Non-metallic mineral resources in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil

Abstract

The Pantanal Plain, the largest flooded area of South America, is bordered by three plateaus that concentrate non-metallic mineral resources in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul, Brazil. The Bodoquena Plateau is formed by Precambrian carbonate rocks of the Corumbá Group, whereas the others, namely the Maracaju - Campo Grande and the Taquari - Itiquira plateaus, are supported by sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Paraná Basin. Carbonate rocks are exploited for cement, while powdery tufa limestone is mined in Bonito for agricultural use. Clay, another important mineral resource in the state, used solely for ceramics, is concentrated in the Rio Verde de Mato Grosso-Coxim and Bela Vista-Jardim regions. Dimension stones are restricted to marls in Bonito and granites around Porto Murtinho. There are problems with building materiais such as sand and gravei, because of their poor quality. Exploitation of the sands also causes environrnental problems, especially in rivers near the cities. Small-scale diamond mining by rudimentary processes leads to similar environrnental problems in the Aquidauana and Coxim regions. Phosphatic rocks occur in the Corumbá Group in the eastern Bodoquena Plateau. The Botucatu Formation, west ofthe Campo Grande, the state capital, presents good potential for sand, mainly for industrial purposes. Detailed geologic studies are required, however, for better economic evaluation of these deposits. The exploitation of industrial minerais in Mato Grosso do Sul State is still not intensive. Nevertheless, new economic perspectives together with the improving transportation system to the neighboring State of São Paulo, mainly through Tietê-Paraná riverway, favour future economic growth. Thus, it is imperative that urgent planning measures be taken in arder to reduce negative environmental impact.