TIME CONSTRAINT BASED ON ZIRCON DATING FOR THE JACAREACANGA GROUP

(TAPAJÓS PROVINCE, AMAZON CRATON, BRAZIL)

Almeida, M.E.1, Ferreira, A.L.1, Macambira, M.J.B.2, and Sachett, C.R.2

1
- Geological Survey of Brazil - CPRM (Manaus - Amazonas) – marcelo_almeida@cprm-ma.gov.br
2
– Federal University of Pará / Laboratory of Isotope Geology (Belém - Pará) – moamac@ufpa.br

Keywords: zircon dating, metassedimentary rocks, Tapajós Province

INTRODUCTION - During long time the Jacare-
acanga meta-volcano sedimentary sequence have been
interpreted as Archean greenstone belt terrain. However,
recent data are indicating younger U-Pb ages about 2.1
Ga. In the Tapajós Province (Amazon Craton), the Cuiú-
Cuiú Complex (2.00-2.03 Ga), Creporizão granitoids
(1.99-1.96 Ga) and Jacareacanga Group are the oldest
rocks. The Jacareancaga Group is composed by quartz-
mica schists, quartzites, ferruginous quartzite, metachert,
and minor talc-tremolite-chlorite schist, actinolite-epidote
schist, hornfels, metargilites and metawackes
metamorphosed in low to medium-grade conditions. The
aim of the present paper is to estabilish the maximum
age of Jacareacanga sedimentation and identify probable
sources in Espírito Santo region (Espírito Santo
muscovite-biotite schist). In this research, similar and new
results are obtained by zircon evaporation methodology.
This research shows geochronological data about the
Espírito Santo muscovite-biotite schist related to
Jacareacanga Group (Ferreira et al., 2000) in Tapajós
Province (Amazon Craton). The area is located near
Amazonas and Pará States boundary (Northern Brazil;
figure 1) and the sample was obtained at Espírito Santo
(garimpo) small-scale gold mine (06 o 00’48”S,
58o08’17”W).
GEOLOGICAL SETTING - Jacareacanga Group and
Cuiu-Cuiu Complex (figure 1) represent the basement
rocks in Tapajós Province (TP). The Cuiu-Cuiu Complex
is composed by dioritic-tonalitic-granodioritic orthogneiss
and metagranitoids, with some undeformed granitoids and
minor amphibolites and migmatites (Cuiú-Cuiú Complex:
2.00-2.03 Ga). The Jacareancanga Group is represented
by quartz-mica schists, quartzites (including ferruginous
quartzite and metachert), and minor talc-tremolite-chlorite
schist, actinolite-epidote schist, hornfels, metargilites and
metawackes in low to medium-grade metamorphic
conditions. These rocks show NNE-SSW and N-S old
foliation crosscut by the NW-SE transposed foliation.
Regional sinistral shear zones characterize these last
structures. This orogenic domain also included the
Creporizão calc-alkaline granites and mylonites (1.96-
1.99 Ga).
These rocks are intruded by different granitoid and
volcanic rocks (figure 1): a) calc-alkaline granodiorites
and mainly monzogranites with minor diorites and quartz-
monzodiorites (Parauari Intrusive Suite 1.88-1.89 Ga);
b) subalkaline A-type granites - Maloquinha Intrusive
Suite (1.87-1.88 Ga); c) high-K calc-alkaline granite -
Caroçal Granite (1.87 Ga); d) riebeckite-arfvedsonite
orthoclase granite - Pepita Granite (1.87 Ga) and e) A-
type anorogenic rapakivi granite - Igarapé Escondido and
Porquinho Granite (1.78 Ga; Teles Pires event). These
granitoids have acid to intermediate co-genetic volcanism,
represented by rhyolites, dacites, tuffs, breccias and
ignimbrites (Iriri Group: 1.87-1.89 Ga), andesites,
trachyandesites, latites and andesite-basalts (Bom Jardim
Formation). Undeformed mafic rocks are represented
by: a) gabbros, diorites and related rocks - Rio Novo
Gabbro, Quartz Monzogabbro Jenipapo and Ingarana
intrusive Suite (1.89 Ga); b) Crepori diabase (1.78 Ga);
c) Cachoeira Seca troctolite (1.00 Ga), and younger
diabase dyke swarm (Piranhas and Periquito diabases
respectively with 0.51 and 0.20 Ga ages). Finally, the TP
shows Proterozoic (Buiuçu Formation: <1,78 Ga) and
Phanerozoic sedimentary rocks (Alto Tapajós and
Amazon Paleozoic basins and Cretaceous sediments).
A wide variety of gold mineralization styles ocurs in TP
includint shear zones-quartz vein, quartz-lode, porphyry-
hosted stockwork and epithermal adularia-sericite types.
GEOCHRONOLOGICAL RESULTS - The site
sample shows deep weathering profile, where a saprolite
rock was collected and heavy minerals were
