Differential Phanerozoic evolution of cratonic and non-cratonic lithosphere from a thermochronological perspective : São Francisco Craton and marginal orogens (Brazil)

The Sao Francisco Craton (SFC) and its marginal Aracuai and Brasilia orogens exhibit a significant diversity in their lithospheric architecture. These orogens were shaped during the Neoproterozoic-Cambrian amalgamation of West Gondwana. The rigid cratonic lithosphere of the SFC and the relatively weak lithosphere of the Aracuai Orogen were disrupted during the Cretaceous opening of the South Atlantic Ocean, whereas the Brasilia Orogen remained in the continental hinterland. In earlier research, the thermal effects of the Phanerozoic reactivations in the shallow crust of the Aracuai Orogen have been revealed by low-temperature thermochronology, mainly by apatite fission track (AFT) analysis. However, analyses from the continental interior are scarce. Here we present new AFT data from forty-three samples from the Brasilia Orogen, the SFC and the Aracuai Orogen, far from the passive margin of the Atlantic coast (similar to 150 to 800 km). Three main periods of basement exhumation were identified: (i) Paleozoic, recorded both by samples from the SFC and Brasilia Orogen; (ii) Early Cretaceous to Cenomanian, recorded by samples from the Aracuai Orogen; and (iii) Late Cretaceous to Paleocene, inferred in samples from all domains. We compare the differential exhumation pattern of the different geotectonic provinces with their lithospheric strengths. We suggest that the SFC likely concentrated the Meso- Cenozoic reactivations in narrow weak zones while the Aracuai Orogen displayed a far-reachingMeso-Cenozoic deformation. The Brasilia Orogen seems to be an example of a stronger orogenic lithosphere, inhibiting reworking, confirmed by our new AFT data. Understanding the role of the lithosphere rigidity may be decisive to comprehend the processes of differential denudation and the tectonic-morphological evolution over Phanerozoic events. (C) 2021 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Reconstrução de trajetórias P-T em paragnaisses granadíferos neoproterozóicos da uma sucessão metassedimentar no sudoeste do Orógeno Araçuaí, Minas Gerais, Brasil.

Este estudo foca analises de caminhos de pressão e temperatura em paragnaisses de sucessão metassedimentar (SMS) da região sudoeste do Orógeno Araçuaí. A área de amostragem é limitada pela zona de cisalhamento de Abre Campo a oeste e pelo Arco Magmático Rio Doce a leste. A região é rica em rochas metamórficas de alto grau ortoderivadas (complexos Mantiqueira e Juiz de Fora do embasamento) e paraderivadas; incluindo paragnaisses intercalados a quartzitos, que formam o SMS. As rochas amostradas são compostas por quartzo, plagioclásio, granada, feldspato potássio, ortopiroxênio e sillimanita. Perfis de pontos de análise em porfiroblastos de granada mostram certo zoneamento caracterizado pela redução de piropo e por aumento de almadina do núcleo para borda; isto implica em crescimento de cristal sob condições de metamorfismo retrógrado. Condições metamórficas são de fácies anfibolito alto a granulito com um máximo de pressão de ca. 6 kbar e com temperatura máxima de ca. 700°C. Os dados sugerem que porfiroblastos de granada da SMS têm nucleação e início de crescimento durante o final da etapa deformacional principal compressiva do Orógeno Araçuaí (região sudoeste do orógeno); o evento de descompressão captado em bordas dos porfiroblastos foi relacionando ao colapso gravitacional no Cambriano.This paper focuses on pressure- and temperature path analyses in paragneisses from a metasedimentary succession (MSS) in the south western Araçuaí orogen. The sampling area is limited by the Abre Campo shear zone (West) and the Rio Doce Magmatic Arc (East). This region is rich in ortho-derived metamorphic basement rocks (Mantiqueira and the Juiz de Fora complexes) and para-derived metamorphic rocks, including paragneisses interlaid by quartzites, which form the MSS. The sampled rocks are mainly compost of quartz, plagioclase, garnet, K-Feldspar, orthopyroxene and sillimanite. Measurement spot profiles through garnet porphyroblasts show a certain zonation characterised by decrease in pyrope and the increase in almandine from the core to the rim. This implies retrograde growth. Metamorphic conditions are of high amphibolite- to granulite facies with maximum pressure of ca. 6 kbar and maximum temperature of ca. 700°C. The data suggest that the cores of the garnet porphyroblasts of MSS started to grow during the final deformation stage of the Araçuaí orogen (south western part); the event of decompression is captured in the rims of the porphyroblasts and related to the gravitational collapse in the Cambrian

Records of Mesoproterozoic taphrogenic events in the eastern basement of the Araçuaí Orogen, southeast Brazil

