Journal of South American Earth Sciences 31 (2011) 345e357

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Journal of South American Earth Sciences

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The tectonic evolution of the Neoproterozoic Braslia Belt, central Brazil, based
on SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS UePb sedimentary provenance data: A review
Mrcio M. Pimentel a, *, Joseneusa B. Rodrigues b, Maria Emilia S. DellaGiustina c, Sergio Junges c,
Massimo Matteini c, Richard Armstrong d
a

Instituto de Geocincias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, CP 15001, 91501-970 Porto Alegre, Brazil
CPRM e Geological Survey of Brazil, Braslia, Brazil
Instituto de Geocincias, Universidade de Braslia, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
d
Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, Australia
b
c

a r t i c l e i n f o

a b s t r a c t

Article history:
Received 15 September 2010
Accepted 22 February 2011

The Braslia Belt is a Neoproterozoic orogenic belt in central Brazil, developed between the Amazon, So
Francisco-Congo and Paranapanema cratons. It consists of a thick sedimentary pile, made up of several
stratigraphic units, which have been deformed and metamorphosed along the western margin of the So
Francisco Craton during the Brasiliano orogenic cycle. In the western part of the belt, a large, juvenile
magmatic arc is exposed (the Gois Magmatic Arc), consisting of calc-alkaline plutonic suites as well as
volcano-sedimentary sequences, ranging in age between ca. 860 and 650 Ma. Regional-scale, westdipping thrusts and reverse faults normally mark the limits between the main stratigraphic units, and
clearly indicate tectonic transport towards the east. The age of deposition and tectonic signicance of the
sedimentary units comprising the Braslia Belt have been a matter of continuous debate over the last
three decades. In the present paper, recent provenance data based on LA-ICPMS UePb ages of detrital
zircon grains from several of these units, are reviewed and their signicance for the age of deposition of
the original sediments and tectonic evolution of the Braslia Belt are discussed.
The Parano, Canastra and the Vazante groups, in the central part of the Belt, have detrital zircon
grains with ages older than ca. 900 Ma and are interpreted as representative of the passive margin
sequence deposited on the western margin of the So Francisco Craton. On the other hand, samples from
the Arax and Ibi groups have a much younger population of Neoproterozoic zircon grains, as young as
650 Ma, and have been interpreted as syn-orogenic (fore-arc?) deposits. The Bambu Group, exposed in
the easternmost part of the belt and covering large areas of the So Francisco Craton also has young
zircon grains and is interpreted, at least in part, as the foreland basin of the Braslia Belt.
2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords:
Brasilia Belt
Sediment provenance
Zircon UePb
Tectonic evolution

1. Introduction
The Braslia Belt is a large and well preserved Neoproterozoic
orogenic belt in central Brazil formed by the convergence between
the Amazon, So Francisco-Congo and Paranapanema paleocontinents. It consists mainly of: (i) a thick sequence of metasedimentary and sedimentary rocks, in its eastern section, deposited
and deformed along the western margin of the So Francisco-Congo
Craton (SFCC), (ii) the Gois Massif, interpreted as an allochthonous
sialic block consisting mainly of the Archaean terrains of the GoisCrixs area, (iii) the metamorphic core of the orogen, known as
the Anpolis-Itauu granulite complex; very similar rock associations are exposed in the so-called Uruau Complex, to the north
* Corresponding author. Tel.: 55 51 99211861.
E-mail address: marcio.pimentel@ufrgs.br (M.M. Pimentel).
0895-9811/$ e see front matter 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/j.jsames.2011.02.011

(DellaGiustina et al., 2009), and (iv) a large exposure of Neoproterozoic juvenile volcanic/plutonic associations, the Gois
Magmatic Arc (Pimentel and Fuck, 1992) (Fig. 1). The supracrustal
associations in the southern part of the belt are marked by regionalscale thrust sheets presenting eastward vergence, towards the So
Francisco-Congo platform. Another important structural feature of
the Braslia Belt is the extensive NNE-trending strike-slip shear zone
system roughly marking the limits between the Brasilia Belt and the
Araguaia and Paraguay fold belts, to the west. These linear features
are known as the Transbrasiliano Lineaments.
Of great relevance to understand the tectonic evolution of the
Braslia Belt, as well as the provenance patterns of the sedimentary
rock units is the Gois Magmatic Arc. This underlies a large area along
the western part of the orogen and consists mainly of: (i) calc-alkaline metaplutonic suite made of tonalites-granodiorites recording
two main periods of intrusion (860e800 Ma and 660e610 Ma),

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Fig. 1. Main tectonic features and components of the Braslia Belt.

