Abstract Microbialites are the most abundant life evidence in Precambrian sedimentary rocks. They are produced by microbial interaction activity and sedimentary processes reflecting paleoenvironmental conditions. The Ediacaran-Cambrian carbonate and siliciclastic successions in the Southern Amazon Craton in Central Brazil, provide a key opportunity to understand how the metazoan life coexisted with the microbial communities. The spatial and temporal distribution of microbialites as well as morphological and paleoenvironmental changes have been assessed, reinterpreting previous works and including new data from the Araras-Alto Paraguai and Corumbá basins. The deposition was controlled by subsidence and sea-level changes that affected these basins, considered extensions of epicontinental seas during the Gondwana assembly. The stromatolites are restricted to coastal deposits and experienced thriving flourishment intervals after the Marinoan Glaciation (635 Ma). Post-glacial transgression was marked by microbial colonization in shallow platforms represented by stratiform and giant domical stromatolites in the Araras-Alto Paraguai Basin. The continuity of the transgression generated a moderately deep aragonite sea at about 622 Ma. A progressive sea-level fall caused the implantation of coastal environments under greenhouse conditions with tidal flat and sabkha settings colonized by centimetric-scale stromatolites. The sea retreat was accompanied by progressive uplift, causing a moderate inversion of the basin and erosion of the succession until ~560 Ma with the deposition of the last preserved tidal flat deposits with the occurrence of thrombolites. The subsiding Corumbá Basin was the site of microbially-induced deposition of carbonates in a shallow platform connected to an offshore setting with the proliferation of metazoan straddling the Ediacaran-Cambrian boundary. Microbial communities were restricted to lagoon deposits during the Lower Cambrian transgression in the Araras-Alto Paraguai Basin and the last phase refers to the sea retreat towards southeast, developing a fluvial system connected with the arid and evaporitic tidal flats colonized by microbialites that lasted until the upper Cambrian. Except for the post-glacial stromatolites, the columnar and domal microbialite indicate that the coastal settings dominated the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. The preservation of microbialites in the post-glacial intervals can be associated with the Mg-Ca-CO3 oversaturation in dolomitic platforms. The rapid calcification and ability to resist the dissolution and replacement have increased the stromatolites’ preservation potential reported here, where its well-preserved occurrence in tidal flats and sabkha occurs due to intense early diagenetic silicification. The change from carbonate accumulation to siliciclastic-rich environments contributed to the demise of microbially-induced strata. In general, the scarce coexistence between coastal stromatolite and metazoan-bearing marine deposits makes it challenging to establish a competitive relationship between these organisms, as previously postulated.

ABSTRACT: Facies and stratigraphic analysis were carried out in Neoproterozoic-Lower Paleozoic carbonate-siliciclastic deposits of Cacoal and Pimenta Bueno formations exposed on basement rocks and into the Pimenta Bueno Graben, northwestern portion of Parecis Basin, southwesternmost Amazon Craton. The redescription and redefinion of this succession confirmed the previous interpretation for the Cacoal Formation as a Marinoan (~ 635 Ma) cap carbonate. The Cacoal Formation is subdivided here in two units separate by sharp contact found exclusively overlying Mesoproterozoic crystalline basement rocks: 1) a homonymous formation characterized by diamictites, sandstones and siltstones with dropstones interpreted as glacio-marine deposits; and 2) the Espigão d’Oeste Formation that consists of dolostone, dolomitic stromatolites, dolostone-siltstone rhythmite and siltstone interpreted as shallow to moderately deep platform deposits. The Ordovician to Silurian Pimenta Bueno Formation is a filling of Pimenta Bueno graben and overlies locally the Meso and Neoproterozoic rocks. This unit consists in diamictites, sandstones, siltstones and pelites interpreted as glacial-marine and tide- to storm-influenced platform deposits, recording a glacio-eustatic regressive-transgressive event. This new stratigraphic proposal modify the current stratigraphy for the Parecis Basin and suggest, at least, two levels of glaciation exposed in the sothwesternmost Amazon Craton related to the Marinoan and Late Ordovician-Early Silurian events.

