Gondwana Research, V: 3, No. 4, p p . 453-488.

02000 International Association for Gondwana Research, Japan.

ISSN: 1342-937X

A New Understanding of the Provinces of the Amazon Craton

Based on Integration of Field Mapping and U-Pb and Sm-Nd
Geochronology
To50 Orestes Schneider Santosl, L6o Afraneo Hartmann2,Henri Eugene Gaudette3,
David Ian Groves4,Neal Jesse Mcnaughton5and Ian Robert Fletcher6
lnstituto de GeociCncias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Goncalves n o9.500, Porto Alegre, Rio
Grande do Sul, 91500-000, Brazil, E-mail: orestes@f.ufrgs.br
Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais, Rua Banco da Provincia, 105, Porto Alegre - Rio Grande do Sul, 90840-030,
Brazil, E-mail: orestes@conex.com.br
lnstituto de GeociCncias, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Goncalves n o9.500, Porto Alegre, Rio
Grande do Sul, 91500-000, Brazil, E-mail: afianeo@if.ufrgs.br
Department of Earth Sciences, University of New Hampshire, Durham, New Hampshire, 03824, USA,
E-mail: henrig@christa.unh.edu.
Centre for Strategic Mineral Deposits- C S M D -Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia, 6907, Australia, E-mail: dgroves@geol.uwa.edu.au
Centrefor Strategic Mineral Deposits- C S M D -Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia, 6907, Australia, E mail: nmcnaugh@cylfene.uwa.edu.au
Centre for Strategic Mineral Deposits- C S M D -Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Western Australia,
Nedlands, Western Australia, 6907, Australia, E-mail: ifletche@geol.uwa.edu.au
(Manuscript received September 24,1999; accepted March 26,2000)

Abstract
New conventional and sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe zircon U-Pb dating has led to a new understanding
of the subdivision and evolution of the Amazon Craton during Precambrian time, with major improvements and changes
made to the previous Rb-Sr based model. The interpretation of U-Pb and Sm-Nd isotopic data identifies eight main
Precambrian tectonic provinces in the Craton, with ages ranging from 3.1 to 0.99 Ga. Some of the provinces were
generated by accretional, arc-related processes (Carajas, Transamazonic, Tapaj6s-Parima and RondBnia-Juruena) and
others by recycling of continental crust (Central Amazon, Rio Negro and Sunsas). The exposed Archean crust is restricted
to the east (Carajas and south Amapa in Brazil) and north (Imataca in Venezuela) of the craton, indicating that the
Amazon Craton is largely a Proterozoic crust. The Carajas-Imataca (3.10-2.53 Ga) and Transamazonian (2.25-2.00 Ga)
Provinces are composed predominantly of granite-greenstone terranes. The Tapaj6s-Parima (2.10-1.87 Ga) and RondBnia-
Juruena (1.75-1 47 Ga) Provinces represent new crust added as orogenic belts, while the Rio Negro (1.86-1.52 Ga) and
Sunsas (1.33-0.99 Ga) Provinces originated mainly by magmatic-tectonic recycling of the above two orogenic belts. The
only zone with a prominent northeast trend is the poorly known K'Mudku Shear Belt, characterized by a -1.20 Ga shear
zone which deforms the rocks of at least three different provinces (Rio Negro, Tapaj6S-Parima and Transamazonic). The
Central Amazon Province comprises mostly Orosirian volcano-plutonic rocks (Uatum5 Magmatism) and is a terrane in
which the exposed crustal structure and deformation are pluton-related. The Sm-Nd T,, model ages and E~~suggest that
the Central Amazon Province was generated by the partial melting of Archean continental crust (Carajls Province?),
perhaps related to underplating that began at the end of the Tapajos-Parima Orogeny (1.88-1.86 Ga).
Key words: Amazon Craton, South America, crustal growth, Transamazonic, U-Pb geochronology.

Introduction the main tectonic units in South America (around

4,500,000 h2), is covered by Phanerozoic basins in the
The Amazon Craton is one of the largest and least- northeast (Maranhgo), central (Amazon), south (Xingu-
known Archean-Proterozoic areas in the world. One of Alto Tapajbs), southwest (Parecis) and west (SolimGes)
454
areas. It is limited to the west by the Andes Orogenic Belt,
and to the east and southeast by the Neoproterozoic
Araguaia Fold Belt. There are two main models [or the
subdivision of the Craton into tectonic-geochronological
provinces. One model describes the Craton as a mosaic of
twelve main blocks or paleo-plates, Archean (or
Paleoproterozoic) in age, which have granite-greenstone
characteristics (Costa and Hasui, 1997). In this model,
the blocks' margins are marked by nineteen Archean-
Paleoproterozoic collisional or shear belts which were
reactivated many times, including in the Phanerozoic. This
model based on geophysical data (the gravimetric map
of South America and the magnetic map of Brazil), does
not effectively utilize the available geochronologic data,
and considers only collisional processes, continent against
continent, during the craton evolution. The isotopic data
show that many of those twelve blocks are much younger
than Archean-Paleoproterozoic (Rio Negro and Rondbnia-
Juruena blocks, for example), and that the collisional
process is dominant only in the Sunsas Province and in
the K'Mudku shear belt. Costa and Hasui (1997, Fig. 1,p.
23) indicate several areas with granulite rocks, located in
the shear belts, which delimit the twelve main blocks.
These granulite facies rocks, if present, would be
important in identifying high-grade terrains related to the
collisional processes. However, the systematic mapping
undertaken in the 1990's by the Brazilian Geological
Survey in those areas, collecting more than 14,000 rock
samples (Alto Rio Negro, Imeri, Tapajos, Nova Brasilhdia,
Roraima Central and Caracarai Projects) resulted in either:
i) Lack of evidence for granulite facies rocks - Rio Negro
and Tapaj6s-Parima Provinces or
ii) Evidence that orthopyroxene bearing rocks are
mainly igneous, post-tectonic charnockites - RondBnia-
Juruena (Jaru area) and North Tapaj6s-Parima (Caracarai
area) Provinces.
The other model (Tassinari et al., 1996; Tassinari, 1996;
Tassinari and Macambira, 1999) is based on the Cordani
et al. (1979) proposal, and is a more mobilistic approach,
strongly based on geochronologic data. In this model, the
Table 1. Major tectonic, structural and isotopic characteristics of the Provinces of the Amazon Craton.
Province Main Tectonic Trend Dominant Process
Sunsas N 40" W
RondBnia-Juruena N 70" W / E-W
Rio Negro N-S
N 40" W
Central Amazon NNW
Tapajos-Parima N 30" W
Transamazonic N 50°-700W
Carajks 70" W
# - Detail on Table 3 ; n.a.= not available.; (") Cupixi Domain.
J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.
Craton is divided into six main provinces, including four
"mobile belts" accreted to an older nucleus (Central
Amazon Province): i) AmazBnia Central - older than 2.30
Ga; ii) Maroni-Itacaiunas - 2.20 - 1.90 Ga; iii) Tapaj6s-
Ventuari - 1.90-1.80 Ga; iv) Rio Negro-Juruena - 1.80 -
1.55 Ga; v) RondBnia-San Igndcio - 1.50 - 1.30 Ga; and
vi) Surisds - 1.25-1.00 Ga.
The Tassinari et al. (1996) model is based mainly on
Rb-Sr isotope data. The limitations of the Rb-Sr method
are well known (Dickin, 1995, p. 51-53), being enhanced
in polydeformed, polymetamorphosed or high
metamorphic-grade areas, where the system could be
easily reset. All of the above provinces must be
reinterpreted using more robust U-Pb and Sm-Nd data.
The new U-Pb and Sm-Nd results, together with new
available geological maps from the Brazilian Geological
Survey, indicate that significant changes to the previous
Rb-Sr-based model must be made, as shown in Table 1.
Samples and Analytical Techniques
The isotopic data presented in this paper correspond
to samples from four main provinces: Sunsds (one
sample), Rio Negro (5), RondBnia-Juruena (6) and
Tapajos-Parima (14). There are three Rb-Sr (Rio Negro
and RondBnia), seven Sm-Nd (Tapaj6s and Rio Negro),
14 conventional U-Pb and three U-Pb SHRIMP results.
Table 2 shows the analysed samples, methods, locations
and rock types. The Sm-Nd data are integrated with
previously published Sm-Nd data in Table 3, where the
main source was Sat0 and Tassinari (1997). The Rb-Sr
and U-Pb data are listed in Tables 4 (Rb-Sr), 5 (U-Pb), 6
(U-Pb) and 7 (U-Pb-SHRIMP).
In addition, the following U-Pb and Sm-Nd isotopic
data from other areas., were integrated: i) Imataca: Sidder
and Mendoza (1995); ii) Carajds: U-Pb and Pb-Pb results
and references are listed in Table 8; iii) Amapa: McReath
and Faraco (1997), Lafon et al. (1998); iv) Roraima:
Santos and Olszewski (1988); Gaudette et al. (1996); v)
South Venezuela: Gaudette and Olszewski (1985);
T,, (Gal# U-Pb ages#
collisional -4.46 - +6.25 1.93-1.52 1.33 - 0.99
juvenile - 1.65 / + 3.81 2.18 -1.68 1.76 - 1.47
collisional - 5.00 / + 2.98 2.42-1.88 1.86 - 1.52
underplating - 14.39 / +1.52 2.85-2.41 1.88 - 1.70
juvenile - 2.38 / +
3.51 2.26-2.06 2.10 - 1.87
2.32-2.07
juvenile + 0.20 / + 3.83 3.10*-3.06" 2.25 - 2.00
juvenile - 1.25 / + 5.30 3.10 - 2.51 3.10 - 2.53
Goizdwana Research, V. 3, No. 4, 2000
 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGYOF THE AMAZON CRATON 455

Table 2. Location of samples discussed in the text.