ABSTRACT: The history of palaeocontinents alternates long fragmentation to drift periods with relatively short agglutination intervals. One of the products of a Rhyacian-Orosirian orogeny was a palaeocontinent that brought together the basement of the Araçuaí-West Congo orogen (AWCO) with regions now located in the São Francisco and Congo cratons. From ca. 2 Ga to ca. 0.7 Ga, this large region of the São Francisco-Congo palaeocontinent was spared of orogenic events, but underwent at least five taphrogenic events recorded by anorogenic magmatism and/or sedimentation. The taphrogenic events are well documented in the AWCO proximal portions and neighboring cratonic regions, but lack evidence in the AWCO high-grade core. Our studies on amphibolites intercalated in the Rhyacian Pocrane complex, basement of the Rio Doce magmatic arc, allowed to the recognition of two Mesoproterozoic taphrogenic episodes. The oldest one, a Calymmian episode, is recorded by amphibolites with a zircon magmatic crystallization age at 1529 ± 37 Ma (U-Pb SHRIMP), and lithochemical signature of basaltic magmatism related to continental intraplate settings. Another set of amphibolite bodies records the youngest taphrogenic episode, a Stenian event, with a zircon magmatic crystallization age at 1096 ± 20 Ma (U-Pb SHRIMP), and lithochemical signature similar to mature magmatism of continental rift setting. The Calymmian episode (ca. 1.5 Ga) correlates to the Espinhaço II basin stage and mafic dikes of the northern Espinhaço, Chapada Diamantina and Curaçá domains, while the Stenian episode (ca. 1.1 Ga) correlates to the Espinhaço III basin stage. We also present U-Pb data for 87 detrital zircon grains from a quartzite lens intercalated in the Pocrane complex, the Córrego Ubá quartzite. Its age spectrum shows main peaks at 1176 ± 21 Ma (35%), 1371 ± 30 Ma (18%), 1536 ± 22 Ma (19%), 1803 ± 36 Ma (17%) and 1977 ± 38 Ma (12%), suggesting a Stenian (ca. 1176 Ma) maximum depositional age (although only one zircon with low discordance shows an age of 955 ± 66 Ma). Comparing with data from the western sector of the Araçuaí orogen and São Francisco craton, it is noteworthy that no igneous zircon from the three samples yielded an age older than early Orosirian (~2.05 Ga), showing age spectra essentially limited in the range of ca. 1-2 Ga; i.e., younger than the Late Rhyacian orogeny that amalgamated the basement, and older than the main anorogenic event (930-870 Ma) associated with the Early Tonian precursor basin of AWCO. All together, these continental taphrogenic events testify the several unsuccessful fragmentation attempts that affected the long-lived São Francisco-Congo palaeocontinent, which remained preserved from a complete break-up associated with ocean spreading from the Early Orosirian to the Atlantic opening in Cretaceous time

Charnockites from southearstern Minas Gerais : the magmatic arc granulitic roots of the Araçuaí Orogen.

Os orógenos Araçuaí e Ribeira constituem sistema orogênico neoproterozóico-cambriano que se es-tende da borda oriental do Cráton do São Francisco até o Oceano Atlântico, a sul do paralelo 15°. A zona de fronteira entre esses orógenos situa-se em torno do paralelo 21°. A região meridional do Orógeno Araçuaí, no sudeste de Minas Gerais, é caracterizada pela exposição de rochas metamórficas de alto grau, ortoderivadas e paraderivadas, refletindo o profundo nível crustal ali exposto. Uma associação de rochas charnockíticas máficas a félsicas, metamorfisadas na fácies granulito, recebeu a designação de Suíte Divino. Esta tem características de série cálcio-alcalina expandida, metaluminosa a ligeiramente peraluminosa, com padrão de elementos traços ca¬racterístico de magmatismo de arco de margem continental. A assinatura isotópica de Nd evidencia significativo envolvimento de fusões derivadas do embasamento paleoproterozóico. Datações U-Pb (LA-ICPMS) de rochas da Suíte Divino (592±7 Ma e 603±4 Ma) indicam idade compatível com o estágio pré-colisional (acrescionário) do orógeno. Desta forma, sugere-se que a Suíte Divino representa a raiz granulítica do arco magmático do Orógeno Araçuaí, cuja eventual continuidade para sul seria importante elo de ligação com o Orógeno Ribeira.The Araçuaí and Ribeira orogens are a Cambrian-Neoproterozoic belt that extends from the eastern edge of the San Francisco craton to the Atlantic Ocean, south of parallel 15 °. The connection between these orogens is roughly situated along the 21 ° S parallel. High-grade metamorphic rocks are exposed in the southern Araçuaí Belt, SE Minas Gerais, reflecting a deep crustal level. The Divino Suite comprises mafic- to felsisc charnockites, metamorphosed in granulite facies, interpreted as an expanded calc-alkaline suite metalu¬minous to slightly peraluminous. Chemical and Nd isotopic signatures suggest the Divino Suite evolved in a con¬tinental magmatic-arc setting, and also that Paleoproterozoic basement was a major source for parental magmas. U-Pb dating of charnockite samples (592±7, and 603±4 Ma) indicates the suite is coeval with the pre-collisional stage of Araçuaí Orogen evolution, and probably represents the magmatic arc granulitic roots. The southward extent of this arc is of great importance in order to unveil the link between Araçuaí and Ribeira orogens

