Combined Nd isotope systematics and geophysical data constrain the crustal evolution of the disrupted Alto Moxotó Terrane, Borborema Province, Brazil

Abstract

The accretionary record of Precambrian orogens is often masked by systematic magmatic, metamorphic and/or structural overprints. The Neoproterozoic Borborema Province presents direct linkage to several orogenic belts along western Gondwana, but its crustal evolution is contentious resulting in a range of geological models. In the region, exotic terranes that might have been docked via thrust- and strike slip structures preserve pre-Gondwana events that provide glimpses for the evolution of orogenic systems more generally. A total of 201 SmNd analysis of the Archean-Paleoproterozoic Alto Moxotó Terrane, central Borborema Province reveals source ages in granitic, mafic and metasedimentary rocks that are mostly Paleoarchean to early Paleoproterozoic, which contrast with the adjacent terranes. The successive juvenile inputs and crustal reworking from Neoarchean (ca. 2.6 Ga) to mid-Paleoproterozoic (ca. 2.1 Ga) diverge with the early to late Neoproterozoic dominant crust of the neighboring blocks. 3D geophysical modelling highlights the unique signature of the Alto Moxotó Terrane compared to these blocks, including: i) K-poor and Th-rich crust and ii) higher gravity gradients when compared with the bordering lithospheric record, both in gamma-spectrometric and gravimetric maps. Moreover, prominent magnetic anomalies in all magnetometric maps coincide with the major shear zones, including previously proposed terrane boundaries, suggesting that they might represent cryptic or unmapped suture zones. The isotopic and geophysical data are consistent with derivation of the Alto Moxotó Terrane from older crustal blocks such as the São Francisco and Congo cratons and provide a model to the understanding of the accretionary evolution of western Gondwana.