Pseudosinkhole occurrences in Brasilia,Brazil

Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil, is located in the central region of the country. Climate in the area is semitropical with an annual rainfall of 1500 mm. The geological environment in the area consists of low-grade metamorphic rocks. Slates of varying colors, metasiltstone, and quartzite beds are present. Over the Precambrian rocks is a lateritic layer varying in thickness from centimeters up to 30 m. Latosol dominates the existing plateaus, while laterite crusts and immature soils are dominant in the transition zones between plateaus and river valleys. Erosional problems related to the lateritic terrains were known prior to the settlement of the city in 1961. During 1986, erosion became a serious threat when several pseudosinkholes occurred in the urban area. Occurrence of pseudosinkholes resulted in condemnation of an area of 300,000 m² and the demolition of several buildings. Preliminary studies indicated at the time that underground erosion and pseudosinkholes were generated by shortening of the percolation path of groundwater due to the progress, toward the residential area, of large gullies. This produced an increase in the hydraulic gradient, resulting in the removal of latosol particles. Occurrence of pseudosinkholes in other areas of the city has led the Institute of Geosciences to investigate the problem in more detail. Studies have been conducted looking for correlation between pseudosinkhole occurrence and geologic, geomorphic, geotechnical, and urban development features. Recent results show a much more complex process then previously thought. Field data suggests that termite activity and recharge of the water table by inadequate disposal of residential sewer systems are directly related to the problem.     

The Ribeira fluorite district,southern Brazil

The origin and evolution of different ore deposits grouped in the same district are often complex and may involve inheritance from crustal or mantle geochemical anomalies, remobilization of former ore deposits and a polyphase hydrothermal history. Localized in a Proterozoic basement in the Parana state, the Ribeira fluorite district is such an example composed of three deposit types with distinct geological and geochemical characters. Emplaced at different periods from the late Proterozoic to the Cretaceous, they are roughly aligned along a belt nearly 10 km in width and 50 km in length, the southern boundary of which is a transcurrent fault. Two main ore facies are present: (1) microcrystalline ore (< 0.1 mm grains) and (2) macrocrystalline ore (with a grain size of several millimetres). The former results from the replacement of metalimestones or internal karstic sediments and the latter from microcrystalline ore dissolution and pore precipitation or recrystallization. At least two different groups of source rocks can be proposed for the trapped REE in CaF₂: (1) fluorite samples associated with the Mato Preto carbonatitic rocks display a slightly negative ɛNd compatible with a mantle source and a REE pattern with the higher ΣREE and La/Yb ratio in the district; (2) other fluorites have a strongly negative ɛNd (− 14 to − 20) which indicates a crustal source. That fluorine and REE have the same source is possible in strata-bound and fracture-filling deposits, but is doubtful at Mato Preto, the only economic fluorite deposit associated with carbonatite rocks in Brazil. This occurrence within a Precambrian fluorite belt suggests that remobilization of a former strata-bound deposit was a more significant metallogenic process than magmatic differentiation. Editorial handling: DR     

The Palma Volcano-Sedimentary Supersuite,Precambrian Sul-Riograndense Shield,Brazil

Komatiites are generally found in Archean greenstone belts, but have been reported in some Mesozoic volcano-sedimentary sequences. The Palma Volcano-Sedimentary Supersuite (PVSS) is a Neoproterozoic sequence composed of meta-ultramafic volcanic rocks, mafic-to-felsic metavolcanic rocks, and metasedimentary rocks ranging from quartzites to chlorite-mica-quartz schists, marbles, and marls. Original PVSS structures were overprinted by two penetrative deformational surfaces (So//Sn and Sn+1); associated metamorphic assemblages are assigned to the upper greenschist facies. Basalts predominate over andesites and rhyodacites, and their major, minor, trace, and rare-earth elements display compatible geochemical trends characteristic of calc-alkaline magmas. Meta-ultramafic rocks are variable-thickness flows in the metasedimentary sequence. Metamorphism caused the development of a metasomatic tremolite zone around the serpentinite bodies, as well as chlorite and talc schist metasomatic zones. Evaluation of the geochemical mobility of the elements showed that the ratios between major and minor elements have not changed in the serpentinites. It was then possible to investigate the lithogeochemical nature of the serpentinites by studying the minor, trace, and rare-earth elements. The lithogeochemical investigation and the structures of the serpentinite bodies enable them to be regarded as komatiitic flows extruded under shallow water. These komatiite flows and calc-alkaline basalt to rhyodacite flows associated with shallow-water sediments suggest that this volcano-sedimentary sequence was developed in a Neoproterozoic arc-related tectonic setting.     

