Stratigraphy, tectonics, paleoclimatology and paleogeography of northern basins of Brazil

Abstract

Paleozoic basins in northern Brazil contain thick sequences of sedimentary rocks, including diamictites. Because several different geological environments may generate diamictites a study of tec-tonism, stratigraphy, paleoclimatology and paleogeography was made in order to deduce the processes involved in their origin. A large part of northern Brazil is underlain by metavolcanic and metasedimentary sequences steeply folded and metamorphosed during many tectonic events from about 3600 to 1000 m.y. ago. Northeast Brazil was also affected by the Brazilian tectonic cycle from about 700 to 450 m.y. ago. The pre-basin weak zones and resulting trends are responsible for the shape and geometry of 3 huge intracratonic basins developed during Paleozoic time: the Soliaes, Amazonas and Parna(ba basins. The three basins had a similar geologic development during Paleozoic times; from Ordovician to Early Carboniferous time only clastic rocks were deposited and from Late Carboniferous to Permian time carbonate and evaporites were laid down. Tectonism that affected basins is related to uplift and collapse that preceded the break up of Pangea and subduction activity along the Soliges basin, in the western side of the continent. Climate •has influenced the characteristics of each formation. Paleolatitudes based on paleoclimatic indicators such as tillites, eolian sands, coal, bauxite, red beds, evaporites, limestone, fauna and flora, changed from polar and circumpolar to equatorial during Phanerozoic times. Glaciation was recorded in Ordovician-Silurian, Late Devonian and Early Carboniferous times. A Late Devonian glaciation left a clear imprint as shown by sedimentary facies. Diamictites with striated, faceted and polished pebbles; rhythmites with dropstones; erratic boulders; striated pave-ments and deformed sandstones document glacial conditions. Study of the migration of glacial centers based on the available literature and new data from Brazil shows that they closely follow published paleomagnetic wander data and that there is a close rela-tionship between all Paleozoic glaciations and the Brazilian gla-ciations. Ice centers moved from northern Africa to southwestern South America from Late Ordovician to Early Silurian time. From Mid-Silurian to early Late Devonian time no record of glaciation is known. In Late Devonian time intermittent glaciation initiated again in central South America and, from Late Devonian to Late Permian time ice centers migrated toward Antarctica across South America and South Africa. The Devonian and Ordovician-Silurian glaciations together with the Permo-Carboniferous glaciations may all have primarily resulted from the shifting position of the Gondwana continent with respect to the South Pole.