The sandy sediments of the Pântano do Sul beach, located in South coast of Santa Catarina island, have significant concentrations of heavy minerals, especially Fe-Ti oxides minerals (ilmenite and magnetite). In intention to discuss the source area of these minerals, comparison holding texture and chemistry of ilmenite and magnetite of the beach sediments and basic dykes was realized. Beach samples were impregnated, studied by thin sections and the electronic microprobe. The database includes 66 analysis from the beach sands and 72 from nearby outcrops. The use of electronic microprobe showed that ilmenite presents wide chemical variability and diverse provenance, originated from diabases and granitic and acid volcanic lithotypes that constitute the rocky coasts of the island. The ilmenite sandy sediments were arranged in four groups of similar chemical composition, correlationed to adjacent basic dykes. Considering the totality of ilmenite and magnetite grains; 4,6% were derived from dike 1; 7% from dike 2; 7% from dike 3; 16,3% from dike 4 and 55,8% from another source, possibly from granitic or volcanic acid rocks, while 9,3% of the grains showed deriving from dike 3 or dike 4. Therefore the chemical comparison of ilmenite in Pântano do Sul sandy sediments and lithotypes of the Santa Catarina island was very useful to determinate the sedimentary provenance of ilmenite sandy grains.
provenance indicators; ilmenite; mineral chemistry; sandy beach