Sample 11 Rock type Regional Unit Location - State" Province

GR-66 24s Paragneiss (quartzite) Nova Brasillndia Met. Suite Nova Brasillndia - RO Sunsas
PT-1A lr Charnockite Jaru Charnockites BR364 Highway - RO
PT- 1 2 42-lr Metapelite RondBnia Basement BR364 Highway - RO
PT-1 4 lr Charnockite Jaru Charnockites BR364 Highway - RO
PT-15 2r Charnockite Jaru Charnockites BR364 Highway - RO RondBnia-Juruena
WO-74 42 Metarhyolite Beneficente Group BR364 Highway - RO
WO-63 42 Protomylonite Serra da Provid@nciaIntr. Suite BR364 Highway - RO
WO-52 42 Charnockite Jaru Charnockites BR364 Highway - RO
MQ-96 16s Dacite Roosevelt Group Roosevelt River - MT
AF-01 42 Biotite titanite granite UaupCs Intrusive Suite SBo Gabriel - AM
JO-IMA 32 Quartz sandstone Ima Formation - Tunui Group Caparro Mountain -AM
HC-477 lr Gabbro Tapuruquara Complex Santa Isabel -AM
HC-492 5m-lr Gabbro Tapuruquara Complex Santa Isabel -AM Rio Negro
HC-508 lr Gabbro Tapuruquara Complex Santa Isabel - AM
HC-512 lr Gabbro Tapuruquara Complex Santa Isabel -AM
MS-63 11s Laterite Cauaburi Complex SBo Gabriel - AM
50-51 32 Tonalite Cuiu-Cuiu Complex ConceiqBo Mine - PA
50-52 52 Quartz schist Jacareacanga Group Sai-Cinza Village - PA
50-54 42 Monzogranite Late-Parauari Intrusive Suite Rosa de Maio Mine - AM
50-57 52 Siltstone Abacaxis Formation Abacaxis Mine - AM
50-66 In Metandesite Undetermined Mamoal Mine - PA
50-68 42 Quartz wacke Sequeiro Formation Sequeiro Mine - AM
50-69 In Gabbro Ingarana Gabbro David Mine - PA Tapaj6s-Parima
JO-99 42 Monzogranite Maloquinha Intrusive Suite Santa Rita Mine - PA
50-102 42 Tonalite Parauari Intrusive Suite Tropas River - PA
50-174 In Monzogranite Maloquinha Intrusive Suite Jamaxim River - PA
AL-9b In Sandstone Palmares Group BR-230 Highway - PA
50-3 In Alaskite Maloquinha Int. Suite Jardim Our0 Mine - PA
50-174 In Monzogranite Maloquinha Intrusive Suite Jamaxim River - PA Central Amazon
MM-36 In Rhyodacite Iriri Group Amana River - AM

(n) = number of analysis; z= U-Pb conventional; s=U-Pb SHRIMP; r=whole-rock Rb-Sr; m=mineral Rb-Sr and n=whole-rock Sm-Nd
"Brazil States = Amazonas (AM), Par5 (PA), RondBnia (RO) and Mato Grosso (MT).

Goldstein et al. (1997); Tassinari et al. (1996); vi) French
Guyana: Vanderhaeghe et al. (1998); Milesi et al. (1995);
vii) Guyana: Gibbs and Olszewski (1982), Norcross et al.
(1998); viii) RondBnia: Bettencourt et al. (1999); Payolla
et al. (1998); Tassinari et al. (1996); Rizzotto et al. (1999);
ix) Rio Negro: Almeida et al. (1997), Dall'Agnol and
Macambira (1992); Tassinari et al. (1996); and x) Mato
Grosso: Van Schmus et al. (1997); Van Schmus et al.
(1998); Geraldes et al. (1999).
The conventional analyses of U-Pb isotopes in zircons
were carried out in two different laboratories. The first
group of analyses (Table 5) was processed at the University
of New Hampshire mass spectrometer laboratory. This
group includes the samples from the Rio Negro (AF-01
and IMA) and Rond8nia-Juruena Provinces (PT-12, WO-
74, WO-52, WO-63). The heavy minerals were separated
from weathered rock by in situ panning, using the
techniques described by Gibbs and Olszewski (1982).
Zircons were separated from the heavy mineral
concentrates in the laboratory, using heavy liquids and
magnetic separation. The zircon concentrates were then
split into magnetic and size fractions. Zircons were spiked
and dissolved, and U and Pb were separated using the
techniques of Krogh (1973). Lead and U isotopes were
analysed on the 23 cm 60" solid-sourcemass spectrometer
at the University of New Hampshire. Errors for the z07Pb/
235Uand z06Pb/23sU ratios are both 1.0%, with a correlation
of 0.90. Fractionation of Pb analyses was monitored by
repeated analyses of NITS standard 983, yielding an
average fractionation of 0.10 If: 0.03% per a.m.u.
The second group of U-Pb analyses (Table 6)
corresponds to the Tapaj6s-ParimaProvince samples (JO-
51, 50-54, 50-57, 50-59, 50-68, 50-102 and JO-199).
The zircons were analysed at the Massachusetts Institute
of Technology, using standard procedures (Bowring et al.,
1993) for dissolution, Pb and U separation, and isotopic
analysis. All zircon fractions were air abraded (Krogh,
1982). Sample weights were estimated using a video
monitor with a grided screen and are known to be within
40%. Common Pb corrections were calculated using the
model of Stacey and Kramers (1975) and interpreted the
age of the sample. For analyses with less than 2.0 pg
common Pb, the total common Pb was assumed to be
blank. The U blank was 0.5 + 0.05 pg. A mass

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

456 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.

Table 3. Sm-Nd data from the Amazon Craton, listed from the younger to the older Provinces, as defined in this study.

Sample Rock Location Sm (ppm) Nd (ppm) 147Sm/'44Nd i43Nd/'44Ndi 'Nd(i7 'I Age"' TD,'V Ref"
MESOPROTEROZOIC COLLISIONAL SUNSAS PROVINCE
PT-19 diorite RO-Vilhena 0.498 1.292 0.232 0.513187 +5.60 1,050 1,059 4
PT-2A basalt RO-Vilhena 3.936 14.665 0.1623 0.512639 +0.48 180 1,244 4
PT-4.1 amphibolite RO-Guapore 6.295 21.314 0.1786 0.512832 +6.25 1,200 1,235 4
PT-3 amphibolite RO-Vilhena 1.786 4.65 0.23226 0.513209 +5.35 1,200 1,242 4
GR-5 gabro RO 3.21 9.7 0.19979 0.512881 +4.41 1,11017 16
GR-lob amphibolite RO 5.61 18.65 0.18172 0.512881 +2.75 1,846 16
GR-lOa monzogranite RO 13.28 63.41 0.11790 0.512112 -0.75 1,09817 1,649 16
GR-18 gabro RO 3.11 10.59 0.17733 0.512754 +4.66 1,110 1,353 16
GR-20 granite RO 9.97 51.20 0.11769 0.511992 -1.82 1,100'7 1,685 16
GR-20a paragneiss RO 6.54 34.13 0.11587 0.511856 -4.01 1,120 1,865 16
GR-a1 paragneiss RO 4.09 21.03 0.11748 0.511873 -3.91 1,120 1,870 16
GR-20c paragneiss RO 5.80 29.33 0.11950 0.511860 -4.46 1,120 1,931 16
GR-23 granite RO 17.52 89.84 0.11790 0.512097 -0.86 99517 1,523 16
MESOPROTEROZOIC ACCRETIONAL RONDONIA-JURUENA PROVINCE
PT-51 dacite AM-Roosevelt 6.305 39.099 0.111464 0.511902 +3.81 1,690° 1,724 4
PT-14f-2 charnockite AM-Siriquiqui 28.377 185.28 0.092614 0.511715 t 3.02 1,570° 1,684 4
PT-14F-3 trondhjemite AM-Siriquiqui 27.665 135.31 0,123635 0.511815 +0.01 1,7556 2,098 4
PT-15f charnockite RO-Abuni - 0.100000 0.511763 +2.44 1,570° 1,729 18
PT-143 granulite RO-AbunB - 0.1700 0.512342 -0.12 1.660° 2,516 18
PT-537/10 charnockite MT-Aguapei 4.074 28.58 0.086198 0.511547 +1.05 1.570° 1,800 4
PT-39" granite RO-Providencia 11.845 69.098 0.103660 0.511772 +1.86 1.5806 1,774 4
PT-21-1 granite RO-Madeirinha 12.523 62.941 0.120314 0.511898 +0.90 1.5806 1,886 4
PT-61 granulite RO-Machadinh 8.893 41.327 0.130123 0.51 1857 -0.63 1.7556 2,186 4
PT-72 granulite RO-Jaru 7.243 32.537 0.134611 0.511964 +0.52 1.7556 2,095 4
PT-74 basalt RO-Candeias 7.53 33.982 0.13399 0.512274 +1.40 1,1007 1,493 4
537/79 granite MT-Jauru 5.853 36.314 0.097464 0.511593 -1.65 1,47014 1,914 4
PO05 tonalite MT-Jauru 5.110 25.858 0.119499 0.511841 +1.65 1,97014 1,962 4
MESOPROTEROZOIC RIO NEGRO GRANITIC PROVINCE
MRRL-31 gneiss AM-Rio Negro 2.953 27.898 0.064007 0.511026 +1.52 1,78015 1,880 4
PT33ASU monzogranite AM-Uaupes 14.973 86.604 0.104547 0.5 11624 -1.22 1,520° 1,996 4
PT33ASW monzogranite AM-Uaupes 17.167 93.060 0.111550 0.511671 -1.74 1,520° 2,063 4
UA6W monzogranite AM-Uaupks 14.688 81.796 0.108585 0.51 1651 -1.52 1,520° 2,034 4
5532 tonalite VE 11.397 69.104 0.099730 0.511415 -1.05 1,86015 2,196 4
PASP35 tonalite AM-TiquiC 2.087 9.526 0.132480 0.511771 -2.43 1,8306 2,416 4
MIAB16 granodiorite AM-Rio Negro 2.675 21.485 0.075288 0.511123 -5.00 1,520° 2,124 4
MT1036 gneiss VE 14.133 85.912 0.099477 0.511610 +2.83 1,86015 1,925 4
BA28 gneiss VE 3.850 23.698 0.098240 0.511575 i-2.44 1,86015 1,951 4
H508A gneiss VE 7.611 44.857 0.102601 0.511656 +2.98 1,86015 1,916 4
PALEOPROTEROZOICCENTRAL AMAZON PROVINCE
50-174 granite PA-Jamaxim 6.009 36.035 0.1008 0.511135 -6.67 1,870' 2,597 0
MM-36 rhyodacite 11.40 58.93 0.11695 0.511588 -1.37 1,870 2,454 0
50-3 granite PA-BR-165 1.08 5.84 0.11139 0.511443 -2.84 1,870 2,535 0
PL-5 charnockite RR-BR-230 - 0.15 0.512053 +1.52 1,827'- 2,409 8
PL-18 charnockite RR-BR-230 - 0.10 0.511541 -6.65 1,827'- 2,552 8
RB-24 charnockite RR-Caracarai 7.63 38.16 0.1209 0.51114 -11.85 1,827'- 3,178 2
MP-39 charnockite RR-Caracarai 7.59 38.79 0.1183 0.51143 -5.55 1,827'- 2,605 2
PL-24 charnockite RR-Caracarai 6.15 30.60 0.1216 0.51112 -12.40 1,827'- 3,239 2
CR-16 granite PA-Crepori 10.411 67.359 0.093462 0.511281 -2.04 1,8701 2,250 4
CR-09 granite PA-Crepori 8.366 56.761 0.08968 0.5 10801 -11.69 1,870' 2,850 4
PT-29-3 rhyolite PA-Curud 6.305 39.099 0.097512 0.511192 -4.76 1,870' 2,446 4
AL-90 rhyodacite PA-Tapaj6s 6.903 40.605 0.102801 0.511165 -6.57 1,870' 2,603 4
AP-133c granite PA-Tapaj6s 19.670 113.33 0.105098 0.511236 -5.73 1,870' 2,558 4
XMV-78L rhyodacite PA-Iriri 6.705 39.935 0.101528 0.5 11121 -7.12 1,870' 2,634 4
XMV-78M rhyodacite PA-Iriri 8.651 50.908 0.102759 0.511115 -7.54 1,870' 2,673 4
470pbk2 granite PA-Inajd 1.155 7.616 0.09171 0.51113 -4.58 1,870' 2,406 4
424bc granite PA-Xingu 5.834 34.05 0.10361 0.511118 -14.39 1,8803 3,188 4
PALEOPROT~ROZOICOROGENIC BELT
- TAPNOS-PARIMA PROVINCE
MA-5 tonalite PA-Crepori 9.020 45.121 0.120884 0.511773 + 1.83 1.9604 2,104 4
MA-13 tonalite PA-Crepori 9.365 46.355 0.122166 0.51 1749 +1.08 1.960, 2,175 4
PT-25 granite AM-Uatumi 6.289 31.873 0.119316 0.511758 +1.37 1,9205 2,093 4
PT-26 granodiorite AM-Uatumi 4.441 38.277 0.070159 0.511081 -0.20 1,9205 2,114 4

