New 40Ar/39Ar ages and revised 40K/40Ar* data from nephelinitic–phonolitic volcanic successions of the Trindade Island (South Atlantic Ocean)

Abstract

The Trindade Island is located in the South Atlantic Ocean, 1170km from the Brazilian coast and represents the eastern end of the submarine E–W Vitória–Trindade Chain. This is interpreted as the Trindade plume track beneath the South American plate during the Cenozoic. Almeida (1961) recognized five volcanogenic successions at Trindade in decreasing age: the Trindade Complex (TC) and the Desejado (DF), Morro Vermelho (MV), Valado (VF) and Paredão (PF) formations, composed of nephelinitic to phonolitic effusive-pyroclastic deposits, dykes and necks. Here, we present new 40Ar/39Ar ages and re-evaluation of available 40K/40Ar* data that, coupled with previous petrological information, allowed us to reconstruct the volcanic history of the island (i.e., 3.9–0.25Ma) distinguishing near synchronous volcanic episodes and solving several stratigraphic uncertainties reported in the literature.The geochronological dataset show that the nephelinitic–phonolitic volcanism at Trindade was discontinuous throught time, being marked by periods of high volcanic activity and periods of quiescence, which suggests variable melt production and eruption rates. The peak of the volcanic activity occurred between 3.9 and 2.5Ma (i.e., Lower Pliocene to Lower Pleistocene) that is represented by the TC, which correspond to the largest volume of volcanic deposits preserved in the island. The volcanic activity slows down progressively from 2.5Ma to cease at ca. 1.6Ma, period that is represented by the DF. This volcanism was followed by a quiescent period that lasted until the ephemeral nephelinitic volcanism of the MV (no age), VA (no age) and PF (ca. 0.25Ma). Thus, the volcanic activity in Trindade was ceased completely at ca. 0.25Ma, event registered in the uppermost volcanic deposits of the PF and that represents the last volcanic activity in the Brazilian territory.