Iron isotope and REE+Y composition of the Cauê banded iron formation and related iron ores of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Brazil

The Minas Supergroup banded iron formations (BIFs) of the Brazilian Quadrilátero Ferrífero (QF) mineral province experienced multiple deformational events synchronous with hypogene mineralization, which resulted in the metamorphism of BIFs to itabirites and their upgrade to high-grade iron ore. Here, we present rare earth element and yttrium (REE+Y) compositions together with iron isotope ratios of itabirites and their host iron orebodies from 10 iron deposits to constrain environmental conditions during BIF deposition and the effects of hypogene iron enrichment. The REE+Y characteristics of itabirites (positive Eu anomaly and LREE depletion) indicate hydrothermal iron contribution to the Minas basin. Iron isotope data and Ce anomalies suggest BIFs were precipitated by a combination of anoxic biological-mediated ferrous iron oxidation and abiotic oxidation in an environment with free oxygen (such as an oxygen oasis), perhaps related to increase in oxygen concentrations before the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). The similarity of the REE+Y composition of the itabirites from the different QF deformational domains, as well as to other Superior-type BIFs, indicates that the metamorphism and synchronous hydrothermal mineralization did not significantly affect the geochemical signature of the original BIFs. However, iron isotope compositions of iron ore vary systematically between deformational domains of the QF, likely reflecting the specific mineralization features in each domain.