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE AMAZON CRATON 457

Table 3. Contd.

Sample Rock Location Sm (ppm) Nd (ppm) 147Sm/144Nd143Nd/144Nd' 'Nd(T1 I' Age"' TD,1V Ref
PT- 19 gneiss MT-Aripuanl 5.745 30.717 0.113097 0.5 11602 -2.00 1,7304 2,201 4
PT-7 gneiss MT-Aripuanl 4.767 24.521 0.117557 0.511757 +0.04 1,7304 2,056 4
50-69 gabbro PA-David 2.257 12.608 0.1083 0.5 11506 -0.87 1,900° 2,240 0
50-66 metandesite PA-Mamoal 22.586 164.341 0.0831 0.511114 -2.38 1,900° 2,264 0
AL9b subarkose AM-Amana 5.30 29.87 0.10731 0.511665 +3.51 1,9001 2,124 0
M68 granodiorite RR-Rio Branco 6.954 37.569 0.111662 0.511636 +0.86 1,9205 2,118 4
PT13-2 rhyolite MT-PeixotoAz. 9.189 48.415 0.114770 0.511688 +1.11 1,9001 2,105 4
PALEOPROTEROZOIC GREENSTONE BELTS -. TRANSAMAZONIAN PROVINCE
310 qz-monzodiorite GU-Omai 5.9 33.7 0.1048 0.511394 +0.20 2,0948 2,325 17
349b qz-monzodiorite GU-Omai 4.7 27.0 0.1054 0.511490 +1.92 2,0948 2,202 17
351 qz-monzodiorite GU-Omai 6.0 33.9 0.1060 0.511499 +1.94 2,0948 2,201 17
AD3 granodiorite GU-Omai 5.3 31.6 0.1014 0.511432 +1.87 2,0948 2,202 17
QD2 diorite GU-Omai 7.0 34.5 0.1224 0.511675 +0.94 2,0948 2,306 17
D10 diorite GU-Omai 5.5 26.2 0.1270 0.511741 +0.98 2,0948 2,313 17
H1 hornblendite GU-Omai 3.3 13.9 0.1426 0.512002 +1.87 2,0948 2,262 17
419 basalt GU-Omai 3.0 11.9 0.1532 0.512233 +3.62 2,1208 2,073 17
B10 basalt GU-Omai 2.0 6.3 0.1965 0.5 12848 +3.83 2,1208 17
B4 basalt GU-Omai 4.1 14.8 0.1675 0.512309 +1.20 2,1208 2,486 17
c1 basalt GU-Omai 2.2 6.8 0.1960 0.512733 +1.71 2,1208 17
349 andesite GU-Omai 1.7 7.8 0.1335 0.511895 +2.39 2,1208 2,207 17
359 andesite GU-Omai 1.6 7.3 0.1342 0.511876 +1.82 2,1208 2,264 17
S166 amphibolite AP-Vila Nova 1.94 6.06 0.194213 0.512701 +1.57 2,2649 9
S183 metatuff AP-Vila Nova 3.38 12.92 0.158979 0.512205 +2.20 2,2649 2,382 9
TlOO komatiite FG-Paramaca 1.656 6.54 0.1536 0.512182 +2.65 2,110'0 2,201 10
Mlll komatiite FG-Paramaca 1.878 7.45 0.1534 0.512162 +2.45 2,110'0 2,226 10
T160 komatiite FG-Paramaca 1.811 6.84 0.1611 0.512302 +3.08 2,110'0 2,147 10
T188 komatiite FG-Paramaca 2.539 10.54 0.1467 0.512070 +2.48 2,110'0 2,212 10
L200 komatiite FG-Paramaca 4.69 27.65 0.1033 0.511440 +1.92 2,11010 2,215 10
L365 andesite FG-Paramaca 4.16 20.04 0.1264 0.511722 +1.18 2,110'0 2,306 10
8204 granulite GU-Kanuku 10.751 65.663 0.0990 0.511400 +2.12 2,120 2,198 19
EG83 granite AP-Cupixi 0.464 2.054 0.136602 0.511921 +1.74 2,0604 2,227 4
EG18 tonalite AP-Cupixi 7.143 52.174 0.082788 0.5 10443 -0.63 2,0604 3,054 4
EGO2 tonalite AP-Cupixi 7.180 49.680 0.087394 0.510508 -3.05 2,0604 3,213 4
ARCHEAN GREENSTONE BELTS - CARAJAS PROVINCE
AS1683 granodiorite PA-Mogno 3.086 23.81 0.078375 0.510393 -0.72 2,87011 3,009 4
AH513 trondhjemite PA-Mogno 1.994 13.696 0.088038 0.5 10810 +3.90 2,87011 2,730 4
AH796-4 granodiorite PA-Rio Maria 3.610 22.63 0.096463 0.510862 +1.81 2,87412 2,862 4
AH796-3 granodiorite PA-Rio Maria 3.177 17.85 0.107626 0.510956 -0.47 2,874" 3,036 4
PPO5A gneiss PA-Carajas 5.553 50.242 0.066835 0.510149 -1.25 2,8503 3,024 4
PP05H tonalite PA-Carajis 1.175 7.919 0.089724 0.510641 -0.05 2,8503 2,980 4
PT-09A granite PA-Inajd 9.270 62.03 0.090370 0.510938 +0.59 2,5733 2,695 4
GB102 meta-rhyolite PA-CarajL 2.70 11.86 0.13776 0.511789 +4.09 2,7603 2,550 20
GB104 meta-rhyolite PA-CarajL 2.90 12.99 0.13700 0.511483 -0.96 2,7603 3,081 20
GB67 metabasalt PA-CarajBs 2.70 11.97 0.13642 0.511781 +4.39 2,7603 2,523 20
GB82A metabasalt PA-CarajBs 3.55 12.23 0.17551 0.512540 +5.30 2,7603 2,068? 20
GB82B metabasalt PA-CarajBs 3.55 11.82 0.18134 0.512060 -6.31 2,7603 5,699? 20
GB85 metabasalt PA-CarajBs 13.61 75.73 0.10866 0.511286 +4.58 2,7603 2,573 20
GB86 metabasalt PA-CarajBs 2.76 12.34 0.13524 0.511711 +3.43 2,7603 2,626 20
GB87 metabasalt PA-Carajiis 2.94 12.84 0.13869 0.511544 -1.00 2,7603 3,102 20
GB93 metabasalt PA-Carajls 3.03 13.58 0.13507 0.511634 +2.03 2,7603 2,770 20
GB94 metabasalt PA-Carajds 3.25 15.82 0.12437 0.511352 +0.32 2,7603 2,923 20
ARCHEAN GRANULITES - IMATACA PROVINCE
8100 -
granulite VE-Imataca 2.479 15.862 0.0941 0.51087 +2.16 2.80013 2,793 19
7494 2ranu 1ite VE-Imataca 3.817 33.225 0.0695 0.51060 +5.79 2,80013 2.598 19
I = normalized to 146Nd/144Nd=0.7219; I1 = normalized to CHUR: 143Nd/144Nd=0.512655, 147Sm/'44Nd=0.19665
111 = Ages in Ma. O=This work, U-Pb; 1-Santos et al. (1999), U-Pb; 2-Gaudette et al. (1996), U-Pb; 3-Machado et al. (1991), U-Pb; 4-Sato and
Tassinari (1997), Rb-Sr; 5-Santos and Reis Net0 (1982), Rb-Sr; 6-Tassinari et al. (1996), U-Pb; 7-Teixeira and Tassinari (1984), K-Ar;8-
Norcross et al. (1998), U-Pb; 9-McReath and Faraco (1997), Sm-Nd; 10-Gruauet al. (1985), Sm-Nd; 11-Dall'Agnoll et al. (1998), U-Pb; 12-
Macambira and Lancelot (1996), U-Pb; 13-Sidderand Mendoza (1995),U-Pb;14-Sadowski and Bettencourt (1996), U-Pb; 15-Gaudette et
al. (1996), U-Pb; 16-Rizzottoet al. (1999), U-Pb;
IV = Model age in Ma, relative to depleted mantle (DM). 147Sm/144Ndo, = 0.21353 and 143Nd/'44Nd,,=0.512655
V = References to the Sm-Nd data. Same numbers as in I11 and: 17 - Voicu et al. (1999); 18 - Vignol (1987); 19 - Othman et al. (1984),
20-Olszewski et al. (1989).

