Paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic reconstruction of Lower to Upper Cretaceous sequences of the Bauru Basin based on paleosol geochemistry and mineralogical analyses

Abstract

The Cretaceous climate was characterized by arid and semiarid conditions in different parts of the world. Climatic changes for the Early to Late Cretaceous had been reported by many authors in North America, East Asia, Africa, and South America due to the geological evolution of Laurasia and Gondwana. In South America, the Bauru Basin, located in Brazil, is one of the most critical places to develop paleoclimatic reconstructions due to the presence of well-preserved Cretaceous sedimentary sequences, as well as abundant fossil content and paleosol profiles. The transition between the Lower and Upper Cretaceous in the Bauru Basin is represented by the Santo Anastácio and Araçatuba formations, which are characterized by a succession of sandstones, claystones, and paleosols. The paleosols are well distributed in the basin, providing valuable information about the paleoenvironmental conditions and insights about the tectonic and climatic changes in the Cretaceous Period. Since the 1960's decade, the Cretaceous paleosols of the Bauru Basin have been used as stratigraphic and sedimentological proxies providing paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatic insights, principally for the Late Cretaceous Period. This study, based on macromorphological descriptions, clay mineralogy (X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy - SEM), and geochemical of paleosols, identified environmental and climatic patterns from the Lower and Upper Cretaceous. Results allowed to elaborate maps of paleoclimatic evolution that indicate changes occurred from Lower to Upper Cretaceous sequences of the Bauru Basin. These changes were compared and correlated with other continental basins in West Gondwana and Laurasia around the world, contributing to the understanding of the Cretaceous paleoclimatic context of South America.