RESUMOEstruturas glaciotectônicas estudadas nos depósitos siliciclásticos da Formação Cabeças do Devoniano Superior representam a primeira evidência da glaciação fameniana na borda Sudeste da Bacia do Parnaíba, no Norte do Brasil. A análise estratigráfica e faciológica em combinação com estudos geométrico-estruturais desses depósitos permitiram definir três associações de fácies (AF) representativas de um ciclo de avanço-recuo de geleira, a saber: associação de fácies de frente deltaica (AF1), composta por pelitos maciços, arenitos finos a médios com estratificação cruzada sigmoidal e conglomerado maciço, organizados em ciclos grano- e estrato-crescentes; associação de fácies subglaciais (AF2), consistindo de diamictitos maciços seixosos (seixos de arenito, pelito e rochas vulcânicas) e feições deformacionais, tais como brechas intraformacionais, sills e diques clásticos de diamictitos, dobras, falhas normais e de cavalgamento, pods de arenitos e plano de descolamento; e associação de fácies de frente deltaica de degelo (AF3), constituída por arenitos maciços ou laminados (estratificação plano-paralela e/ou cruzada sigmoidal), localmente com deformações sin-sedimentares. Três fases deposicionais são indicadas para os depósitos da Formação Cabeças: instalação de um sistema deltaico (AF1), advindo de áreas soerguidas do Sudeste da bacia; avanço de geleiras costeiras, que causa cisalhamento tangencial e erosão do substrato (AF1), em zona subglacial (AF2), desenvolvendo superfície de descolamento, rompimento e rotação de camadas arenosas ou pods imersos em diamicton; e recuo das geleiras acompanhado pelo aumento relativo do nível do mar, pela instalação de um sistema deltaico de degelo de alta energia (AF3) e processos de alívio de pressão que geram falhas normais, escorregamento de massa, dobras e injeções de diques e sills. O aumento contínuo do nível do mar levou à deposição dos sedimentos finos da Formação Longá na zona de transição offshore/shoreface no início do Carbonífero.

ABSTRACTGlaciotectonic features studied in the siliciclastic deposits of Cabeças Formation, Upper Devonian, represent the first evidence of Famennian glaciation in Southeastern Parnaíba Basin, Brazil. Outcrop-based stratigraphic and facies analyses combined with geometric-structural studies of these deposits allowed defining three facies association (FA). They represent the advance-retreat cycle of a glacier. There are: delta front facies association (FA1) composed of massive mudstone, sigmoidal, medium-grained sandstone with cross-bedding and massive conglomerate organized in coarsening- and thickening-upward cycles; subglacial facies association (FA2) with massive, pebbly diamictite (sandstone, mudstone and volcanic pebbles) and deformational features, such as intraformational breccia, clastic dikes and sills of diamictite, folds, thrust and normal faults, sandstone pods and detachment surface; and melt-out delta front facies associations (FA3), which include massive or bedded (sigmoidal cross-bedding or parallel bedding) sandstones. Three depositional phases can be indicated to Cabeças Formation: installation of a delta system (FA1) supplied by uplifted areas in the Southeastern border of the basin; coastal glacier advance causing tangential substrate shearing and erosion (FA1) in the subglacial zone (FA2), thus developing detachment surface, disruption and rotation of sand beds or pods immersed in a diamicton; and retreat of glaciers accompanied by relative sea level-rise, installation of a high-energy melt-out delta (FA3) and unloading due to ice retreat that generates normal faults, mass landslide, folding and injection dykes and sills. The continuous sea-level rise led to the deposition of fine-grained strata of Longá Formation in the offshore/shoreface transition in the Early Carboniferous.

RESUMODepósitos pleistocenos expostos na Planície Costeira do Amapá (porção onshore da Bacia da Foz do Amazonas, nordeste da América do Sul) foram anteriormente interpretados como de idade miocena. Neste trabalho, esses depósitos foram chamados de "Formação Itaubal" e incluídos na evolução costeira quaternária da Amazônia. O estudo, mediante o uso de análise de fácies e estratigrafia em combinação com luminescência opticamente estimulada (regeneração de alíquotas simples e múltiplas), permitiu posicionar essa unidade no Pleistoceno Tardio, interpretada como depósitos fluviais e influenciados por maré. A Formação Itaubal, que sobrepõe discordantemente rochas intensamente intemperizadas do embasamento do Escudo das Guianas, foi subdivida em Unidade Inferior e Superior, de caráter progradante, separadas por desconformidade relacionada à queda do nível do mar. A Unidade Inferior apresenta idades entre 120.600 (± 12.000) e 70.850 (± 6.700) anos AP e consiste de depósitos de submaré, canal fluvial meandrante influenciado por maré e depósitos de planície de inundação, depositados durante condições de nível de mar alto. A Unidade Superior apresenta idades entre 69.150 (± 7.200) e 58.150 (± 6.800) anos AP e é caracterizada por depósitos de canal entrelaçado, que retrabalham a Unidade Inferior, depositada em condições relacionadas à queda do nível de base. Condições de nível de mar baixo permaneceram até 23.500 (± 3.000) anos AP. A região estudada foi provavelmente exposta durante o Último Máximo Glacial e, posteriormente, durante o Holoceno, recoberta por depósitos influenciados por maré oriundos do Rio Amazonas.