(ii) metavolcano-sedimentary sequences of calc-alkaline nature,

ranging in age from ca. 900 Ma to 620 Ma, (iii) post-tectonic granite
intrusions forming large bimodal complexes, emplaced between ca.
600 and 500 Ma. Most of these rocks present juvenile character with
a strong mantle input, as indicated by the positive eNd(T) values and
TDM model ages mostly between 0.9 and 1.2 Ga (Pimentel and Fuck,
1992).
The sedimentary rock units of the Braslia Belt are grouped into
seven main stratigraphic units: the Parano, Canastra, Ibi, Arax,
Vazante, Serra da Mesa and Bambu groups (for a review see
Valeriano et al., 2008 and Sial et al., 2009) (Fig. 2). In most previous
models these sequences, except for the Bambu Group, have been
interpreted as passive margin deposits of the So Francisco paleocontinent (e.g.Trompette, 1994; Valeriano et al., 2004, 2008; and
references therein), although the provenance work carried out by
Pimentel et al. (2001) using the SmeNd isotopic systematics, and
more recently by Rodrigues et al. (2010), have proposed an alternative view, according to which several of these units are synorogenic (fore-arc) deposits and the Bambu Group represents
a foreland basin.
The depositional age and tectonic setting of these supracrustal
units have been a matter of debate for decades. The intense deformation and tectonic transport, especially in the southern part of the
belt, the absence of fossils and of interlayered volcanic rocks have
been important obstacles for the determination of accurate
geochronological data and of the original tectonic setting of deposition. In the present study we review provenance data for sedimentary rocks of the Braslia Belt, especially recent data obtained by
SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS in order to help understanding the tectonic
evolution of the belt and to constrain the depositional age of the

original sediments. Data for the Parano, Canastra, Vazante, Ibi,

Arax and Bambu Groups, as well as for exposures of high grade
metasediments of the Anpolis-Itauu and Uruau complexes are
reviewed and their signicance for models of tectonic evolution of
the belt is discussed.
2. Geology of the supracrustal units of the Braslia Belt
The supracrustal part of the Braslia Belt is made of several
lithostratigraphic units, which are mostly separated from each
other by regional thrusts and reverse faults (for a review see
Dardenne, 2000; Valeriano et al., 2008 and Sial et al., 2009). These
units are the Parano, Canastra, Vazante, Ibi, Arax, Serra da Mesa
and Bambu groups (Fig. 2). The Jequita and Cubato diamictites,
exposed just below the Bambu and Ibi groups, respectively, have
been investigated in previous studies and will also be discussed
here. Also, the signicance of the high grade metasedimentary
rocks (sillimanite-garnet gneisses) exposed in the Anpolis-Itauu
and Uruau complexes will be re-assessed (Piuzana et al., 2003a;
DellaGiustina et al., 2009).
In the sections below we present the geological/stratigraphic
characteristics of these sedimentary/metasedimentary rock units.
2.1. Parano Group
In the Braslia area, the Parano Group is over 1400 m thick and
its stratigraphic organization has been studied in detail by Faria
(1995). These sedimentary rocks comprise a mature siliciclastic
sedimentary pile including thick quartzite layers, with intercalation
of metasiltstones and minor lenses of limestones and dolostones.

M.M. Pimentel et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 31 (2011) 345e357

347

Fig. 2. Simplied geological map of the Braslia Belt (after Dardenne, 2000).

