Published June 2024 | Published
Journal Article Open

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and (U-Th)/He constraints on emplacement, exhumation, and weathering of alkaline-carbonatite complexes in the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province (APIP), Brazil

  • 1. Universidade Estadual Paulista
  • 2. ROR icon University of Queensland
  • 3. ROR icon California Institute of Technology

Abstract

The timing and rate of emplacement, exhumation, and weathering of alkaline-carbonatite complexes associated with failed rift systems in the South Atlantic provide constraints on the thermotectonic conditions of West Gondwana before, during, and after break-up. 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of biotite crystals show that two alkaline-carbonatite complexes – Araxá and Catalão I – from the Alto Paranaíba Igneous Province were shallowly emplaced simultaneously at ∼85 Ma. After rapid cooling, the igneous complexes were rapidly exhumed between 85 and 66 Ma at Araxá (∼52 m Ma−1) and 85 and 45 Ma at Catalão (∼25 m Ma−1). Fast exhumation of the complexes occurred under relatively arid to semi-arid climates, conditions that favored physical weathering and erosion. The eroded material was transported in a NE-SW direction and deposited in the adjacent Paraná and São Sanfranciscana basins. After exhumation, wetter climates and more subdued tectonic conditions favored active widespread vegetation cover that favored reduced erosion and deepening of weathering profiles. After 66 Ma, the Araxá complex denuded at rates of 3.4 m Ma−1; at Catalão I, denudation rates reduced to 4.7 m Ma−1 after ∼45 Ma. Favorable geological and climatic conditions promoted the formation of deep and chemically stratified lateritic weathering profiles. The exhumed and weathered carbonatites underwent hypogene and supergene enrichment in Nb, P, Ti, and REEs, critical metals needed for the electrification of our energy base. The preservation of the lateritic profiles and their mineral wealth in the continental interior contrasts with the younger and shallower weathering profiles formed on similar lithologies and at equivalent elevations near the Brazilain South Atlantic margin, confirming that climatic and tectonic conditions along the margin were less conducive to the preservation of valuable mineralized systems because of enhaced erosion.

Copyright and License

© 2024 International Association for Gondwana Research. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Acknowledgement

We thank Vale SA (current Mosaic Fertilizantes SA) for logistic support and University of Queensland (UQ) Centre for Microcopy and Microanalysis staff for help during microanalysis. The authors thank Robson Santos Aglisnkas, David Thiede, Sérgio Túlio de Pinho Tavares and Antonio Aparecido Couto Júnior for their help. This investigation was funded by FAPESP-Brazil (Processes No. 2005/59203-1 and 2017/23577-2). Conceição thanks CNPq for a post-doctoral fellowship (Process No. 200775/2008-1). Specially, Dr. Sebastian Tappe (Associate Editor) and two anonymous referees are thanked for their detailed and insightful review comments, which helped to improve the manuscript.

Contributions

Fabiano T. Conceição: Conceptualization, Funding acquisition, Investigation, Writing – original draft. Paulo M. Vasconcelos: Conceptualization, Investigation, Writing – original draft. Guillermo R.B. Navarro: Conceptualization, Investigation. Kenneth A. Farley: Methodology, Investigation.

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Additional details

Created:
January 21, 2025
Modified:
January 21, 2025