Cenomanian oysters from the Sergipe Basin, Brazil

Cenomanian (mid Cretaceous) oysters from the Sergipe Basin in northeastern Brazil are described, with revisions of previously described forms. Nine genera and subgenera, including eleven species, are distinguished: Rastellum diluvianum (Linné, 1767), Amphidonte (Ceratostreon) reticulata (Reuss, 1846), A. (Ceratostreon) flabellata (Goldfuss, 1833), Exogyra (Costagyra) olisiponensis Sharpe, 1850, Ilymatogyra (Afrogyra) africana (Lamarck, 1801), Rhynchostreon (Rhynchostreon)mermeti (Coquand, 1862), R. (Laevigyra) obliquatum (Pulteney, 1813), R. (Laevigyra) sp., Pycnodonte (Phygraea) vesiculosa (J. Sowerby, 1823), Curvostrea rouvillei (Coquand, 1862) and Ambigostrea sp. No undoubted Turonian oysters are known from Sergipe, althoughR. (R.) mermeti possibly straddles the Cenomanian–Turonian boundary. This is in sharp contrast with the situation in the more northerly Brazilian basins, from where several Turonian but no Cenomanian forms have been described. Well-preserved material from Sergipe confirms the close relationship between Exogyra (Costagyra) Vialov andVultogryphaea Vialov. The palaeobiogeographical affinity of the oyster fauna is typically Tethyan with many taxa that are known particularly from the southern Tethys. The inferred palaeoenvironment as implied by the oysters is that of a shallow shelf.     

巴西坎普斯盆地油气地质特征

坎普斯盆地为典型的被动大陆边缘拉伸裂谷盆地,由前裂谷期(非海相)、同裂谷期(过渡相)及后裂谷期(海相)三个构造层组成.含盐层序为区域盖层,盐下层序泥页岩和盐上层序坎普斯组泥页岩为局部盖层;主要烃源岩为下白垩统拉高亚费耶组湖相黑色钙质页岩;古近系和新近系浊积砂岩为主力储集体,上白垩统浊积岩也是重要储层,下白垩统尼欧克姆阶...     

Coseismic reactivation of the Samambaia fault, Brazil

Northeastern Brazil is, within the present knowledge of historical and instrumental seismicity, one the most seismic active areas in intraplate South America. Seismic activity in the region has occurred mainly around the Potiguar basin. This seismicity includes earthquake swarms characterized by instrumentally-recorded events ≤ 5.2 m_b and paleoseismic events ≥ 7.0. Our study concentrates in the João Câmara (JC) epicentral area, where an earthquake swarm composed of more than 40,000 aftershocks occurred mainly from 1986 to 1990 along the Samambaia fault; 14 of which had m_b > 4.0 and two of which had 5.1 and 5.0 m_b. We describe and compare this aftershock sequence with the present-day stress field and the tectonic fabric in an attempt to understand fault geometry and local control of seismogenic faulting. Earthquake data indicate that seismicity decreased steadily from 1986 to 1998. We selected 2,746 epicenters, which provided a high-quality and precise dataset. It indicates that the fault trends 37° azimuth, dips 76°–80° to NW, and forms an alignment  27 km long that cuts across the NNE–SSW-trending ductile Precambrian fabric. The depth of these events ranged from  1 km to  9 km. The fault forms an echelon array of three main left-bend segments: one in the northern and two in the southern part of the fault. A low-seismicity zone, which marks a contractional bend, occurs between the northern and southern segments. Focal mechanisms indicate that the area is under an E–W-oriented compression, which led to strike–slip shear along the Samambaia fault with a small normal component. The fault is at 53° to the maximum compression and is severely misoriented for reactivation under the present-day stress field. The seismicity, however, spatially coincides with a brittle fabric composed of quartz veins and silicified-fault zones. We conclude that the Samambaia fault is a discontinuous and reactivated structure marked at the surface by a well-defined brittle fabric, which is associated with silica-rich fluids.     