This unit has been divided into nine lithostratigraphic units,

beginning with a paraconglomerate, followed by transgressive and
regressive siliciclastic dominated cycles, ending with pelites and
dolostones containing Conophyton metulum Kirichenko stromatolites (Cloud and Dardenne, 1973). Available geochronological and
microfossil data for the Parano Group point to an age between ca.
1170e950 Ma and a source region in the Paleoproterozic sialic
basement of this craton as suggested by the direction of paleocurrents (Guimares, 1977; Pimentel et al., 2001). The 50-m-thick
So Miguel paraconglomerate marks the base of the Parano Group,
lying on an erosive unconformity over the 1.77 Ga old Ara Group,
and marking the rift phase of the Parano basin. The conglomerate
is overlain by rhythmites with mudcracks and evaporite layers,
which are typical of tidal to supratidal environments. These are
followed by marine rhythmites and quartzites deposited in

a platformal environment dominated by tidal currents. The sediments in the upper portion of the Parano Group display features
indicating more varied environments, reecting important uctuations of the sea level. In this section, deeper water pelites alternate
with tidal rhythmites and quartzites, storm rhythmites, limestones
and stromatolitic dolomites. Arkoses and quartzites at the upper
part of the Parano sequence are chemically similar to passive
margin clastic sediments (Guimares, 1997).
2.2. Canastra Group
This stratigraphic unit comprises a typical platformal association of psammitic and pelitic metasediments, with some carbonatic
intercalations. Phyllites and quartzites are the most common rocks.
The basal part of the group (Serra do Landim Formation) is made

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of chlorite-rich calc-phyllite or calcschist. Towards the top, the

Paracatu and the Chapada dos Piles formations are formed by
carbonaceous phyllites and quartzites, representing a coarseningupward sequence formed by a regressive megacycle. This is made
of deep water sediments, grading into turbidites deposited on
a continental slope by gravitational currents, and to top platformal
deposits with hummocky structures and cross stratication, indicating sediment transport from east to west. The Canastra Group is
more commonly considered to be the lateral equivalent of the
Parano Group (Dardenne, 2000). The relationships between the
Canastra, Arax, and Ibi groups are not clear due to intense
tectonic imbrication between these units (Fig. 2).
2.3. Arax Group
This is dominantly made of micaceous quartzites and micaschists including calcschists, chlorite  muscovite schists, biotite
garnet schists, staurolite schists, and feldspathic schists, with a few
paragneiss and marble intercalations. The internal stratigraphy of
the group is poorly known due to intense deformation with
development of low angle thrust sheets. Volcanic rocks associated
with the Arax micaschists are observed in many areas. These are
amphibolites, meta-andesites and rhyolites (Pimentel et al., 1992;
Valeriano and Simes, 1997). Peraluminous granites dated between ca. 720 and 640 Ma are also common in some areas. In the
eastern part of the Arax Group, the ca. 0.79 Ga Marat Sequence
represents a narrow strip of rhyolitic/granitic rocks interlayered
with Arax metasediments. This ca.100 km long narrow unit was
initially interpreted as volcanic (e.g. Pimentel et al., 1992) and later
interpreted as highly deformed syn-tectonic intrusions. In the latter
interpretation, therefore, the UePb zircon age of 0.79 Ga (Pimentel
et al., 1992) would represent a minimum age for the deposition of
the Arax sediments. More recently, amphibolites intercalatedwith
the Arax schists near Goinia have been dated at ca. 0.8 Ga
(SHRIMP UePb zircon data of Piuzana et al., 2003b). The trace
element characteristics of these amphibolites are, however, very
similar to MORBs and they have been interpreted as slices of ocean
oor tectonically emplaced within the Arax metasediments. In
summary the stratigraphic relationships between these metaigneous rocks and the Arax metasediments are still far from clear
and remain controversial due to the tectonic imbrications commonly observed within the Arax Group. Another important feature
associated with the Arax rocks is the presence of a large number of
small lenses of serpentinites, amphibolites and talc schists, locally
with podiform chromite deposits, representing a long, roughly NeS
ophiolitic mlange (Strieder and Nilson, 1992).

