Low-Temperature Thermochronology Applied to Constrain the Multi-Episodic Thermotectonic Evolution of the Southeastern Continental Margin of Brazil

Abstract:

Low-temperature thermochronology was applied to constrain the Mesozoic and Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the continental margin of southeast Brazil. Using apatite (U-Th)/He thermochronology (AHe), we acquired data from 107 crystals of basement samples collected from a NW–SE transect in the Mantiqueira Mountains to the Guanabara Graben, as well as from the NE–SE transverse faults. The data range from 43.5 ± 1.9 Ma to 250.1 ± 8.7 Ma (2 σ) for corrected ages. The Neo-Cretaceous, Eo-Cretaceous, and Paleocene are the main recorded AHe ages, in order of importance. The Eo-Cretaceous ages indicate the occurrence of older thermal events related to a pre-rifting phase (~121 Ma). The Neo-Cretaceous ages signify the importance of tectonic and magmatic events, and regional uplifting for the thermal history of the study area, including ages related to the Serra do Mar Mountains uplift (~86 Ma). Paleocene ages seem to be related to the reactivation (~65 Ma), which was responsible for the continental rifts in the southeastern Brazil. Finally, the Eocene ages (49.7 Ma and 43.5 Ma), which are from samples restricted to the Resende Basin border faults, indicate a continental rift reactivation. Time–temperature (t–T) paths obtained from inverse modeling, performed using HeFTy (Ketcham, 2005) with a Radiation Damage Diffusion and Annealing Model (Flowers et al., 2009), suggests rapid cooling episodes for all samples. The main thermal events show a direct correlation with the timing of regional tectonic events: reactivation phases, continental margin uplift, and the sedimentary record. Apatite (U-Th)/He ages increase with distance from the coast and with elevation. However, these patterns are discontinued by samples of younger ages as a result of the reactivation process of pre-existing structures. The total estimated denudation range from 1.2 to 2.8 km. The erosion rates range from 15.2 to 35.3 m/My. Thus, the multi-episodic thermal events, which led to the formation of important regional tectonic and geomorphological features (Mantiqueira Mountains, Serra do Mar Mountains, grabens, and sedimentary basins), seem to play a fundamental role in the evolution of the Brazilian continental margin. The records can be found in the thermal history of rocks and its correlated deposits.