Superdeep diamonds from the Juina area, Mato Grosso State, Brazil

Alluvial diamonds from the Juina area in Mato Grosso, Brazil, have been characterized in terms of their morphology, syngenetic mineral inclusions, carbon isotopes and nitrogen contents. Morphologically, they are similar to other Brazilian diamonds, showing a strong predominance of rounded dodecahedral crystals. However, other characteristics of the Juina diamonds make them unique. The inclusion parageneses of Juina diamonds are dominated by ultra-high-pressure ("superdeep") phases that differ both from "traditional" syngenetic minerals associated with diamonds and, in detail, from most other superdeep assemblages. Ferropericlase is the dominant inclusion in the Juina diamonds. It coexists with ilmenite, Cr-Ti spinel, a phase with the major-element composition of olivine, and SiO₂. CaSi-perovskite inclusions coexist with titanite (sphene), "olivine" and native Ni. MgSi-perovskite coexists with TAPP (tetragonal almandine-pyrope phase). Majoritic garnet occurs in one diamond, associated with CaTi-perovskite, Mn-ilmenite and an unidentified Si-Mg phase. Neither Cr-pyrope nor Mg-chromite was found as inclusions. The spinel inclusions are low in Cr and Mg, and high in Ti (Cr₂O₃<36.5 wt%, and TiO₂>10 wt%). Most ilmenite inclusions have low MgO contents, and some have very high (up to 11.5 wt%) MnO contents. The rare "olivine" inclusions coexisting with ferropericlase have low Mg# (87-89), and higher Ca, Cr and Zn contents than typical diamond-inclusion olivines. They are interpreted as inverted from spinel-structured (Mg, Fe)₂Si₂O₄. This suite of inclusions is consistent with derivation of most of the diamonds from depths near 670 km, and adds ilmenite and relatively low-Cr, high-Ti spinel to the known phases of the superdeep paragenesis. Diamonds from the Juina area are characterized by a narrow range of carbon isotopic composition ('¹³C=-7.8 to -2.5‰), except for the one majorite-bearing diamond ('¹³C=-11.4‰). There are high proportions of nitrogen-free and low-nitrogen diamonds, and the aggregated B center is predominant in nitrogen-containing diamonds. These observations have practical consequences for diamond exploration: Low-Mg olivine, low-Mg and high-Mn ilmenite, and low-Cr spinel should be included in the list of diamond indicator minerals, and the role of high-Cr, low-Ti spinel as the only spinel associated with diamond, and hence as a criterion of diamond grade in kimberlites, should be reconsidered.     

Characteristics of Valadares Island aquifer,Paranaguá coastal plain,Brazil

. Aquifer characterization in terms of geologic–geomorphological considerations, pumping test and hydrochemistry has been carried out to evaluate the groundwater potential of one of the delicate coastal island systems in Parana State, Brazil. The Valadares Island, lying in the Atlantic coastal zone, represents a stabilized beach ridge having a thickness of more than 20 m unconsolidated quartz-rich sand. Field and laboratory investigations suggest that this homogeneous coastal aquifer can partially meet the local domestic demand of fresh water even though it is in hydraulic continuity with the estuarine and tidal systems of Paranaguá bay. Efficiency of the aquifer to hold and release water was determined by conducting a pumping test in one of the partially penetrating wells in the island for 24 h. The physical, chemical and biological analyses of samples from 12 5-cm diameter wells of the area have indicated that groundwater needs purification for drinking purpose. It is advocated that the groundwater potential of the island aquifer is worth considering for sustained but controlled exploitation.     

Geochemistry Of The GuaxupÉ Granulites, Minas Gerais, Brazil

Geochemical data for granulite terrain are presented in the northernmost portion of the Guaxupé Massif, at Mantiqueira Province, SE Brazil. Several types of granulites are recognized in the area: basic, intermediate and acid granulite. Major and trace elements (including REE) point to only one magma source for these granulites generated at different times. Geochemical data point to plagioclase and apatite fractionation as the responsable by the REE behaviour in intermediate and more basic rocks. Overall composition of the Guaxupé Granulites is similar to average described worldwide in the literature to the lower crust.     

