Transpressive dextral shear in the Italva-Itaperuna section, Northern State of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Structural analysis carried out on a segment of the Neoproterozoic Ribeira Belt, southeastern Brazil, show that it represents part of the transpressive dextral orogen related to the Central Mantiqueira Province. NNE-trending and steeply dipping regional mylonitic belts form anastomosed geometry, and describe a map-scale, S-C-like structure that is characterized by their deflection towards NE near the Além Paraíba Lineament. Lithological and structural control related to deformation partition were responsible for the formation of felsic mylonitic granulites with S-type granites lenses developed in ductile shear zones, alternated with less deformed intermediate to basic granulites associated with charnockites. The dextral shear sense indicators are consistent with transpressive deformation in the region and are common especially at the border of the main shear zones. The presence of S-type leucogranite may lead to variations of linear and planar relationships, which result in local extension zones. These elements are consistent with oblique continental collision considering the São Francisco Craton as a stable block.A análise estrutural efetuada num segmento neoproterozóico do Cinturão Ribeira, Sudeste do Brasil, mostra que ele representa parte do orógeno transpressivo destral, relacionado com a Província Mantiqueira Central. Caracteriza-se regionalmente por um cinturão milonítico de direção NNE e mergulhos subverticais, com geometria anastomosada, descrevendo em escala de mapa estruturas do tipo S-C, que são defletidas para direção NE nas proximidades do Lineamento de Além-Paraíba. O controle estrutural e litológico e a partição da deformação foram responsáveis pela formação de granulitos miloníticos félsicos com lentes de granitos tipo-S, desenvolvidos em zonas de cisalhamento dúcteis, alternados com granulitos básicos a intermediários menos deformados com charnockitos associados. Na região, os indicadores cinemáticos do cisalhamento simples, destral, são consistentes com a deformação transpressiva, que é particularmente comum nas bordas das zonas de cisalhamento mais importantes. A presença de leucogranitos tipo-S pode levar a variação das relações planares e lineares,as quais condicionam, localmente, zonas extensionais. Estes elementos são consistentes com uma colisão continental oblíqua, considerando o Cráton do São Francisco como um bloco estável

Pluton emplacement in a releasing bend in a transpressive regime: the arrozal granite in the Paraíba do Sul shear belt, Rio de Janeiro

The Arrozal Granite, situated in the southwestern region of the State of Rio de Janeiro, has a granitic to granodioritic composition. It contains a strong mylonitic foliation along its border, passing gradually to a well-developed magmatic foliation towards its center. Structural analysis indicates that the Arrozal Granite was emplaced along the Além-Paraíba Shear Zone in a dextral transpressive tectonic regime. A regional shift of the trend along this shear zone from NE-SW to E-W, observed in the area, is interpreted to be casually related to the creation of space for the emplacement of the granite. Our data indicate that releasing bends may have played an important role for space generation during the emplacement of the Arrozal Granite and other plutons.O Granito Arrozal ocorre na porção sudoeste do Estado do Rio de Janeiro e associa-se à Zona de Cisalhamento de Além-Paraíba. Possui composição granítica a granodiorítica eexibe predomínio de estruturas magmáticas na parte central, e estruturas de alto strain (miloníticas) nas bordas. Os dados estruturais sugerem colocação em segmentos extensionais(releasing bends) associados a uma tectônica transcorrentedestral, sob regime transpressivo. A forte mudança do trend estrutural desta zona de cisalhamento na região, passando de NE-SW para próximo de E-W, criou condições para geração de espaços que favoreceram a colocação do Granito Arrozal, além de outros granitos associados à referida zona

Structural Analysis of a Core on Fractured Carbonate Reservoir, Brazil: Implications for Exploration and Reservoir Modeling*

Fractured Albian carbonate reservoirs, localized along eastern Brazilian marginal basins, have proven to contain important hydrocarbon reserves. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the structural analysis carried out on a selected oriented core, and its application for exploring and modeling fractured reservoirs. Attributes of fractures and faults measured on the core were correlated with depositional sequences, facies, and other petrophysical properties. We observe that the most deformed facies are mechanically soft, porous laminated mudstones. We suggest that this occurs due to flexural slip. We suggest that a clear, positive correlation between fracture density and some petrophysical parameters occurs when deformation results from wider wavelength structures in relation to thickness, like large folds. Nevertheless, this correlation is not so obvious when restricted fault-related deformation occurs. Like sub-seismic faults, flexural slip zones are virtually undetectable by seismic imaging, and may connect different structural levels in the reservoir. The detachment horizons may also represent a decouple between distinct mechanical layers, and hence a boundary between zones with distinct stress axis orientation. It could be expected that in this case, the fracture systems could have distinct hydraulic properties from the decouple surface

Ar-40/Ar-39 ages (600-570 Ma) of the Serra do Azeite transtensional shear zone: evidence for syncontractional extension in the Cajati area, southern Ribeira belt

This paper presents 40Ar/39Ar ages of the rocks from the Serra do Azeite transtensional shear zone in the southern part of the Ribeira belt, between the States of São Paulo and Paraná, and also discusses the regional correlations and the tectonic implications for other parts of the belt. The geochronological data suggest that transtensional deformation was active between 600 and 580 Ma (hornblende and muscovite apparent ages, respectively). This time span is considerably older than previous proposals for the period of activity of these structures (520-480 Ma) in the northern segment of this belt and in the Araçuaí belt. Kinematic analysis of the dated mylonites shows extensional structures with top-down movement to ESE compatible with structures found in other tectonic segments in the eastern portion of the Quadrilátero Ferrífero and in the Rio Doce Valley region. Our ages are situated in the same time interval defined for the alkaline magmatism of the Serra do Mar suite. We suggest that the regional tectonic framework was developed during continental-scale extension. This process has been coeval with convergent strain in the adjacent Neoproterozoic shear zones of the Apiaí/Ribeira and Araçuaí belts, which make up significant segments of these belts. The available data show that these structures may not be simply related to post-orogenic gravitational collapse, but must involve a more complex process probably related to dynamic balance between crustal thickening and thinning during tectonic convergence, basin formation and exhumation processes