The recognition and evaluation of polycyclic processes in sedimentary units are critical for proper provenance analysis and sedimentary system interpretation. The chemical composition and textural maturity of detrital tourmalines and zircons allow for source area restriction and transport and deposition process identification. This study investigates the origin and history of post-Gondwanan sediments of the Tupanciretã Formation in southern Brazil, which lacks provenance studies. The Tupanciretã Formation is in a similar setting of the Bauru Supersequence at the uppermost portion of the Paraná Basin. Detrital zircon ages indicate sediment provenance from the Transamazonian, Grenvillian, and Brasiliano orogenic cycles of the Rio Grande do Sul Shield and younger grains (280-128 Ma) record contribution from the Choiyoi and Serra Geral igneous events, with a maximum deposition age of 127 Ma. Detrital tourmaline chemical analyses points to the Sul-riograndense Shield as the ultimate source, with metapelitic, metapsamitic and granitic origins. The predominant degrees of roundness are well rounded to rounded suggest evidence of sediment recycling from sedimentary units of the Paraná Basin, with important aeolian reworking involved. Zircon U-Pb signatures are compatible with the eastern sector of the Botucatu Formation in Rio Grande do Sul as the immediate source and the northeastern Sul-riograndense Shield as the ultimate source. Intermediate sources between the Sul-riograndense Shield and the Tupanciretã Formation were Gondwanan sedimentary units of the Paraná Basin, with possible participation from the Camaquã Basin.
The State of Rio Grande do Sul has a complex Precambrian/Cambrian shield, which has been investigated for four decades. This complexity involves ages ranging from 2.55 Ga (possibly 3.3 Ga) to 550 Ma (and even 470 Ma). The three major juvenile accretionary episodes occurred at 2.55 Ga, 2.26-2.02 Ga and 900-700 Ma, while a continental-scale crustal reworking (collisional) orogeny occurred from 780 to 550 Ma. The three accretionary orogenies are known as the Jequié, Transamazonian and Brasiliano Cycles, respectively. The Brasiliano Cycle includes the collisional orogeny. Magmatism was tholeiitic low-K bimodal basic-acid in the Archean (Santa Maria Chico granulites), and evolved to tonalitic-trondhjemitic-granodioritic in the Paleoproterozoic (Encantadas Complex). During the Paleoproterozoic/Archean transition, komatiites and basalts were formed in greenstone belts (Passo Feio Sul Formation). The end of the Transamazonian Cycle was the beginning of a long period of tectonic quiescence, and the region remained in the interior of the Atlantica Supercontinent until the beginning of the Brasiliano Cycle at ca. 900 Ma (Passinho Diorite). This Neoproterozoic cycle displays two classical orogenic types, namely the São Gabriel accretionary orogeny in the western part of the State and Dom Feliciano collisional orogeny in its eastern part. Accretion generated juvenile tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite associations with related ophiolites (Cerro Mantiqueiras Ophiolite), while the collision formed the voluminous and mostly peraluminous and high-K calcalkaline granites of the Dom Feliciano orogeny. The waning stages of the orogeny were responsible for the outpouring of a very expressive silica-saturated volcanism and eventually finished with the Rodeio Velho basalts at 470 Ma. Comparable Paleoproterozoic/Neoproterozoic Precambrian terranes surround the shield in Uruguay, in Santa Catarina and in western Africa. Comparable Neoproterozoic juvenile and reworked terranes occur in NE Africa. Widespread indications of metals are a good sign of possible deposits, but the two major types of deposits are the orogenic epizonal Bossoroca gold deposit and the distal magmatichydrothermal Lavras/Camaquã copper-gold deposits.
