Abstract Records of Statherian intracontinental ruptural tectonics, magmatism and sedimentation events are recognized all over the South American Platform as an immediate tectonic response to the formation of a large continental domain during Rhyacian-Orosirian orogenic collage. In this paper, we present a preliminary synthesis of the variety of tectonic-sedimentary and magmatic occurrences of these taphrogenic processes along the Statherian Period, which are recorded in all cratons, as well as in the basement of most Brasiliano orogenic belts. The Statherian rock units are better preserved over the cratons, and within the Brasiliano structural provinces they are reduced by erosional processes and discretely overprinted by Tonian and Cryogenian structures, and strongly by the Ediacaran-Brasiliano Orogeny. Clastic sediments are dominantly mature, primary structures clearly pointing to the environmental setting. Anorogenic bimodal magmatism, represented by volcanic and plutonic rocks is common, where felsic rocks are largely dominant. Their geochemical signature indicates within-plate settings and dike swarms are common within the cratons. The magmatism was very intense locally, suggesting LIP occurrences, although in need of additional geophysical and petrological support. The taphrogenic and magmatic events took place within Orosirian and Rhyacian basement, in which main tectonic-magmatic events ceased just before the Late Statherian, occasionally extending into the Calymmian.

Abstract In the central part or central subprovince of the Borborema Province, in the so-called Transversal Zone, an assemblage of Paleoproterozoic (predominantly Rhyacian) rocks occurs together with sparsely distributed Neoarchean nuclei. These rocks constitute the main basement of the Tonian (Cariris Velhos Cycle) and Ediacaran (Brasiliano Cycle) mobile belts. They are older tectonostratigraphic terranes and par excellence ramifying elements (as “inliers”) of the Neoproterozoic orogenic constructions. This tectonostratigraphic terrane known as Alto Moxotó composes a litho-structural context typical of accretionary orogens, with the presence of granitic, granodioritic, and trondhjemitic orthogneisses (≈ arc-type associations) that stretch out for some hundreds of kilometers (Floresta Suite) and are partially covered by medium-grade pelitic-psammitic sequences (Sertânia Supergroup). This basement outline (Floresta Suite + Sertânia Supergroup) depicts an irregular sigmoidal shape, from the interior of Pernambuco (meridian 39ºW) to the Paraíba coastal area (meridian 34º45'W), along about 450 km, varying from 40 to 80 km in width, resulting in a total area of ca. 28,000 km2. This Rhyacian petrotectonic scenario is conditioned and delimited by extensive (shear + thrust) faults that configure a tectonostratigraphic terrane. Moreover, there are pieces of continuity evidence of this tectonostratigraphic terrane not only in the basement of the adjacent Neoproterozoic mobile belts to the North and South of the TAM in Brazil, but also in Northern Cameroon, in Africa. Within this broader predominantly Rhyacian belt, some small Neoarchean gneissic and migmatitic nuclei were identified. The Rhyacian lithologies reveal evidence (TDM ages) of sources from a Neoarchean paleosubstrate. During the Statherian, the whole Rhyacian context was affected by a series of small-scale magmatic manifestations of varied petrologic composition: syenitic, granitic, granodioritic, and gabbro-anorthositic. In this paper, a synthesis of the bibliographic data is presented, including a series of unpublished (geologic and geochronologic) data that together validate our conviction that we are dealing with an extensive (reworked) fragment (TAM) derived from the basement of a Paleoproterozoic supercontinent (Columbia).

RESUMO: O objetivo deste trabalho é introduzir o conceito de um arco magmático eoediacarano (ca. 635-580 Ma) na porção norte da zona transversal, subprovíncia central da Província Borborema. Nossas pesquisas foram beneficiadas pela preexistência de sínteses de diferentes autores, incluindo teses e dissertações, sobre a zona transversal nos últimos 30 anos. O arco proposto está situado entre 35º15'W e 42º30'W (extensão ca. 750 km) e 7º15'S e 8ºS (largura de até 140 km), segundo trend geral NNE-SSW, ao sul do Lineamento Patos. Cerca de 90 stocks e batólitos graníticos tipo I foram reconhecidos e mapeados ao longo da zona acrescionária. Essas rochas intrudem preferencialmente xistos de médio e baixo grau da Faixa Orogênica Piancó-Alto Brígida (SPAB) do Criogeniano-Ediacarano. Três supersuítes ígneas são reconhecidas: a) granodioritos e tonalitos a epídoto (tipo Conceição); b) granitos calcioalcalinos de alto K (tipo Itaporanga); c) biotita granodioritos de afinidade trondhjemítica (tipo Serrita). O quarto grupo de rochas ígneas peralcalinas e shoshoníticas ocorre ao sul dos anteriores, refletindo especiais condições tectônicas locais. A parte continental da placa inferior (ao norte do Lineamento Patos) é caracterizada por faixas móveis paleoproterozoicas, circunscrevendo alguns núcleos arqueanos. A fração oceânica dessa placa inferior foi completamente reciclada por subducção para o sul, embora escassos remanescentes sejam reconhecidos entre os xistos de baixo grau e como xenólitos das intrusões magmáticas. A parte continental da placa superior apresenta trend estrutural WSW-ENE e é composta de faixas orogênicas neoproterozoicas, com alguns remanescentes paleoproterozoicos de embasamento retrabalhado.

