Characterization of the volcanic and hypabissal rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Iricoumé Group in the Pitinga region and Balbina Lake area, Amazonian Craton, Brazil: Petrographic distinguishing features and emplacement conditions

•We describe petrographic distinguishing features between hypabissal, effusive and pyroclastic of the Iricoumé Group;•We use geochemical data to estimate zircon saturation temperatures and viscosities;•Different processes have controlled fragmentation mechanisms in the different rock types;•Dissolution and resorption are related to decompression in the ascent of magma.•The viscosity at the timing of ascent and emplacement must have been drastically increased by the high crystal content.

The Iricoumé Group (1.897 to 1.875 Ma) is a widespread volcanic sequence in the Amazonian Craton, South American Platform. In the Pitinga region, it consists of acidic to intermediate ignimbrites with cogenetic surge and ash-fall deposits associated to hypabissal and effusive acidic rocks. In the Balbina Lake area it consists of acidic to intermediate effusive rocks, crystal-rich ignimbrites and pumice-rich ignimbrites. Detailed petrographic studies of phenocrysts and crystal fragments provided characterization and distinctive features of pyroclastic, effusive and hypabissal rocks. The phenocrysts of hypabissal rocks were affected by high temperature resorption and flow-related physical fragmentation, the effusive rocks can have a considerable content of crystal fragments due to intense dissolution and fragmentation of the phenocrysts and the pyroclastic rocks crystal fragments are generated mainly by decompression mechanic fragmentation. Dissolution and resorption of quartz and feldspar crystals may have acted at pressure conditions between 500 MPa and 100 MPa, in response to rapid decompression in the magma ascent. The viscosity values of 7,5-10 log η (Pa s) for anhydrous conditions decrease exponentially with estimated water addition. The amount of phenocrysts and their intratelluric character in the volcanic units of Iricoumé Group can be related to a magma chamber with high content of crystals. We suggest that even with the addition of water in the magma, the viscosities had a drastic increase with progressive crystal growth due to the viscosity dependence on the solid fraction and the deposits were generated by the extrusion of viscous lava and pyroclastic flows.