Insights into orogenic processes from drab schists and minor intrusions: Southern São Francisco Craton, Brazil

Minor altered intrusions and drab retrogressed schists can easily be overlooked in geological studies but this contribution explores these rocks within the Archaean and Palaeoproterozoic southern S?o Francisco Craton (SSFC), Brazil using geological relationships and accessory mineral in situ analyses in the context of cratonic assembly. Three magmatic pulses are documented: i) Archaean and ii) Palaeoproterozoic felsic intrusions, both hosted by Archaean protoliths, and iii) Palaeoproterozoic felsic intrusions in Palaeoproterozoic supracrustal sequences. Archaean felsic intrusions confirm the Palaeoarchaean age of the mafic/ultramafic sequence of the Rio das Velhas Greenstone Belt and Rhyacian intrusions mark the collisional stage of the Mineiro Belt with the SFC at c. 2130?Ma. Greenstone belt schists show a wide distribution of rounded ?soccer ball? Archaean detrital and metamorphic zircon grains ranging in age from 3200 to 2750?Ma with an interpreted overprinting high-grade metamorphic event at c. 2700 to 2680?Ma. Most high-grade metamorphic rims have Th/U?>?0.1, negative ?Hf(t) values and REE pattern consistent with eclogite/granulite metamorphic facies, reinforcing the hypothesis of a dehydrated-refractory crust formed during the stabilization of the SSFC, even though no such protoliths are preserved. This event links crustal thickening and partial melting of Archaean lower crust. Archaean rutile crystals from the greenstone belt schist were reset during the Palaeoproterozoic event but still preserve the early Archaean high-grade metamorphic signature. The presence of unstable ilmenite replaced by rutile in the schist, associated to felsic intrusions with the same age at c. 2130?Ma suggest high pressure, low temperature prograde metamorphism during the collisional stage of the Palaeoproterozoic orogen. Elongate and prismatic zircon grains from the Rhyacian intrusions have low ?Hf(t) signature and crystallised from partial melting of sedimentary protoliths. Accretionary events produced thicker and more differentiated crust by the end of Rhyacian time. Easily overlooked rocks in this study, when studied, have revealed a rich multi-event history of cratonic evolution

Evolution of Siderian juvenile crust to Rhyacian high Ba-Sr magmatism in the Mineiro Belt, southern São Francisco Craton

Plutonic rocks from the Mineiro Belt, Brazil record a delayed onset of the transition from TTG to sanukitoid-type magmatism (high Ba-Sr), starting during the Siderian magmatic lull when little juvenile magma was added to the continental crust. Rocks mostly belong to the calc-alkaline series, meta- to peraluminous and originally “I-type”, meaning that oxidized magmas were formed by partial melting of subducted material. The temporal distribution and apparent secular changes of the magmas are consistent with the onset of subduction-driven plate tectonics due to an increase of the subduction angle and opening of the mantle wedge. New isotopic analyses (Sm-Nd whole rock and Lu-Hf in zircon) corroborate the restricted juvenile nature of the Mineiro Belt and confirm the genetic link between the Lagoa Dourada Suite, a rare ca. 2350 Ma high-Al tonalite-trondhjemite magmatic event, and the sanukitoid-type ca. 2130 Ma Alto Maranhão Suite. U-Pb dating of zircon and titanite constrain the crystallisation history of plutonic bodies; coupled with major and trace element analyses of the host rocks, they distinguish evolutionary trends in the Mineiro Belt. Several plutons in the region have ages close to 2130 Ma but are distinguished by the lower concentration of compatible elements in the juvenile high Ba-Sr suite. Keywords: São Francisco Craton, Magmatic lull, TTG-Sanukitoid transition, Zircon U-Pb-Hf, Titanite U-Pb, Whole rock Nd isotope

Upper Triassic U-Pb Age from The Agua de La Zorra Formation in Paramillos area, Mendoza Precordillera

The Agua de la Zorra Formation (Uspallata Group) constitutes the rift infill of the Paramillos depocenter from the Cuyo basin located in the Argentine Precordillera. This unit hosts the Paramillos de Uspallata polymetallic vein-deposit. In this contribution we report a new LA-ICP- MS zircon U-Pb age of 230.2 ± 2.2 Ma (Upper Triassic) for a tuff level that belongs to the Agua de la Zorra Formation. The obtained age is consistent with the age of the volcanism in other areas of the Cuyo basin.Fil: Orellano Ricchetti, Ana Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Anabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Rubinstein, Nora Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Dopico, Carmen Irene. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica; ArgentinaFil: Lana, Cristiano. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; Brasi

