Mineralogical and geochemical controls of nickel in the ultramafic rocks of Sul-Riograndense Shield

Abstract

This work investigates the processes controlling the mobility and concentration of nickel in serpentinized ultramafic rocks of the Sul-Riograndense Shield (ESrg). Four ultramafic units were selected: Serrinha Complex, Cerro Mantiqueira Sequence, Pedras Pretas Massive and Cambaizinho Complex. Conventional techniques allow to chemically classify the rocks and to relate rock texture with the intensity and degree of the different events that contributed to changes in the mineralogy of the protholiths. Electron microprobe analysis of olivine and serpentine allowed determining the concentrations of nickel and its variations in all of the investigated units. The nickel-bearing minerals were identified, and established the relationship between geological events, element mobility and element concentration. The olivine of Pedras Pretas Massive contain lower levels of nickel with a range of 0.08 to 0.29%, and an average value of 0.17%, while olivines of Cerro Mantiqueiras Sequence contain higher NiO levels (maximum 0,44%), with an average value of 0.35%. The olivine composition of Pedras Pretas Massive and Cerro Mantiqueiras Sequence are homogeneous, while those of Cambaizinho Complex have a slightly higher range of variation with composition ranging between Fo92 and Fo84, but with NiO amounts between 0.17 e 0.30%. In Serrinha Complex, the olivine was not identified probably due to the intense serpentinization. Cambaizinho Complex and Cerro Mantiqueiras Sequence have serpentine minerals with a tendency to higher concentrations of nickel in relation to values obtained in the olivines, but some serpentines have lower values in the last sequence. By comparing the concentrations of nickel in each ultramafic unit, the olivines of Cerro Mantiqueiras Sequence have the highest NiO values, while Pedras Pretas Massive has the lowest values among the investigated ultramafic rocks. It is important to mention that the NiO concentration in the studied ultramafic units show equivalent values when compared to the other ultramafics around the world.