Abstract The Parauapebas Formation and Igarapé Cigarra Formation constitute two Neoarchean extrusive units inserted in the metavolcanosedimentary sequence (~2.76 Ga) of the Grão Pará Group, Itacaiúnas Supergroup, being represented by basaltic seeps underlain and overlain by jaspillites, rhyolites, volcanoclastic rocks, and gabbro dikes/sills, thus being inserted in the Serra Sul district in the Mineral Province of Carajás, Pará. This study aimed to understand the igneous processes involved in the genesis of these basalts from both geological formations, supported by field, petrographic, and geochemical data. Inserted in the metavolcanosedimentary sequence of the Grão Pará Group (Carajás Domain), the basalts and basalt andesites, the most abundant types of the Parauapebas and Igarapé Cigarra Formations, occur as successions of massive and amygdaloidal lava flows. The study of core samples from nine stratigraphic holes that intersected basaltic rocks of the two geological formations in body S11D (Serra Sul) showed that these rocks reach thick layers with different characteristics, ranging from aphanitic to phaneritic. The basalts are dark green, aphanitic, phaneritic, thin to medium, and hypocrystalline. They show preserved igneous texture being commonly seriated as inequigranular, intersertal, ophitic, subophytic, intergranular, branching, and swallow tail. Its essential primary constituents are plagioclase, orthopyroxene, and clinopyroxene, and its accessory constituents are titanite and apatite. Chlorite, epidote, quartz, and calcite occur as secondary phases and are interpreted as the products of ocean-bottom hydrothermal alteration and/or incipient metamorphism. In general, the studied volcanic rocks stand out for SiO2 content between 47.00 and 56.04%, high alkali contents (4.70–7.50%), K2O contents between 0.40 and 3.97%, TiO2 (< 1.0%), and MgO between 4.90 and 8.16%. In the classification diagrams, the samples are situated in the fields of basalts, basalt andesites, trachyandesite, and trachybasalt basalts, in the transition of the toleitic and calc-alkaline series. The basalts of the Parauapebas and Igarapé Cigarra Formations were probably formed in an intraplate continental environment influenced by subduction zones. Therefore, the Grão-Pará Basin was probably formed in a convergent regime related to a subduction-type environment. The geochemical data indicate that the studied rocks of the Parauapebas Formation and the Igarapé Cigarra Formation correspond to basalts of calc-alkaline affinity. Two facies were identified in the Parauapebas Formation, namely, the Amendoim and Violão facies. In the Igarapé Cigarra Formation as well, the following facies were identified: Jacaré and Três Marias. Based on the geochemical interpretation, it is assumed that the rocks studied are arc-like continental basalts, which are formed in a subduction environment with influence from a possible asthenospheric source and modified by crustal contamination.

Abstract Combined Sm-Nd isotope studies and U-Pb ages of detrital zircons have shown significant differences between the provenance patterns of Neoproterozoic metasedimentary successions in the Southern Brasília belt. The Vazante and Canastra groups are passive margin deposits with source areas in the Archean/Paleoproterozoic São Francisco Craton basement and Mesoproterozoic cover units. In literature, the younging trend of Nd model ages observed in the Vazante Group is interpreted as resulting from the contribution of the Neoproterozoic Goiás Magmatic Arc. Also, detrital zircons younger than 0.90 Ga were not recorded in the Vazante or Canastra groups, which zircon populations are older than 0.93 Ga. This work presents new Sm-Nd and Sr isotope data of metasedimentary rocks from the Vazante and Canastra groups, collected in a 400 km2 area in northwest Minas Gerais, Brazil. The improved database of previously published and new data corroborates with the younging pattern of TDM along the Vazante Group. Isochronic diagrams show that samples from Vazante and Canastra groups scatter along mixing lines between the fields defined by the older cratonic rocks and the more juvenile ones. Here we present the Tonian Intraplate Magmatism within the São Francisco Craton as the juvenile source.

RESUMO: O contato do empurrão dos grupos Canastra e Vazante na Faixa Brasília Meridional: evolução estrutural, cristalinidade de mica branca e implicações para a orogenia brasiliana. Duas escamas de cavalgamentos regionais de rochas metassedimentares neoproterozoicas ocorrem na Faixa Brasília Meridional, em Minas Gerais. A inferior compreende o Grupo Vazante, que na área de estudos é formado da base para o topo, pelas formações Serra do Garrote (metasiltitos e filitos carbonosos intercalados), Serra do Poço Verde (metadolomitos estromatolíticos bege a rosados com intercalações de ardósias e margas esverdeadas), Morro do Calcário (metadolomitos estromatolíticos cinza com intercalações de ardósias cinza) e Serra da Lapa (metarritmitos carbonosos com lentes de dolarenitos). A escama superior é composta do Grupo Canastra (formação Paracatu): sericita filitos laminados e filitos carbonosos com intercalações de quartzitos. A deformação resultou em quatro fases de deformação compressivas, contemporâneas ao metamorfismo de baixo grau. D 1 e D2 são de caráter dúctil, enquanto D3 e D4 são de regime rúptil-dúctil. D1 foi responsável pela clivagem ardosiana S1 subparalela ao acamamento sedimentar, com mergulhos baixos a altos para NW. D2 desenvolveu clivagem de crenulação (S2) que mergulha moderadamente para NW e está associada a dobras apertadas a isoclinais. D3 e D4 desenvolveram crenulações espaçadas e dobras abertas com kinks associadas. S3 apresenta eixos para NW, e S4, eixos para NE e SW, ambas com caimento moderados a altos. Medições por cristalinidade de mica branca (índice de Kübler) sugerem que os grupos Canastra e Vazante alcançaram condições de anquizona/epizona, e descontinuidades metamórficas ao longo dos planos de cavalgamento indicam que o pico metamórfico é anterior ou contemporâneo à tectônica de cavalgamento.