Late Proterozoic aragonitic cement crusts, Bambuí Group, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The Late Proterozoic Pedro Leopoldo facies (Bambuí Group) in the vicinity of Belo Horizonte, Brazil, comprises alternating laminated microsparitic limestones (10–35 mm thick beds) and fibrous limestones (10–55 mm thick). The latter are composed of a mosaic of sparry calcite crystals. These irregularly crosscut rays and fans are composed of feathery precursor crystal bundles with squared-off growth zones. Ghosts of an original fibrous mineral, hexagonal in cross-section, are visible. The petrographic characteristics, very high strontium content and low magnesium content of the fibrous beds, as well as microspar beds, strongly argue for an original aragonitic mineralogy. The rays are interpreted as having formed by precipitation at the sediment-water interface, whereas the micrite was precipitated from the water column prior to deposition on the sea floor. The lack of emergence features suggests widespread aragonite precipitation under persistently subtidal conditions.     

Geochemical evolution of the Capim River kaolin, Northern Brazil

The Capim River kaolin, located in the eastern Brazilian Amazon, constitutes one of the most important kaolin deposits in the world. Known for its high whiteness, its noble application is in the paper industry. Studies were carried out on samples from the six facies of the deposit (sand kaolin, soft kaolin, lower transition facies, ferruginous crust, upper transition facies and flint kaolin) in order to trace its geochemical evolution. The kaolin developed at the expense of Cretaceous sandy–clayey sediments of the Ipixuna Formation. Intense lateritic processes characterized by ferruginization and deferruginization mechanisms led to the distinction of the different facies.     

Post-rift volcanic structures of the Pernambuco Plateau,northeastern Brazil

The Pernambuco marginal basin is located on the eastern continental margin of northeastern Brazil, covers an area of 20,800 km², and represents one of the most prominent frontiers for deep water oil and gas exploration off the Brazilian coast. The onshore region of this basin was highly affected by extrusive and intrusive magmatism during the Upper Albian, and the relation of that event with the volcanic structures observed in the offshore sector has not been thoroughly characterized to date. This study aims to characterize the major extrusive and intrusive volcanic structures of the offshore portion of this basin, which is dominated by the Pernambuco Plateau, and its stratigraphic relations. A set of 143 2D multichannel seismic sections that cover the Pernambuco Plateau region are used to interpret the major tectono-stratigraphic sequences and describe the distribution of volcanoes, sills, vent complexes and related volcaniclastic sequences. The interpretations are supported by aeromagnetic and gravimetric geophysical surveys. Volcanoes are classified into two groups that differ in terms of their morphology: shield-like structures and cone-shaped volcanic structures. Sill intrusions are mainly identified beneath the volcanic structures and are characterized by high-amplitude reflectors with short extensions and abrupt terminations. Volcaniclastic sequences are found adjacent to the volcanoes and are characterized by high-amplitude, disrupted reflections with local chaotic configurations. Vent complexes are classified on the basis of their morphologies as either eye-shaped or crater-shaped. The volcanic features identified within the available seismic dataset are concentrated in two main areas: in the centre of the plateau and near its northeastern border. These two regions are host basement outer highs and are surrounded by hyper-extended continental crust, which forms the plateau itself. The extrusive and intrusive features described in the offshore region were formed during the post rift Cretaceous and Cenozoic intervals and point to the continuation of magmatic events after the rifting process. The findings presented in this report provide a better understanding of the magmatism on the northeastern passive margin of Brazil and can also be useful for future modelling of the Pernambuco Basin petroleum system.     

Geochemistry of the Rio Espinharas hybrid complex, northeastern Brazil

The Rio Espinharas pluton, northeastern Brazil, belongs to the shoshonitic series and consists mainly of syenogranite, quartz–monzonite and porphyritic quartz–monzonite, but diorite, quartz–monzodiorite, quartz–syenite and microsyenogranite also occur containing microgranular enclaves, except for the diorite. Most variation diagrams of rocks, amphiboles, biotites and allanites show linear trends, but K, Zr, Sr and Ba of rocks display curved scattered trends. The rocks ranging from diorite to syenogranite define a pseudo-errorchron and have similar REE patterns. Syenogranite and microsyenogranite are derived from two distinct pulses of granite magma with initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio of 0.7083±0.0003 and 0.7104±0.0007, respectively. Modelling of major and trace elements shows that the syenogranite evolved by fractional crystallization of plagioclase, microcline, edenite, biotite and titanite, whereas quartz–monzonite, porphyritic quartz–monzonite, quartz–monzodiorite and quartz–syenite resulted from simple mixing between an upper mantle-derived dioritic magma and the upper crust-derived syenogranite magma. Dioritic enclaves are globules of a mafic magma from the upper mantle.     

