the wallrock developing a distinctive footprint of the ore system. The mineral assemblage subsequent to hydrothermal alteration is formed by quartz veining, chlorite, carbonates (minor calcite-dolomite-ankerite-siderite), albite, K-Mica and composite quartz-carbonate veining, carbonates spotting, pyrite, arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, cobaltite, galena and in a lesser extent ullmannite, gersdorffite, pentlandite, millerite and sphalerite. Mass balance calculation based on geochemical data obtained by ultra-low detection analysis with a detection limit in part per trillion of Au, As and Sb provide new insight in the geochemical footprint of the ore system at Blackwater. A clear zone of roughly 40 meters (20 meters above and below the birthday reef) is enriched in Au, As and Sb up to respectively 6806%, 605% and 891% compared to the un-mineralised protolith. Furthermore, mass changes in K2O and Na2O indicate a consistent decrease in Na and increase in K in the vicinity of the Birthday reef reflecting the replacement of albite by K-mica. This is corroborated by pattern of alkali alteration index Na/Al for albite and 3K/Al for K-Mica showing similar trend. Carbonation and de/-hydration index also exhibits peaks in samples adjacent to the Birthday reef, though carbonation index is also influenced by carbonates content in the protolith or late carbonation that may not related to gold mineralisation. Using the indicators above-mentioned it is possible to define the mineralogical and geochemical “footprint” for the ore system in the host rock allowing to use this footprint as a tool for mineral exploration for orogenic gold deposits similar to Blackwater. Given that the geochemical footprint of orogenic gold deposit such as Blackwater is significantly wider than the economically viable part of the deposit defining the footprint of the ore system offers the potential for vectoring from sub-economic mineralisation towards higher-grade ore that is economically viable.

The Copiapó region in northern Chile contains numerous intrusion- and volcanichosted IOCG vein systems. These veins share many features with larger IOCG systems in the region (e.g., Candelaria, Punta del Cobre), including abundant hydrothermal magnetite or hematite ± Cu, Au, REE, and other elements, and exhibit similar styles of mineralization including voluminous breccias, stockwork, and massive veins. The relatively simple geometries and small size of veins offer advantages for study of zoning and genesis in an IOCG system; and, they also provide an interesting counterpoint to classic epithermal Ag-Au veins. The vein systems exhibit systematic patterns in the alteration and mineralization zoning in both time and space. Deeper exposures are characterized by high-temperature styles of sodic and sodic(-calcic) alteration with Fe and Cu depleted vein fill assemblages. This passes upwards through a proximal zone of magnetite-dominated vein fill with sparse to absent copper, and into a magnetite-dominated, copper-bearing portion of the vein. Copper is best developed at intermediate to shallow levels in association with the hematite-dominated portions of the system. More distal, carbonate dominated facies with minor hematite and chalcopyrite are also present. Shallow levels of the vein system may be characterized by a low-sulfur style of advanced argillic alteration, that may be stratabound, in discordant breccia bodies, or structurally controlled on faults. The assemblages differ from other ore forming environments by their lack of sulfide and/or sulfate minerals, and the abundance of hypogene iron oxide phases (hematite and/or magnetite). Vein systems are dominated by brecciation events that record repeated, cyclic pulses of mineralizing fluids. Stable and radiogenic isotopic analyses, combined with fluid inclusion and mineral phase equilibria indicate the fluids were hypersaline brines (generally >40 wt% NaCl(eq)) over a temperature range of 200º-450ºC. The shallow formation, structural styles, repeated mineralization events, and size of the IOCG vein systems have many parallels to the classic precious-metal rich Ag-Au epithermal systems. Nonetheless, the two types of veins differ in their geochemistry, reflecting the large differences in fluid salinities, commonly <10 wt% NaCl(eq) in epithermal settings as compared to 15 to > 50 wt% NaCl(eq) in IOCG systems.