ABSTRACT: Magmatic arcs are an essential part of crust-forming events in planet Earth evolution. The aim of this work was to describe an early Ediacaran magmatic arc (ca. 635-580 Ma) exposed in the northernmost portion of the Transversal Zone, central subprovince of Borborema Province, northeast Brazil. Our research took advantage of several syntheses by different authors, including theses and dissertations, carried out on magmatic rocks of the study area for the last 30 years. The ca. 750 km long and up to 140 km wide arc, trending ENE-WSW, is preserved to the south of the Patos Lineament, between 35º15' and 42º30'W and 7º15' and 8ºS. About 90 different stocks and batholiths of I-type granitic rocks were mapped along this orogenic zone, preferentially intruding low-grade schists of the Cryogenian-Ediacaran Piancó-Alto Brígida (SPAB) belt. Three igneous supersuites are recognized: a) epidote-bearing granodiorites and tonalites ("Conceição" type); b) high-K calc-alkaline granites ("Itaporanga" type); c) biotite granodiorites of trondhjemite affinity ("Serrita" type). A fourth group of peralkalic and shoshonitic rocks occurs to the south of the previous ones, reflecting special tectonic conditions. NNE-SSW trending Paleoproterozoic fold belts, surrounding Archean nuclei, characterize the continental part of the northern lower plate. The oceanic fraction of this lower plate was recycled by subduction and scarce remnants of which may be seen either within the enclosing low-grade schists or as xenoliths within the arc intrusions. The upper continental plate presents WSW-ENE structural trends and is composed of Neoproterozoic fold belts and Paleoproterozoic reworked basement inliers. Available data bear clear evidence of an Ediacaran magmatic arc built at the northern portion of the Transversal Zone in the Borborema Province, northeast Brazil.

Consoante os mais recentes dados geológicos e geocronológicos do embasamento da Plataforma Sul-Americana, a colagem orogênica Brasiliana se deu em quatro pulsos distintos: a) eocriogeniana (ca. 800 - 70Ma); b) tardicriogeniana-eoediacarana (ca. 660 - 610 Ma); c) eo-médio ediacarana (ca. 590 - 560 Ma) e d) tardicambriana (520 - 500 Ma). Os três primeiros pulsos da colagem apresentam boa representatividade na maioria das províncias estruturais do Neoproterozóico, em todo Gondwana Ocidental. O último e mais jovem pulso orogênico constitui casos específicos locais registrados na Argentina (Orogenia Pampeana) e no Brasil, no leste do Rio de Janeiro (Orogenia Búzios). No cômputo geral, o intervalo de tempo (ca. 750 - 500 Ma) é comparável com o que é conhecido sobre o conjunto mais oriental (Árabe-Nubiano, Moçambique, Kuunga) e norte de Gondwana (Cadomiano), nos vários segmentos derivados deste supercontinente. No detalhe são encontradas diferenças importantes de eventos e idades entre os vários segmentos de Gondwana, o que é esperável diante da magnitude territorial da aglutinação do supercontinente e da natural diversidade dos cenários paleogeográficos e tectônicos. Em Gondwana Ocidental observa-se peculiaridade interessante: sotoposta aos edifícios orogênicos do Brasiliano e retrabalhada fortemente nos quatro pulsos principais, é encontrada série muito diversificada de terrenos do Toniano, em termos de rochas e proveniência tectônica. Estes terrenos (1000 - 900 Ma) e sua relação tanto com os processos da fusão de Rodinia como com os de aglutinação de Gondwana constituem um problema em aberto. Há algumas outras indicações, ainda muito pouco documentadas, da presença de tais terrenos em Gondwana Oriental.