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

458 J.O.S. SANlros ET AL.

Table 4. New Rb-Sr isotope data from selected Provinces of the Amazon Table 5. Zircon U-Pb analysis of rocks from the West Amazon Craton.
Craton.
Sample Rb Sr" 87Rb 87Sr
fractions (ppm) (mm) % Bhpr
AF-01 (RNP)
Monzogranite - Uaupes Intrusive Suite
RondGnia-Juruena Province
1 -1 M 56.69 208.15 3.2998 0.2544
Charnockite - Jaru Charnockite
2 -1 M 56.40 215.72 3.2982 0.2529
PT-O1A 149.38 177.18 2.452 0.76065
3 OM 63.85 252.05 3.1711 0.2445
PT-14 4.43 245.64 0.052 0.71159
4 -lNM 51.87 198.17 3.2776 0.2526
PT-15 88.82 198.17 1.300 0.73590
JO-IMA (RNP)
PT-15A 55.88 161.64 1.002 0.72996
Quartz sandstone - Ima Formation -Tunui Group
RondGnia-Juruena Province
1 -1M 328.2 84.8 0.23909 3.7127
Paragneiss - Basement
2 OM 459.4 105.5 0.21470 3.2300
PT-12 80.18 80.80 2.891 0.78058
3 +lM 555.3 112.7 0.18912 2.8195
Rio Negro Province
PT-12 (RJP)
Gabbro - Tapuruquara Complex, whole-rock
Ouro Preto Paragneiss - Jaru Complex
HC-477 11.10 1134.3 0.02831 0.704545
1 4M 1227 205 0.1694 2.1850
HC-492 12.21 1336.2 0.02642 0.704448
2 1M 889 209 0.2329 3.1968
HC-508 20.26 957.0 0.06123 0.704999
3 1M 899 226 0.2523 3.4406
HC-512 14.53 274.6 0.15311 0.707555
4 OM 822 203 0.2464 3.4035
Rio Negro Province
WO-74 (RJP)
Gabbro - Tapuruquara Complex, HC-492 minerals
Meta tuff (rhyolitic) - Beneficente Group
Plag. 10 2974.0 0.01457 0.704368
1 5M 633 97.7 0.14574 1.7923
Plag. + biot. 11.8 2314.2 0.01480 0.704329
2 3M 868 135.9 0.14800 1.9018
Hornblende 16.1 535.6 0.09363 0.705779
3 1M 43 1 86.9 0.19363 2.6455
01. + px. + acc. 2.7 60.9 0.12555 0.706807
4 OM 322 75.8 0.22555 3.0450
whole rock 12.0 1307.7 0.02656 0.704718
WO-63 (RJP)
Milonite Gneiss - Serra da Providsncia Intr. Suite

fractionation correction of 0.15% per a.m.& *

0.04%
1
2
OM
1M
1043.5
1054.7
199.7
188.9
0.1874
0.1755
2.3347
2.1527
a.m.u. was applied to all Pb analyses. All errors are 3 3M 1561.0 223.2 0.1405 1.6246
reported as 2 sigma. Data reduction and error analyses 4 5M 1882.4 248.6 0.1296 1.4443
wo-52 (SP)
were accomplished using the algorithms of Ludwig Ariquemes Granite - Early Sunsas?
(1991). 1 10M 2993 269 0.0941 0.9643
For the third group of U-Pb determinations (samples 2 5M 2378 309 0.1354 1.4934
GR-66, MQ-96 and MS-63), the zircon analyses were 3 1M 1828 343 0.1952 2.2758
4 OM 1900 383 0.2085 2.4651
carried out on the SHRIMP I1 at the Curtin University of
Letters in brackets represent the following Provinces: RNP=Rio Negro;
Technology (Table 7). The fresh rocks were crushed and RJP=RondGnia-Juruna; and SP=Sbnsas.
milled, and the heavy minerals were separated from the (") Radiogenic Pb.
rock powder using heavy liquids (TBE-tetrabromoethane Zircons analysed at UNH using standard procedures for dissolution, Pb
and Di-iodo methylene) and a Frantz magnetic separator. and U separation, and isotopic analysis (Krogh, 1973). Pb and U isotopes
were analysed on the 23 cm, 60"solid-source mass spectrometer at the
Handpicked zircons were placed in an epoxy mount, which University of New Hampshire. Errors for the 2n7Pb/235U and 206Pb/2'8U
was polished to expose a cross-section of the crystals. The ratios are both 1.0%, with a correlation of 0.90. Decay constants are
crystals were photographed and imaged (back-scattered those recommended by Stacey and Jager (1977). Fractionation of Pb
and charge contrast images), using facilities at the Centre analyses was monitored by repeated analyses of NITS standard 983,
for Microscopy and Microanalysis at the University of yielding an average fractionation of 0.10 f 0.03 per a.m.u. First sample
number indicates the side slope of the Franz Magnetic Separator. Forward
Western Australia. The images provide important slope was always 20' and the magnet current was 1.5 A. Common Pb
information about zircon morphology and internal corrections were calculated using the model of Stacey and Kramers
structure, allowing the selection of the best sites for spot (1975) and interpreted the age of the sample. Data reduction and error
analyses, and they also represent an important aid in the analysis were accomplished using the algorithms of Ludwig (1991).
interpretation of the results. The reference standard was
CZ3 zircon (564 Ma: 20fiPb/238U=0.0914). Decay constants The Rb-Sr analyses (Table 4) were carried out using
used are those recommended by Steiger and Jager (1977). the techniques described in Olszewski et al. (1989a) using
The common Pb correction for the total Pb analysed was the University of New Hampshire mass spectrometer.
done by eliminating the initial 206Pb,207Pband 20sPb,using Replicate analyses of whole-rock powders yielded
the measured 204Pband the Pb isotopic composition of replication errors of 1.0% for 87Rb/86Sr
and 0.06% for 87Sr/
Broken Hill galena. ?Sr. Error correlation was 0.01 and the decay constant

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

 Table 6. Zircon U-Pb data from the Tapajos-Parima Province

Sample Weight U Pb" Isotopic ratios Ages Corr. Pb Blank

fractions mg (ppm) (ppm) Z06Pb# znsPb" A
Z07pb 207pbA z06Pb 2a7Pb 207Pb coef. (pg) (pg)
~ ~ __ ~
~ _ _ _ 206PbA
_ _
204pb zO6pb z38u Yoerr 23sU %err z06Pb %err 238U 235U *06Pb
3
>
. 50-52, Sai-Cinza Schist - Jacareacanga Group
s 22 0.010 724 237 766 0.050 0.28477 (0.26) 8.09386 (0.27) 0.20614 (0.05) 1615.3 2241.6 2875.4 0.980 151.5 3.5
Lu
23 0.010 59 27 5008 0.232 0.38841 (0.19) 7.06865 (0.21) 0.13199 (0.09) 2115.4 2120.1 2124.6 0.912 3.0 3.0
24 0.010 44 25 162 0.171 0.38283 (0.39) 6.86146 (0.53) 0.12999 (0.33) 2089.5 2093.7 2097.8 0.784 63.3 3.5
bb
b
' zla 0.010 253 103 3942 0.103 0.38025 (0.22) 6.84651 (0.23) 0.13059 (0.05) 2077.5 2091.8 2105.9 0.975 14.4 3.5
z2a 0.010 292 53 14231 0.079 0.18416 (0.11) 1.94201 (0.13) 0.07648 (0.07) 1089.7 1095.7 1107.7 0.856 2.4 2.4

(0.81) 6.19013 (0.83) 0.12342 (0.15) 2000.0 2003.1 2006.2 0.983 9.1 3.5
(0.27) 6.11384 (0.29) 0.12394 (0.11) 1971.6 1992.2 2013.7 0.925 11.7 3.5
(0.40) 5.46348 (0.42) 0.12277 (0.10) 1803.2 1894.9 1996.8 0.969 25.1 3.5

22 0.010 127 44 6120 0.096 0.33499 (1.13) 5.30838 (1.04) 0.11493 (0.08) 1862.5 1870.2 1878.8 0.997 4.4 3.5
23 0.010 283 67 7072 0.109 0.22509 (2.01) 3.49489 (2.01) 0.11261 (0.05) 1308.7 1526.1 1841.9 1.000 5.7 3.5
zl 0.010 543 135 1736 0.114 0.22872 (0.28) 3.49168 (0.29) 0.11072 (0.07) 1327.8 1525.3 1811.3 0.974 42.2 3.5
24 0.010 229 53 3134 0.137 0.21288 (0.20) 3.27408 (0.22) 0.11155 (0.09) 1244.1 1474.9 1824.7 0.913 9.3 3.5
50-57, Siltstone - Abacaxis Formation
z5 0.007 40 15 1804 0.150 0.33117 (0.33) 5.29389 (0.34) 0.11594 (0.06) 1844.0 1867.9 1894.5 0.982 3.2 2.0
z2 0.007 31 11 1410 0.181 0.32789 (0.44) 5.25551 (0.44) 0.11625 (0.07) 1828.1 1861.7 1899.3 0.986 3.2 2.0
26 0.004 68 21 1851 0.209 0.26562 (0.45) 4.26328 (0.48) 0.11641 (0.17) 1518.5 1686.3 1901.8 0.936 2.4 2.0
23 0.003 80 23 815 0.140 0.25245 (0.63) 4.06799 (0.64) 0.11687 (0.11) 1451.1 1647.9 1908.9 0.986 3.7 2.0
zl 0.002 99 27 3075 0.219 0.24588 (0.10) 3.11383 (0.14) 0.09185 (0.09) 1417.2 1436.1 1464.2 0.739 0.8 2.0
50-68, Quartz-wacke - Sequeiro Formation
zla 0.010 1167 471 27744 0.143 0.36889 0.13) 6.48850 (0.14) 0.12757 (0.04) 2024.2 2044.3 2064.7 0.954 9.3 3.5
23 0.010 24 9 3560 0.167 0.34577 (0.16) 5.53789 (0.21) 0.11616 (0.13) 1914.4 1906.5 1898.0 0.789 1.5 1.5
21 0.010 39 14 2243 0.140 0.34064 (0.43) 5.46521 (0.44) 0.11636 (0.08) 1889.7 1895.1 1901.1 0.984 3.8 3.5
22 0.010 57 22 6320 0.206 0.34123 (0.18) 5.45680 (0.22) 0.11598 (0.13) 1892.6 1893.8 1895.2 0.814 2.0 2.0
50-102, Tropas River Tonalite - Parauari Intrusive Suite
22 0.005 63 24 1716 0.110 0.36233 (0.53) 6.16323 (0.55) 0.12337 (0.15) 1993.2 1999.2 2005.5 0.964 3.8 2.0
23 0.007 163 62 6672 0.197 0.33423 (0.17) 5.34530 (0.18) 0.11599 (0.08) 1858.9 1876.1 1895.3 0.912 3.8 2.0
24 0.051 84 27 23432 0.170 0.29126 (0.07) 4.68454 (0.08) 0.11665 (0.04) 1647.8 1764.5 1905.5 0.868 3.3 2.0
bl" 0.008 171 63 4581 - 0.34000 0.09 5.446 0.10 0.11617 0.04 1886.7 1892.1 1898.2 0.939 7.0
zl 0.016 174 53 7753 0.100 0.28891 (012) 4.58783 (0.13) 0.11517 (0.05) 1636.1 1747.1 1882.6 0.936 6.3 2.0

(*) Radiogenic Pb - (#) Measured ratio corrected for spike and fractionation only. Mass fractionation correction of 0.15?h/amu k 0.04% amu was applied to all Pb analyses. A Corrected for
fractionation, spike, blank and common Pb. All errors are reported as 2sigma. Zircons analysed at MIT using standard procedures for dissolution, Pb and U separation, and isotopic analysis
(Bowring et al., 1993). Number of zircons in each fraction shown in parenthesis after fraction name. All zircon fractions are air abraded (Krogh, 1982). Sample weights are estimated using
a video monitor with a gridded screen and are known to within 40%. Common Pb corrections were calculated using the model of Stacey and Kramers (1975) and interpreted the age of the
sample. For analyses with less than 2.0 pg common Pb, the total common Pb was assumed to be blank. U blank=0.5 f 0.5 pg. Data reduction and error analysis were accomplished using the
algorithms of Ludwig (1991). (x) sample b l , results from Geological Survey of Canada.
Table 7. Isotopic data and calculated ages for zircon U-Pb SHRIMP analysis of rocks from the Amazon Craton.

