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Weathering and hydrochemistry associated with the old mine workings at Fonte Santa (NE Portugal)

Os filões de quartzo com scheelite da mina da Fonte Santa atravessam a formação do Quartzito Armoricano, do Ordovícico Inferior. A mineralização é de tipo “stockwork”, ocorre associada ao leucogranito sin-F3, da Fonte Santa, que aflora a 250 m a Sul do jazigo e relaciona-se com a zona de cisalhamento Moncorvo-Bemposta (Silva e Pereira, 2001). O leucogranito é de grão médio a fino, moscovítico, com foliação N80ºW, subvertical. Possui quartzo, microclina, albite, moscovite, turmalina, silimanite, zircão, apatite, e ilmenite. As amostras alteradas com microclinização e moscovitização intensa contêm clorite, columbite-tantalite, volframite, ixiolite rica em W e óxidos de ferro. É um granito peraluminoso, do tipo S, muito evoluído e estanífero com Sn > 44ppm (Silva, 2000). Alguns filões têm quartzo parcialmente recristalizado, por vezes brechóide, impregnado de sulfuretos preenchendo microfissuras e fracturas. A paragénese dos filões é constituída por quartzo, moscovite, clorite, turmalina, scheelite, pirrotite, pirite, esfalerite, calcopirite, galena, óxidos de ferro, sulfatos de Fe e fosfatos de Pb, Fe e Al. A mina da Fonte Santa foi explorada para W entre 1942 e 1982 (Triede, 2002). As águas associadas à mina da Fonte Santa, são pouco mineralizadas, com condutividade específica < 150 μS/cm, de tipo misto, bicarbonatadas ou sulfatadas. A maioria dos valores de pH (5.0 e 9.2) indicam que não há uma drenagem ácida significativa na região, tal como encontrado noutros locais (e.g., Antunes et al., 2002). Os valores mais ácidos (pH: 3.4-3.5) foram encontrados na lagoa da mina.

Publicação comemorativa do "Ano Internacional do Planeta Terra".

Na região da mina de Fonte Santa ocorrem filões de quartzo mineralizados em W, com scheelite, que cortam os quartzitos do Ordovícico Inferior e estão relacionados com a zona de cisalhamento de Moncorvo-Bemposta. Alguns filões com scheelite têm quartzo recristalizado e brechificado e sulfuretos, tendo sido explorados para W entre 1942 e 1982. As águas relacionadas com a mina da Fonte Santa são pouco mineralizadas, com condutividade eléctrica < 965 μ S/cm, e classificadas como de tipo misto. A maioria dos valores de pH (pH = 5.0 - 8.5) indicam que não há drenagem ácida significativa associada às actividades mineiras e os valores mais ácidos (pH = 3.4) foram obtidos numa lagoa da mina. Nas águas associadas com os filões mineralizados e antigas explorações foram encontradas concentrações elevadas de Fe e Mn que proíbem o seu consumo humano e utilização na agricultura.

At Segura area, two-mica granite, muscovite granite, granitic aplite veins and Libearing granitic aplite-pegmatite veins from Cabeco Queimado intruded the Cambrian schist-metagraywacke complex. Aplite veins also intruded both granites. Variation diagrams of major and trace elements of the granitic rocks show fractionation trends for: a) two-mica granite and Li-bearing aplite-pegmatite veins; b) muscovite granite and aplite veins. Least square analysis for major elements and modelling of trace elements indicate that: a) the Li-bearing aplite-pegmatite veins were derived from the two-mica granite by factional crystallization of quartz, plagioclase, potash feldspar and biotite; b) the aplite veins were derived from muscovite granite by fractional crystallization of quartz, plagioclase, potash feldspar and ilmenite, which is supported by the similar δ18O values. The increase of δ18O values from two-mica granite to aplite-pegmatite veins suggests that fractional crystallization was accompanied by assimilation of metasedimentary material (AFC process). The pegmatite veins are REL-Li pegmatites and belong to the LCT family. The occurrence of amblygonite-montebrasite, lepidolite, cassiterite, ferrocolumbite, manganocolumbite and microlite suggest that Li-bearing granitic aplite-pegmatite veins are highly differentiated.

DOI:10.1016/j.gexplo.2010.05.001

The quartz veins containing scheelite from Fonte Santa mine area were exploited for W between 1942 and 1982. At the end of November 2006, a flood event damaged the dam land of Fonte Santa mine and metal content of water increased. Fonte Santa mine area cuts the quartzites close to the Fonte Santa muscovite granite. The granite contains quartz, microcline, albite, muscovite, chlorite, columbite-tantalite, volframite, W-ixiolite and ilmenite. The quartz veins contain muscovite, chlorite, tourmaline, scheelite, pyrrhotite, pyrite, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, galena, arsenopyrite, magnetite, jarosite, phosphates of Pb, Fe and Al. The waters related to the Fonte Santa mine are poorly mineralized, with electrical conductivity < 965 μS / cm, of mixed type or HCO3 - and SO4 2- types. These waters have Fe and Mn contents that forbid to use that for human consumption and agriculture. Sodium, Mg and K water contents are associated with the alteration of albite, chlorite and muscovite of country rock, while Ca is related to the W-bearing quartz veins.

In the Segura area, Variscan S-type granites, aplite veins and lepidolite-subtype granitic aplite-pegmatite veins intruded the Cambrian schist-metagraywacke complex. The granites are syn D3. Aplite veins also intruded the granites. Two-mica granite and muscovite granite have similar ages of 311.0 ± 0.5 Ma and 312.9 ± 2.0 Ma but are not genetically related, as indicated by their geochemical characteristics and (87Sr/86Sr)311 values. They correspond to distinct pulses of magma derived by partial melting of heterogeneous metapelitic rocks. Major and trace elements suggest fractionation trends for: (a) muscovite granite and aplite veins; (b) two-mica granite and lepidolite-subtype aplite-pegmatite veins, but with a gap in most of these trends. Least square analysis for major elements, and modeling of trace elements, indicate that the aplite veins were derived from the muscovite granite magma by fractional crystallization of quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar and ilmenite. This is supported by the similar (87Sr/86Sr)311 and δ18O values and the behavior of P2O5 in K-feldspar and albite. The decrease in (87Sr/86Sr)311 and strong increase (1.6‰) in δ18O from two-mica granite to lepidolite-subtype aplite-pegmatite veins, and the behaviors of Ca, Mn and F of hydroxylapatite indicate that these veins are not related to the two-mica granite. The occurrence of amblygonite–montebrasite, lepidolite, cassiterite, columbite-(Fe), columbite-(Mn) and microlite suggests that lepidolite-subtype granitic aplite-pegmatite veins are highly differentiated. Montebrasite shows a heterogeneous Na distribution and secondary lacroixite was identified in some montebrasite areas enriched in Na. Unusual Mn > Fe cassiterite is zoned, with the alternating darker zones being strongly pleochroic, oscillatory zoned, and containing more Nb and Ta than the lighter zones. Inclusions of muscovite, apatite, tapiolite-(Fe), ixiolite and microlite are present both in lighter and darker zones of cassiterite. It shows exsolutions of columbite-(Fe), columbite-(Mn,Fe) and columbite-(Mn), particularly in darker zones.