Marine gateways in the Early Cretaceous of the Araripe Basin: an isotopic approach

• Grant number: 23/09442-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: September 15, 2023
• End date: September 14, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Geosciences - Geology
• Principal Investigator: Luigi Jovane
• Grantee: Rafaela Cardoso Dantas
• Supervisor: Ian J. Parkinson
• Host Institution: Instituto Oceanográfico (IO). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Bristol, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 22/13681-5 - Marine Gateways in the Mesozoic Basins of Northeast Brazil: a geochemical and isotopic study, BP.DR

Abstract

The Mesozoic basin system of the Brazilian continental margin and related interior basins are the result of the extensional tectonic processes that caused the breakup of Gondwana and the separation of the African and South American continents. The evolution of these basins involves the rift, transitional, and post-rift stages, during which sediments were deposited and formed significant petroleum systems in Brazil. Despite the advancements in geological knowledge in recent years, there remains a significant amount of scientific uncertainty and ongoing debate regarding the depositional conditions during the evolutionary stages, as well as the initial marine incursions, marine gateways, and the presence of epicontinental seas in the Mesozoic basins of Brazil. The Araripe Basin, the largest Mesozoic interior basin of Northeastern Brazil, is characterized by deposits of shales and carbonate rocks in its Early Cretaceous stratigraphic record, as well as thick evaporite layers, the paleoenvironment of which is still under debate, with proposed environments ranging from non-marine to marine-influenced transitional environments. To contribute to this debate and to advance geological knowledge, this project proposes to conduct an isotopic investigation of strontium (87Sr/86Sr) and osmium (187Os/188Os) in Aptian stratigraphic sections of the Araripe Basin, which are valuable records and play a critical role in understanding the complex depositional history of the basin and the evolution of the Proto-South Atlantic during the Early Cretaceous. (AU)