English abstract Hydrothermal systems related to highly evolved granitic magmas host diverse mineralization styles and provide an important source of economic metals. This master thesis concentrates on description and interpretation of geological structure, petrographic and textural variability, alteration zoning and calculation of time-integrated fluid fluxes recorded in highly evolved granites and tin-mineralized greisens of the Horní Blatná massif in the Western Krušné hory pluton. The massif is a composite intrusion, which consists of a large number of intrusive units emplaced during two stages. The first stage is represented by sparsely porphyritic fine-grained low-lithian annite granites that can be correlated with marginal granites (G2) of the Fichtelgebirge (Smrčiny) batholith or with intermediate granites (Walfischkopf type) of the Western Krušné hory (Erzgebirge) pluton. Intrusive batches of the second stage progressively evolve from medium- to coarse-grained serial high-lithian annite and zinnwaldite granites with topaz and rare tourmaline towards aphyric fine-grained zinnwaldite (or trilithionite) granites. This suite corresponds to the EIB2 and EIB3 facies of the younger intrusive complex in the Western Krušné hory (Erzgebirge) pluton and it can be compared to the G3 Waldstein and G4 units in...

A Província Mineral de Carajás, situada a sudeste do Cráton Amazônico, concentra a maior parte dos depósitos de óxido de ferro-cobre-ouro (IOCG) de alta tonelagem do mundo. Apesar da grande quantidade de estudos geocronológicos, os atributos geológicos, assinaturas isotópicas e fatores responsáveis pela formação dessas grandes reservas minerais ainda são pouco compreendidos. O depósito Furnas (500 Mt @ 0,7% Cu) constitui um trend mineralizado de direção WNW-ESSE, com 9 km de extensão, situado na Falha Transcorrente do Cinzento. Apresenta expressiva relação espacial com dois corpos graníticos: o granito Cigano, paleoproterozoico, aflorante a leste, e o granito Furnas, de idade incerta e mais preservado da alteração hidrotermal apenas a oeste do depósito. As rochas hospedeiras são representadas por andalusita-muscovita-biotita xisto com estaurolita na zona de lapa e por anfibólio-granadabiotita xisto na zona de capa. A paragênese metamórfica do anfibólio-granada-biotita xisto é representada por núcleos de Fe-edenita com bordas hidrotermais de Fe-tschermakita, K-hastingsita, Fe-actinolita e K-Fesadaganaíta. Resquícios do granito Furnas, intensamente hidrotermalizados, são reconhecidos, com dificuldade, nos testemunhos de sondagem. Distintos estágios de alteração hidrotermal estão impressos nas rochas. O granito Furnas foi o único submetido à alteração sódica pervasiva inicial (albitização), sucedida por intensa silicificação, concomitante à milonitização e posterior alteração potássica (biotita), registradas, também, nas demais hospedeiras do depósito. Turmalinização posterior a concomitante à alteração potásica, foi sucedida pela cristalização de cristais milimétricos de almandina, comumente coalescentes, associados a frentes de alteração hidrotermal. O metassomatismo de ferro é representado pela formação de grunerita, seguida por cristalização de magnetita ao longo da xistosidade das rochas hospedeiras. Estágio hidrotermal tardio originou rochas grossas e isótropas a localmente foliadas, constituídas principalmente por K-hastingsita associada a halos externos de alteração clorítica e veios de quartzo, comumente mineralizados. Chamosita formada nesse estágio substituiu parcial a totalmente biotita, granada e anfibólios formados em estágios prévios. A mineralização, representada por calcopirita e bornita, ocorre em fronts de substituição nas rochas ricas em granada-grunerita-magnetita, em veios e vênulas interconectadas, configurando stockworks. Além disso, brechas com infill de sulfetos que contornam clastos constituídos por quartzo, possivelmente associado à eventos de silicificação prévios, são identificadas. Mineralização de cobre, subordinada e tardia, se associa a veios de quartzo-hastingsita-clorita-albita-carbonato, com texturas de preenchimento de espaços abertos, relacionados espacialmente às zonas de cloritização. As paragêneses reconhecidas nos distintos estágios, principalmente àquelas relacionadas à zona mineralizada, constituem uma assembleia de alta a moderada temperatura para o sistema hidrotermal relacionado à evolução do depósito Furnas. Os estilos de alteração relacionam-se a diferentes regimes deformacionais e níveis crustais, demonstrando sobreposição de eventos mineralizantes e de alteração em sistemas hidrotermais intermediários, tal qual o Furnas. / The Carajás Mineral