No abstract

The porphyritic topaz granite of the Água Boa batholith at the Pitinga Mine contains rounded quartz and rectangular white and pink feldspar phenocrysts. The fine-grained groundmass is composed of quartz, white and pink feldspar, micas (biotite and Li-siderophylite) and topaz. Accessory minerals include zircon, fluorite, Fe-Ti oxides, RE-minerals, thorite, columbite-tantalite, cassiterite, xenotime and sulphides. The topaz granite is peraluminous, similar to low P 2 O 5 topaz granites, shows some features resulting from post-magmatic metassomatic processes and is considered as a likely source of tin mineralizing fluids in the Água Boa Granite. Three subtypes of topaz granite have been identified, based on modal composition and petrographic features: 1) end-member with around 20% angular phenocrysts; 2) intermediate member with approximately 36% phenocrysts exhibiting dendritic margins; and 3) matrix rock containing around 68% phenocrysts and phenocryst aggregates with irregular and dendritic margins. The estimated amount of K-feldspar phenocrysts decreases at the expense of quartz and plagioclase phenocrysts from the matrix rock to the end-member type. Petrographically, the matrix rock contains relict quartz, Kfeldspar and plagioclase aggregates of the older, medium-to coarse-grained granite facies. These aggregates are surrounded by irregular and anastomosing films of topaz granite displaying magmatic flow textures. Individual phenocrysts of quartz show evidence of partial absorption and subsequent dendritic growth. The model for the formation of the matrix rock at the Pitinga Mine considers that the partially crystallized, earlier facies were intruded by the more evolved topaz granite crystal mush, which underwent decompression during emplacement, causing compositional desequilibrium and later re-equilibration at low pressure associated with late fluid stage separation.