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International Geology Review

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Lead- and Sulfur-Isotope Investigations of the Boquira Sediment-Hosted Sulfide Deposit, Brazil
Ilson G. Carvalho , Sundaram S. Iyer , Colombo C. G. Tassinari & Aroldo Misi
a d a b c

Departamento de Geoquimica , Institute de Geocincias, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA 40210-340, Brazil
b

Department of Physics and Astronomy , University of Calgary, T2N IN4, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
c

Centro de Pesquisas Geocronolgicas , Instituto de Geoci#ncias, Universidade de So Paulo, SP 05422-970, So Paulo, Brazil
d

Programa de Pesquisa e Ps-Graduaco em Geofisica e Geologia (PPPG) , Instituto de Geocincias, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA 40210-340, Brazil Available online: 06 Jul 2010

To cite this article: Ilson G. Carvalho, Sundaram S. Iyer, Colombo C. G. Tassinari & Aroldo Misi (1997): Lead- and Sulfur-Isotope Investigations of the Boquira Sediment-Hosted Sulfide Deposit, Brazil, International Geology Review, 39:2, 97-106 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00206819709465261

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International Geology Review, Vol. 39, 1997, p. 97-106. Copyright 1997 by V. H. Winston & Son, Inc. All rights reserved.

Lead- and Sulfur-Isotope Investigations of the Boquira Sediment-Hosted Sulfide Deposit, Brazil1
I L S O N G. CARVALHO,

Departamento de Geoquimica, Institute de Geocincias, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA 40210-340, Brazil
S U N D A R A M S. IYER,

Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, T2N IN4, Canada
C O L O M B O C. G. TASSINARI,

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Centro de Pesquisas Geocronolgicas, Instituto de Geocincias, Universidade de So Paulo, So Paulo, SP 05422-970, Brazil AND AROLDO MISI Programa de Pesquisa e Ps-Graduao em Geofisica e Geologia (PPPG), Instituto de Geocincias, Universidade Federal da Bahia, Salvador, BA 40210-340, Brazil Abstract Lead- and sulfur-isotope investigations were performed at the Boquira sediment-hosted leadzinc deposit in Bahia state, Brazil. This deposit, hosted by banded iron formation of metamor phosed oxide, carbonate, and silicate facies, was the most important lead mine in Brazil for nearly 40 years, until 1991, when mine operations ceased as a result of inadequate proven reserves. The lead-isotope data indicate an Archean-Paleoproterozoic age (2.5 to 2.7 Ga) for the deposit, and the lead is inferred to have been derived from crustal sources, probably from the basement rocks. The 34S values for the layered sulfides are in the range from +8.3 to +12.8%o. The high positive values indicate that the sulfur was derived from the sediments by thermochemical reduction of Archean/Paleoproterozoic marine seawater; Boquira is a rare sedi ment-hosted galena-sphalerite deposit of this age. The study emphasizes the need to prospect marine sedimentary areas of Archean age for possible economic deposits of Pb and Zn.

Introduction THE: MAJORITY OF A r c h e a n stratiform massive sulfide deposits are volcanogenic in origin (Lydon, 1984) a n d c o n t a i n very little galena (Large, 1983). In c o n t r a s t , known deposits of s e d i m e n t - h o s t e d massive sulfide deposits are mostly of middle Proterozoic (1.7 to 1.4 Ga) or C a m b r i a n to Carboniferous (580 to 300 Ma) age, and c o n t a i n large a m o u n t s of lead. T h i s may indicate t h a t c o n d i t i o n s favorable for t h e deposition of s e d i m e n t - h o s t e d sulfide deposits, especially t h o s e of lead, emerged later in t h e E a r t h ' s history. This has resulted in t h e general c o n f i n e m e n t of lead-ore p r o s p e c t i n g efforts to

s e d i m e n t - h o s t e d deposits that are y o u n g e r t h a n middle Proterozoic in age. T h u s , t h e discovery of older sedimentary-hosted sulfide deposits has i m p o r t a n t implications for p r o s p e c t i n g new types of ore deposits and also will improve o u r knowledge of metallogenic processes d u r i n g t h e early history of t h e E a r t h . In t h i s paper, we report isotopic evidence for an A r c h e a n - P a l e o p r o t e r o z o i c age a n d a sedi m e n t a r y origin for t h e Boquira sulfide deposit, Brazil. Geological, petrological, and isotopic data are employed to develop a metallogenetic model for the ore deposit. S o m e i m p o r t a n t clues with regard to p r o s p e c t i n g for lead-zinc deposits of A r c h e a n / P a l e o p r o t e r o z o i c age are provided. Geological Setting The B o q u i r a Pb-Zn m i n e is situated in t h e s o u t h - c e n t r a l region of t h e state of Bahia, a b o u t

1 This paper is one of a series of contributions (Marcos Zentilli, compiler) to Project No. 342, Age and Isotopes of South American Ores, of the International Geological Cor relation Program.