ABSTRACT: Two regional thrust-sheets of Neoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks occur in the Southern Brasília Belt, northwest Minas Gerais. The lower one comprises the Vazante Group, that is formed in the studied area, from base to top, by the Serra do Garrote (metapelites interlayered with carbonaceous phyllite), Serra do Poço Verde (beige to pink stromatolitic metadolomite with interlayered greenish slates), Morro do Calcário (gray stromatolitic metadolomite interlayered with gray slates) and Serra da Lapa (phyllite with dolarenitic lenses interlayered with slates) formations. The upper thrust sheet consists of the Canastra Group (Paracatu formation): laminated sericite phyllites and carbonaceous phyllites interlayered with quartzite. The Braziliano orogeny resulted in four phases of contractional deformation, associated with low-grade metamorphism. The first two (D1 and D2) are ductile, while the third and fourth ones (D3 and D4) are brittle-ductile. D1 developed a slaty S1 cleavage subparallel to the primary layering, with shallow to steep dips to NW. D2 developed a crenulation cleavage (S2) that dips moderately to NW and is associated with tight to isoclinal folds. D3 and D4 phases developed crenulations and open folds and kink bands. S3 dips steeply to NW, while S4 has moderate to steep dips to NE and SW. White mica crystallinity (Kübler index) measurements in metapelites indicate that both the Canastra and Vazante groups reached anchizone/epizone conditions, and metamorphic discontinuities along thrusts indicate that the peak of metamorphism is pre or syn-thrusting.

Importantes depósitos diamantíferos aluvionares a sudeste de Coromandel e sua geologia foram estudados, com o intuito de encontrar sua fonte. A maioria dos grandes diamantes Brasileiros acima de 100 ct foram recuperados de tais depósitos. A Formação Capacete do Grupo Mata da Corda do Cretáceo Superior, composta por material vulcano-clástico máfico, piroclástico e epiclástico, já foi alvo de garimpagem, entretanto considerado como sendo não econômico. Os autores descrevem os resultados de seus estudos de uma pequena mina desativada nestas rochas e apresentam o primeiro relato com descrição e análises de dois diamantes recuperados deste material. Centenas de kimberlitos descobertos nos últimos 50 anos são estéreis ou não econômicos. Nossa proposta é que o "conglomerado" Capacete é a fonte principal dos diamantes nos cascalhos aluvionares. O volume deste material é enorme e representa um recurso com potencial para mineração de maior porte. Os autores sugiram um estudo pormenorizado da fácies vulcânica desta unidade, enfatizando a gênese, distribuição e conteúdo diamantífero. Com relação à origem das rochas piroclásticas diamantíferas, os autores excluem os kimberlitos e apontam para o complexo alcalino-carbonatítico Serra Negra - Salitre como sendo a fonte destas rochas. Eles sugerem que fases iniciais eruptivas de tal complexo carregaram diamantes do manto à superfície, semelhante como os kimberlitos conhecidos, para explicar a associação de tal complexo alcalino-carbonatítico e diamantes".

Important diamond deposits southeast of Coromandel and the local geology have been studied in an attempt to understand what surface source provided the stones. River gravels of Pleistocene to Recent age from this region have supplied most of Brazil's large diamonds over 100 ct. The upper cretaceous Capacete Formation of the Mata da Corda Group, composed of mafic volcanoclastic, pyroclastic and epiclastic material, has been worked locally for diamonds, nevertheless considered non-economic. The authors present results of their study of a deactivated small mine, representing the first report with description and analyses of two gem diamonds washed from this material. Hundreds of kimberlites, discovered in the last half century in the region, are sterile or non-economic. We propose that the surface source of the diamonds is the Capacete "conglomerado". The volume of this material is enormous representing a potential resource for large-scale mining. The authors suggest detailed studies of the volcanic facies of this unit focusing on the genesis, distribution and diamond content. As to the question concerning the origin of these diamondiferous pyroclastic rocks, the authors exclude the kimberlites and point towards the large Serra Negra and Salitre alkaline complexes which are considered the primary source for the pyroclastic units of the Mata da Corda Group. They propose that early eruptive phases of this alkaline complex brought diamonds from a mantle source to the surface, much as happens with traditional kimberlites, to explain the association of such huge carbonatite complexes and diamonds.