Morphological and compositional variations of zircon and their metallogenetic implications: the example of the Jamon, Serra dos Carajás and Velho Guilherme suites, Amazonian Craton

Abstract

Zircon from granites of the Jamon suite (JS), Serra dos Carajás suite (SCS) and Velho Guilherme suite (VGS) were studied by scanning electron microscope (SEM) through backscattered electron and cathodoluminescence images and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analyses. Granites and greisens of the VGS have predominantly anhedral zircons that are altered and intensely corroded, are enriched in Hf and have the lowest Zr/Hf ratios of the studied suites. In the granites, these ratios decrease towards the more evolved varieties. Zircons of the JS are euhedral to subhedral, zoned and slightly altered; they are also comparatively depleted in Hf and display the highest Zr/Hf ratios, indicating limited potential for tin-associated mineralization. Zircons from granites of the SCS are subhedral to anhedral, altered and corroded, and show Hf contents and Zr/Hf ratios intermediate to those of the JS and VGS. The granites of the VGS with Sn-, Ta- and W-associated mineralization contain zircons with Zr/Hf ratios varying from 7 to 22. It is concluded that ratios of similar magnitude can be used as a prospecting guide for specialized granites. Zircons from the greisens associated with the Cigano granite of the SCS have average Zr/Hf ratios of approximately 23, but no cassiterite was found in these rocks, indicating that the zircons preserved their magmatic geochemical signature. This study distinguished the three granitic suites in terms of zircon composition and demonstrated the importance of their geochemical signature, especially in terms of their Zr/Hf ratio, in the identification of specialized granites. EDS-SEM analysis can thus be used in a preliminary assessment of the metallogenic potential of tin granites.