U–Pb ages and Hf-isotope data of detrital zircons from the late Neoarchean-Paleoproterozoic Minas Basin, SE Brazil

Because of its world-class iron ore deposits and promising Au and U mineralizations, the late Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic Minas Basin (Minas Supergroup, SE of Brazil) is one of the best-studied basins in South America. However, the lack of datable interlayered volcanic rocks prevented discourse over ages of the strata, the sources and the nature of its ore deposits. In this paper, we present detrital zircon U–Pb age patterns coupled with Lu–Hf data for 18 samples, representing different stages of the Minas Basin evolution (∼2000 analyzed zircons). Age spectra for the main basal unit (Moeda Formation) show a classic rift-related detrital zircon pattern, characterized by multiple autochthonous sources, which in turn are much older than the age of deposition. Maximum age for the rifting event is constrained at ca. 2600 Ma. Detritus accumulated at the base of the Minas Supergroup were derived from Archean source rocks and their sedimentation was marked by differential uplift of the Archean crust, shortly after the 2730–2600 Ma high-K calc-alkaline magmatism (Mamona Event). The age of the BIF deposits is younger than 2600 Ma, most likely coinciding with the great oxygenation event between 2400 and 2200 Ma and the precipitation of banded iron deposits worldwide. Detrital zircons from the topmost units of the Minas strata suggest that tectonic inversion and closure of the basin took place at ca. 2120 Ma with the deposition of the synorogenic Sabará Group. Rhyacian zircon supply showing juvenile Hf signatures gives evidence of a late Rhyacian amalgamation between the Mineiro Belt and the craton. The εHf signatures support the hypothesis that the Archean crystalline crust of the craton was mostly built by crust–mantle mixing processes, with a successive decrease of εHf values in zircons crystallized after 3250 Ma and minor mantle-like additions after Paleoarchean times. Regionally, our dataset supports previous interpretations of a long-lived evolution of the southern São Francisco Craton comprising a succession of convergent island arcs, small microplate collisions, and development of Archean convergent and divergent basins that evolved between Archean and Paleoproterozoic times.Fil: Martínez Dopico, Carmen Irene. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; Brasil. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Lana, Cristiano. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; BrasilFil: Moreira, Hugo S.. University of Portsmouth; Reino UnidoFil: Cassino, Lucas F.. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; BrasilFil: Alkmim, Fernando F.. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; Brasi

Upper Triassic U-Pb Age from The Agua de La Zorra Formation in Paramillos area, Mendoza Precordillera

The Agua de la Zorra Formation (Uspallata Group) constitutes the rift infill of the Paramillos depocenter from the Cuyo basin located in the Argentine Precordillera. This unit hosts the Paramillos de Uspallata polymetallic vein-deposit. In this contribution we report a new LA-ICP- MS zircon U-Pb age of 230.2 ± 2.2 Ma (Upper Triassic) for a tuff level that belongs to the Agua de la Zorra Formation. The obtained age is consistent with the age of the volcanism in other areas of the Cuyo basin.Fil: Orellano Ricchetti, Ana Paula. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Gómez, Anabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Rubinstein, Nora Alicia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geociencias Básicas, Aplicadas y Ambientales de Buenos Aires; ArgentinaFil: Martínez Dopico, Carmen Irene. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Instituto de Geocronología y Geología Isotópica; ArgentinaFil: Lana, Cristiano. Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto; Brasi

O REGISTRO DO VULCANISMO CALIMIANO NO ESPINHAÇO CENTRAL (MG): CARACTERIZAÇÃO PETROFACIOLÓGICA, GEOQUÍMICA E GEOCRONOLÓGICA

A Formação Riacho Seco define a unidade superior do Grupo Mato Verde que ocorre na borda oeste do Espinhaço Central no norte de Minas Gerais, constituindo parte importante do registro tectonoestratigráfico da bacia Espinhaço. Ela remonta um importante registro vulcano-sedimentar associado a um dos estágios de rifteamento da bacia no norte da Faixa Araçuaí; compreende rochas vulcânicas efusivas e piroclásticas, além de depósitos epiclásticos associados, com texturas e estruturas bastante preservadas. Estudos petrofaciológicos e químicos permitiram distinguir quatro grupos de fácies vulcanogênicas geneticamente relacionados, que são: litofácies de fluxo magmático, litofácies hidroclástica, litofácies piroclástica e litofácies epiclástica. A idade U-Pb de 1524±6 Ma obtida em zircão de dacito evidencia que o vulcanismo se relaciona ao segundo episódio de rifteamento da bacia Espinhaço, de idade Calimiana. A sucessão vulcano-sedimentar aqui estudada apresenta uma unidade cronocorrelata e de constituição litofaciológica semelhante no Espinhaço Setentrional, representada pela sucessão vulcanogênica da Formação Bomba (Grupo Pajeú). Ambas as situações permitem argumentar favoravelmente por evolução policíclica da bacia Espinhaço, uma vez que o primeiro episódio de rifteamento foi datado no início do Estateriano