Province, located at the southern portion of the Amazonian Craton, hosts great part of the high-grade iron-oxide-copper-gold deposits known in the world. Despite the significance of geochronological studies, the geologic features, isotopic signatures and processes responsible for the formation of these outstanding mineral resources is still poorly understood. The Furnas deposit (500 Mt @ 0.7% Cu) comprises a mineralized WNW-ESSE trend, with 9 km of extension, within the Cinzento Transcurrent Fault Zone. The deposit has notable spatial relationship with two granitic bodies: the Paleoproterozic Cigano granite, which outcrops at the east; and the Furnas granite, of uncertain age, that is well-preserved from the hydrothermal alteration only outcrops towards the west. The host rocks are represented by andalusite-muscovite-biotite schist with staurolite at the footwall and amphibole-garnet-biotite schist at the hanginwall zone. The metamorphic paragenesis of the amphibolegarnet-biotite schist is represented by Fe-edenite cores, which are rimmed by hydrothermal Fe-tschermakite, K-hastingsite, Fe-actinolite and K-Fe-sadaganaite. Relicts of the Furnas granite, highly hidrothermalized, can be barely recognized at the drillholes. Different stages of hydrothermal alteration are recognized in the Furnas Deposit. The Furnas granite underwent an early pervasive sodic alteration with albite. This was succeeded by intense silicification synchronous to milonitization, which was followed by potassic alteration with biotite, also recorded on the other host rocks. Turmalinization, later to coeval to potassic alteration, was followed by the crystallization of milimetric almandine crystals, generally coalescing, associated with hydrothermal alteration fronts. Iron metassomatism is represented by grunerite crystallization, followed by magnetite formation along the host rock foliation. A later hydrothermal stage originated coarse-grained rocks, isotropic to locally foliated, composed mainly of K-hastingsite associated with external haloes of clorite alteration and quartz veins, generally with copper mineralization. Chamosite, formed at this stage, replaced partial to totally biotite, garnet and amphiboles formed in previous hydrothermal alteration stages. Copper-gold mineralization is represented by chalcopyrite and bornite, which occur in replacement alteration fronts in the garnet-grunerite-magnetite-rich rocks, in veins, interconnected veinlets and stockworks. Besides that, breccias with sulfide infills that surround quartz clasts, probably associated with early silicification events, are also recognized. Late and subordinated copper mineralization is associated with quartz-hastingsite-chlorite-albite-carbonate veins with open-space filling textures that are spatially related to chlorite zones. The paragenesis of the distinct hydrothermal alteration stages, especially those related to the mineralized zone, constitute high to moderate temperature mineral assemblage formed in the Furnas hydrothermal system. Alteration styles are related with different deformation regimes and crustal levels, demonstrating overprinting of mineralizing and hydrothermal alteration events in intermediate hydrothermal systems, as the Furnas.

O Distrito Aurífero de Marmato é um distrito mineiro de grande dimensão localizado na borda da Cordilheira Ocidental dos Andes Colombianos. A geologia da região é balizada de acordo com o Sistema de Falhas Romeral, uma de escala regional que corta a Colômbia de norte a sul. Nesta localidade o embasamento é composto por xistos anfibolíticos, xistos quartzo sericíticos e anfibolitos pertencentes ao Complexo Arquia. A cobertura sedimentar é composta por arenitos, conglomerados e pelitos da Formação Amagá. Estas duas unidades são intrudidas por corpos vulcânicos a subvulcânicos da Formação Combia, constituída por depósitos piroclásticos e corpos intrusivos de composição dacítica a andesítica, dentre os quais o Stock de Marmato, um corpo subvulcânico gerado no Mioceno tardio. Este stock, de idade miocênica, é hospedeiro da maioria significativa da mineralização aurífera, que também ocorre subordinadamente nas rochas do Complexo Arquia. O sistema mineral é descrito como um depósito epitermal low sulfidation de Au e Ag. A mineralização ocorre associada a veios distensionais, zonas de stockworks e disseminada pela rocha hospedeira. O processo de mineralização possui idade de 5.6±0.6 Ma, obtida através da datação de plagioclásio sericitizado, idade que coincide com um episódio de reativação do Sistema de Falhas de Romeral (5.6±0.4 Ma).O presente trabalho buscou caracterizar o comportamento das razões isotópicas de Pb (\'ANTPOT. 206 Pb\'/\'ANTPOT. 204 Pb\',\' ANTPOT. 207 Pb\'/\' ANTPOT. 204 Pb\' e \'ANTPOT. 208 Pb\'/\' ANTPOT. 204 Pb\') de acordo com a profundidade dos veios mineralizados e as alterações hidrotermais presentes nesta mineralização aurífera. Para tanto foram estudadas amostras de diferentes cotas colhidas tanto em galerias como em testemunhos de sondagem. Os resultados isotópicos obtidos mostram que os níveis superficial e intermediário apresentam razões isotópicas heterogêneas enquanto o nível mais profundo apresenta uma variação neste padrão, com razões isotópicas homogêneas. Este comportamento pode ser atribuído a maior quantidade de água meteórica na parte superior do sistema mineralizante em relação ao nível mais profundo, em que o fluido tem origem associada à intrusão. Estes dados mostram que o nível mais profundo da mineralização aurífera de Marmato apresenta assinatura isotópica característica de mineralizações pórfiras e os níveis mais superficiais apresentam assinatura epitermal. Três tipos de alterações hidrotermais foram descritas em Marmato, são elas: alteração propilítica, alteração sericítica e alteração argílica. A alteração propilitica é caracterizada por clorita + calcita + epidoto como mineralogia de alteração. Na alteração sericítica todos os minerais, a exceção do quartzo e a da apatita, são afetados e transformados em sericita, com clorita subordinada. Esta alteração ocorre geralmente em cotas mais profundas. A alteração argílica ocorre na porção superficial do depósito e é composta principalmente por argilominerais. O principal mineral de minério é a pirita, e a relação de Au:Ag nestes minerais varia entre 2:1 e 1:1. Também são observados minerais ricos em Te, Se e Bi. / The auriferous district of Marmato is a large-scale mining district located on the edge of the Western Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. The geology of the region is marked out according to the Romeral Fault System, a regional scale suture that cuts Colombia from north to south. In this locality the basement consists of amphibolites schists, quartz schists and sericitic amphibolites belonging to Arquia Complex. The sedimentary cover is composed of sandstones, conglomerates and pelites representing the Amagá Formation. These two units are intruded by volcanic bodies to subvolcanic of Combia Formation, composed of pyroclastic deposits and intrusive bodies composition dacitic to andesitic, among which the Stock Marmato a subvolcanic body generated in the late Miocene. This stock host of the most significant gold mineralization, which also occurs in the subordinate Arquia Complex rocks. The mineral system is described as an Au and Ag low sulfidation epithermal deposit. Mineralization occurs associated with extensional zones, stockworks and disseminated by the host rock. The process of mineralization dates 5.6 ± 0.6 Ma, with age obtained by dating sericitizado plagioclase, age coinciding with an episode of reactivation of the Romeral Fault System (5.6 ± 0.4 Ma) .The present study aimed to characterize the behavior of the reasons isotopic Pb (\' ANTPOT. 206 Pb\' /\' ANTPOT. 204 Pb \', \'ANTPOT 207 Pb\' /\'ANTPOT 204 Pb\' and \'ANTPOT.208 Pb\' /\'ANTPOT. 204 Pb\') according to the depth of the mineralized veins and hydrothermal alterations present in this gold mineralization. Samples of different levels were studied both in galleries and in drill core. The isotopic results show that the surface and intermediate levels have heterogeneous isotope ratios while the deepest level has homogeneous isotopic ratios. This behavior can be attributed to the greater amount of meteoric water in the upper part of the mineralizing system relative to a deeper level, wherein the fluid source is associated with the intrusion. These data show that the deepest level of gold mineralization Marmato presents isotopic signature feature of porphyry mineralizations and the most superficial levels have epithermal signature. Three types of hydrothermal alterations have been described in Marmato, those alterations are: propylitic alteration, sericitic alteration and argillic alteration. The propylitic alteration is characterized by chlorite + epidote + calcite as alteration mineralogy. In the sericitic alteration all minerals, except quartz and apatite, are affected and transformed into sericite, with subordinate chlorite. This change usually occurs in deeper dimensions. Argillic alteration occurs in the superficial portion of the deposit and is mainly composed of clay minerals. The main mineral is a pyrite ore, and the Au ratio Ag these minerals varies between 2: 1 and 1: 1. There were also observed minerals rich in Te, Se and Bi.

Na região da ocorrência Cel. Linhares, localizado no flanco leste do Complexo Granítico de Caçapava do Sul, apófises desse corpo ígneo intrudem em rochas carbonáticas da Formação Passo Feio (Neoproterozóico) e produzem novas assembleias mineralógicas de alteração hidrotermal-metassomática. A interação entre as rochas carbonáticas e os fluídos magmáticos forma escarnitos magnesianos e outras rochas metassomáticas compostas majoritariamente por cloritas, os clorititos. Nos mármores da área estudada, a dolomita é preponderante entre os carbonatos e ocorre como grãos subédricos e anédricos de tamanho médio a fino formando textura granoblástica. Uma paragênese associada aos mármores e alteração clorítica ocorre ao longo dos contatos entre as apófises do corpo intrusivo e os mármores encaixantes. Nesta ocorrência, os minerais: calcita, talco, serpentina, clorita, tremolita e diopsídio estão associados majoritariamente aos sulfetos pirita, calcopirita e molibdenita conforme definido em trabalhos anteriores. Localmente, os sulfetos também estão associados com clorita em brechas. O forte metassomatismo magnesiano transforma progressivamente as apófises do biotita-granodiorito em rochas cloríticas ao longo do contato com os mármores dolomíticos (Remus et al., 2000a). As apófises do Granito Caçapava assimilam o magnésio dos mármores dolomiticos encaixantes e produzem uma alteração hidrotermal-metassomática composta dominantemente por clorita. O enxofre dos sulfetos pode ter origem nas soluções hidrotermais do granito ou das rochas encaixantes da unidade Passo Feio Na busca de uma melhor compreensão sobre o processo de interação metassomática, o trabalho apresenta a caracterização petrográfica dos diferentes litótipos e um estudo analítico geoquímico. Para tal, essa investigação considerou as apófises de biotita granítóides, como produto inicial, e as rochas cloríticas como produto final desse processo. A integração da análise petrográfica, estudo da mobilidade química por diagrama de isóconas e análise mineral por microssonda eletrônica, identificam os tipos de alteração hidrotermal-metassomática dominantes como cloritização e albitização através de processos de infiltração de fluidos. O balanço de massa pelo método da isócona indica que o processo de cloritização evoluiu através do enriquecimento de MgO e FeO e empobrecimento em SiO2, K2O e Na2O dos protólitos granitóides. Os padrões de abundância e fracionamento de ETR das rochas indica a correlação dos clorititos com duas fácies pertencentes ao Complexo Granítico de Caçapava do Sul e comparável a alteração propilítica em alguns depósitos de metais base. Métodos empíricos de geotermometria são aplicados utilizando composição da clorita obtida por meio de microssonda eletrônica. Através dessa metodologia, são obtidas temperaturas de formação das cloritas, em média, de 280º e 300º. / In the Cel. Linhares region, located in the eastern flank of the Southern Caçapava Granitic Complex, apophyses of this igneous body intrudes into carbonate rocks of the Passo Feio Formation (Neoproterozoic) and produce new mineralogical assemblages of hydrothermal-metasomatic alteration. The interaction between the carbonate rocks and the magmatic fluids generates magnesian skarns and other metasomatic rocks composed mainly of chlorites, the chloritites. In the marbles of the studied area, the dolomite is preponderant between the carbonates and occurs in medium- and fine-sized subhedral and anhedral grains forming a granoblastic texture. The paragenesis associated with marbles and chlorite alteration occurs along the contacts between the apophyses of the intrusive body and the wall rock marbles. In this occurrence, the minerals: calcite, talc, serpentine, chlorite, tremolite and diopside are mainly associated to the sulfides pyrite, chalcopyrite and molybdenite as defined in previous work. Locally, sulfides are also associated with chlorite in fractures. The strong magnesian metasomatism progressively transforms the biotite-granodiorite apophyses into chlorite rocks along the contact with the dolomitic marbles (Remus et al., 2000a). The apophyses of the Caçapava Granite assimilate the magnesium of the nearby dolomitic marbles and produce a hydrothermal-metasomatic alteration composed mainly by chlorite. The sulfur of the sulfides can be originated in the hydrothermal solutions of the granite or assimilated from the Passo Feio host rocks. In the search for a better understanding about the process of metasomatic interaction, this work presents the petrographic characterization of the different lithotipes and a geochemical analytical study. To this aim, this investigation considered the apophyses of biotite-granitoid as the initial product, and the chlorite rocks as the final product of this process The integration of petrographic analysis, study of chemical mobility by isocon diagram and mineral analysis by electron microprobe, identifies the dominant hydrothermal-metasomatic types alteration such as chloritization and albitization through fluid infiltration processes. The mass balance by the isocon method indicates that the chloritization process evolved through the enrichment of MgO and FeO and depletion in SiO2, K2O and Na2O of the granitoid protoliths. The abundance and REE fractionation patterns of altered rocks indicate a correlation of the chloritites with two facies belonging to the Caçapava Granitic Complex and comparable to propylitic alteration that occurs in some base metal deposits. Empirical methods of geothermometry are applied by using the chlorite composition data obtained by electron microprobe. Through this methodology, we obtain the average chlorite formation temperatures between 280° and 300°.

As rochas vulcânicas da Mina do Seival possuem intensa alteração hidrotermal e mineralizações de Cu. Este magmatismo é relacionado ao estágio póscolisional do ciclo Brasiliano-Pan-Africano, no alogrupo Bom Jardim, pertencendo à Formação Hilário na Bacia do Camaquã (Neoproterozóico). A região já foi responsável por grande parte da produção desse minério no Brasil, sendo uma das mais importantes no Rio Grande do Sul e explorada principalmente na primeira metade do século XX. Campanhas de sondagens realizadas pela CBC foram feitas no ano de 1978. Essas amostras foram incluídas no presente trabalho bem como a amostragem resultante das campanhas de mapeamento geológico básico. A tectônica do estagio pós-colisional controla o posicionamento e geração da mineralização através de estruturas rúpteis com direção NE e distensão regional. A composição de rocha total e identificação dos minerais de alteração foram obtidas através de análises de elementos maiores, menores, traços e difração de raios X. Processos envolvendo diferentes temperaturas atuaram sobre estas rochas originando produtos de alteração pervasiva, principalmente clorita e esmectita, com veios preenchidos por quartzo, carbonato, barita e minerais de cobre. A Mina do Seival é composta pelas minas Alcides, Cruzeta, Meio, Morcego, João Dahne, Barita e ocorrência Vila do Torrão. As rochas vulcânicas tem composição andesítica e traqui-andesítica, e foram divididas em duas sequências. A sequência I é composta por rochas piroclásticas e efusivas, e a sequência II é representada pelos diques de andesito. Em ambas as sequências da Mina do Seival é possível identificar a afinidade shoshonítica das rochas. Os teores de Cu, Zn e Ni em relação ao protólito menos afetado pelo processo hidrotermal, nos diques e brechas, sugerem que as principais ocorrências de mineralização de cobre têm origem magmática. O estudo petrogenético contribui para a geração de um modelo evolutivo dos processos de alteração hidrotermal possibilitando o entendimento da geologia regional e das mineralizações da Bacia do Camaquã. / Volcanic rocks of the Seival Mine have intense hydrothermal alteration and Cu mineralization. This magmatism is related to post-collisional stage of the Brasiliano Pan-African cycle in Bom Jardim alogrup, belonging to Hilario Formation, Camaquã Basin (Neoproterozoic). The region has been responsible for much of the ore production in Brazil, one of the most important in the Rio Grande do Sul and operated mainly in the first half of the twentieth century. Drilling surveys conducted by CBC (Companhia Brasileira do Cobre) were made in 1978. Drill core samples, as well as field samples were used for the present research. The tectonics of the postcollisional stage controls the position and mineralization through brittle structures with NE and regional distention. Whole rock composition and identification of alteration minerals were obtained through analysis of major, minor and trace elements, and Xray diffraction. Processes involving different temperatures acted on these rocks causing pervasive alteration products, mainly chlorite and smectite, with veins filled with quartz, carbonate, barite and copper minerals. Seival Mine of Alcides, Cruzeta, Meio, Morcego, João Dahne, Barita mines and Vila do Torrão ocurrence. Volcanic rocks have andesitic and trachy-andesitic composition, and were divided into two sequences. The sequence I is composed of pyroclastic rocks and effusive, and sequence II is represented by andesite dikes. In both sequences of Seival Mine is possible to identify the shoshonitic affinity of the rocks. Cu, Zn and Ni are less affected by hydrothermal processes, relative to the protholith. Dykes and breccias, suggest that the main copper mineralization ocurrences have a magmatic origin. The petrogenetic study contributes to the generation of an evolutionary model of hydrothermal alteration allowing for better understanding of the regional geology and mineralization of Camaquã Basin.