Records of Mesoproterozoic taphrogenic events in the eastern basement of the Araçuaí Orogen, southeast Brazil

<div><p>ABSTRACT: The history of palaeocontinents alternates long fragmentation to drift periods with relatively short agglutination intervals. One of the products of a Rhyacian-Orosirian orogeny was a palaeocontinent that brought together the basement of the Araçuaí-West Congo orogen (AWCO) with regions now located in the São Francisco and Congo cratons. From ca. 2 Ga to ca. 0.7 Ga, this large region of the São Francisco-Congo palaeocontinent was spared of orogenic events, but underwent at least five taphrogenic events recorded by anorogenic magmatism and/or sedimentation. The taphrogenic events are well documented in the AWCO proximal portions and neighboring cratonic regions, but lack evidence in the AWCO high-grade core. Our studies on amphibolites intercalated in the Rhyacian Pocrane complex, basement of the Rio Doce magmatic arc, allowed to the recognition of two Mesoproterozoic taphrogenic episodes. The oldest one, a Calymmian episode, is recorded by amphibolites with a zircon magmatic crystallization age at 1529 ± 37 Ma (U-Pb SHRIMP), and lithochemical signature of basaltic magmatism related to continental intraplate settings. Another set of amphibolite bodies records the youngest taphrogenic episode, a Stenian event, with a zircon magmatic crystallization age at 1096 ± 20 Ma (U-Pb SHRIMP), and lithochemical signature similar to mature magmatism of continental rift setting. The Calymmian episode (ca. 1.5 Ga) correlates to the Espinhaço II basin stage and mafic dikes of the northern Espinhaço, Chapada Diamantina and Curaçá domains, while the Stenian episode (ca. 1.1 Ga) correlates to the Espinhaço III basin stage. We also present U-Pb data for 87 detrital zircon grains from a quartzite lens intercalated in the Pocrane complex, the Córrego Ubá quartzite. Its age spectrum shows main peaks at 1176 ± 21 Ma (35%), 1371 ± 30 Ma (18%), 1536 ± 22 Ma (19%), 1803 ± 36 Ma (17%) and 1977 ± 38 Ma (12%), suggesting a Stenian (ca. 1176 Ma) maximum depositional age (although only one zircon with low discordance shows an age of 955 ± 66 Ma). Comparing with data from the western sector of the Araçuaí orogen and São Francisco craton, it is noteworthy that no igneous zircon from the three samples yielded an age older than early Orosirian (~2.05 Ga), showing age spectra essentially limited in the range of ca. 1-2 Ga; i.e., younger than the Late Rhyacian orogeny that amalgamated the basement, and older than the main anorogenic event (930-870 Ma) associated with the Early Tonian precursor basin of AWCO. All together, these continental taphrogenic events testify the several unsuccessful fragmentation attempts that affected the long-lived São Francisco-Congo palaeocontinent, which remained preserved from a complete break-up associated with ocean spreading from the Early Orosirian to the Atlantic opening in Cretaceous time.</p></div

Reply to the comment on 'Devonian to Permian post-orogenic denudation of the Brasília Belt of West Gondwana : insights from apatite fission track thermochronology' by Alessandretti and Warren, 2021

Here we reply to the comment by Alessandretti and Warren, (2021) on the paper "Devonian to Permian postorogenic denudation of the Brasilia Belt of West Gondwana: insights from apatite fission track thermochronology " by Fonseca et al. (2020). We have the impression that many of the remarks, at least to some extent stem from a misunderstanding of our manuscript, also considering that they did not propose any alternative hypothesis for interpretation of our results presented in the aforementioned paper. We, thus, reiterate our interpretations from our low-temperature thermochronology data. The basement of the Brasilia Belt was subject to a significant exhumation during the Devonian to the Permian through erosion, and was likely a source area for detrital sediments deposited in parts of the northeastern Paran & PRIME;a Basin at that time. Apatite fission-track data show that Meso-Cenozoic events had limited effect on post-orogenic exhumation of the Brasilia Belt, in contrast to e.g. the Aracuai Belt

Characterisation of microbial attack on archaeological bone

As part of an EU funded project to investigate the factors influencing bone preservation in the archaeological record, more than 250 bones from 41 archaeological sites in five countries spanning four climatic regions were studied for diagenetic alteration. Sites were selected to cover a range of environmental conditions and archaeological contexts. Microscopic and physical (mercury intrusion porosimetry) analyses of these bones revealed that the majority (68%) had suffered microbial attack. Furthermore, significant differences were found between animal and human bone in both the state of preservation and the type of microbial attack present. These differences in preservation might result from differences in early taphonomy of the bones. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved