Variabilidad de los perfiles lateríticos en los yacimientos ferroniquelíferos de Moa.

Reports and scientific publications about the ferronickel ore bodies located to the northeast of the western region of Cuba indicate the presence of a lateritic crust developed by weathering processes occurring in ultramaphic serpentinized rocks. However, the geological investigations of the ophiolitic massif of Moa-Baracoa have revealed the presence of different sequences or lithological groups while more recent exploration projects have allowed a better characterization of the weathering crust of several ore bodies of the region based on the petrological, mineralogical and geochemical results. In view of these results, this article presents the description of several types of weathering crust profiles that are common in the area to subsequently characterize each profile from the mineralogical phases that make up the profile horizon and the content of deleterious and useful materials. Four types of lateritic crust profiles have been therefore identified; which are as follows: 1) Weathering profile over mantelic rocks; 2) Weathering profile over oceanic rocks; 3) Weathering profile over rocks of the mantle-oceanic crust transition area and 4) Mixed and Complex weathering profile. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]