Deciphering the weathering processes using environmental mineralogy and geochemistry: Towards an integrated model of laterite and podzol genesis in the Upper Amazon Basin

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Hydrochemistry and weathering rates on Corumbatai River basin, São Paulo State, Brazil

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação da contaminação por elementos metálicos dos sedimentos do Estuário Santos - São Vicente

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Radioactivity distribution in some Permian sediments from the Irati and Corumbatal formations of the Parana basin, southeastern Brazil

in the city of Limeira, southeastern Brazil, an important exposure of Permian sediments of the Parana basin was revealed by an open pit mine that exploits limestone for production of soil correction compounds and raw materials for the ceramic industry. The radioactivity of these sediments was investigated in some detail and the results provided a general view of the vertical distributions of uranium, thorium and potassium concentrations and of the element ratios U/K, U/Th and Th/K. In general, the concentrations of the main natural radioactive elements are low, with uranium being enriched in some limestone and shale levels. In addition the results showed that the U-238 series is in radioactive disequilibrium in many of the analyzed samples. Although the origin of the observed disequilibrium has not been investigated, the results suggest that it is due to weathering processes and water interaction with the rock matrix. (C) 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The use of U-isotopes on the study of a weathered cover in Parana basin, Brazil

This paper describes the results of a study involving the sampling of a soil profile developed over sandstone from Itarare Sub-Group at the Parana sedimentary basin, Brazil. It was carried out to integrate chemical and U-isotopes data in order to improve the knowledge of the weathering processes acting in the area. U-238 and its daughter U-234 proved to be important tools for evaluating physical and chemical alteration, allowing to suggest a possible timescale for the development of the more superficial soil horizons.

The behavior of dissolved uranium in groundwaters of the Morro do Ferro thorium deposit, Brazil

Groundwater samples were collected for several months in boreholes drilled at Morro do Ferro, a thorium and rare earth deposit located on the Poços de Caldas Plateau, Minas Gerais State, Brazil. An aquifer system has developed in the weathered mantle due to in situ intense alteration. The weathered zone includes a thick argillaceous laterite greater than 100 m thick. The U content and 324U/238U activity ratio were measured in the groundwater samples and in spoil samples of a borehole drilled in the ore body. Some possible mechanisms related to the mobilization of uranium are considered such as complexation with humic substances and adsorption by clays. © 1989.

Geochemical Study of the Itabirite Iron Ores of the Alegria Mine - Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil

The iron ores of Alegria mine are composed of itabirites enclosing minor bodies of high-grade ores. The itabirites are classified according to mineralogical composition in five types: martite-rich, goethite-rich, specularite-rich, magnetite-rich and anphibolite-rich ores. The hematites are martite-rich, magnetite-rich, specularite-rich and more rarely, amphibolite-rich. Other classification criteria of the ores are based on the physical properties and the degree of compaction. As such, the itabirites and hematites can be classified as hard, friable and soft types. The mineralogical/textural evolution of the ores is linked to the pressure and temperature conditions that accompanied the tectonic processes in anphibolite facies and the different degrees of subsequent surficial weathering processes. Petrographic and microstructural studies indicate that the magnetite and amphibole bearing itabirites represent the parent rocks that created the other itabirites and that the specularite itabirites and the hard martite types are related to silica dissolution and redeposition in zones of high and low strain. Most of itabirites ores correspond to chert oxide facies banded iron formation, except the goethite and amphibole bearing itabirite that resemble a silicate or oxide-silicate facies with minor carbonate impurities. The great mass and pods of soft martite itabirites are probably shaley oxide facies BIFs with little volcanic contribution. Trace element contents of the Alegria's itabirites show strong dissimilarities with BIFs associated with volcanism (Algoma type), but closely ressemble to the Lake Superior type, with high content in Cr, Co and low V, Ni, Cu and Zn. Although the absolute contents of REE present in the Alegria's itabirites are, in general very low, the pattern when normalised by NASC is similar to the great majority of the Archean and Paleoproterozoic BIFs elsewhere in the world, and characterised by positive Eu anomaly.