towns of Una and Vazante, in tectonic contacts with the Canastra

Group in the west, and with the Bambu Group, in the east. It has
been divided into seven formations; from base to top these are the
Retiro, Rocinha, Lagamar, Serra do Garrote, Serra do Poo Verde,
Morro do Calcrio and Lapa formations. The basal Retiro Formation is
made of quartzite, conglomerate, diamictite and slate. The diamictite
represents debris ows deposited in glacio-marine environment, in
relatively deep waters, under the inuence of gravitational currents
(Dardenne, 2000). It grades upwards to the Rocinha Formation,
a rhythmic sandy and pelitic sequence. At the top it consists of a thick
sequence of slate and metasiltstone which grades upwards to
carbonate- and pyrite-bearing shales with ne phosphatic layers,
which locally form important phosphate deposits (e.g. Rocinha and
Lagamar deposits). The Lagamar Formation starts at the base with
a psamo-pelitic unit with conglomerate, quartzite, metasiltstone,
and slate, followed by dolomitic breccia and stromatolitic dolomite.
The Serra do Garrote Formation is formed mainly by slates with ne
quartzite intercalations. The Serra do Poo Verde and Morro do
Calcrio formations are dominantly carbonatic with oolitic and
oncolitic dolarenite facies. The upper Lapa Formation is formed by
carbonaceous phyllite, carbonatic metasiltstone, dolomite lenses
and quartzite layers.
The age of the Vazante Group is controversial. The Conophytontype stromatolites indicate a very broad time interval (ca. 1.35e0.9
Ga; Cloud and Dardenne, 1973), suggesting correlation with the
Parano Group. On the other hand, the occurrence of diamictites in
the base of the sequence, very similar to those found in the Jequita
Formation, favours a correlation with the Bambu Group. An extra
diamictite layer is also exposed in the upper formation of the
group.C- and Sr-isotope data for the upper Lapa Formation suggested correlation of this group with the Rasthof Formation in

2.4. Ibi Group

The Ibi Group has been traditionally divided into two formations: (i) the Cubato Formation, at the base, which lies on an
erosive unconformity over the Canastra Group and consists of
a thick diamictite unit, and (ii) the Rio Verde Formation, at the top,
which is made of deep water calcschists and calc-phyllites with ne
layers of quartzite.
The Cubato diamictite has been correlated with the Jequita
Diamictite, while the rhythmic phyllites are considered to be
equivalent to the metasediments of the Arax Group. Geochemical
features of the phyllites in the southern part of the belt indicate
provenance from a primitive island arc source (Seer, 1999).
2.5. Vazante Group
This group consists of a thick marine pelite-carbonate sequence
exposed in a ca. 200 km NeS narrow strip roughly between the

Fig. 3. Summarized stratigraphic column of the Bambu Group (from Sial et al., 2009).

M.M. Pimentel et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 31 (2011) 345e357

Namibia, which is constrained to be younger than ca. 750 Ma (Azmy

et al., 2006). New ReeOs isotope data from the shales associated
with the upper diamictites of the Vazante Group yield radiometric
ages between 993  46 and 1100  77 Ma (Azmy et al., 2008) which
have been interpreted as representative of the depositional age of
the sequence.

2.6. High grade metasediments e Anpolis Itauu and Uruau

complexes
High grade metasediments (including UHT granulites) are
exposed in two main areas within the Brasilia Belt: the large
Anpolis-Itauu Complex, in the southern part of the belt, and the
Uruau Complex, a small exposure of high grade supracrustal rocks
within low grade metasediments of the Serra da Mesa Group (Fig. 2).
In both cases, the supracrustal association includes sillimanitegarnet gneiss, garnet quartzite, and minor marble, associated with
amphibolites layers and intruded by a number of Neoproterozoic
granites (Piuzana et al., 2003a; DellaGiustina et al., 2009). They have
been traditionally interpreted as exposure of old continental basement to the Braslia Belt metasediments, however detrital zircon
data presented by Piuzana et al. (2003a) and by DellaGiustina et al.
(2009) have demonstrated that they were deposited during the
Neoproterozoic and represent high grade equivalents of the Braslia
Belt sedimentary rocks. Metamorphic zircon ages of ca. 650 Ma
reported by Piuzana et al. (2003a) have been interpreted as representative of the main metamorphic phase of the orogen, possibly
related to continental collision.

