The Acaiaca Complex, located near the town of Acaiaca, Minas Gerais, is composed predominantly of granulite facies rocks. The Complex extends for at least 36 km in the N-S direction and is about 6 km wide in the central area. Felsic (biotite granulites and charnockites), mafic (pyroxene ± hornblende granulites), ultramafic (olivine-pyroxene granofels) and aluminous granulites are the main rock types. Felsic granulites are derived from rocks of rhyolitic composition. Mafic granulites are derived from rocks geochemically similar to island arc basalts. Aluminous granulites are derived from pelitic rocks and greywackes. The olivine-pyroxene granofels present a chemical composition similar to harzburgites. The mineral assemblages of granulites indicate an intermediate-pressure granulite facies metamorphism for their formation. Metamorphic rocks of lower grade found in the area of the Acaiaca Complex commonly present mylonitic microstructures and evidences of generation by retrometamorphism of the granulites in shear zones.
Acaiaca Complex; granulites; geochemistry; intermediate-pressure metamorphism
