The Araxá complex (16 km²) comprises carbonatites forming a central core and a complex network of concentric and radial dykes as well as small veins; additionally, it includes mica-rich rocks, phoscorites and lamprophyres. Fenites also occur and are represented by Proterozoic quartzites and schists of the Araxá Group. The petrographic study of 130 borehole samples indicates that the complex is basically made up by two rock-types, carbonatites and mica-rich rocks, and subordinately by a third unit of hybrid composition. Carbonatites range chemically in composition, the most abundant type being magnesiocarbonatites. Dolomite and calcite correspond to the chief constituents, but other carbonate phases, including the Ce-group RE minerals, are also recognized. Phosphates and oxides are widespread accessories whereas silicate minerals consist of olivine, clinopyroxene, mica and amphibole. Mica-rich rocks are represented by abundant glimmeritic rocks and scarce cumulitic phlogopite-, olivine- and diopside-bearing pyroxenites. Hybrid rocks mainly contain phlogopite and tetraferriphlogopite as cumulus and intercumulus phases, respectively; carbonate minerals may also be found. Chemical data indicate that the carbonatites are strongly enriched in REE and have lower contents of Nb, Zr, V, Cr, Ni and Rb compared to the mica-rich rocks. The higher K, Nb and Zr contents of the latter rocks are believed to be related to metasomatic processes (glimmeritization) of the pyroxenites. Similar REE patterns for carbonatites and mica-rich rocks seem to suggest that they are related to a single parental magma, possibly of ijolitic composition. Steep LREE/HREE fractionation and high sigmaREE content of some carbonatite samples would be explained by hydrothermal and supergenic processes.

Three series of alkaline dikes are characterized in a restricted area of the Mantiqueira Range: a weakly silica-undersaturated series (normative ne < 7), of potassic character, represented by basanite, tephrites, alkali basalts, basaltic trachyandesites, phonotephrites, tephriphonolites, and trachyandesites, an intermediate series (7 > normative ne > 13), of potassic character, consisting only of basanites and tephrites, and a strongly silica-undersaturated series (normative ne > 13), of sodic character, consisting of basanites, tephrites, phonotephrites, and phonolites. Ar-Ar data for biotite from a tephriphonolite dike yielded an average age of 85.4±0.4 Ma. All three series show similar evolution trends controlled mainly by early-fractionation of olivine, spinel and clinopyroxene and, secondly, fractionation of plagioclase and apatite. Different degrees of crustal assimilation are suggested for each series. Assimilation processes are responsible for the wide ⁸⁷ Sr/ ⁸⁶ Sr _i (0.70447-0.71172) and ¹⁴³ Nd/ ¹⁴⁴ Nd _i (0.51237-0.51244) ranges, for the increased K ₂ O/Na ₂ O, Ba/Sr and Rb/Sr ratios, and for the reduced Ce/Pb ratios. In general, a significant contribution from partially melted host rocks is associated to the weakly silica-undersaturated potassic series. A phlogopite-bearing carbonate-metasomatized heterogeneous peridotite source accounts for the main chemical variations in the least contaminated samples of each series. Geochemical signatures of the strongly sodic alkaline series indicate a greater contribution from carbonated pyroxene-rich veins in the mantle source.

This paper reviews general aspects of alkaline-carbonatitic rocks of Brazilian, Paraguayan and Bolivian terrains. Although 30 such occurrences are known in literature, only the major ones have been thoroughly investigated. The carbonatites are of Cretaceous age, with two well-defined Lower Cretaceous and Upper Cretaceous generation episodes. A clear tectonic control by ancient structural features such as archs, lineaments and faults characterizes most cases. The rocks exhibit a large compositional variation, in decreasing orders of abundance from calciocarbonatites to magnesiocarbonatites to ferrocarbonatites. In some complexes, they form multistage intrusions. C-O isotopes indicate that, in general, the carbonatites were affected by post-magmatic processes associated with the topographic level of emplacement and low-temperature H ₂ O-CO ₂ rich fluids responsible for the increased amount of heavy carbon and oxygen. Sr-Nd isotopic compositions similar to those of coeval alkaline silicate rocks, ranging from depleted to enriched mantle sources, have been influenced by two distinct metasomatic events in Proterozoic at 2,0-1.4 Ga and 1.0-0.5 Ga. Sr-Nd-Pb-Os data seem related to an isotopically enriched source, their chemical heterogeneities reflecting a depleted mantle that was metasomatized by small-volume melts and by fluids rich in incompatible elements. Fractional crystallization and liquid immiscibility are believed to be the most effective processes in the formation of the Cretaceous carbonatites, with minor contribution of crustal contamination. Pb isotopic ratios yield evidence that HIMU and EM I mantle components played an important role in the genesis of the carbonatitic magma.