ABSTRACTThe Pleistocene deposits exposed in the Amapá Coastal Plain (onshore portion of the Foz do Amazonas Basin, northeastern South America) were previously interpreted as Miocene in age. In this work, they were named as "Itaubal Formation" and were included in the quaternary coastal history of Amazonia. The study, through facies and stratigraphic analyses in combination with optically stimulated luminescence (single and multiple aliquot regeneration), allowed interpreting this unit as Late Pleistocene tidal and fluvial deposits. The Itaubal Formation, which unconformably overlies strongly weathered basement rocks of the Guianas Shield, was subdivided into two progradational units, separated by an unconformity related to sea-level fall, here named as Lower and Upper Units. The Lower Unit yielded ages between 120,600 (± 12,000) and 70,850 (± 6,700) years BP and consists of subtidal flat, tide-influenced meandering stream and floodplain deposits, during highstand conditions. The Upper Unit spans between 69,150 (± 7,200) and 58,150 (± 6,800) years BP and is characterized by braided fluvial deposits incised in the Lower Unit, related to base-level fall; lowstand conditions remained until 23,500 (± 3,000) years BP. The studied region was likely exposed during the Last Glacial Maximum and then during Holocene, covered by tidal deposits influenced by the Amazon River.

Resumo Rochas de idade neoproterozóica da Formação Prosperança, cobertura sedimentar da porção sul do Escudo das Guianas, são pobremente expostas quando comparadas com o registro paleozóico das bacias do Amazonas e Solimões. A Formação Prosperança consiste em conglomerados, arenitos arcosianos e pelitos que preenchem grábens no embasamento. Esta unidade é sotoposta por rochas carbonáticas da Formação Acarí (Neoproterozóico), observada apenas em subsuperfície, que agrupadas, representam o embasamento sedimentar das bacias paleozoicas produtoras de óleo da Amazônia. A precisa caracterização e reconstrução paleoambiental da Formação Prosperança são essenciais para a distinção entre unidades do embasamento sedimentar e paleozóicas. A análise estratigráfca foi realizada na região do baixo rio Negro, Estado do Amazonas. A Formação Prosperança consiste em quatro associações de fácies que foram interpretadas como produto de um sistema flúvio-deltaico: prodelta/lacustre, frente deltaica, foreshore/shoreface e planície braided distal. Camadas tabulares de pelitos distribuídos por quilômetros sugerem uma bacia sedimentar de provável origem lacustre/mar restrito. Lobos deltaicos complexamente estruturados foram alimentados por distributários braided que migravam para SE. Arenitos gerados sob condições de fluxo oscilatório/combinado são compatíveis com depósitos de face litorânea. Arenitos com estratifcação cruzada e planar estão relacionados com a migração de dunas subaquosas associadas a processos fluviais braided. Camadas lenticulares de conglomerados e arenitos com estratifcação cruzada e planar, de possível idade paleozóica, sobrepõem a Formação Prosperança erosivamente. Essas camadas são produtos de um sistema fluvial braided proximal que migrava para NW, sentido inverso dos valores de paleocorrentes dos arenitos Prosperança.

Abstract The Neoproterozoic Prosperança Formation represents a sedimentary cover of southern Guyana Shield and is poorly exposed when contrasted with Paleozoic record of Amazonas and Solimões basins. Conglomerates, arkosic sandstones and mudstones are the characteristics deposits flling basement grabens. This unit is overlain unconformably by neoproterozoic carbonate rocks of Acarí Formation (observed only in cores). These formations represent the sedimentary basement of oil producing Paleozoic basins of the Amazon region. The precise characterization and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of Prosperança Formation are important for their distinction from Paleozoic units. Stratigraphic analysis was carried out at lower Negro River, State of Amazonas. Four facies associations were interpreted as products of a fluvial-deltaic system: prodelta/lacustrine, delta front, foreshore/shoreface and distal braided plain. Mudstones distributed along several kilometers suggest a sedimentary basin probably of lacustrine/restricted sea origins. Complex structured deltaic lobes were fed by braided distributaries that migrated mainly to SE. Sandstones generated under oscillatory/combined flux are conformable with shoreline deposits. Planar to trough cross-bedded sandstones are related to migration of subaqueous dunes, associated to fluvial-braided processes. Lenses of conglomerate, planar to trough cross-bedded sandstones, possibly of paleozoic age, which overlies unconformably the Prosperança Formation migrated to NW as product of proximal braided plain system and is in contrast to the S-directed cross-stratifcation of the Prosperança sandstones.