Geochronology and provenance of the Parnaíba, Araripe, Jatobá and Tucano Norte Basins lower successions: implications on the origin of Western Gondwana intracratonic basins

• Grant number: 20/10739-7
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: August 01, 2021
• End date: March 31, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Lucas Verissimo Warren
• Grantee: Rodrigo Irineu Cerri
• Host Institution: Instituto de Geociências e Ciências Exatas (IGCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 21/12621-6 - In situ U-Pb rutile dating and provenance analysis by LA-ICP-MS of early paleozoic sequences of Borborema province: Parnaíba, Araripe and Tucano-Jatobá basins, BE.EP.PD

Abstract

The Cariri and Tacaratu formations are part of the Paleozoic basal units of the Araripe and Jatobá/Tucano Norte, and are historically interpreted as distant correlates of the Ipu Formation sediments (Parnaíba Basin). The Paleozoic lower units of the Brazilian cratonic basins are very important to understand and interpret initial sedimentation ages, paleogeography and depositional styles during initial cratonic basin subsidence occurred after the SW Gondwana assembly. Few works that addresses stratigraphic, faciological and paleocurrents similarities and correlations between these three units reveals that, historically, these interpretations were made without quantitative provenance and geochronological data. Recently, provenance and geochronological studies carried out in the Ipu formation pointed out a paleogeographical scenario where, during the Ordovician, the sedimentary dispersion was associated with huge fluvial systems that flowed towards NW. These fluvial systems were sourced by the mountainous regions from the Brasiliano orogenic cycle located at the South/Southeastern part of Borborema Province, and flowed towards the NW marine environments of Gondwana, in a ramp-like tilted terrain. In this complex paleogeographical context, the Cariri and Tacaratu formation are missing pieces, once they also present similar sedimentary and paleocurrent characteristics. Considering all the above-mentioned, this post-doctoral project aims, using modern geochronological and sedimentary provenance methods together with facies and paleocurrents analysis, to build a paleogeographical and depositional scenario for the Ipu, Cariri and Tacaratu formations, deposited in the SW Gondwana. Thus, this project aims to fill an important historical gap regarding the correlation of these units, precursors of the Northeastern Brazilian basins, and also deepen the knowledge about the genesis, sedimentation and paleogeography of the initial cratonic basins sedimentary deposits of SW Gondwana. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

CERRI, RODRIGO, I; WARREN, LUCAS, V; SPENCER, CHRISTOPHER J.; VAREJAO, FILIPE G.; PROMENZIO, PALOMA; LUVIZOTTO, GEORGE L.; ASSINE, MARIO L.. Using detrital zircon and rutile to constrain sedimentary provenance of Early Paleozoic fluvial systems of the Araripe Basin, Western Gondwana. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, v. 116, p. 17-pg., 2022-04-26. (14/00519-9, 17/19550-1, 20/10739-7)