Grain- U Th Th 2 m 4f206 ZOSpb* Z06pb”* Z07pb” 208Pb* concord. 207pb * 206pb”

__
U 206Pb YO 206pb” 238U 235U 232Th YO 206Pb 238U
spot (mm) (mm)
Age(Ma) Age(Ma)
MS-63 (RNP) Seis Lagos Carbonatite Host Rock- Cauaburi Complex
f.1-1 184 107 0.583 0.0000 0.065 f 10 0.1688 f 19 0.3326 f 29 5.131 f 67 0.0962 f 15 101 1831 f 16 1851f 14
f.10-1 183 94 0.514 0.0000 0.039f 9 0.1479 f 19 0.3231 f 28 4.975 f 64 0.0929 f 15 99 1827 I 15 1805f 13
f.11-1 282 25 1 0.891 0.0000 0.OOOf 6 0.2587 f 16 0.3264 f 24 4.945 +_ 48 0.0948 f 10 101 1797 f 10 1821% 12
f.12-1 231 187 0.812 0.0002 0.268f 10 0.2388i 24 0.3281 f 26 4.998 f 64 0.0965 f 13 101 1807 f 17 1829f 13
f.13-1 142 65 0.462 0.0008 1.299f 19 0.1291f 43 0.33405 32 5.079 f 110 0.0934 f 33 103 1804 f 32 1858f 15
f.2-1 208 121 0.585 0.0000 0.050 f 8 0.1671 I16 0.3337f 27 5.132 f 59 0.0954k 13 102 1825f 13 1856f 13
f.4-1 123 116 0.945 0.0000 0,000 f 10 0.2716 f 27 0.3305 f 35 4.990 f 74 0.0950f 16 103 1791 f 17 1841 f 17
f.4a-1 177 176 0.994 0.0000 0.037 f 10 0.2888 f 26 0.3299i 30 5.001 f 68 0.0959 f 14 102 1798 i 16 18385 14
f.5-1 146 61 0.418 0.0000 0.044i 10 0.1187 f 18 0.3387 f 31 5.187 f 70 0.09635 18 103 1817 f 16 1880f 15
f.7-1 120 55 0.462 0.0000 0.066 f 12 0.1300 f 24 0.3224 f 32 4.876 f 77 0.0908 f 20 100 1794 f 20 1801f 16
f.9-1 256 126 0.493 0.0000 0.000 f 7 0.1392 f 11 0.3418i 27 5.229 I 55 0.0965 f 12 104 1815f 11 1895f 13
MQ-96 (RJP) Roosevelt Dacite - Roosevelt Group
c.21-2 108 63 0.582 0.0005 0.764f 16 0.1673f 37 0.2857 f 43 4.150f 96 0.0822f 22 94 1720 f 29 1620f 22
c.21-1 146 93 0.640 0.0000 0.024f 9 0.1831 f 21 0.3211i 48 4.670 f 85 0.0919 f 18 104 1723 f 16 1795 k 23
c.38-1 176 202 1.151 0.0000 0.028 f 9 0.3292 f 24 0.3232 f 47 4.680k 82 0.0925f 16 105 1715 f 15 1805f 23
c.46-1 149 161 1.082 0.0003 0.442f 12 0.3185 f 31 0.3055 i 45 4.510 k 88 0.0899 f 17 98 1750 f 20 1718f 22
c.46-2 219 235 1.073 0.0002 0.243 f 9 0.3138f 23 0.2980f 42 4.381 f 76 0.0872 f 14 97 1742 f 15 1682i 21
c.41-1 84 75 0.890 0.0001 0.OOOf 9 0.2492 i 23 0.3119 f 49 4.571 k 85 0.0873f 17 101 1737f 15 1750f 24
c.23-1 217 251 1.154 0.0001 0.220 f 8 0.3217 f 21 0.3157 i 45 4.589 k 77 0.0880 k 14 103 1722 i 13 1769 i 22
c.24-1 180 85 0.474 0.0000 0.024f 7 0.1386 f 13 0.3270 f 47 4.977 f 82 0.0956f 17 101 1806f 11 1824 f 23
c.25-1 213 160 0.748 0.0001 0.130 f 7 0.2131f 17 0.3232 f 46 4.728 f 79 0.0921 f 16 104 1733 i 13 1806 f 22
c.26-1 161 172 1.072 0.0000 0.000 f 7 0.3192 f 23 0.3087 i 46 4.558 f 78 0.0919 f 16 99 1751 f 12 1734 f 23
c.27-1 285 219 0.769 0.0000 0.007 f 6 0.2223 f 15 0.3256 f 46 4.819 f 77 0.0941 f 15 104 1755 f 11 1817 f 22
c.28-1 177 152 0.861 0.0000 0.007 f 10 0.2502 f 24 0.3241 f 47 4.767f 86 0.0942 f 17 104 1743 i 17 1810 _+ 23
c.29-1 208 214 1.032 0.0000 0.015f 7 0.3010 f 18 0.3301f 48 4.867f 80 0.0963 f 16 105 1747 f 11 1839f 23
c.30-1 207 159 0.766 0.0000 0.000 f 7 0.2212 f 16 0.3221 f 47 4.718 f 78 0.0930 f 16 104 1736 i 11 1800f 23
c.31-1 232 118 0.507 0.0000 0.000 k 7 0.1456f 13 0.3326f 48 4.956 5 83 0.0955 f 17 105 1767f 12 1851 f 23
c.32-1 148 102 0.689 0.0001 0.187 f 12 0.1963 f 28 0.3404 f 53 4.905 i 101 0.0970 f 21 111 1706 f 21 1888f 26
PI
L:

$1 Table 7. Contd

U Th Th Z04Pb 4f206 ZOSpb* 206pb** Z07pb-t Z08Pb* concord. 207pb * 206pb*

- ~ ~ ~ ___ ~ ~ ~

U z06Pb YO 206pb-t 238U 235U z32Th % 206Pb 238U

5 spot
Grain- (PP~) (ppm)
Age(Ma1 Age(Ma)
+. II
GR-66 (SP) Paragneiss - Nova Brasilhndia Metamorphic Suite
;.8
d.75-1 244 95 0.389 0.0001 0.000 f 9 0.1020f 16 0.1817 f 36 1.991 f 48 0.0476 k 12 91 1184 f 22 1076 f 20
d.73-1 226 65 0.285 0.0000 0.059 f 12 0.0840 f 23 0.2163 f 43 2.406 f 63 0.0637 f 22 104 1213 f 29 1262 f 23
d.71-1 99 56 0.571 0.0000 0.069 f 19 0.1675 4 44 0.2151 f 46 2.292 f 78 0.0631f 22 111 1128 f 48 1256 f 24
d.70-1 672 332 0.495 0.0000 0.024 f 6 0.1438 f 12 0.1995 f 38 2.217 f 47 0.0580 f 12 97 1211 f 14 1173f 21
d.69-1 274 207 0.756 0.0001 0.147 f 10 0.1019 f 18 0.2943 f 58 4.265 f 97 0.0396f 11 97 1716 f 17 1663k 29
d.67-1 113 37 0.326 0.0002 0.378 f 29 0.0936 f 63 0.2265 f 48 2.644 f 111 0.0650 f 46 101 1308 f 66 1316f 25
d.65-1 71 43 0.604 0.0000 0.075 f 21 0.1718 f 46 0.2797 f 61 3.619 f 119 0.0796 f 28 106 1505f 41 15905 31
d.64-1 103 62 0.598 0.0001 0.238 f 19 0.1712f 44 0.2197 f 47 2.532 f 84 0.0629 f 22 100 1283 f 44 1280% 25
d.63-1 73 31 0.426 0.0003 0.405 f 34 0.1184 f 75 0.2001 f 45 2.105 f 109 0.0556 f 38 107 1103 f 88 1176f 24
d.62-1 61 21 0.350 0.0000 0.000 f 17 0.1066 f 32 0.2002 f 46 2.200 f 74 0.0609 f 24 99 1189 i- 43 1177f 25
d.61-1 140 90 0.646 0.0000 0.016 f 12 0.1787 f 23 0.3666f 75 6.288 f 150 0.1015f 25 100 2020 f 17 2013f 35
d.60-1 845 162 0.192 0.0000 0.000 f 5 0.0576 _+ 6 0.2430 f 46 3.013 f 61 0.0729 f 16 98 1424 f 10 14022 24
d.59-1 466 98 0.210 0.0000 0.070 f 7 0.0618 f 12 0.2375 f 46 2.916 f 64 0.0699 f 20 98 1405 f 16 1373f 24
d.58-1 64 34 0.535 0.0000 0.062 f 28 0.1583 f 64 0.2128f 48 2.326 f 102 0.0630 f 30 105 1179 f 69 1244f 26
d.57-1 255 39 0.153 0.0000 0.002 f 12 0.0460f 20 0.2315 f 46 2.729 f 70 0.0696 f 33 101 1327 f 27 1342f 24
d.56-1 422 185 0.438 0.0001 0.093 f 8 0.1300 f 17 0.2165 f 42 2.453 f 56 0.0643 i 15 101 1250 f 19 1263i 22
d.54-1 447 100 0.223 0.0001 0.085 f 8 0.0535 f 13 0.2039 f 29 2.277 f 42 0.0489 f 14 98 1222 f 20 1196f 16
d.60-1 179 37 0.209 0.0004 0.616 f 21 0.0559 f 45 0.2429 f 39 2.929 f 90 0.0649 f 53 102 1370 i- 47 1402f 20
d.61-2 171 75 0.440 0.0000 0.008f 13 0.1318 f 22 0.3781 f 59 6.746 f 131 0.1133 f 27 99 2090 f 17 2068f 28
d.65-1 76 52 0.683 0.0001 0.108 f 23 0.1959 f 53 0.2709 f 52 3.687 f 117 0.0777 f 27 97 1599 f 43 1546f 26
d.69-1 291 123 0.422 0.0000 0.050 f 10 0.1130 f 18 0.3191 f 48 4.706 f 87 0.0854 f 20 102 1748 f 16 1785f 23
d.74-1 288 93 0.321 0.0000 0.068 f 12 0.0933 f 24 0.1940 f 29 2.281 f 50 0.0564 f 17 87 1322 f 27 1143f 16
d.76-1 237 95 0.399 0.0001 0.093f 11 0.1211 f 22 0.2244 f 35 2.648 f 57 0.0681 t 17 98 1329 f 25 1305f 18
d.77-1 215 185 0.858 0.0000 0.047 f 11 0.2491 f 26 0.3432 f 53 5.515 f 105 0.0996 f 20 100 1904 f 17 1902f 25
-
4f206 = (common 20bPb) / (total measured 206Pb)
based on measured z04Pb.
Pb isotope ratios are for radiogenic components only (*). Common lead correction used f206 and the Broken Hill composition.
Listed uncertainties are lo, determined by counting statistics (includingpropagation of common lead correction) and apply to the last digits quoted.
Uncertaintiesin Pb/U are dominated by spot-to-spotreproducibility; concurrent analyses calibrated to the cz3 standard, with a l o scatter.
concord. = concordance, as 100{t[206Pb*/z3aU]/t[207Pb*/zo6Pb*]}. Data reduced using Krill software.
462 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.