Description and Petrogenesis of the Paran Rzhyolites, Southern Brazil

The Paran continental flood basalt province is a voluminousbimodal volcanic sequence, with <5% silicic rocks (‘rhyolites’)lying on top of the basalts, concentrated towards the SouthAtlantic margin. Petrographically, the rhyolites have an anhydrousmineralogy (plagioclase, pyroxene, Fe–Ti oxides), and.two distinct groups are defined on the basis of phenocryst abundance.The Palmas group rhyolites are almost aphyric (<5% phenocrysts),in contrast to the plagioclase-rith Chapec group rhyolites(<25% phenocrysts). The plagioclase and clinopyroxene phenocrystsin the Palmas group rhyolites are rounded and poorly preserved,and are compositionally less evolved than those in the Chapecgroup. Calculated eruption temperatures are unusually high forsilicic magmas (950–1100C), and lie within the rangeof temperatures for the associated flood basalts. Chemically,the Palmas and Chapec group rhyolites are clearly distinguishable,with the most striking feature being the higher high field strengthelements, notably Ti, in the Chapec group. This mirrors thewell-documented low- and high-Ti division of the Paran basalts,and in addition there is a geographic correlation between thelow- and high- Ti basalt and rhyolite provinces, with high-Tivolcanics predominating in the north of the Paran Basin, andlow-Ti in the south. The Chapec group have Sr and Nd isotoperatios which overlap with those of the high-Ti basalts (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr₁₃₀0•705–0•708), whereas the Palmas group exhibita range towards high Sr isotope ratios (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr₁₃₀ 0•714–0•727),continuing the trend of the low-Ti basalts to more radiogenicvalues. This suggests that assimilation of radiogenic materialhas occurred. Both rhyolite groups plot away from the isotopicfields for crustal basement types beneath the Paran, thus anorigin by simple crustal melting is discounted. Based on petrographic,chemical and isotopic data, petrogenetic models for the tworhyolite groups are developed, focusing on the clear geneticlink between the Palmas rhyolites and the low-Ti basalts, andthe Chapec rhyolites and the high-Ti basalts. The Chapec rhyolitesare modelled as partial melts ( 30%) of underplated high-Tibasalts, rather than fractionates, primarily because of thetime gap between eruption of the high-Ti basalts and Chapecrhyolites. However, the Palmas rhyolites are almost coeval withthe low-Ti basalts, and are modelled as the products of open-systemfractional crystallization from these low-Ti basaltic magmas.In addition, this low-Ti suite shows a continuous trend frombasalt to rhyolite in highly incompatible elements such as Zrand Hf consistent with a liquid line of descent, whereas thehigh-Ti magmas have a substantial gap in the concentration ofthese elements between the basalts and rhyolites. Experimentaldata support the derivation of both Paran rhyolite groups frombasaltic parents with moderately low water contents. Pressurecalculations suggest shallower ponding for the Palmas magmasthan for the Chapec magma (<5 kbar vs 5–15 kbar),and the style of eruption inferred for the two groups is explosive(rheoignimbritic) for the Palmas group, and effusive (lava flows)for the Chapec group. KEY WORDS: Paran; Brazil; rhyolits; petrogenesis; geochemistry ^*Corresponding author     

Flexural modeling of the neoproterozoic Araguaia belt,central Brazil

Flexural modeling of bending of the southern and southeastern borders of the Amazon lithospheric plate under the western border of the Goiás Massif and western Parnaı́ba basin was constrained by 1070 gravity stations between 5°–14°S and 46°–52.5°W. Topography and aeromagnetic data were also used to estimate the loads of the Araguaia thrust belt. A sequence of Bouguer gravity anomaly lows (−80 to −40 mGal) is located over the Araguaia thrust belt and Cenozoic sediments of the Ilha do Bananal basin. Bouguer anomalies over the Amazon craton, to the west of the thrust belt, are higher than −20 mGal. Towards the east, over the Goiás Massif, the São Francisco craton and the Paleozoic to Mesozoic Parnaı́ba basin, anomalies range from −70 to −20 mGal. Comparison between topography and gravity along profiles perpendicular to the cratonic borders and across the Araguaia thrust belt shows that the long-wavelength gravity anomalies are best explained by bending of the Amazon plate caused by loads such as the observed topography, the thrust-sheets of the Araguaia belt and the remnants of ancient island-arc system in the Goiás massif. The thickness of the Araguaia thrust belt together with the Cenozoic sediments was estimated using aeromagnetic data and it ranges from 6 to 8 km. This load was used to calculate the minimum effective elastic thickness T_e for the Amazon plate. T_e=80 km was estimated by comparing the observed Bouguer anomalies with the gravity anomalies caused by bending of the crust-mantle interface of a broken elastic plate model. These results support the proposition that the Araguaia belt formed during the collision and suture of the Amazon and the São Francisco lithospheric plates, in late Proterozoic times.     