349

2.7. Bambu Group and Jequita Diamictite

The Bambu Group is the most important Neoproterozoic sedimentary unit in central Brazil occupying all the eastern side of the
Brasilia Belt and covering large areas of the So Francisco Craton.
The general stratigraphic column of this group is shown in Fig. 3.
It overlies the Parano Group from which it is separated by an
unconformity marked by glacial diamictites of the Jequita Formation. The age of this glacial event remains a matter of controversy.
This diamictite consists of clast-supported rocks (quartzite, granite,
gneiss, limestone, dolostone and siltstone) with clay-rich greenishgrey matrix, and minor siltstone and sandstone lenses. This unit is
exposed in discontinuous outcrops in central Brazil and overlies
both the Parano rocks and the sialic basement (Karfunkel and
Hoppe, 1988; Uhlein et al., 1999) and represents the expression of
a glacial episode that occurred in a wide area of the So Francisco
craton and Braslia Belt.
The end of this glaciation was followed by the necessary conditions for the development of a marine environment and the
beginning of the deposition of the pelitic-carbonatic sediments of
the base of the Bambui Group (Misi and Kyle, 1994). According to
Santos et al. (2000), the sediments of the Bambu Group were
deposited on an epicontinental sea inuenced by tectonic movements in the Braslia Belt and by restricted marine conditions. The
Bambu sediments comprise three regressive megacycles. Each of
these megacycles begins with a fast marine transgression of regional amplitude, associated with a sudden subsidence of the basin
evidenced by deep pelitic marine facies, passing to shallow-platform facies and tidal to supratidal facies.

Fig. 4. Distribution of TDM values for different sedimentary units of the Braslia Belt (data compiled from Pimentel et al., 2001; Valeriano et al., 2004; Rodrigues et al., 2010,
Submitted for publication).

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From base to top, these megacycles are:

Megacycle I is pelitic-carbonatic, corresponding to the top of the
the Sete Lagoas Formation (Fig. 3), showing a coarsening-upward
sequence with dark grey to black calcilutites in the basal portion
passing to limestones and dolostones at the top. Vieira et al. (2007)
have interpreted this change in lithological association as an important limit of depositional sequences within the Sete Lagoas
Formation.
Megacycle II is pelitic-carbonatic, formed by the Serra de Santa
Helena Formation, essentially pelitic, indicating a sudden and
generalized subsidence of the basin, followed by the Lagoa do
Jacar Formation, characterized by the sedimentation of dark grey
platformal limestones deposited in an environment dominated by
storms and tidal currents.
Megacycle III is pelitic-sandy, represented by the Serra da Saudade Formation, which is a pelitic sequence deposited in deep
platform environment with episodic inuence of storms and by
the Trs Marias Formation, predominantly arkosian, deposited in
shallow-platform environment dominated by storm currents with
episodic tidal to supratidal facies.
The age of sedimentation of the Bambu Group has been
a matter of discussion and controversy for many years. Sr and Pb
isotopic data reported by Parenti-Couto et al. (1981) suggested

Fig. 5. SmeNd provenance patterns for the metasediments of the Gois Magmatic Arc,
Bambu and Parano groups (data from Pimentel et al., 2001; Dantas et al., 2001;
Junges et al., 2002; Laux et al., 2005).

depositional ages of ca. 600 Ma. Similarly, previous RbeSr and KeAr
data on shales reported by Thomaz Filho et al. (1998) have
produced ages between ca. 640 Ma for the Sete Lagoas Formation
and 540 Ma for the Trs Marias Formation.
More recently,the cap dolostones at the base of the Sete Lagoas
that overlies Jequita diamictites have been dated at ca 740 Ma
(PbePb isochron on carbonates; Babinsky et al., 2007). This data,
associated with C and Sr isotopic data for the carbonates support
a Sturtian age for the Jequita glaciation.
3. Sediment provenance
3.1. SmeNd isotopes
During the last ten years, several studies have focused on the
investigation of the provenance of detrital sediments of the
Braslia Belt, in order to assess information on their maximum
depositional ages and on their tectonic setting of their
formation.
The earlier provenance studies (e.g. Pimentel et al., 2001; Dantas
et al., 2001) used the SmeNd isotopic systematics of ne-grained
sedimentary and metasedimentary rocks as a rst-order indicator
of the nature of their continental sources. This was followed by
a number of other studies involving SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS UePb

Fig. 6. Detrital zircon provenance patterns for high grade metasediments of the
Braslia Belt (Piuzana et al., 2003a and DellaGiustina et al., 2009).

