Paleomagnetism of Early Cambrian Itabaiana mafic dikes (NE Brazil) and the final assembly of Gondwana

Autor(es)

Trindade, Ricardo I. F. ; D'Agrella-Filho, Manoel Souza ^[2] ; Epof, Igor ; Neves, Benjamim B. Brito

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Earth and Planetary Science Letters; v. 244, n. 1/2, p. 361-377, Apr. 2006.
• Área do conhecimento: Ciências Exatas e da Terra - Geociências
• Assunto(s): Geomagnetismo Paleomagnetismo

Resumo

Paleomagnetic analysis on 15 early Cambrian mafic dikes from Itabaiana (Paraiba State) yielded a southern (northwestern) direction with steep upward (downward) inclination (D-m = 167.5 degrees, I-m =-63.7 degrees, alpha 95=7.3 degrees). AF and Thermal demagnetization, thermomagnetic curves, and hysteresis results suggest that this component is dominantly carried by fine-grained SD magnetite. The high stability of this component and positive baked contact tests on three dikes indicate it represents a primary thermoremanent magnetization. Ar-Ar analysis on whole-rock samples from two sites provides a strong constraint on the age of the Itabaiana paleomagnetic pole (134.6 degrees E, 34.9 degrees S; A(95) = 7.3, K=28) defined by plateau ages of 525 +/- 5 and 526 +/- 4 Ma. This pole completely satisfies six out of the seven quality criteria proposed by Van der Voo [R. Van der Voo, The reliability of paleomagnetic data, Tectonophysics 184 (1990) 1-9] and permits a tight constraint on the Early Cambrian sector of the Gondwana apparent polar wander path. Paleogeographic reconstructions consistent with the available paleomagnetic and geological record show that Gondwana was sutured along three major orogenies, the Mozambique (Brasilano/Pan-African) Orogeny (800-650 Ma), the Kuunga Orogeny (570-530 Ma) and the Pampean-Araguaia Orogeny (540-520 Ma). We suggest that after rifting away from Laurentia at the end of the Neoproterozoic, opening the Iapetus ocean, the Amazonian craton and minor adjoining blocks, such as Rio Apa and Pampia, collided with the proto-Gondwana by Cambrian times at ca. 530-520 Ma. Unless for small adjustments, Gondwana was completely formed by 525 Ma whose paleogeography is defined by the Itabaiana pole. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 03/12802-2 - Paleogeografia de unidades cratônicas da América do Sul durante o Proterozoico: do Rodínia ao Gondwana
• Beneficiário: Manoel Souza D'Agrella Filho
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular
• Processo FAPESP: 98/03621-4 - Participação de unidades cratônicas da América do Sul na evolução de supercontinentes desde o Mesoproterozóico
• Beneficiário: Igor Ivory Gil Pacca
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Temático