Age, provenance and tectonic setting of the high-grade Jequitinhonha Complex, Araçuaí Orogen, eastern Brazil

Abstract

ABSTRACT: The Jequitinhonha Complex of the northeastern Araçuaí orogen is an extensive sedimentary unit metamorphosed in the amphibolite-granulite facies transition around 580-545 Ma. The unit consists of Al-rich (kinzigitic) paragneisses with decametric intercalations of graphite gneisses and quartzites, and centimetric to metric lenses of calcsilicate rocks. A new detrital zircon U-Pb age spectrum is reported for a sample of quartzite, and whole-rock geochemical (major and trace elements, 9 samples) and Sm-Nd isotope data (10 samples) for Jequitinhonha Complex paragneiss. Together with published data these show that: (1) the geochemistry of paragneiss samples of the Jequitinhonha Complex are similar to those of passive margin sedimentary protoliths; (2) detrital zircon data yield U-Pb age populations between ca. 0.9 and 2.5 Ga; and (3) Sm-Nd TDM model ages range from 1.6 to 1.8 Ga and εNd(575 Ma) around -7.5. The data reveal a mixture of Cryogenian to Mesoproterozoic rift-related igneous rocks with the Palaeoproterozoic-Archaean basement rocks of the São Francisco-Congo palaeocontinent as the main source areas, and also support the correlation between the Jequitinhonha Complex and the passive margin units of the upper Macaúbas Group, constituting the precursor basin of the orogen. Our results, with the absence of ophiolites in the Jequitinhonha Complex, reinforce the interpretation that the São Francisco-Congo palaeocontinent was not divided to the north of the focused region, suggesting an ensialic termination of a gulf during the Neoproterozoic.