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ceased because of a lack of proven reserves. Nearly six million metric tons of ore with 9% Pb and 2% Zn (DNPM, 1988) was produced from the mine. Hence, the mine may be classi fied as a medium-tonnage sulfide mine. How ever, from a purely scientific point of view, the study of the nature of the ore deposition (volcanogenic versus sediment-hosted massive sul fide) and the age (Archean or Proterozoic) is quite important because it is a unique example of the concentration of lead sulfides in an Archean to early Proterozoic sedimentary basin. The main geological unit of the Boquira area is the Boquira Formation, which forms a NWSE belt 130 km long and an average of 25 km wide, located in the westernmost part of the Paramirim Valley. The major rock types in the valley are gneissic migmatites of Archean age, constituting the Paramirim Complex. Middle Proterozoic metasedimentary sequences from the Espinhao Supergroup occur farther west (Figs. 1 and 2). The valley of the Paramirim River represents the morphological expression of a large ancient basement structure of the S o Francisco craton, which comprises both the Paramirim Complex and the Boquira Formation. Two chronologically distinct domains con stitute the structural framework of the area. (1) The earlier domain is represented by migmatized and folded Archean substrata. The Boquira Formation, which hosts the lead-zinc deposit, has been affected by a deformationmetamorphic event recorded in the Archean basement rocks. It is isoclinally folded (axial planes dipping to the west), with infolding (Fig. 3). (2) The younger domain consists of the remnants of overturned synclinal folds, which have N-S axial planes that dip to the east. This fold system, which appears to have weakly affected the entire area, originated from com pressive tectonic events during the Brasiliano/ Pan African orogenic cycle (0.65 Ga). According to Costa and Inda (1982), extensional faults provoked the rupture of the base ment at 1.72 Ga, which represents the radiometric age of the silicic to intermediate peralkaline volcanic rocks at the base of the Espinhao Supergroup, named the Rio dos Remedios Formation. The rupture was respon sible for the generation of the Espinhao

FIG. 1. Location map and geotectonic setting of the Boquira Pb-Zn deposit, Brazil: Legend: 1 = Proterozoic metasedimentary cover; 2 = Lower Proterozoic and Archean basement of the So Francisco craton; 3 = Brazilian Shield and fold belts; 4 = Boquira Pb-Zn deposit.

FIG. 2. Simplified geological map of the Boquira area. Legend: 1 = upper Proterozoic carbonate rocks; 2 = middle Proterozoic siliciclastic metasedimentary rocks of the Espinhao Supergroup, Santo Onofre Formation; 3 = alkaline granites (Lagoa Real Group); 4 = Boquira Forma tion; 5 = Lower Proterozoic and Archean gneissic-migmatite terrane; 6 = Pb-Zn deposit.

450 km southwest of Salvador, the capital city of Bahia (Fig. 1). This deposit was the most important lead mine for Brazil for nearly 40 years, until 1991, when mining operations

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FIG. 3. Cross-section of the Boquira area. Modified after Fleischer (1976) and Espourteille and Fleischer (1980).

aulacogen. This tectonic setting determined the sedimentation of the Espinhao Supergroup, locally represented by the Santo Onofre Forma tion. This Paleoproterozoic extensional fault system probably was active from the end of the Archean, making possible the marine sedi mentation of the Archean-Paleoproterozoic Boquira Formation. Later uplift of the central block of the Espinhao aulacogen and erosion of the deposited sediments appear to have exposed the basement along the belt corre sponding to the valley of the Paramirim River. Along the western margin of the exposed base ment, several hills representing remnants of the Boquira Formation are aligned NW-SE, and are as long as 2 km individually (Fig. 2). Basement rocks were affected by pervasive granitization of alkaline affinity (Lagoa Real Granite) during the Transamazonian orogeny. Table 1 summa rizes the main radiometric data available in the area. The Boquira Formation and Lead-Zinc Deposits The Boquira Formation originally was sub divided into four major units. These are, in

