GOMES, M.E. [et al.] (2009) - Geochemistry of minerals, waters and weathering from the Fonte Santa mine area (NE of Portugal). In Congresso Ibérico, 7, Congresso Nacional de Geoquímica, 10, Soria, Espanha. Comunicação.
Title
Geochemistry of minerals, waters and weathering from the Fonte Santa mine area (NE of Portugal)
Subject
Mineralization Scheelite Water Contamination
Date
2012-12-17T17:47:21Z 2012-12-17T17:47:21Z 2009
Description
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.