concentrated by panning. The fresh rock (muscovite-
biotite schist) shows planar foliation (S1), crenulation
cleavage (S2) and mineral assemblage composed by
biotite, muscovite and quartz with rare feldspar, chlorite,
tourmaline, zircon, apatite, rutile and opaque minerals.
Since the 1980’s mapping program, the
Jacareacanga meta-volcano sedimentary sequence have
been interpreted as Archean greenstone belt terrain (Melo
et al., 1980). However most recent data are demonstrated
lower ages (U-Pb conventional ages), obtained from Sai-
Cinza meta-turbidite (Santos et al., 1997), where only a
few clastics zircon were obtained and results yielded
concordant ages around 2.1 Ga (2,098, 2,106 and 2,125
Ma). Similar and new results are present in this work,
obtained by zircon evaporation methodology. The analyses
were carried out at Federal University of Pará
(Laboratory of Isotope Geology), employing Finnigan
Mat 262 mass spectrometer. Eleven clastic zircon crystals
were separated and analysed. In general sense, the zircon
populations show prismatic (1:2 to 1:3), slightly to well-
rounded clastics zircon and ranges from pale brown to
slightly translucent. Three main zircon populations with
different ages and provenance were obtained. These
results are interpreted with minumum crystallization age
of the sources:
1) Grains # 1, 4 and 13: 2,189±4 Ma (Figure 2a);
2) Grains # 10 and 16: 2,136±2 Ma (Figure 2b);
3) Grains # 3, 5, 6 and 12: 2,034±6 Ma (Figure 2c).
Despite preferencial age interval (2.03 to 2.19Ga),
two clastic zircons yielded 2,008±3 Ma (# 14) and
1,971±2 Ma (# 11) ages.
DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS - The 2.14 and
2.19 Ga clastic grains are interpreted as main source of
Jacareancanga sedimentation, probably from rocks of a
“transamazonian” crust. Yet these transamazonian rocks
(pre-2.1 Ga), observed around 1000 km far away, are
not identified in TP mapping field (Almeida et al., 2000;
Bahia and Quadros, 2000; Ferreira et al., 2000, Klein
and Vasquez, 2000; Vasquez and Klein, 2000). These
age interval (2.14 and 2.19 Ga) is quite higher than Sai-
Cinza meta-turbidite (Santos et al., 1997: 2.01-2.13 Ga).
Furthermore, siginificative lower values also indicate
sedimentation source around 2.03Ga, and locally 2.00Ga,
which are coincident with the older and younger Cuiu-
Cuiu rock types, respectively. Only one zircon grain
yielded an age of 1.97 Ga, which is similar to the calc-
alkaline Creporizão granite. This age suggest that granite
had been the youngest source for Jacareacanga Group.
However, this age is not registred in other Jacareacanga
schist type (e.g. Sai-Cinza schist). On other hand,
younger sedimentation cycles are identified in TP such
as Abacaxis and Sequeiro Formations with 1.89 to 1.90
Ga ages (Santos et al., 2000).
In summary, this approach suggests two principal
source ages for Jacareacanga sedimentation in Espírito
Santo region: a) transamazonic rocks (2.14 and 2.19 Ga)
and b) Cuiu-Cuiu and Creporizão calc-alkaline
associations (2.00 to 2.03Ga and 1.97 Ga). Thus the
Jacareacanga sedimentation is delimited by Parauari
granitic intrusions (around 1.90 Ga) and Creporizão and
Cuiu-Cuiu basement (1.97 to 2.03 Ga). These
sedimentation post-1,97Ga in age (including
Transamazonian, Cuiu-Cuiu and Creporizão granitoids
sources) for Jacareacanga Group is possible, however
the strathgraphic relathionships and geochronological
results are not conclusive and new determinations are
necessary.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS - The authors gratefully
acknowledge DSc João Orestes S. dos Santos (CPRM).
We also thank Maria Tereza da Costa Dias for the skilled
word processing support.
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Figure 1. Location and geological map sketch
of Tapajós region (simplified from Almeida et al.,
2000; Bahia and Quadros, 2000; Ferreira et al.,
2000; Klein and Vasquez, 2000; Vasquez and
Klein, 2000).
Figure 2. Ages (Ma) vs. Evaporation
steps diagrams (>2s ). Clastic zircon
populations in Espírito Santo schist -
2.19 Ga (a), 2.14 Ga (b) and
2.03 Ga (c). Symbols: circle filled:
crystal age (isotopic ratio) and white
square: eliminated stepwise.