stratigraphic order, from bottom to top (Kaul, 1970): (1) Indivisible Member: chlorite schist, chlorite-sericite schist, chlorite-biotite schist, sericite schist, and epidositite; (2) Contendas Member: banded Mg-carbonates, mainly dolo mites and magnesite; amphiboles or calcite bands may occur locally; (3) Boquira Member: banded iron formation, hosting the Pb-Zn deposits; (4) Tiros Member: volcanic rocks described as rhyolite, trachyrhyolite, dacite, and trachyandesite. Carvalho (1982, 1985) and Carvalho et al. (1982) did not consider the Contendas Member to be distinct from the Boquira Member, and hence both members were grouped into the Boquira-Contendas Member. Many researchers (Fleischer, 1976; Espourteille and Fleischer, 1980; S, 1981; McReath et al., 1981; Costa and Inda, 1982) also have pointed out that the Tiros Member, which corresponds with the Rio dos Remdios Formation, is younger and does not belong to the Boquira Formation. Thus, the Boquira Formation in this study is considered to consist of schists (Indivisible Member) and banded iron formation with associated magnesian carbonates (Boquira-Contendas Member).

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TABLE 1. Radiometric Age Data for Major Regional Geological Units

Geological unit Age, Ga Dating method Reference

Espinhao Supergroup Lagoa Real granites

1.7 1.72 1.70 1.72 1.72 2.5 2.5-2.7 2.9 2.8

U-Pb (zircon) U-Pb (zircon) Rb-Sr (WR) Pb-Pb (WR) U-Pb (zircon) Pb-Pb (galena) Pb-Pb (galena) Sm-Nd (model age) Rb-Sr (WR)

Machado et al., 1989 Cordani et al., 1992 Cordani et al., 1992 Turpin et al., 1988 Machado et al., 1989 Cassedanne, 1966; Present study Turpin et al., 1988; Gordani et al., 1992

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Rio dos Remdios (Tiros Member) volcanics Boquira Formation Sulfide facies Gneissic-migmatites Basement

The Indivisible Member probably is related to basaltic flows. The lower contact with the migmatitic gneiss is transitional, whereas the upper contact with the Boquira-Contendas member is sharp and well defined. Carvalho (1982) and Carvalho et al. (1982) considered the Boquira-Contendas Member to be formed by four depositional facies. They concluded that these facies correspond to sedi ments of chemical derivation, whose deposition was controlled by physico-chemical conditions prevailing in a subaquatic environment. These facies have been described by Rocha (1990) as follows. Oxide Facies. This facies consists of alternat ing quartz and hematite layers, generally of 1-10-mm thickness. Magnetite may occur in the transition to the Carbonate Facies. Carbonate Facies. The Carbonate Facies con sists of thinly layered carbonate-quartz-chlor i t e , carbonate-amphibole-magnetite, and quartz-carbonate-amphibole-magnetite-martite, with predominantly carbonate bands. Car bonate generally is of the iron-dolomiteankerite series and the dolomite-calcite series. The amphiboles are mainly tremoliteactinolite, although hornblende and cummingtonite are present in places. Silicate Facies. This facies is composed of dark green to black layers of amphibole and magnetite, intercalated with light green layers of amphibole lacking magnetite. The dark amphiboles are of the cummingtonite-grunerite series, whereas those of the lighter layers are of the iron-actinolite-tremolite series.