Alkaline magmatism occurs in six distinct areas of Paraguay and forms bodies of variable size, shape, composition and age. The oldest rocks are found in the north and correspond to the Permo-Triassic Alto Paraguay Province (241 Ma). Four Early Cretaceous events can be distinguished in Eastern Paraguay: the Rio Apa and Amambay Provinces (139 Ma), both predating the tholeiites of the Serra Geral Formation, are located in the northern and northeastern regions, respectively; and the Central (126 Ma) and Misiones Provinces (118 Ma) in the central-eastern and southern regions, respectively. The youngest alkaline rocks are volcanic rocks in Asunción of Tertiary age (59 Ma). Excluding the Alto Paraguay rocks influenced by the Amazonian craton, the emplacement of alkaline bodies is clearly controlled by a tectonic extensional regime that generated NW-SE-trending faults and grabens. Geochemically, Paraguayan alkaline rocks are predominantly miaskitic, with a potassic or sodic affinity, the former being characterized by strongly fractionated rare earth-elements, negative Ta-Nb-Ti anomalies, and high Sr and low Nd radiogenic isotopes. Sodic rocks have slightly positive Ta and Nb anomalies and are less enriched in Sr, approaching bulk earth values. Carbonatites behave similarly to the associated pre-tholeiites potassic rocks. The Sr-Nd-Pb isotope ratios suggest that two main mantle components were involved in the genesis of the Paraguayan rocks: an enriched mantle I component dominated the Early Cretaceous potassic magmatism, and an high 238U/204Pb ou high U/Pb component that was important for the late Early Cretaceous and Tertiary sodic magmatism. The close association of potassic and sodic suites, such as in the Asunción-Sapucai-Villarrica graben, indicates that their parental magmas were derived from a heterogeneous subcontinental mantle, enriched with incompatible elements.Magmatismo alcalino ocorre em seis áreas distintas do Paraguai e forma corpos variáveis quanto ao tamanho, forma, composição e idade. As rochas mais antigas são encontradas no Norte e correspondem à Província Permo-Triássica Alto Paraguai (241 Ma). Quatro eventos do Cretáceo Inferior são reconhecidos no Paraguai Oriental: as Províncias Rio Apa e Amambay (139 Ma), ambas predatando os toleítos da Formação Serra Geral, estão situadas, respectivamente, nas regiões norte e nordeste; e as Províncias Central (126 Ma) e Misiones (118 Ma), respectivamente, nas suas regiões centro-oriental e sudeste. As rochas alcalinas mais novas são as vulcânicas de Assunção, de idade Terciária (59 Ma). À exceção das rochas do Alto Paraguai influenciadas pelo cráton amazônico, a colocação dos outros centros alcalinos é claramente controlada por um regime tectônico extensional que gerou falhas e grábens de orientação NW. Geoquimicamente, as rochas alcalinas paraguaias são em sua quase totalidade miaskíticas, de afinidade potássica ou sódica, com as primeiras caracterizadas por intenso fracionamento dos elementos terras raras, anomalias negativas de Ta-Nb-Ti, e teores altos e baixos, respectivamente, de Sr e Nd radiogênico. Rochas sódicas apresentam anomalias positivas de Ta e Nb e são menos enriquecidas em Sr, com valores próximos ao da ­Terra global. Carbonatitos comportam-se similarmente às rochas potássicas ­pré-toleítos. Isótopos de Sr-Nd-Pb sugerem que dois componentes mantélicos estiveram envolvidos na gênese das rochas paraguaias: um componente EMI dominou o magmatismo potássico do Cretáceo Inferior, e um componente HIMU foi importante para o magmatismo sódico do final do Cretáceo Inferior e Terciário. A estreita associação entre as suítes potássica e sódica, como na região do gráben Assunção-Sapucai-Villarrica, indica que seus magmas parentais foram derivados de um manto subcontinental heterogêneo, enriquecido em elementos incompatíveis.FAPESPNational Research Council and Ministry of University and Researc

The question of whether the antecryst assemblage affects the bulk composition of lamprophyre dykes, and could be responsible for the compositional zonation between their centers and borders is addressed through a detailed study involving four monchiquite and camptonite dykes (basanites and tephrites) representative of the Arco de Ponta Grossa and Serra do Mar alkaline provinces. In them, antecrysts are interpreted as early-crystallized minerals that are no longer in equilibrium with their host-liquid, albeit still linked to the same magmatic system. They represent recycled crystals of earlier stages of the magmatic system at depth. The antecryst microtextures, such as zoned clinopyroxene megacrysts (augite cores and titanaugite rims) with partly corroded cores, olivine crystals with corroded rims surrounded by biotite coronas, chrome-spinel inclusions in clinopyroxene and olivine megacryst cores, and titanomagnetite crystals surrounded by biotite coronas, suggest chemical re-equilibrium with the matrix. The greatest antecryst cargo in these dykes is found in their centers. After subtracting the antecryst volume from the center analyses of each body, the calculated compositions are very similar to the border analyses. The mafic antecryst cargo of each occurrence proportionally leads to enrichment of MgO, FeO, TiO₂, CaO, compatible trace elements (Cr, Ni and Co), and depletion of SiO₂, K₂O, Na₂O, Al₂O₃ and incompatible trace elements (Ba, Sr and REE). The whole-rock geochemical analyses of each dyke represent the combination of accumulated crystals and melt. The compositional zonation of the studied dykes is associated with the antecryst cargo rather than different magmatic pulses.