Artigo

 

FLOOR OF RICHES: THE IRON QUADRANGLE

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The Iron Quadrangle (Quadrilátero Ferrífero), an area of ??approximately 7,000 Km2, is delineated by interconnected mountains composing beautiful natural landscapes in the central region of Minas Gerais. Its limits, resembling the shape of a square and the large amount of iron found in the rocks present in it, are what inspired the name of the region. It is a geological province recognized worldwide for its scientific importance in recording the evolution of the earth over more than 3 billion years and has been the subject of national and international studies since the 19th century. Rola-Moça Mountains State Park is located within its boundaries.

Iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), gold (Au), bauxite and precious stones such as imperial topaz, occur in the Iron Quadrangle. Just in the vicinities of Ouro Preto, around 150 distinct minerals were identified, demonstrating the geodiversity and importance of this geological province.

In the Iron Quadrangle, mining has historically been its main economic activity. In addition to the economic importance of the region, the great environmental, scientific, touristic and didactic importance is also prominent. The Iron Quadrangle materializes the biggest challenge for reconciling mineral exploration with the conservation of natural landscapes and the Brazilian natural and cultural heritages.

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HEMATITE – main iron ore, over 3 billion years old. It presents black, gray or red colors and metallic luster. Its composition has 70% iron, having high density and hardness. As iron is one of the most abundant elements on the planet, it is used extensively for the production of steel, tools, machines, vehicles, as a structural element in buildings and a multitude of other applications.

QUARTZITE – is a metamorphic rock, whose main component is quartz with an age of around 2.5 billion years. It is a rock from which materials are extracted for bricks and silica refractories. It is used in the steel industry and in fusion in blast furnaces. It is also used in civil construction as a foundation and as an ornamental stone for covering floors and walls.

STEATITE or SOAPSTONE – It is the name given to a compact but low hardness rock, composed mainly of talc and containing many other minerals. Its age is over 2.7 billion years. Due to the ease to be worked manually, it was and still is widely used in the making of art objects and utilitarian pieces. To the touch, it gives a feeling of being oily or soapy, hence its name soapstone.