Sulfide Facies. Pb-Zn sulfide strata are inter calated within the Silicate Facies. These strata are similar to the sulfide facies (iron-rich) of the Algoma type (James, 1954,1966; Gross and McLeod, 1980), except for the fact that Boquira deposits contain significant lead-zinc sulfides and smaller quantities of iron sulfides. In places, sulfide strata attain thicknesses of as much as 8 m, but they commonly are cut by granitic apophyses and oblique transcurrent faults and thus are reduced to a few centimeters in thickness. In other places, sulfide-facies rocks disappear, where the host Silicate Facies laterally grades into the Carbonate Facies. Local remobilization has produced small quartz-calcite veins containing sulfides, which crosscut the massive sulfide layers. Sulfide-facies units are massive and, less commonly, disseminated. The horizons can be traced ~4 km along strike, with variable thickness, along the NW-SE exposed area of the Boquira Formation (Fig. 2). The sulfide deposit is massive and is com posed of galena and sphalerite, with minor amounts of pyrite and pyrrhotite, generally concentrated on the borders of the mineralized body. Gangue minerals, in decreasing order of abundance, are magnetite, maghemite, amphi boles, asbestos, quartz, martite, calcite, and gahnite. Espourteille and Fleischer (1988) described the following additional characteris tics of the sulfide mineralization. (1) The contacts with the host rocks (sili cate facies) are well defined and are marked by transition zones a few centimeters in width.

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TABLE 2. Lead- and Sulfur-Isotope Data for Sulfide Samples from the Boquira District, Bahia, Brazil
Sample Mineral
206Pb/ 204 Pb
207

Pb/204Pb

208

Pb/204Pb

T,Ga

34S (%o)

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BQ la BQ lb BQ 2 BQ 3a BQ 3b BQ 5 BQ Rl 10a BQ Rl 10b BQ Rl Ch 13a BQ R1 Ch 13b BQ Rl Ch 13c BQ Rl Ch 13d BQ 600 Ch 23a BQ 600 Ch 23b

Galena Pyrrbotite Galena Galena Pyrrhotite Galena Pyrrhotite-veins Pyrrhotite Galena Pyrrhotite Sphalerite Pyrite Galena Pyrrhotite

14.734

15.334

34.686

13.17

2.62

14.889

15.289

34.440

12.22

2.56

14.842

15.539

35.188

14.91

2.73

14.763

15.345

34.631

14.91

2.56

+11.8 + 10.5 + 8.3 + 10.4 + 9.7 + 10.3 + 3.7 + 10.4 + 10.7 + 12.8 + 12.6 + 10.3 + 9.3 + 9.6

(2) The sulfide mineralization is composed of large galena crystals 2 to 3 cm in diameter. The galena appears to have been recrystallized as a result of the regional metamorphism. (3) When intersected by faults and fractures, the orebody is intensely transformed. Galena has been recrystallized, forming coarse-grained crystal aggregates in discordant veins, associ ated with milky quartz and calcite veins. In other places the sulfide minerals cement amphibolite breccia. (4) Some featuressuch as chloritization, the presence of serpentine and tourmaline in quartz veins and quartz nodules, and euhedral crystals of garnetmay be interpreted as resulting from hydrothermal alterations. Never theless, they are not exclusively confined to the fault zones. (5) The ratio of Pb to Zn in the orebody is high (~4.5), in sharp contast to the host rocks. (6) Cadmium and silver are present in the sulfide orebody and show a strong correlation with sphalerite and galena.

in the laboratory by hand picking under a bin ocular microscope. Sulfur-isotope analyses were carried out at the Stable Isotope Laboratory at the University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, following pro cedures described by Iyer et al. (1992). SO 2 was liberated from a SiO2-V2O5 sample mixture in an on-line vacuum extraction system coupled to a mass spectrometeter built using Micromass 602 components. The 34S values are reported relative to Canon Diablo troilite (CDT). The precision of analyses was 0.2%. The lead-isotope analyses were performed at the Geochronology Research Center of the Uni versity of So Paulo, Brazil. Galena crystal aggregates were washed in distilled water to remove any fine impurities that adhered to the suface and then were powdered and dissolved in distilled lON HC1. The lead-isotope analyses were performed using the single-filament silicagel method in a VG 354 Micromass mass spec trometer. The precision and accuracy (verified using NBS lead standards 981 and 982) are of the order of 0.1%.

