Abstract The Moeda Formation (Caraça Group, base of Minas Supergroup) registers the initial rift stages of the Minas Basin in the Quadrilátero Ferrífero, Southern São Francisco craton, SE-Brazil. We present stratigraphic and U-Pb detrital zircon dating analyses of the Moeda Formation that contribute to the comprehension of its sedimentary evolution in the southernmost Gandarela and Ouro Fino synclines (Central-Eastern Quadrilátero Ferrifero). The Moeda Formation sequence consists of a basal proximal alluvial fan with clast-supported conglomerates, grading upward into an alluvial floodplain with quartz arenites, and upper massive sandstones from distal fluvial fans. Because the Moeda Formation is normally limited by similar lithologies at both its base (Nova Lima Group, Rio das Velhas Supergroup) and top (Batatal Formation, uppermost Caraça Group) and stratigraphic inversion has occurred in the study area, U-Pb detrital zircon dating was also extended to these units to differentiate them stratigraphically. The youngest clusters of detrital zircon ages in the Nova Lima Group and Moeda and Batatal formations were 2716, 2777 and 2786 Ma, respectively. Based on our data and relevant literature, the depositional age of the Moeda Formation was interpreted as between 2716 and 2520 Ma with the Mesoarchean continental crust, the Rio das Velhas Supergroup and the Archean TTG complexes as its main source areas.

Abstract The Quadrilátero Ferrífero metallogenetic province is located in the southernmost portion of the São Francisco craton, SE Brazil. The Tamanduá and Cambotas ridges stand out topographically in the northeastern portion of Quadrilátero Ferrífero and show NE-SW and N-S directions, respectively. Those ridges involve metasedimentary rocks of the Tamanduá Group bounded by a fault system. Due to stratigraphic and structural complexities, there is little consensus about the maximum sedimentation age and the stratigraphic position in which Tamanduá Group sediments were deposited. In this work, we took advantage of the excellent exposures in the Tamanduá and Cambotas ridges to present detailed stratigraphic observations combined with U-Pb zircon geochronological data from samples of different stratigraphic levels of Tamanduá Group. Furthermore, we provide U-Pb data from samples of the intrusive Pedra Formosa Suite that cut the whole Tamanduá sequence in the study area. Our observations showed that the Tamanduá Group represents a rift-sag basin-fill succession developed along the eastern border of the São Francisco paleoplate. The basal metaconglomerate and metasandstone package grades upward into marine metasandstone and phyllite. Detrital zircon obtained from the basal unit, Antônio dos Santos Formation, reveals maximum depositional ages between ca. 1981 and 1770 Ma. The upper succession, Cambotas Formation, shows a maximum depositional age from 1769 to 1740 Ma. The Pedra Formosa Suite shows zircons that crystallized at ca. 1740 Ma. The stratigraphic framework and the Orosirian-Statherian ages suggest a correlation with the first rifting event within the São Francisco paleoplate, the precursor of Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic Espinhaço basin.

Abstract The Quadrilátero Ferrífero is an important mineral province located in Southern São Francisco craton, SE Brazil. Its prominent feature is the Gandarela syncline that was formed as part of the regional deformation event in the southernmost part of the craton at ca. 2,000 Ma. The syncline exposes several economically important units of Rio das Velhas and Minas supergroups, widely known for their gold and iron ore mineral deposits. This work focused on the upper Minas Supergroup — Cercadinho Formation and Sabará Group in the Gandarela syncline. We showed detail stratigraphic surveys combined with U-Pb detrital zircon analysis. Data reveal the development of high- to low-density turbidity systems. The first one is related to the deposition of Cercadinho Formation that marks the siliciclastic infilling of the Minas basin. For the Sabará Group, a fine turbidite system of foredeep depocenter is inferred. The detrital zircon analysis indicates that their sediments were derived from Archean, Rhyacian, and Orosirian exhumed terrains, besides granitoids positioned to the south and east of Quadrilátero Ferrífero. We proposed the age of 2,036 ± 25 Ma as the maximum age of deposition of Sabará Group, whose sedimentation occurs in the first stages of Minas accretionary orogeny.