Title: First precise U-Pb ages of mafic dykes from the São Francisco Craton : initial barcoding of the São Francisco-Congo Craton
Abstract:The Sao Francisco Craton (SFC) is an Archaean craton that hosts a significant number of mafic intrusions. Previous attempts to date the igneous emplacement of these rocks are limited to a few dates of...The Sao Francisco Craton (SFC) is an Archaean craton that hosts a significant number of mafic intrusions. Previous attempts to date the igneous emplacement of these rocks are limited to a few dates of poor precision or comprise isotopic techniques known to be sensitive to alteration and low-grade metamorphism. Here, dykes from the Uaua Block and the Curaca belt, in the northeastern portion of the craton, as well as from the Chapada Diamantina region in the central part, were dated using U-Pb on baddeleyite (ID-TIMS) and zircon (SIMS). The older ages of 2726.2 ± 3.2 and 2623.8 ± 7.0 Ma date dykes within the Uaua Block of noritic and tholeiitic compositions, respectively, and agree within error to previously reported, but less precise, Sm-Nd ages. The dykes from Curaca and Chapada Diamantina yielded similar baddeleyite U-Pb ages of 1506.7 ± 6.9 Ma and 1501.0 ± 9.1 Ma, respectively, with converging trends indicating a possible magmatic centre located near the western margin of the Sao Francisco Craton. The new 1506.7 ± 6.9 Ma age for the Curaca dyke is significantly older than previous published age estimates for this swarm. Current geochronological and palaeomagnetic data suggest a coherent Sao Francisco - Congo block from at least the late Mesoproterozoic until the opening of the South Atlantic (ca. 130 Ma ago). The discovery of ca. 1500 Ma intrusions in the Sao Francisco Craton is a major step forward to a more complete barcode record for the SFC-Congo Craton, which can be used in future palaeoreconstructions.Read More
Publication Year: 2011
Publication Date: 2011-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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