Ornamental potential of the Gloria Norte Massif, Macururé Domain, Sergipano Orogenic System

Abstract

“Ornamental granites” correspond to a class of dimension stones that includes both igneous and metamorphic rocks. This reflects the informality with which the sector deals with their characterization and the independence from theoretical and academic concepts that define and classify rocks, as the acceptance of a rock type in the ornamental stone market depends mainly on aesthetic and physical factors, rather than its mineralogical, textural and structural properties. This work focuses on the evaluation of the potential use of the porphyritic facies (MP) of the Gloria Norte Granitic Massif (MGN – State of Sergipe, NE Brazil) as dimension stone. In such evaluation, petrographic studies in association with the application of the Geological and Economical Potential Index (IAEG) are taken into account. Actually, IAEG has been increasingly used in Brazil as it represents a real possibility to qualify and quantify a series of criteria that involve not only field and market aspects, but also petrographical information regarding mineralogy, shapes, sizes and contact relationships between rock minerals and their modifications due to alteration and deformation. The IAEG values obtained for MGN range from 54 to 63. In turn, the determination of some physical parameters obtained from petrographical studies reveals the absence of expressive fractures and/or faults, weakly altered feldspar, and low oxide and sulfide contents, which aggregates value to the use of this material as ornamental stone. The results obtained from the association of IAEG with petrographical and structural parameters show a medium to high ornamental potential for these rocks, suggesting that they can be used in building, in special the ones from the MP facies. We emphasize, however, that the commercial use of a rock requires application of technological tests, market evaluation, and effort from the authorities to promote the creation of a productive chain or arrangement in the State of Sergipe, in order to make the exploitation of rocks possible for their use as dimension stones.