Geoquímica e geocronologia da Suíte Paciência: implicações para o fim da evolução riaciana do Bloco Itacambira-Monte Azu

Diversos corpos plutônicos alcalinos de alto potássio paleoproterozoicos ocorrem no embasamento do cráton São Francisco, bem como no embasamento dos orógenos que o bordejam. Localizado no bordo oeste do cráton São Francisco, o bloco Itacambira-Monte Azul integra o embasamento do orógeno Araçuaí, em partes retrabalhado pelo evento tectonometamórfico Brasiliano. Nesse bloco, os plutonitos Paciência, Morro do Quilombo e Serra Branca, constituídos de rochas alcalinas, são englobados na Suíte Paciência. Os resultados petrográficos para a Suíte Paciência mostram o predomínio de monzonitos e sienitos, equigranulares a porfiríticos, com ocorrência de enclaves máficos. As análises químicas indicam altas concentrações de álcalis, bem como o enriquecimento de óxidos ferromagnesianos e alto Mg# (número de magnésio). Essas rochas são dominantemente metaluminosas, alcalinas a alcalino-cálcicas e magnesianas, enriquecidas em Ba, Sr e Rb e depletadas em Nb, P, Ti e em elementos incompatíveis. Mostram altos conteúdos em elementos terras raras (ETR) com fracionamento dos ETR leves sobre os pesados e anomalias de Eu que variam de negativas a fracamente positivas. As características geoquímicas dessas rochas são similares às de granitoides potássicos originados tardiamente em eventos orogênicos associados à subducção, com fonte mantélica metassomatizada e enriquecida em elementos incompatíveis e participação de crosta arqueana na geração desse magma. A idade de cristalização em 2053 ± 6.3 Ma indica que as rochas da Suíte Paciência se relacionam aos estágios tardios da orogênese Transamazônica, possivelmente associados com a evolução de um extenso arco magmático desenvolvido ao final do Riaciano. Dessa forma, a Suíte Paciência e também as demais suítes alcalinas paleoproterozoicas presentes no embasamento do orógeno Araçuaí registram um período de estabilização do paleocontinente São Francisco-Congo na transição Riaciano-Orosiriano.Several high potassium-rich alkaline plutons from the Paleoproterozoic occur at the basement of the São Francisco craton, as well as at the basement of its surrounding orogens. Located in the western edge of the São Francisco craton, the Itacambira-Monte Azul block integrates the Araçuaí orogen basement rocks, which were partially reworked during the Brasiliano tectono-metamorphic event. In this block, alkaline rocks from the Paciência, Morro do Quilombo and Serra Branca plutonites are included in the Paciência Suite. Petrographic studies within the Paciência Suite show predominance of monzonites and syenites with equigranular to porphyritic textures and mafic enclaves. Chemical data indicate high concentrations of alkalis and enrichment in ferromagnesian oxides, which result in a high Mg#. These rocks are predominantly metaluminous, alkaline to alkaline-calcic and magnesian, enriched in Ba, Sr, Rb and depleted in Nb, P, Ti and other highfield strength element (HFSEs). Nonetheless, the contents of rare earth elements (REEs) are fractionated towards heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), showing higher concentrations of LREEs and negative to weakly positive Eu anomalies. The geochemical characteristics of these rocks are similar to potassic granitoids derived from ongoing subduction related to orogenic events, as the result of partial melting of a metasomatized mantle source enriched in incompatible elements and the input from an Archean crust. The crystallization age at 2053 ± 6.3 Ma indicates that the rocks from the Paciência Suite are related to late stages of the Transamazonic orogenic event, associated with the evolution of an extensive arc magmatism developed during the end of the Rhyacian. Thus, the Paciência Suite, as well as the other paleoproterozoic alkaline suites that occur in the basement of the Araçuaí orogen, may represent the final stages of the stabilization of the São Francisco-Congo paleocontinent, in the Rhyacian–Orosirian transition