M.M. Pimentel et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 31 (2011) 345e357

geochronology of detrital zircon (e.g. Pimentel et al., 2002; Piuzana

et al., 2003b; Valeriano et al., 2004; Matteini et al., 2008; Rodrigues
and Pimentel, 2008; Rodrigues et al., 2008, 2010, Submitted For
Publication).
The study by Pimentel et al. (2001) revealed important differences between the provenance patterns of the original sediments
of the several geological units of the Braslia Belt. For instance, the
sedimentary rocks of the Parano and Canastra groups have TDM
model ages ranging between ca. 2.0 and 2.5 Ga, which is compatible
with sources within the Paleoproterozoic terrains of the So Francisco-Congo craton (Fig. 4). These sequences were, therefore, on the
basis of SmeNd provenance patterns, interpreted as representative
of passive margin associations of the Braslia Belt. On the other
hand, the ne-grained sedimentary rocks of the Ibi and Arax
groups, in the southern part of the Braslia Belt showed a clear
bimodal character with one mode presenting model ages between
ca. 0.9 Ga and 1.4 Ga, and the other one with TDM values between
1.7 Ga and 2.1 Ga. (Fig. 4) This clearly indicates the participation of
much younger sources in the origin of these sediments. Pimentel
et al. (2001) interpreted that this young source might be

351

represented by the Neoproterozoic magmatic arc whose

metaigneous rocks have TDM model ages typically between 0.9 and
1.2 Ga (see Pimentel and Fuck, 1992; Dantas et al., 2001; Junges
et al., 2002; Laux et al., 2005). (Fig. 5).
Noteworthy in the SmeNd provenance patterns of the Braslia
Belt are:
(i) Two main source areas seem to have contributed to the original sedimentary basins, an older one (Paleoproterozoic/
Archean), most probably within the So Francisco Craton, and
a younger (Neoproterozoic), represented by the Gois Magmatic Arc, to the west;
(ii) The provenance pattern of the Bambu Group sediments, with
TDM model ages between ca. 1.4 and 1.9 Ga is intermediate
between the two main sources above, indicating that it
represents a mixture of the different sources that provided
sediments to the different basins constituting the Braslia Belt
(Fig. 5);
(iii) The clear difference between the provenance patterns of the
Bambu and Parano groups (Fig. 5).

Fig. 7. Provenance patterns of the Paracatu and Chapada dos Piles formations of the Canastra Group (data for Rodrigues et al., 2010).

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3.2. SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS data

In this section we review some of the published UePb zircon
data for sediments and metasediments of the Braslia Belt and
compare them with the SmeNd isotopic data.
3.2.1. High grade metasediments
Samples of garnet (sillimanite) gneisses from both high grade
terrains in the central part of the Braslia Belt have been investigated by Piuzana et al. (2003a) and DellaGiustina et al. (2009) using
the SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS methods, respectively. In both cases the
detrital zircon provenance patterns display very important contributions from Neoproterozoic (900e640 Ma) with minor inputs
from Paleoproterozoic sources (Fig. 6) suggesting source areas
dominantly within the Gois Magmatic Arc.
3.2.2. Parano and Canastra Groups
The LA-ICPMS UePb data for detrital zircon grains from the
Canastra Group (Fig. 7) show important contribution from Mesoand Paleoproterozoic sources for the original sedimentary rocks. A
phyllite sample from the basal Serra do Landim Formation has
a dominant Paleoproterozoic population, with ages ranging
between 2.07 and 2.25 Ga,. Some zircon grains have Mesoproterozoic ages and the youngest concordant grain has the age of
1079  45 Ma (Rodrigues et al., 2010). Quartzite samples of the
Paracatu Formation have a larger proportion of Mesoproterozoic
grains, compared with the basal formation, whereas in the upper
Chapada dos Piles Formation the Mesoproterozoic group becomes
dominant again. The youngest age peak observed for these rocks is
ca. 1040 Ma, which represents, therefore the upper age limit for
deposition of the Canastra Group.
The provenance of the Parano Group has been investigated
by Matteini et al. (2010). These authors investigated six samples
of the different lithofacies of the Parano Group and identied at
least ve main group of detrital zircon grains. The Paleoproterozoic age population, with ages ranging from ca. 2.0 to 2.2 Ga is
by far the most important and is ubiquitous in all the analyzed
samples. A mesoproterozoic population at w1.57 Ga is well
registered in some samples and a Late Paleoproterozic population
at w1.78e1.80 Ga is also evident. A less abundant neoarchean
population are represented in most samples. Finally, a scattered
Paleoarchean population is represented only in some of the
samples representing the upper part of the Parano Group
(Matteini et al., 2010).
The late Mesoproterozoic population which is evident in the
Canastra Group is not seen in the Parano rocks. Although the
source of these Mesoproterozoic zircon grains remain unclear,
the detrital zircon age distributions of the Canastra and Parano
sedimentary rocks are compatible with erosion of sources within
the So Francisco-Congo Craton, and deposition in a passive margin
setting.
3.2.3. Arax and Ibi Groups
Provenance of samples from the Arax and Ibi samples have
been investigated in the Anpolis and Vazante areas, respectively,
in the central part of the Braslia Belt (Piuzana et al., 2003b;
Rodrigues et al., 2010) and in the southern area of belt, in the
Arax nappe (Valeriano et al., 2004). Arax and Ibi samples from
the central part of the belt have a clear dominance of detrital
material derived from Neoproterozoic sources contrasting with
sediments from the Canastra and Parano groups, discussed above
(Fig. 8). The presence of an important population with ages ranging
from ca. 640 to 900 Ma suggests that the juvenile rocks from the
Gois Magmatic Arc, to the west, represent the main sources of the
original sediments.