used for 87Rbwas that recommended by Steiger and Jager only to the Carajas (and Imataca) granite-supracrustal
(1977). terrains, but is extended to the south of Amapa where
Sm-Nd analyses were carried out at the geochronologic Archean U-Pb ages have been obtained in the Cupixi
research centre of the University of S5o Paulo (samples Granulite in Amapd State (MacReath and Faraco, 1997;
50-174, JO-69 and JO-66) and at Curtin University of Lafon et al., 1998). The Central Amazon Province, despite
Technology, Australia (samples MM-36,J0-3 and AL-9b). its Archean crustal origin, is much younger and truncates
Standard used for control was BCR-1 and the 143Nd/'44Nd the west-northwest Carajds tectonic trend. Thus, the
ratio errors are lo. The replication errors were 0.20% for exposed Archean rocks comprise only <12 Yo of the
147Sm/144Ndand 0.020!0 for 143Nd/144Nd.The decay Craton, which is thus predominantly Paleoproterozoicand
constant used for 147Smwas 6.54 x y r ' (Wasserburg Mesoproterozoic in age.
et al., 1981). The model ages were calculated referenced The Carajds Province is located in the east-southeast
to the following present day values (De Paolo, 1988): region of the Craton, in Pard State and southwest Amapd
CHUR: 147Sm/144Nd= 0.19665 and 143Nd/144Nd State, Brazil. The previously state-owned and now private
= 0.512655.
Table 8. Caraj6s Province selected geochronological data.
MORB: 147Sm/144Nd= 0.21353 and 143Nd/144Nd
= 0.513168. Rock or unit Method M Age R
The Sm-Nd data are shown on Table 3, with six new Velho Guilherme Granite U-Pb Z 1873f 13 1
Pojuca Granite U-Pb Z 1874f 2 2
results (this work), and including more than 103 samples, Carajas Granite c U-Pb Z 1880f 2 2
analysed between 1984 and 1999 by nine different Cigano Granite U-Pb Z 1883f 2 2
authors, using different values for the 147Sm decay constant Musa Granite U-Pb Z 18832 5 2
and the present day 147Sm/'44Ndvalues. All data were Salobre Group amphibolite U-Pb T 2497k 5 2
recalculated according to the values mentioned above. Xingu Complex amphibolite U-Pb T 2519f 5 2
Estrela Granite U-Pb 2 2 5 2 7 2 34 3
Salobre Group BIF U-Pb M 2551k 2 2
Definition, Age and Evolution of the Salobre Group amphibolite U-Pb Z 2555f 4 2
Old Salobre Granite U-Pb Z 2573k 2 2
Provinces of the Craton Salobre Group -granite U-Pb T 25842 5 2
Salobre Group amphibolite U-Pb Z 2732f 2 2
According to the data available (Table l ) , seven main Pojuca Group amphibolite U-Pb Z 2732f 3 2
geological provinces and one shear belt are recognized: Salobre Group rhyolite U-Pb Z 2740 4
Carajds and Imataca - 3.10-2.53 Ga, juvenile; Grao Para Group Metarhyolite U-Pb Z 2 7 5 8 i 39 5
Grao Para Group rhyodacite U-Pb Z 2759k 2 2
Transamazonic (Guianas) - 2.25-2.00 Ga, juvenile; Salobre Group amphibolite U-Pb Z 2761f 3 2
Tapaj6s-Parima- 2.10-1.87 Ga, juvenile; Central Amazon Salobre group Cu-Au ore Pb leaching Cc 2762 k 180 6
- 1.88-1.70 Ga, underplating; Rio Negro - 1.86-1.52 Ga, Luanga anorthositic gabbro U-Pb Z 2763+ 6 2
collisional; RondGnia-juruena - 1.76-1.47 Ga, juvenile; Salobre Group Iron ore Pb leaching Mt 2776 f 240 6

and Sunsas - 1.33-0.99 Ga, collisional (including the Xingu Complex gneiss U-Pb Z 2851k 4 2
Salobre Group gneiss Gneiss U-Pb Z 2851i 4 2
K'Mudku Shear Belt - 1.10-1.33 Ga). Xingu Complex amphibolite U-Pb Z 2856f 3 2
Each of the Provinces is described below with an Xingu Complex granite U-Pb Z 28592 2 2
evaluation of the geochronological constraints on their Pium Complex metamorphism SHRIMP Z 2861 f 12 7
Mogno Trondhjemite U-Pb T 2870 8
ages and evolution. Emphasis is placed on those provinces Xinguara Granitoids A Pbisochron Z 2870 8
where there are new geochronological data. The present Mata Surrso Monzogranite U-Pb Z 2 8 7 2 i 10 1
model is transient and certainly will change when new Rio Maria Granodiorite U-Pb Z 2 8 7 4 f 10 9
data are available, particularly from the large areas of the Andorinhas Supergroup SHRIMP Cz 2 9 4 3 f 18 7
Arc0 Verde Tonalite U-Pb Z 2960 8
Amazon Craton where the geochronological information Xingu Complex gneiss U-Pb Z 2 9 7 1 f 29 9
is scarce (Tumacumaque, Iriri-Xingu and Imeri-Parima Lagoa Seca Metagraywacke U-Pb Z 2971k 18 9
areas). Pium Enderbite protolith SHRIMP Z 3002f 14 7
Pium Complex Pbisochron Wr 3050k 114 1
Carajds province Rio Fresco Group Quartzite U-Pb Cz 3 1 8 9 2 22 9
A = First orogenic cycle; B = Second orogenic cycle; C= Paleoproterozoic
The craton has been considered to be predominantly anorogenic granites;
Archean, as shown in the Geological Map of Brazil, 1984 M = mineral; Z= zircon; Cz = clastic zircon; T = titanite; M = monazite;
edition(Sch0bbenhaus et al., 1984) and in Costa and Cc = chalcocite; Mt = magnetite; Wr = whole rock.
R = references: 1 - Rodrigues et al. (1992); 2 - Machado et al. (1991);
Hasui (1997). Tassinari et al. (1996) restricted the Archean 3- Barros et a1 (1992); 4 - Wirth et al. (1986); 5- Olszewski et al.
to the Central Amazon Province, which included the (1989b); 6 - Mellito and Tassinari (1998); 7 - Pidgeon et al. (2000);
Carajds region. In this paper, the Archean is restricted not 8 - Dall - Agnoll et al. (1998); 9 - Macambira and Lancelot (1996).