Analytical Procedures The sulfide samples were collected mainly from the Sobrado, Pelado, and Cruzeiro strati form bodies. Two samples (BQ Bl 10a and BQ R l 10b) were collected from discordant veins in underground mine galleries and were separated Results and Discussion The lead- and sulfur-isotope data for the sulfide samples are presented in Table 2. Of the 15 mineral sulfide samples analyzed for sulfur

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FIG. 4. Lead-isotope evolution curves according to the plumbotectonic model of Zartman and Doe (1981), where the data from the sulfides of Boquira are plotted. The curves represent evolution of upper crust (UC), orogene (OR), mantle (MN), and lower crust (LC).

isotopes, four galena samples also were studied for their Pb-isotope composition. The lead-isotope data are plotted in relation to the lead evolution curves of Zartman and Doe (1981) and are shown in Figures 4A and 4B. The model ages calculated using the two-stage evolu tion curve of Stacey and Kramers (1975) are 2.7 to 2.5 Ga for the layered galenas. These model ages may be attributed to different generations of galena or to a later remobilization by metamorphic processes. Previous lead-isotope data for three galena samples from this same area by Cassedanne (1966) yielded a Pb-Pb model age of 2.5 Ga. The larger variation (and more radio genic isotope composition) in 2 0 7 Pb/ 2 0 4 Pb (15.28 to 15.53) compared to 2 0 6 Pb/ 2 0 4 pb

(14.73 to 14.88) is a common phenomenon in galenas of Archean age and reflects the greater accumulation of 207 Pb compared to 206 Pb in the Pb-isotope evolution diagram (Fig. 4). The data points for Boquira, which plot above the plum botectonic model curves of Zartman and Doe (1981) (Fig. 4A), require recycled lead or an upper-crustal model source. The non-radio genic character of the lead is an indication that the major part of it could have come from feldspars (Iyer et al., 1991), probably from the basement rocks. The oblique distribution of analytical data points indicates the possibility of lead being generated by or derived from multiple sources with variable U / P b and T h / Pb. The high values (12.22 to 14.91) are

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FIG. 5. Histogram of sulfur-isotope data for the Boquira sulfides.

consistent with an upper-crustal origin for the lead. The 34S values for the primary sulfides fall within the range of +8.3 to + 12.8%o, whereas pyrite and pyrrhotite from veins (remobilized) yielded values of+3.7 and +10.4%o, respectively (Fig. 5). The high positive 34S values contrast sharply with the near-zero values for massive volcanogenic sulfides from different regions of the world (Eastoe et al., 1990). Thus, the pos sibility of a deep mantle source for the sulfur can be ruled out. On the other hand, the 34S values for the Boquira sulfides are in the same range as those of Paleoproterozoic seawater (Strauss, 1993). The sulfur-isotope variation among the Boquira stratiform sulfides reflects isotope fractionation, possibly during the reduction of marine sulfates. The equation of Ohmoto and Rye (1979) for the sulfide-isotope geothermometer, when applied to a cogenetic pair of galena (BQ Rl Chl3a) and sphalerite (Bq Rl Ch 13c), yielded a temperature close to 350 20C, compatible with a sulfate reduction by thermochemical processes. Espourteille and Fleischer (1988) deter mined the cadmium contents in a sphaleritegalena pair and obtained values of 1.0% (sphal erite) and 140 ppm (galena). These values, when substituted in the geothermometric equa tion for this pair discussed by Bortnikov et al.

(1995), indicate a temperature of 370 20C. According to Ohmoto and Felder (1987), bac teria were active in the Archean sea, and sulfate reduction by bacteria in the warmer Archean seawater is possible. However, the high tempera ture obtained in the present study does not favor bacterial reduction. Lack of detailed geological, petrographic, and isotopic information led earlier workers to sug gest distinctive origins, including magmatic (granitic) and volcanogenic, for the Boquira deposit. The present study finds no evidence for these origins. Instead, the data are consistent with the genesis of the sediment-hosted massive-sulfide type, as suggested by Misi et al. (1996). Large (1983) reviewed this class of deposits and listed several general characteris tics. Table 3 compares these characteristics with geological and isotopic characteristics of the Boquira deposit; some similarities are indi cated. However, the deposit also possesses cer tain unique characteristics, especially age, temperature of the hydrothermal solution, and lack of associated barite; these would indicate that the Boquira is an atypical sediment-hosted massive sulfide deposit. As mentioned earlier, the temperature of 350 20 C calculated from the sulfur-isotope data of the cogenetic galena-sphalerite pair is higher than the temperature range (100 to 300C) suggested for an acidic chlorine-rich hydrother-

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TABLE 3. Comparison of Geological Characteristics of Boquira Deposit and Those of Sediment-Hosted Massive Sulfide Deposits
Sediment-hosted massive sulfide deposits (Large, 1983) Boquira

