Development of the U-Pb technique to dating detrital sedimentary rocks: geochronology of diagenetic xenotime

• Grant number: 15/00550-6
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Visiting Researcher Grant - Brazil
• Start date: April 01, 2015
• End date: March 31, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Colombo Celso Gaeta Tassinari
• Grantee: Colombo Celso Gaeta Tassinari
• Visiting researcher: Marcio Martins Pimentel
• Visiting researcher institution: Universidade de Brasília (UnB). Instituto de Geociências, Brazil
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências (IGC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The main objective of the research project being developed by Prof. Dr. Marcio Pimentel in the Geosciences Institute of the University of São Paulo, during six months, is to establish analytical routines for dating diagenetic minerals, especially xenotime, in detrital sedimentary rocks in the laboratory SHRIMP IIe (Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe) of the University of São Paulo (GeoLab-SHRIMP). This technique it is not available in the Brazilian geochronological laboratories. Note that this project is one of the research priorities of the Thematic Project INCT-PETROTEC Analytical Techniques for Oil and Gas Development (FAPESP 2008-5786-70), coordinated by the researcher in charge of this request. During the research project will be investigated the detrital sedimentary rocks from Southern-Magellan Basin, a major oil basin, in Tierra del Fuego southern Argentina, where the collected samples containing abundant diagenetic xenotime overgrowths around several detrital zircon grains. During the period of the visit, Prof. Pimentel carry out the following activities: Bibliographic review, Micropetrographic study, sample preparation for geochronological analyses, with mineral separation (zircon, xenotime and monazite), Imaging of grains using MEV, U-Pb geochronological analysis in GeoLab laboratory - SHRIMP of diagenetic minerals, the geological interpretation of results and the preparation of some manuscripts about the research results to be submitted to publications. Besides this project, the visitor will develop other activities such as orientation of undergraduates and graduate students and classroom lectures and conferences on topics of their specialty. In addition, the visiting researcher must contribute with other research projects, coordinated by the applicant researcher. (AU)