Morphological and compositional study of quartz and cassiterite of the Mocambo Granite, South Pará Tin Province, Amazonian Craton

Abstract

Quartz and cassiterite crystals of granite, greisens, and quartz veins from Mocambo Granite, Carajás Province, were studied by scanning electron microscopy — cathodoluminescence and electron microprobe. Five types of quartz were identified: Qz1, magmatic and Qz2, Qz3, Qz4, and Qz5 hydrothermal. Qz1, anhedric to subhedric, luminescent and fractured at different intensities, predominating in less evolved rocks. Qz2, with low luminescence, is younger than Qz1; it occurs as irregular patches, filling fractures or forming veins that cut Qz1. Qz3, non-luminescent, resulting from continuous alteration, dissolution, and recrystallization processes; fills fractures that cut Qz1 and Qz2. Qz4 occurs in the most evolved and hydrothermalized rocks and in greisens bodies mineralized in cassiterite; is euhedral to subhedral, exhibits well-defined zoning, and has been interpreted as later than the previous one. Qz5 has poor luminescence; occurs in mineralized veins with wolframite and, secondarily, cassiterite. Qz1 shows Ti enrichment, while Qz4 associated with cassiterite is enriched with Al. Well-formed cassiterite crystals exhibit concentric zoning and low Fe, Ti, W, Nb and Mn contents. Qz5-associated cassiterite crystals form inclusions in the wolframite, suggesting that cassiterite and wolframite precipitated from hydrothermal processes at different times.

KEYWORDS:
Amazonian craton; SEM-CL images quartz textures; hydrothermal alteration; Tin mineralization; cassiterite