One or more lens-like tabular bodies of stratiform sulfides, up to a few tens of meters thick, with a lateral extent of several hundred meters to 1 or 2 km Stockwork or vein-type mineralization Variable orebody size and metal content

Yes No Yes Yes No Yes No

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Simple sulfide mineralogy Iron sulfides are dominant (massive pyrite). Sulfides in the stratiform ore form massive or laterally persistent beds with widths of 1 mm to 1 m. Barite generally overlies or occurs as a lateral stratigraphic extension. Footwall sedimentary rocks are hydrothermally altered, especially near cross-cutting mineralization. Distinct lateral and/or vertical zonation of sulfides is common. Stratiform sulfides are concordantly interbedded in marine sedimentary rocks of variable lithology. The tuffite horizons (1 to 10 cm) are found within the host sediments in many localities. Many deposits are spatially associated with growth faults that are thought to have been active at the time of mineralization. Host sediments of various ages, but in general middle Proterozoic (1,7 to 1.4 Ga) and lower middle Paleozoic (0.5 to 0.3 Ga) Location in miogeosyncline or basinal pre-orogenic regimes Homogeneous and non-radiogenic Pb-isotope composition with data falling close to the growth curve. Galenas from neighboring vein-type mineralization are generally more radiogenic. Sulfur-isotope data indicate two types of isotopically distinct sulfur. Galena- S, pyrrhotite-S, sphalerite-S, and some of the pyrite-S is in isotopic equilibrium, whereas the rest of the pyrite-S is isotopically variable. Associated barite-S tends to be isotopically heavier and not in equilibrium with sulfide-S.

Yes No
?

No Yes Yes Yes and no

mal solution (Anderson, 1973; Large, 1977). Our temperature value is based on a single oogenetic sulfide pair and hence is preliminary. Further work on the geothermometry, using fluid inclusions and isotopic data, is being planned and these studies should provide some definite answers concerning the temperature regime that operated during mineralization. From a purely scientific point of view, the data from Boquira have some implications for the accumulation of free oxygen in the early atmosphere. Hattori et al. (1986) compared the 34S data of marine and continental sulfides of Archean and Proterozoic ages. They concluded that marine sulfides as old as 3.1 Ga have varied 34S values, whereas the first recognized varia tion in 34S values in continental sedimentary rocks was found to be some 0.8 g.y. later. This difference was attributed to the lack of suffici ent free oxygen in the early atmosphere. Such a

finding supports a model involving accumula tion of free oxygen in the atmosphere after significant oxygen was consumed in the hydrosphere by fermentation involving H 2 S or photosynthetic processes. The sulfides of Boquira conform to this model, since they are hosted by marine sediments and show variation in 34S values.

Conclusions Geological and isotopic investigations carried out on the Boquira Pb-Zn deposit of Brazil yield Stacey and Kramers Pb-model ages of 2.5 to 2.7 Ga and imply derivation of the lead from base ment rocks via hydrothermal solutions scaveng ing it from the basement. The sulfur-isotope data for sulfide minerals show high positive 4S values, possibly suggesting their origin from

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reduction (thermochemical?) of seawater sul fur or sulfates from particular zones of an Archean-Paleoproterozoic marine environ m e n t . The metallogenic model may be explained in terms of a sediment-hosted mas sive sulfide deposit. The Boquira deposit is rare in that it is probably the only known example of a sedimen tary deposit of Archean-Paleoproterozoic age that contains a significant concentration of lead. This observation has many implications for metallogenesis during the early history of the Earth and should offer clues for use in prospecting for new types of Pb-Zn ore deposits. Prospecting for lead-zinc deposits in sedimen tary basins generally has been confined to mid dle Proterozoic and later formations. Our study clearly suggests that the efforts should be extended to Archean formations and terranes.

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Acknowledgments We are grateful to Nenita Lozano, Kei Sato, and Liliana Petronilho for their assistance in isotope analyses. The Stable Isotope Laboratory at the University of Calgary is supported by funds from the Natural Sciences and Engineer ing Research Council of Canada. The Brazilian authors are supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnolgico (CNPq) and Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos ( F I N E P / B N D E S ) . Richard Tosdal, Ralph Thorpe, and Daniel Kontak reviewed the man uscript and provided valuable suggestions. This paper is a contribution to the International Geological Correlation Program, "Age and Isotopes of South American Ores" (IGCP Project No. 342). REFERENCES
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