Aeromagnetometry and aerogammaspectrometry integrated with U-Pb zircon geochronology of northern Bossoroca ophiolite, Brasiliano Orogen

Age delimitation integrated with aeromagnetometric and aerogammaspectrometric survey advances the understanding of ophiolite evolution in the Brasiliano Orogen. We focused on the Bossoroca ophiolite, because oceanic crustal and mantle rocks contain zircon in metasomatic chloritite. A metadiorite and a metavolcanoclastic rock were also studied to delimit relationship between ophiolite and island-arc infrastructure and superstructure. Zircon crystals were dated by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma emission spectroscopy. Ages of zircon from Campestre metavolcanoclastic rock are 920-840 (peak 842) Ma, Bossoroca chloritite 900-800 (peak 868 Ma) and Capivaras metadiorite 698 Ma. Ages 920-800 Ma correspond to processes in the oceanic crust, whereas 698 Ma was a late magmatic intrusion (Capivaras metadiorite) into the island-arc infrastructure. Aeromagnetometric and aerogammaspectrometric data delimit the occurrence and structure of the ophiolite. These are major multiproxy markers of geotectonic processes early in the Brasiliano Orogen

Detrital zircons of the Itacolomi Group in its type area, Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, Brazil: ages, provenance and tectonic significance

O Grupo Itacolomi em sua localidade tipo, a serra homônima, situada na porção sudeste do Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Minas Gerais, caracteriza-se por uma sucessão de meta-arenitos, metaconglomerados e filitos. Nessa e demais ocorrências, o grupo é interpretado como uma associação de depósitos fluviais e de leques aluviais, acumulados em bacias intermontanas pós-orogênicas. As suas ocorrências na localidade tipo dão-se na forma de um bloco basal autóctone que jaz em discordância sobre rochas do Supergrupo Minas, e outro superior alóctone, lançado sobre o primeiro por uma falha de empurrão. O bloco autóctone corresponde à porção íntegra e internamente menos deformada do grupo e é constituído de um pacote de aproximadamente 400 m de meta-arenitos e metaconglomerados. No bloco alóctone, exposto no Pico do Itacolomi, meta-arenitos finos a médios com espessura de aproximadamente 145 m encontram-se, em geral, mais intensamente deformados. Os espectros de idades dos grãos de detríticos de zircão obtidos nos blocos autóctone e alóctone são ligeiramente diferentes. Os do primeiro são claramente unimodais, com picos em 2167, 2197 e 2203 Ma. Os do segundo são bimodais, com picos principais em 2156 e 2201 Ma. Eles indicam que as fontes principais do grupo devem ter sido, principalmente, os granitoides paleoproterozoicos do Cinturão Mineiro e do Complexo Mantiqueira, expostos respectivamente a sudoeste e leste da Serra do Itacolomi. A idade máxima de sedimentação do grupo pode ser estimada em 2129±11 Ma. Esses resultados, juntamente com outros disponíveis na literatura, indicam que o Grupo Itacolomi foi depositado em bacia de antepaís do orógeno paleoproterozoico que abarca o Quadrilátero Ferrífero e áreas adjacentes.The Itacolomi Group in its type area, the homonymous ridge located in the southeastern portion of Quadrilátero Ferrífero mineral province in State Minas Gerais, is made up of a succession of metasandstones, metaconglomerates and phyllites, interpreted as fluvial to alluvial fan deposits accumulated in post-orogenic intermontane basins. In the type locality, the group is exposed in the form of a basal autochthonous package that unconformably overlies the 2.6-2.1 Ga Minas Supergroup, and an allochthonous block bounded by thrust faults. The c. 400m-thick autochthonous succession is weakly deformed and composed of metasandstones and metaconglomerates. Exposed in the Itacolomi Peak, the 145 m-thick finegrained metasandstones of the thrust sheet are intensively deformed. The detrital zircon age spectra obtained from these packages are slightly different. The spectra of the basal autochthonous package are clearly unimodal with age peaks at 2167, 2197 and 2203 Ma, whereas the age distributions of the upper thrust sheet are bimodal with peaks at 2156 and 2201 Ma. They indicated that the group was sourced essentially by the Paleoproterozoic arc-related granitoids of the Mineiro belt and Mantiqueira Complex, exposed respectively to the southwest and east of the Itacolomi ridge. The maximum deposition age of the group can be estimated at 2129 ± 11 Ma. These results confirm the post-orogenic nature of the Itacolomi succession, which accumulated in a back-arc/foreland setting in respect to the Paleoproterozoic orogen exposed in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero and adjacent areas