Fig. 8. Provenance patterns for the Ibi (ICPMS) and Arax (SHRIMP) groups (data
from Rodrigues et al., 2010).

This is compatible with the SmeNd isotopic characteristics of

these rocks as demonstrated by Pimentel et al. (2001), indicating
that the original sediments are not deep water equivalents of
the Canastra Group or Parano groups, as suggested in previous
models. The abundant presence of Neoproterozoic zircon grains,
as young as ca. 630 Ma, demonstrate that these units were
deposited in syn-orogenic basins, most probably in a fore-arc
setting.
The data reported by Valeriano et al. (2004), however, do not
reveal the presence of young, Neoproterozoic zircon grains in
samples of the Arax and Ibi groups. In fact, in the southern part of
the Braslia Belt the provenance of these sedimentary rocks is very
similar to that of the Canastra Group and, therefore, all the three
units have been interpreted as representative of a passive margin
sequence.
3.2.4. Vazante Group
Provenance patterns of the several units of the Vazante Group
have been investigated by Rodrigues et al. (2008) and Rodrigues
et al. (Submitted for publication) and are shown in Fig. 9. The
lowermost formations display a clear dominance of Paleoproterozoic source areas and subordinate Mesoproterozoic sources. The
youngest population identied in these rocks is ca. 0.94 Ga,
observed in the Rocinha formation and establishes an upper age
limit for the deposition of the original sediments of the base of the
sequence. In the upper Morro do Calcrio and Lapa formations, the

M.M. Pimentel et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 31 (2011) 345e357

Fig. 9. Provenance patterns for the Vazante Group (data from Rodrigues et al., Submitted for publication).

353

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M.M. Pimentel et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 31 (2011) 345e357

Mesoproterozoic zircon population is dominant and the youngest

peaks are of ca. 1.2 Ga, in consonance with ReeOs isochron data of
ca. 0.99e1.1 Ga presented by Azmy et al. (2008).
The provenance patterns of the Vazante Group are not very
different from those of the Canastra Group and both can be,
therefore, interpreted as parts of the original passive margin
sequence in the southern part of the continental platform of the
Braslia Belt.
3.2.5. Jequita and Cubato Diamictites
These are the most important glacial deposits associated with
the Neoproterozoic sedimentary sequences in the Braslia Belt. The
Cubato Formation forms the basal part of the Ibi Group and
the Jequita Diamicitite lies directly under the limestones of the the
Sete Lagoas Formation of the Bambu Group.
Both diamictites show important detrital components derived
from Paleo and Mesoproterozoic sources, with a few early Neoproterozoic zircon grains (ca. 0.85 Ga). Paleoproterozoic detrital
zircon grains are clearly more abundant in the Jequita diamictites
when compared with the Cubato rocks (Fig. 10) The obvious
absence of grains younger than 0.85 Ga suggests that these rocks
represent Sturtian glacial events as previously suggested by
Babinsky et al. (2007) based on a PbePb whole-rock isochron for
cap carbonates associated with the Jequita rocks.

Fig. 10. Provenance patterns for diamictites of the Ibi Group (Cubato Formation e
ICPMS data) and of the Jequita Formation e SHRIMP data.

