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Stable isotope and mineralogical investigation of the genesis of amethyst geodes in the Los Catalanes gemological district, Uruguay, southernmost Paraná volcanic province

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Abstract

Stable isotopes (C, O, S) and mineralogical studies of the world-class amethyst-geode deposits of the Los Catalanes gemological district, Uruguay, constrain processes operative during mineral deposition. The mineralized basaltic andesites from the Cretaceous Paraná volcanic province are intensely altered to zeolites (clinoptilolite) and clay minerals. Variations in the δ18O values of silica minerals in geodes (chalcedony, quartz, and amethyst) are much larger and the values generally somewhat lower (21.2–31.5‰) in the Uruguayan deposits than in the Ametista do Sul area of southern Brazil. The range of δ34S values (−15.0 to −0.3‰) of altered basaltic rocks requires (in addition to sulfur of magmatic origin) the involvement of 34S-depleted sedimentary sulfur from bacterial sulfate reduction. The results delimit the mineralizing processes to a post-eruption environment characterized by low temperature and strong interaction of the lava flows with meteoric water.

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Acknowledgments

This work reflects results of two main projects on the “Evolution of strategic minerals from southern Brazil”, supported by CAPES-DAAD (UFRGS-Universität Suttgart) and PRONEX-FAPERGS/CNPq, both coordinated by LAH. Pedro L. Juchem participated in many discussions on the subject. Simone Zwirtes cooperated with the project in many ways, including collection of some key samples in Artigas. The Geological Survey of Brazil (CPRM) offered support to the projects in many ways. Support was also offered in the field by Fernando Barrios, Eduardo Barrios, Maria Helena Barrios, and Rodolfo Barrios (Artigas), for which we are grateful. Cornelia Haug and Gesine Preuss are thanked for sulfur isotope sample preparation and laboratory facilities at Universität Karlsruhe (KIT). Marcos AZ Vasconcellos is thanked for the use of the Raman Microspectroscopy Laboratory at UFRGS. Paul Potter contributed with English correction and general suggestions on the manuscript. This paper is a partial result of the PhD thesis of LCD at Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. LCD acknowledges the receipt of a scholarship from Conselho Nacional do Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazilian Government, for her PhD studies.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Escola de Engenharia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Lauren C. Duarte

  2. Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Avenida Bento Gonçalves, 9500, 91501-970, Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Leo A. Hartmann

  3. Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil

    Luiz H. Ronchi

  4. Institut für Mineralogie und Geochemie, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Adenauerring 20b, Karlsruhe, Germany

    Zsolt Berner

  5. Institut für Kristallchemie und Mineralogie, Universität Stuttgart, Azenbergstrasse 18, 70174, Stuttgart, Germany

    Thomas Theye & Hans J. Massonne

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  1. Lauren C. Duarte
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Correspondence to Leo A. Hartmann.

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Table 1

Bulk rock chemical composition of selected samples of the four studied lava flows from the Los Catalanes gemological district (from Hartmann et al. 2010b). Total Fe content as Fe2O t3 ; major elements in wt.%, trace elements in ppm (DOC 73 kb)

Table 2

Representative pyroxene compositions from the Los Catalanes gemological district; aug augite, pig pigeonite, FeO total iron (DOC 50 kb)

Table 3

Representative electron microprobe feldspar compositions from four lava flows, Los Catalanes gemological district. K-feldspar analyses are poor, because of very small grain size (DOC 94 kb)

Table 4

Oxygen isotope compositions of silica minerals (relative to VSMOW); am amethyst, qz colorless, fine- to medium-grained quartz, ch chalcedony, Min mineral (DOC 70 kb)

Table 5

Variation ranges and average δ18O values (‰ relative to V-SMOW) of silica minerals formed in different stages of geode filling in coladas Catalan and Cordillera; n number of individual measurements (DOC 51.0 kb)

Table 6

Isotopic signatures on VSMOW and on VPDB for calcite crystals from Los Catalanes gemological district. The equation of Coplen et al. (1983) was used to transform the values (DOC 50.0 kb)

Table 7

Isotopic compositions and concentrations of δ34S in the host rock; conc concentration (DOC 35 kb)

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Duarte, L.C., Hartmann, L.A., Ronchi, L.H. et al. Stable isotope and mineralogical investigation of the genesis of amethyst geodes in the Los Catalanes gemological district, Uruguay, southernmost Paraná volcanic province. Miner Deposita 46, 239–255 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-010-0323-6

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