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE AMAZON CRATON
company, Vale do Rio Doce, has been exploring the area
since 1968,after the discoveryof large iron deposits. There
are several greenstone belts, trending 110"to east-west,
cut by two main granite suites, the Old Salobre Granite
(2573 f 2 Ma) and the Serra dos Carajas Granite Suite
(1880 Ma). Metabasalts, BIFs and metasiltstones
dominate the greenstone successions. There are some
individually named greenstones: Andorinhas, Inaja,
Cumaru, Carajas, Serra Leste, Serra Pelada and Sapucaia.
The geochronological data (Table 8) indicate two cycles
of crustal evolution, the first with a 3002 -t 14 Ma (Pium
Complex, Rodrigues et al., 1992;Pidgeon et al., 2000) to
2960 f 20 Ma (Arco Verde Tonalite, Macambira and
Lancelot, 1996) old supracrustal protolith. These older
metavolcano-sedimentary sequences are cut by late-
intrusive granitoids, with ages of 2874f 10 Ma (Rio Maria
Granodiorite; Macambira and Lancelot, 1996) and 2870
Ma (Mogno Trondhjemite; Dall'Agnol et al., 1998).Both
were affected by regional metamorphism at 2861 k 12
Ma. Some mineralizations, for example the Au-Cu ore from
Bahia Creek, may be related to the end of this cycle, as
indicated by the Pb-Pb age of 2850 k 65 Ma obtained by
Mougeot et al. (1996) for sulfides from this deposit.
The second cycle started with volcanism (2759 f 2
Ma - Gr2o Para Group rhyodacite; 2732 k 3 Ma, Salobre
Group amphibolite), followed by metamorphism (2573
f 2 Ma) and granitoid intrusions (Estrela, 2527 k 34 Ma;
Old Salobre, 2573 f 2 Ma), according to ages published
by Machado et al. (1991).There was a complete lack of
major Transamazonian tectonic activity in the province,
but at the end of the Paleoproterozoic there was intense
intracratonic Uatumg magmatism. The Velho Guilherme
(1873Ma), Pojuca (1874Ma), Carajas (1880Ma), Cigano
(1883 Ma) and Musa (1883 Ma) granites are examples
of Uatumii magmatism in the Carajhs Province.
The Archean Carajas Province is extended to the north
(Bacaja region), until southwest Amapa State in Brazil,
where Jorge Jog0 and Marinho (1982) describe older
crust, dominated by tonalites and trondhjemites (Quata,
Cobra, Tartarugal Grande and Ananai units).
The Imataca province
The Imataca Belt, a 60"-70" northeast trending fold belt
in the extreme north of the Craton, parallel to the lower
Orinoco River in Venezuela, is dominated by orthogneisses
and amphibolites (amphibolite facies) followed by
quartzites, paragneisses, marble and BIF sequences
metamorphosed under granulite facies, which host large
iron deposits (e.g. Cerro Bolivar and El Pao). The east-
northeast Imataca trend cuts the west-northwest
Transamazonian trend along Guri fault. Since the 1970's,
its age has been considered to be Lower Archean
(Montgomery and Hurley, 1978; Bellizia, 1974), based
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4, 2000
463
on U-Pb whole-rock dating. The protolith ages are ca. 3.10
Ga and might be as old as 3.70 Ga (Montgomery and
Hurley, 1978). ). These authors determined the age of
the granulite metamorphism at 2.00-2.20Ga (Pb-Pb and
Rb-Sr) and Onstott et al. (1989), using Ar-Ar dating
confirmed the effects of the Transamazonian
metamorphism and detected younger deformations at
1.70and 1.10 Ga.
Teixeira et al. (1999)determined Nd model ages (T,,)
from 3230 to 2930 Ma, indicating the presence of two
major mantle-differentiation events (3230-2930and
2820-2600).These two groups show good correlation to
the two main Carajas cycles (see above). The extension
of the exposed Archean rocks in the Imataca belt, as well
as the ages of the metamorphic overprint, are not totally
defined by the available Ar-Ar, Pb-Pb and Rb-Sr data. The
Archean Carajds Province, for example was believed to
be Transamazonian, based on Rb-Sr (Gomes et al., 1975)
and K-Ar (Amaral, 1974) data.
Transamazonic (Guianas) province
The granite-greenstone terrain of northern South
America is a 2000 km long belt trending west-northwest,
from Amapa and Para states in Brazil, to Bolivar State in
Venezuela, crossing French Guiana, Surinam and Guyana.
This province was named Maroni-Itacaiunas province
(Tassinari et al., 1996, Teixeira et al., 1989), but
Transamazonic is a more used and accepted name
(following Hurley et al., 1968). Maroni-Itacai6nas is not
an appropriate name, because the Itacai6nas River and
the Itacai6nas Mountains are sited inside the Archean
Carajas Province and the Maroni River is double named
(Maroni in French Guiana and Marowijn in Suriname).
The volcano-sedimentary sequences show less
ultramafic and accretionary sequences and more clastic
sedimentary units, when compared to classical Archean
greenstone belts (Bertoni, 1998). These sequences have
received different regional names, Vila Nova and Ipitinga
in Brazil, Paramaca and Bonidoro in French Guiana,
Armina-Rosebelin Surinam, Barama-Mazaruni in Guyana,
and Pastora-Carichapo in Venezuela.
The classic Transamazonic orogenic belt evolved
between 2.25-2.00Ga (Riacian), and is strongly correlated
with the Birimian belt in West Africa. Almost the entire
belt represents juvenile Paleoproterozoic crust, as
indicated by the Sm-Nd T,, model ages in the 2.11-2.29
Ga range, very close to the U-Pb ages obtained for
magmatic zircons (2.00-2.25Ga, Gibbs and Olszewski,
1982; Norcross et al., 1998; Milesi et al., 1995;
Vanderhaeghe et al., 1998).The initial oceanic volcanism
(back arc extension) occurred at 2174 f 7Ma in French
Guiana (Vanderhaegheet al., 1998). The early calc-alkalic
volcanic-plutonicarcs are dated at 2120 f 2 Ma in Guyana
464 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.

(Wenot Lake, Norcross et al., 1998); 2144 k 6 Ma (North calc-alkalic batholithic granitic suites, one being related
French Guiana, Ile de Cayenne Complex, Vanderhaeghe to the first, syn-volcanicmagmatic arc, with ages of 2120
et al., 1998) and 2130 Ma (Volcanic Paramaca Series, to 2160 Ma in French Guiana (Milhsi et al., 1995) and
French Guiana, MilPsi et al., 1995). There are two main 2094 Ma in Guyana (Norcross et al., 1998).

Carajas and Transamazonic Tapajbs-Panma

lmataca

RondGnia-Juruena

Araguaia Orogenic Belt Andes Orogenic Belt 1 1 Phanerozotc, indiscriminated

Fig. 1. Major Provinces of the Amazon Craton in North South America, as defined in this study. GC=Garzon Complex, Sunsas-Grenvillean.
AC=Arequipa Complex, Sunsas-Grenvillian. Rectangles locate Figs. 2, 10 and 16.

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGYOF THE AMAZON CRATON 465

The second magmatic arc is almost exclusively plutonic
and comprises several batholiths with ages close to 2.00
Ga. The regional evolution and timing of the gold
mineralization were established by Norcross et al. (1998)
in the Omai deposit in Guyana and by Milesi et al. (1995)
in the north French Guiana gold deposits. These authors
recognize an earlier gold mineralizing event at around
2.15 Ga and a late main gold mineralizing event at 2014
Ma (Pb-Pb). A Pb-Pb isochron on hydrothermal titanite
!W m'w
and rutile from the Omai ore gives an age of 2001 f 4
Ma (Norcross et al., 1998).
There is one known older remnant block inside the
Transamazonicbelt, in central Amapa, Brazil, where Lafon
et al. (1998) detected Neoarchean rocks, like the Cupixi
granulites (2.49 - 2.55 Ga, Pb-Pb ages). The protolith of
Cupixi Complex is Paleoarchean, according to Sat0 and
Tassinari (1997) model ages, which are in the 3.06-3.10
Ga range. The Cupixi Archean survivor inside the
57O OO'W
5O 00's

..........
.........
.........
.........
.........

6' 00s

........
........
...........
...........
............
............ 7>00's

.................

.........
..........

-
granites and volcanics

CuiD-Cuiu Suite,
tonalites and amphibolites

Jacareacanga Group,
1 \Main
o .............-*' Road
shear

River
B Village
Sampling site

Provinces Boundary
50 km

metaturbidites, metabalt

Fig. 2. Geological map of the Tapaj6s Province, showing sample locations. Map based on mapping by Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais,
Tapajos Project, unpublished.

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

466 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL
Transamazonic Province may be explained by the
proximity to the Carajds Province located in southwest
Arnapa State (Fig. 1).
The presence of large areas of granite-greenstone
terrain, hosting gold mineralizations in the northern and
southeastern Tocantins State in Brazil is one indication
that at least part of the Araguaia Belt (Fig. 1) may be
paleoproterozoic and an extension of the Transamazonian
Province.
Tapajds-Parima province
The western part of the Central Amazon Province was
recognized by Tassinari (1996) as a geochronologic
province, generated during 1.95 - 1.80 Ga and named
Ventuari-Tapajos Domain. Based on its re-interpreted
tectonic and geochronologic characteristics this domain
is reinterpreted as a Paleoproterozoic orogenic belt (Fig.
l ) , extending from southeast (Peixoto de Azevedo region,
Mato Grosso State) to northwest (Parima region, Roraima
and Venezuela) and constituted by four domains: Peixoto
Azevedo, Tapajos, Uaimiri and Parima. The Ventuari region
is younger and is not related to this province (see Rio
Negro basement chapter). In the Tapaj6s domain, the belt
trends north-northwest and includes geological units
which range in age from - 2.10 Ga to 1.87 Ga. Some
important features, such as the tectonic trend, similar
geology and gold metallogeny, indicate that the Tapaj6s
belt extends to the northwest (Parima region, Roraima
State) and to the southeast (Alta Floresta-Peixoto de
Azevedo region, Mato Grosso State). The U-Pb results
(Table 5) from this Province are from the Tapaj6s Belt,
and Fig. 2 shows sample locations.
Sai-Cinza Meta-turbidite, Jacareacanga group - 50-52
The Jacareacanga Group is a supracrustal unit, trending
north-northwest, tightly folded and metamorphosed
under greenschist to upper amphibolite facies. It is the
oldest exposed unit of the Tapaj6s Orogenic Belt. There
are several outcropping areas of Jacareacanga Group less
than 50 km from the Cachimbo plateau (Paleozoic-
Proterozoic cover), as shown in Fig. 2. Based on further
investigation of the outcrops, along the Tapaj6s River and
BR-230 Highway, the group is composed of turbidites,
chert, BIF, oceanic and magnesian basalts. Sample 50-52
was collected at Sai-Cinza village, where the turbiditic
sequence, normally pelitic, contains arenites more
favorable for clastic zircons. Only a few zircons were
obtained and four crystals were analyzed (Table 6). One
result is discordant and Archean (2875 Ma) while three
are concordant, with ages (zo7Pb/206Pb) around 2.1 Ga
(2098, 2106 and 2125 Ma) - Fig. 3. The 2.10 Ga zircons
are interpreted as related to primitive basaltic to andesitic
magmatism, developed in the early stages of rifting and
subsidence of the ocean crust. The Archean zircon could
have been derived from the continental Archean crust to
the East (Central Amazon Province).
ConceipTo tonalite, CuiZi-CuiZi complex - 50-51
The older granitic rocks in the Tapajos area have been
grouped into the Cuiu-Cuiu Complex (Pessoa et al., 1977),
which is the regional basement. The Parauari and
Maloquinha Granite Suites cut the complex, although their
relationship with the Jacareacanga Group remains
uncertain. The Cuiu-Cuiu rocks, which are dominantly
granodioritic to tonalitic, enclose amphibolite fragments
and local trondhjemitic veins. Although strong northwest
to north-northwest banding is common, isotropic
monzogranites occur in some places, such as Porquinho
(JH-29) and Baixo Jamaxim (50-174). This complex
represents a primitive, calc-alkalic magmatic arc, which
hosts several areas of gold mineralization. Three groups
of zircons were separated from sample 50-51, a tonalite
from Conceiqso Mine. The concordia plot (Table 6, Fig.
4) shows a n upper intercept a t 2011 f 2 3 Ma
(MSWD=5.5), confirming that the complex is older than
the Parauari and Maloquinha Suites (younger than 1.9
Ga), and indicates that it is possibly younger than the
Jacareacanga Group. Other important regional
implications are: i) the basement in the Tapajos area,
besides other dissimilarities, is much younger than the
Archean basement in the Caraj6s Region (Xingu Complex).
Hence, the name Xingu Complex (Leal et al., 1978; Santos
et al., 1975) must be geographically restricted to Carajas
province, 1800 km to the east, and ii) the basement U-Pb
age is -100 m.y. (Parauari Rb-Sr age) or 300 m.y.
(Itaituba Gneisses Rb-Sr age) older than the Rb-Sr ages
assumed for the basement (Tassinari et al., 1996) and it
-
is 400 m.y. younger than the 2.45 Ga maximum age
proposed by Lima (1999) for the Parima-Tapaj6s Mobile
Belt.
Tropas Granodiorite, Parauari intrusive suite - JO-102
The Parauari Suite represents a second calc-alkalic
magmatic arc in the Tapaj6s Orogenic Belt, comprising
granitoids, mainly monzogranitic, but ranging from
tonalite to syenogranite. The granitoid bodies are
batholiths, with irregular shape and well-defined
stratigraphic position, which are intrusive into the
Jacareacanga and Cuiu-Cuiu units, and are cut by the
Maloquinha granites. The Rb-Sr ages for the Parauari Suite
are 1964 Ma (Tassinari, 1996) and 1955 Ma (Santos and
Reis Neto, 1982). Sample 50-102, a tonalite from the
Tropas River, 8 km upstream from its mouth, shows
banding which has been interpreted as metamorphic
banding, and correlated and mapped as Cuiu-Cui6 suite
(Bizzinella et al., 1980). Nevertheless, during sampling
Gondwana Research, V: 3, No. 4,2000
 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGYOF THE AMAZON CRATON 467