One interesting aspect of these patterns is that they contrast

with the provenance patterns of the detrital rocks lying just above
the glacial deposits. Both in the Ibi and in the Bambu Group
(see below) the rocks overlying the diamictites have abundant
Neoproterozoic zircon grains, as young as 620 Ma old, indicating
a sudden change in provenance, with the input of an important
contribution from Neoproterozoic sources in the overlying Serra
Verde Formation (Ibi Group) and Sete Lagoas Formation (Bambu
Group).
3.2.6. Bambu Group
A large number of UePb zircon analyses has been carried out by
Rodrigues (2008) for all the six formations of the Bambu Group. In
all of them, the presence of a large number of Neoproterozoic
detrital material is the main feature of the provenance patterns. In
Fig. 11, the patterns for the sample from the upper part of the Sete
Lagoas Formation is shown. It displays almost only Neoproterozoic
zircon grains, which are as young as 620 Ma. The uvial uppermost
Trs Marias Formation also shows a dominant Neoproterozoic
population, indicating that these rocks are the product of erosion of
the Braslia Belt itself, with very little contribution from older
basement. The data indicate that the deposition of the Bambu
Group took place towards the end of the Neoproterozoic and

Fig. 11. Provenance patterns for a pelite sample of the basal Sete Lagoas Formation
(ICPMS data) and for an arkose of the upper Trs Marias Formation of the Bambu
Group (SHRIMP data).

M.M. Pimentel et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 31 (2011) 345e357

355

Fig. 12. Tectonic sub-division of the supracrustal units of the Braslia Belt according to their most likely depositional setting.

roughly post-dates the peak metamorphism registered in the orogen. Therefore, it is likely that most of the Bambu Group represents
a foreland basin with respect to the evolution of the Braslia Belt, as
previously suggested by Chang et al. (1988) and Parenti-Couto et al.
(1981).
There seems to be a contradiction, however, with the PbePb
isochron age of ca. 0.74 Ga reported by Babinsky et al. (2007) for
carbonates at the base of the Sete Lagoas Formation. This data has
been interpreted as the depositional age of the sequence. However,
the much younger zircon grains dated from a pelitic rock sample
from the upper Sete Lagoas, indicate that there is an important
gap/unconformity within the Sete Lagoas Formation separating the
lower limestone-rich part of the sequence, from the dolostone-rich
upper section. Although the physical evidence for such unconformity has not been reported yet, its existence has been suggested in
previous studies using the CeO isotopic data, which show an

important shift in isotope composition towards the top of the Sete

Lagoas Formation (Santos et al., 2000). Therefore, the basal part of
the Sete Lagoas Formation might well represent the cap carbonate
sequence of the Sturtian Jequita diamictite, however, its upper
portion is much younger and there should be a long depositional gap
between the lower and the upper parts of the Sete Lagoas Formation.
4. Conclusions e tectonic implications of the provenance
data
The compilation of the available provenance data based on
UePb dating of detrital zircon grains allows some rst-order
conclusions regarding the nature and tectonic setting of the different lithostratigraphic sequences of the Braslia Belt.
The data compiled and discussed here contradict previous models
according to which most of these units represent different parts or

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M.M. Pimentel et al. / Journal of South American Earth Sciences 31 (2011) 345e357

different stages of evolution of a passive margin sequence deposited

along the continental shelf of the So Francisco-Congo Craton.
Based, therefore, on the provenance data discussed here, the
Braslia Belt maybe subdivided into:
(i) A Neoproterozoic magmatic arc with small volcano-sedimentary sequences in which the detrital sediments are almost
entirely derived from erosion of the arc rocks themselves
(Gois Magmatic Arc; I in Fig. 12);
(ii) The syn-orogenic basins, comprising the Arax, Ibi and
possibly part of the Serra da Mesa groups, which surround the
metamorphic core of the orogen represented by the Uruau
and Anpolis-Itauu high grade complexes (II in Fig. 12); all
sediments comprising this zone of the orogen were deposited,
metamorphosed and deformed between ca. 650 and 630 Ma;
(iii) The passive margin sequences, represented mainly by the
Parano, Canastra and Vazante groups and maybe by the
southern sectors of the Arax and Ibi groups (III in Fig. 12);
the depositional age of these sequences remain unclear but
must be younger than ca. 1.0 Ga;
(iv) The foreland basin, deposited after ca. 0.62 Ga, represented by
most of the Bambu Group in the eastern part of the belt and
covering large areas of the So Francisco Craton (IV in Fig. 12).
Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank CNPq for continuous nancial
support for eld and laboratory work.
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