Nd isotope and element composition of shales from the Parnaíba Basin, NE Brazil: Insights for provenance shifts in a cratonic basin

Abstract

Sm-Nd and Sr isotope compositions of 24 samples of fine-grained clastic rocks from eastern Parnaíba basin, NE-Brazil, are presented along with major and trace element compositions of 19 of these samples. Samples were collected from outcrops of the Paleozoic Canindé (Pimenteiras, Longá and Poti) and Balsas (Piaui Formation) groups, and from the Jurassic Pastos Bons Formation. Discrimination diagrams based on Th, Sc, La and Zr indicate sedimentary provenance from felsic dominant sources and high degrees of crustal recycling. PAAS-normalized REE diagrams show that the Pimenteiras and Longá Formations display flat patterns with slight REE enrichment, and initial εNd and 87Sr/86Sr around the average composition of the upper continental crust, respectively between −8.9 and −14.6 and between 0.711 and 0.760, indicating provenance from old Precambrian basement. The Nd TDM model ages of the Pimenteiras between 1.32 Ga and 2.00 Ga indicate heterogeneity of source areas during the Devonian, and TDM ages around 1.6 Ga in the Longá Formation samples suggest intense recycling of older sediments. The Poti formation samples yield TDM ages of 2.30 Ga and 2.32 Ga, respectively, suggesting tectonic reactivation and new input from Archean-Paleoproterozoic basement complexes. The Pastos Bons Formation samples show lower Th-Sc ratios, light-REE depletion, and less negative initial εNd, indicating contribution from mafic rocks, probably from the underlying Mosquito Formation intraplate tholeiitic basalts and dolerites.