Analysis of recent geological and geochronological data from the basement of the South American platform indicates that the Brasiliano orogenic collage took place in four distinct pulses: a) Early Cryogenian (ca. 800 - 740Ma); b) Late Cryogenian-Early Ediacaran (ca. 660 - 610 Ma); c) Early-Middle Ediacaran (c. 590 - 560 Ma); and d) Late Cambrian (520 - 500 Ma). The first three pulses are well represented in most Neoproterozoic structural provinces in West Gondwana. The youngest orogenic phase/pulse, however, is only seen in Argentina (Pampean Orogeny) and Brazil, in eastern Rio de Janeiro State (Búzios Orogeny). The period between ca. 750 and 500 Ma is comparable to that reported for the amalgamation of various continental fragments in East (Arabian-Nubian, Mozambique, Kuunga) and North Gondwana (Cadomian). However, important differences in the nature and ages of events are recognized, which can be expected in view of the magnitude of Gondwana agglutination and the diversity of paleogeographic and tectonic scenarios. West Gondwana shows an interesting peculiarity: lithologically and tectonically diversified Tonian terranes underlie Brasiliano orogenic buildups. They were strongly reworked during most of the orogenic pulses. The Tonian terranes (1000 - 900 Ma) and their relation with Rodinia or with the processes of Gondwana fusion remains an open question. Indications of their presence in East Gondwana are still poorly documented.

Este trabalho focaliza a parte mais setentrional do Supergrupo Espinhaço que aflora na Chapada Diamantina-Bahia. Frações finas K-Ar conduzidas em metassedimentos siliciclásticos de baixíssimo grau metamórfico mostraram uma história polifásica de deformação que corresponde ao Ciclo Brasiliano (=Pan Africano). Os resultados interpretados de dados isotópicos estão indicando três domínios de idade, os quais coincidem com três distintos domínios estruturais. De acordo com o índice Kübler (cristalinidade da illita) e o politismo da illita, as condições geradas durante a atividade tectônica mostram uma gradual mudança das margens do cráton para o seu interior, de condições epizonais para condições nitidamente diagenéticas. A porção norte da Chapada Diamantina está situada no antepaís do sistema de dobramentos Riacho do Pontal e isto compreende os sedimentos do Supergrupo Espinhaço a nordeste da chamada Bacia de Irecê. As idades K-Ar para frações < 2mm de ilita variam de 645 e 621 Ma (Média de 637±9 Ma, [2s]) e para frações < 2mm as idades variam entre 625 e 603 Ma (média 614±9 Ma, [2s]). Amostras da parte central da Chapada a leste da Bacia de Irecê não foram afetados pelo evento de deformação do brasiliano, e por conseguinte o trend estrutural dominante N-S é considerado mais antigo. A deformação da parte sul da chapada Diamantina foi estabelecida em conjunção com o desenvolvimento da orogênese Araçuaí e a inversão e reativação do impactógeno de Paramirm. O último estágio de deformação nesta área é registrado por frações finas de K-Ar no âmbito de 470-460 Ma

This study focuses on the northernmost part of the Mesoproterozoic Espinhaço Supergroup that crops out in the Chapada Diamantina. The fine-fraction K/Ar dating obtained on slightly metamorphosed sediments of the siliciclastic Espinhaço Supergroup shows a polyphase deformation history that corresponds to the Brasiliano (Pan-African) orogenic cycle. The isotopic results are interpreted to indicate three age domains coincident with three structurally different domains. Constrained by the Kübler Index ('illite crystallinity') and illite polytypism, the thermal conditions generated during the tectonic activity show a gradual trend from the craton margins to the interior from epizonal to diagenetic. The northern Chapada Diamantina is situated in the foreland of the Riacho do Pontal belt and comprises the sediments of the Espinhaço Supergroup northeast of the Irecê basin. The K/Ar ages for < 2 µm illite fractions range between 645 and 621 Ma [mean 637±9 Ma (2s)] and for < 0.2 µm fraction range between 625 and 603 Ma [mean 614±9 Ma (2s)]. Samples from the central Chapada Diamantina east of the Irecê basin are not affected by a Brasiliano deformation event and therefore, the N-S-trending structures are assumed to be older. The deformation of the southern Chapada Diamantina was established in conjunction with the formation of the Araçuai orogenesis and the inversion and reactivation of the Paramirim impactogen. The last stage of deformation in this area is recorded by the K/Ar fine-fraction dating between 470 and 460 Ma.