Elongated blades of olivine in a talc-carbonate (or sulphide) matrix are formed by metamorphic processes from serpentinites, and have been misidentified as igneous spinifex texrures. The two types may be distinguished texturally and chemically. Metamorphic olivines show straight borders and the crystals overlap in poiquiloblastic habit, whereas volcanic olivines are often skeletal and crystals do not overlap. Whenever crystals are not entirely serpentinized, those of metamorphic origin will show negative elongation , and igneous crystals will show positive elongation. Fo contem is strongly controlled by the Fe/Mg ratio of the rock. Samples with elongated metamorphic olivines in a talc matrix contain approximately 40-43%MgO, as opposed to spinifex textured igneous samples which show less than 33%MgO. Ti0 2 is much lower in olivíne-talc metamorphic rocks.
The analysis of sedimentary provenance is a tool increasingly used in basin analysis and particularly in the exploration for clastic hydrocarbon reservoirs. The original sand composition directly controls the types and intensity of the diagenetic processes promoting porosity reduction and generation in the sandstones. Therefore, provenance studies identifing the distribution of the original sands composition in time and space are fundamental for the prediction of potential sandstone reservoirs. Provenance analysis provides the mineralogic and lithologic composition of the source areas, infering their geographic location, climate and topography, determining the main routes of sand distribution, and the distance and time of transportation. The diversity of detrital heavy minerals occurring in sandstones and the occurrence in paragenesis diagnostic of specific source rocks make the analysis of heavy minerals the most sensitive and robust technique for provenance studies. The combination of detrital heavy minerals with quantitative whole-rock petrography, feldspars composition, quartz and rock fragments types allows to establish the complex history of the sediments from their source areas to the depositional sites. Furthermore, modern microanalytical techniques allow the precise determination of the chemical composition of individual grains through electron microprobe (e.g. garnets and tourmalines), the ages of zircon, monazite and titanite through SHRIMP (Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe) or ICPMS - LA (Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry by Laser Ablation). These parameters directly connect the grains of the sandstones with the composition and age of the igneous or metamorphic rocks of the source terrains. Additionally, apatite and zircon fission track studies may determine the main ages of uplift and erosion of the source terrains. Integrated provenance studies of sandstones from specific areas of several Brazilian margin basins (Santos, Campos, Espirito Santo, Jequitinhonha and Pelotas) allowed the identification of the main source-areas and routes of sediment dispersal. These works shall substantially contribute, together with diagenetic studies, for the reduction of risks envolved in the exploration for clastic reservoirs in the Brazilian margin basins.
The analysis of sedimentary provenance is a tool increasingly used in basin analysis and particularly in the exploration for clastic hydrocarbon reservoirs. The original sand composition directly controls the types and intensity of the diagenetic processes promoting porosity reduction and generation in the sandstones. Therefore, provenance studies identifing the distribution of the original sands composition in time and space are fundamental for the prediction of potential sandstone reservoirs. Provenance analysis provides the mineralogic and lithologic composition of the source areas, infering their geographic location, climate and topography, determining the main routes of sand distribution, and the distance and time of transportation. The diversity of detrital heavy minerals occurring in sandstones and the occurrence in paragenesis diagnostic of specific source rocks make the analysis of heavy minerals the most sensitive and robust technique for provenance studies. The combination of detrital heavy minerals with quantitative whole-rock petrography, feldspars composition, quartz and rock fragments types allows to establish the complex history of the sediments from their source areas to the depositional sites. Furthermore, modern microanalytical techniques allow the precise determination of the chemical composition of individual grains through electron microprobe (e.g. garnets and tourmalines), the ages of zircon, monazite and titanite through SHRIMP (Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe) or ICPMS - LA (Inductively-Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry by Laser Ablation). These parameters directly connect the grains of the sandstones with the composition and age of the igneous or metamorphic rocks of the source terrains. Additionally, apatite and zircon fission track studies may determine the main ages of uplift and erosion of the source terrains. Integrated provenance studies of sandstones from specific areas of several Brazilian margin basins (Santos, Campos, Espirito Santo, Jequitinhonha and Pelotas) allowed the identification of the main source-areas and routes of sediment dispersal. These works shall substantially contribute, together with diagenetic studies, for the reduction of risks envolved in the exploration for clastic reservoirs in the Brazilian margin basins.