Paleoproterozoic basement of Içana Domain, Rio Negro Province, northwestern Amazonian Craton: Geology, geochemistry and geochronology (U-Pb and Sm-Nd)

Abstract

The oldest rocks of the Rio Negro Province in the Amazonian Craton, have a complex evolutionary history and little known about them. In this paper are presented field, microtextural data, amphibole and plagioclase mineral chemistry, zircon U–Pb ages, and Sm–Nd isotope composition from Içana Domain basement rocks which belong to the Rio Negro Province. The studied area of the province is located in the extreme northwestern portion of Brazil (Amazonas State). The integration of the data obtained in this study allowed to propose the tectono-metamorphic evolution of Içana Domain in the Rio Negro Province. The basement rocks comprise orthogneiss and metagranite of the Cauaburi Complex and homogeneous/heterogeneous diatexite of the Taiuaçu–Cauera diatexite. The Cauaburi Complex rocks exhibit a predominantly porphyroclastic texture and has a mafic mineralogy constituted by biotite, amphibole, sphene, epidote, and allanite. On the other hand, Taiuaçu–Cauera diatexite varies from inequigranular to porphyroclastic, being constituted by biotite, muscovite, allanite, and epidote. Basement rocks of the Içana Domain record three tectonic–metamorphic events, which were associated to regional events. The M1/D1 event was marked by the syn-tectonic emplacement of the Cauaburi Complex protolith rocks (1813 ± 19 Ma), and also by crystallization (1821 ± 14 Ma) and migmatization (1788 ± 11 Ma) of the Taiuaçu-Cauera diatexites in an orogenic event. The M2/D2 event reached high temperatures, similar to the M1/D1 event and was related to emplacement of S–type granites in the Içana Domain basement during the Içana Orogeny (ca. 1520 Ma). Furthermore, the lower temperature of the M3/D3 event was related to intracontinental reworking of the K'Mudku event (ca. 1200 Ma). The Cauaburi Complex basement rocks shows epsilon Nd(t) values range from +1.53 to +0.13, which allow the identification of a crustal contribution to the magma source (likely Orosirian sialic crust). Geochemistry data indicate that these rocks have been generated from partial melting of amphibolitic rocks, and also with an important crustal component related to magmatic arc settings. All igneous (1967 ± 25 Ma) and metamorphic (1911 ± 15 Ma) zircons grains within the Cauaburi Complex basement rocks are compatible with those found in Tapajós-Parima/Ventuari–Tapajós Province, reinforcing the crustal contribution hypothesis. Geochemistry and mineralogical data indicate that Taiuaçu-Cauera diatexite was likely formed by the partial melting of the metagraywacke. Two age populations (1993 ± 33 and 1842 ± 9 Ma) from detrital zircon of the homogeneous diatexite, suggest that the sediments were derived from different rocks of the Tapajós-Parima/Ventuari–Tapajós Province. The age of the Taiuaçu-Cauera diatexite is probably between 1842 ± 9 Ma (youngest detrital zircon) and 1788 ± 11 Ma (anatectic zircon). The youngest detrital zircon (1842 ± 9 Ma) and anatectic zircons (1788 ± 11 Ma), indicates that the protolith of Taiuaçu-Cauera diatexite is not a part of the Tunuí basin (Tunuí Group).