Geochemical and radioactivity characterization of rocks from the Rio Preto (Go) Project

The Rio Preto Project, developed by the extinct Brazilian nuclear state company, Nuclebrás, during the late 70s and early 80s, consisted of basic geological mapping and radiometric characterization by aerogeophysical gamma-ray spectrometry, without channel discrimination, of a surface area of 650 km2 located to the west of the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park on the northeastern of Goiás State, Brazil, including the confluence area of Claro and Preto Rivers. Additionally, the natural radioelements U, Th and 40K were determined by gamma-ray spectrometry in 300 rock samples from cores of the Rio Preto Project area. The tests were conducted at LABIDRO-Isotopes and Hydrochemistry Laboratory of the Departament of Petrology and Metallogeny (DPM) of the Institute of Geosciences and Exact Sciences, UNESP, in Rio Claro, SP, Brazil. This paper reports the results of petrographic characterization and chemical analyses of major oxides (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MgO, MnO, K2O, Na2O, CaO and P2O5) for all samples used to determine the natural radioelements present in the region. The organic matter content results obtained by colorimetry are also reported for selected cores of different lithotypes in order to investigate the possible relationship between graphite and the radioelements uranium and thorium. Finally, uranium content and 234U/238U activity ratio data for selected samples of schists and gneisses of the Lower Member of the Ticunzal Formation suggest the influence of weathering processes in the area. © 2012 Sociedade Brasileira de Geofísica.

Argilominerais da porção basal da formação Corumbataí (Bacia do Paraná) na região de Rio Claro/SP

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Estudo do comportamento dos gnaisses Casablanca, Juparaná Delicato e Giallo Falésia (Ceará - Brasil) em atmosfera salina

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Da carstificação em arenitos. Aproximação com o suporte de geotecnologias =: À propos de la karstfication dans les grès. Traitement par les technologies SIG

Pós-graduação em Geografia - IGCE

Argilas: composição mineralógica, distribuição granulométrica e consistência de pastas

As argilas vermelhas, utilizadas para cerâmica estrutural e de revestimentos, apresentam variações significativas que se refletem no comportamento apresentado durante o uso, para obtenção de determinado produto. Dentro de cada segmento industrial há requisitos básicos para que uma determinada argila ou mistura tenha capacidade de dar produtos que se encaixem dentro das respectivas Normas. Um dos parâmetros básicos para sua classificação é a absorção de água das peças cerâmicas, que resulta da presença de poros abertos. Esta depende, tanto das matérias primas utilizadas, quanto dos processos aplicados durante a fabricação (moagem, umidificação, conformação e queima, principalmente). Neste trabalho foram estudadas argilas vermelhas provenientes da Formação Corumbataí na região do Pólo Cerâmico de Santa Gertrudes (SP) e da Formação Tatuí na região de Cesário Lange (SP) procurando parâmetros indicativos que permitam uma seleção apropriada de matérias primas para realizar combinações adequadas das mesmas, para revestimentos via seca no primeiro caso, e blocos estruturais no segundo. Foram amostradas argilas com características diferentes, estudando a evolução da sinterização com o aumento da temperatura visando analisar a influencia da distribuição granulométrica e da mineralogia no comportamento apresentado. Com as mesmas amostras foram preparadas misturas calculando a contribuição de cada matéria-prima baseado na absorção de água de cada componente, prefixando a temperatura de queima e o valor de absorção de água. As diferenças entre os valores experimentais e os esperados foram analisadas visando entender as causas das variações. A distribuição de partículas resultante da moagem das matérias primas é influenciada fortemente por processos de intemperismo, sendo que, em termos gerais, as mais intemperizadas...

Balanço entre intemperismo químico e remoção do solo na bacia do Ribeirão Monjolo Grande, Ipeúna (SP), determinado por geoquímica fluvial

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Avaliação e comparação das taxas de erosão química e mecânica entre arenitos e argilitos: implicações na evolução geomorfológica da bacia do Rio Corumbataí (SP)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Integração de dados geofísicos e geológicos na caracterização morfológica de ocorrência de cobre na borda norte da Bacia do Camaquã (RS)

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)