Genesis of the Precambrian copper-rich Caraiba hypersthenite-norite complex,Brazil

Caraiba, the largest Brazilian copper deposit under exploitation, consists mostly of disseminated and remobilised bornite and chalcopyrite hosted in early Proterozoic norite and hypersthenite. The mafic igneous complex comprises multiple intrusions of dykes, veins and breccias of norites and hypersthenites, with minor proportions of amphibolised gabbronorite and peridotite xenoliths transported by the magma from deeper levels in the lithosphere. The country rocks are high-grade gneisses, granulites and metasediments. Compositions of plagioclase(An_60-40) and orthopyroxene(En_70-60) fall in a narrow range similar to the Koperberg Suite from the Okiep copper district, South Africa, and to that in many massif-type anorthosites. Whole-rock major and trace element geochemistry indicate a parental magma enriched in Fe, LREE, P, K, and Cu. Negative Nb anomalies on multi-element plots and fractionated REE patterns, along with sulphide sulphur isotopes in the range ³⁴S = –1.495 to + 0.643, suggest a primary mantle lithosphere source, although a lower crustal source for the gabbronorite and peridotite xenoliths cannot be excluded. Geochronological and field evidence indicate that both norite and hypersthenite are likely to have been emplaced during a major sinistral transcurrent (partly transpressional) shearing event associated with the waning stage of evolution of the early Proterozoic Salvador-Curaçá orogen.     

The origin of diamonds in western Minas Gerais,Brazil

Important diamond mineralized alluvium/colluvium occurs in western Minas Gerais (WMG) in the Brasília Orogenic Belt (700-450 my). Diamonds are geographically related to glacial and periglacial sediments (Upper Proterozoic and Permo-Carboniferous), wadi and debris flow conglomerates (Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous), and ultramafic alkaline rocks (intrusive and extrusive, including kimberlites, leucitites, kamafugites, carbonatites, etc.) of Cretaceous age. Petrological data indicate that the rocks originally petrographically classified as kimberlites present mineralogical, chemical, and isotopical differences with Group I and II kimberlites and more closely resemble kamafugites. The Brasília Orogenic Belt presents features of a Wilson Cycle implying that WMG does not fulfil the geotectonic and geothermometric requisites to host primary diamond sources. An analysis of field relations and sedimentology in WMG shows that the majority of the diamonds have been transported by glacial events from the São Francisco Craton further east.     

Whole-rock chemistry of the Gameleira I uranium deposit,Lagoa Real,Brazil

The Lagoa Real uranium (U) province, referred to as Lagoa Real, is located in the state of Bahia, north-eastern Brazil. Lagoa Real has ∼112,000 metric tonnes and average grade of 2700 ppm of U₃O₈, being one of the largest U deposits in the world and the largest in Brazil. Despite its economic and strategic importance, there are gaps in the geological knowledge of the Lagoa Real U deposits. One of them is the lack of extensive whole-rock chemical data sets. Here, we present whole-rock chemical analyses for major and trace elements, including the rare-earth elements (REE), from barren country rocks to uraniferous ore shoot, systematically sampled from an exploratory drill hole. The chemical data indicate that albitite rocks, with and without uraniferous mineralisation, cannot result from sodic syenitic magmatism, as proposed by recent studies. Petrographical and geochemical evidence supports the previously suggested concept that the Lagoa Real albitite rocks resulted from sodic metasomatism of the granitic country rock, known as the São Timóteo granite. Their ore-mineral assemblages and geochemical characteristics are similar to albitite-hosted U deposits worldwide.