0 390 I
JACAREACANGA GROUP
SAI-CINZA SCHIST - 50-52
0.37 1 ' 1

CUIU-CUIU COMPLEX
'

CONCEICAO TONALITE - 50-52

1 ' 1 '

3
0.386
CLASTIC ZIRCONS

/- 2110 2,125 M
0.36 t
hl
\
3
co
-
a rn
N
0.35 -

W
a \
0
hl d /
0 382
2,098 Ma 034- / 2011 k 2 3 M a
(D
N
0 MSWD=55

2.106 Ma
4
I

66
2 0 7 0 1

67 68 69 70
3 0.32 -/ ,,PI
/ I

, I , I

207PbI 235U
I ' I ' I ' I ' I i

0 36 - PARAUARI INTRUSIVE SUITE 0.34 - ABACAXIS FORMATION

TROPAS TONALITE - JO-102 SILTSTONE - JO-57
CLASTIC ZIRCONS

0 32 -
034 - 3 0.36

I>
co
W
m
@4

m \ 0.30 -
. N
a032-
a
a (D
a,.
W
0
028- MSWD = 3.4 -
N

0.26r

,/
6-
207
Pb I 235U

I
SEQUEIRO FORMATION 0.34- LATE PARAUARI INTRUSIVE SUITE
QUARTZ-WACKE - JO-68
0 38
CLASTIC ZIRCONS . ROSA-DE-MA10 MONZOGRANITE- JO-54

3
00
m
N

.
a036 W
3
0.30-

-
(D
a N
(*

\ / /
/'
1
0
N
1'

,//'
0 34 0
N 1879 f 11 Ma
MSWD=054

0 32 I/,
48 52
, I
56
, I
60
, I
64
I I
68
7
I/ I I I
2.0 3.0 4.0 5.0
'"Pb I 235U
207PbI 235U
Figs. 3 to 8. U-Pb Concordia plots for zircons in rocks from the Tapaj6s Province. From top left to bottom right: J=Sai-Cinza Schist (50-52, Jacareacanga
Group), 4=Concei@o Tonalite (50-51, Cuid-Cuiri Complex), 5=Tropas Tonalite (50-102, Parauari Intrusive Suite), 6=Abacaxis Formation
Siltstone (J0-57), 7=Sequeiro Formation Quartz-wacke fJO-68), and 8=Rosa de Maio Monzogranite (50-54, Late-ParauariIntrusive Suite).

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

468
t MALOQUINHA INTRUSIVE SUITE
SANTA RITA MONZOGRANITE - JO-199
- I
2459k 11 Ma
MSWD = 4 4
030t
l,<yLower intercept = 1211 f 57 Ma
207
Pb I 235U
Fig. 9. Santa Rita Monzogranite (JO-199, Maloquinha Intrusive Suite).
along 20 km of the river channel, the banding appears to
be magmatic and the rocks lack evidence of
metamorphism in thin section. Five groups of zircons were
separated from 50-102 and the U-Pb results (Table 6)
plotted on Fig. 5. Three populations lie on a line that
intercepts the concordia curve at 1 8 9 7 k 6 Ma
(MSWD=3). Two darker populations are older,
representing inherited zircons with a 2010 Ma age. This
age is very close to the 50-51 sample age (Cui6-Cuiu
Complex), and may indicate that there was an important
crustal contribution from Cuiu-Cui6tonalites to the source
of Parauari granitoid melts. The Sm-Nd data from Parauari
samples show Nd TDM model ages around 2.1 Ga and E,
values between -0.87 and + 1.83 (T=1.898 Ma). The
crustal formation ages are close to the Cui6-Cui6Complex
age (2.02 Ga). In the same belt, granitoids correlated to
the Parauari Suite to the southeast (Juruena Granodiorite,
Alta Floresta region) and to the northwest (Agua Branca
Adamellite, Amazonas and Roraima States) show similar
behavior (Table 2). This indicates that the Parauari Arc
was derived from a source containing little or no older
crust, or was derived from a slightly older juvenile crust
(Cuiu-Cui6 Arc).
Abacm's formation - 50-57
This unit occurs only in the extreme west of the Tapaj6s
Province, in the Abacaxis and Palha Branca Mines where
it hosts the gold mineralization. It is represented by pinkish
siltstones, interbedded with rare lenses of fine sandstone
and claystone. Sample 50-57 was collected from fine
sandstone layers in the Abacaxis mine, where the sequence
is sub-vertical and deeply weathered. The sample is zircon
poor and only five clastic zircons were analysed. The
results are discordant (Table 6), but four points lie on a
.J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.
line, which intercepts the concordia curve at 1895 k 9
Ma (MSWD= 3.4). This result (Fig. 6) allows correlation
between the Abacaxis and Sequeiro Formations, which
i are younger than the Parauari Granite Suite. These units
could represent fore-arc sedimentation in the Tapaj6s
Orogenic Belt. Recent information, from the Golden Star
I drilling program at Abacaxis Mine, shows that the
Abacaxis Formation is cut by a granodiorite correlated to
the Maloquinha Suite. This limits the Abacaxis (and
probably the Sequeiro) Formation age to between 1895
and 1879 Ma.
1 Sequeiro formation - 50-68
In the western part of the Tapaj6s Province, in the area
between the Tapajbs, Parauari and Abacaxis rivers, there
are several exposures of unmetamorphosed immature
sedimentary rocks. The Sequeiro Formation is dominated
by wackes and quartz-wackes and surrounds the Espirito
Santo Mine. Quartz veins with pyrite and gold cut the
unit at Sequeiro Creek where it is well exposed. This
sequence was previously thought to be related to the
Jacareacanga Group, representing zones of less
deformation and metarhorphism. Four clastic zircons were
analysed (Table 6), giving concordant results (Fig. 7). One
crystal has an age of 2065 Ma and may be derived from
the Jacareacanga Group. Three others have younger ages
(207Pb/206Pb) around 1.90 Ga (1902,1898 and 1895 Ma),
indicating that the Sequeiro Formation is younger than
the Jacareacanga Group. The ages close to 1.90 Ga are
very similar to the U-Pb zircon age of the Tropas Granite
- Parauari Intrusive Suite (1897 Ma, Fig. 5). This indicates
that the Parauari Suite, which occurs south, west and east
of the Sequeiro outcrop, was the main source of detritus
for the Sequeiro Formation.
Rosa-de-Maio Monzogranite, Late-Parauari intrusive suite
- 50-54
Rosa-de-Maio Monzogranite is a batholith that
dominates the Rosa-de-Maio gold district, cropping out
in the region of the Rosa-de-Maio, Anta, Bandeirantes,
Perez and Serra Morena Mines (Parauari River Basin).
The granitoid has been related to the Parauari Intrusive
Suite by Bizzinella et al. (1980), but without any isotopic
evidence. From the analysed zircons (Table 6), three
populations are discordant and one is concordant (Fig.
8). The concordant 207Pb/206Pb age is 1878.8 Ma and the
four populations are aligned, with the upper intercept at
1879 k 11 Ma (MSWD=0.54). This indicates that the
Rosa-de-MaioMonzogranite may be slightly younger than
the Tropas Tonalite, representing a late-Parauari, more
evolved magmatism, compared to the Penedo (1883 -t 4
Ma, Santos et al., submitted) and Cumaru granites (1883
k 8 Ma, Brito et al., 1999), but older than the anorogenic
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE AMAZON CRATON
Maloquinha granites (1872 f 4 Ma, Santos et al.,
submitted). Many syenogranites and monzogranites were
previously mapped as part of the Maloquinha Suite, but
reinterpretation is required as they are more likely linked
to the arc-related late-Parauari Suite.
Santa Rita granite, Maloquinha intrusive suite - JO-199
This granite crops out in the southernmost part of the
province, in the Mi6do and Santa Rita mines region. The
heavy mineral concentrate was sampled in the field, by
panning the weathered granite from the bottom of the
Santa Rita pit. Four zircon fractions were analysed yielding
two very concordant results of 2849 and 2460 Ma (207Pb/
206Pbage), and two discordant results (Fig. 9). These two
results, together with one concordant point, lie on the
same line that intercepts the concordia at 2459 f 11 Ma
(MSWD=4.4). This age is older than the Santa Rita
Granite host rock (Cui6-Cui6 tonalites, 2.02 Ga), and does
not reflect the granite magmatic age. It is interpreted as
the age of inherited zircons, derived from an Archean
crustal source. The Archean crustal source for the
Maloquinha Suite was also detected by the Sm-Nd T,,
model ages, as discussed below and by Santos (1999).
Central Amazon province
The Central Amazon Province has been considered as
an Archaean nucleus (Tassinari et al., 1996, Teixeira et
al., 1989) on to which several younger, Proterozoic mobile
belts were accreted. However, known Archaean rocks are
exposed exclusively in the Imataca (Venezuela) and
Carajas (southeast Para State, Brazil) areas. As the western
part of the Central Amazon Province is constituted by the
Tapaj6s-Parima Orogenic Belt, the province area is now
-
reduced by 45% in area. The resultant area is dominated
by a cratogenic rock association composed of: i) acid to
intermediate volcanic rocks (Iriri, Surumu, Burro-Burro,
Caicara and IricoumC Group/Formation); ii) A type
granites (Maloquinha, Mapuera and Saracura Intrusive
Suites); iii) fluvial, clastic, platform sedimentary rocks
(Palmares, Roraima and Urupi Groups); and iv) tholeiitic
sills and dykes (Avanavero, Crepori and Quarenta Ilhas
Intrusions). The Central Amazon Province rocks lack
regional metamorphism and compressional folding, being
characterized by block-faulting tectonics. The acid to
intermediate volcanic rocks and A-type granites were
generated during the Uatumi Magmatism (Santos and
Reis Neto, 1982).
The evolution of this intracratonic sequence extended
from 1.88 to 1.70 Ga. Some important features of these
rocks are the very low E,, (-7.10 to -12.38, the lowest in
all the Amazon Craton), and the old Sm-Nd T,, model
ages (2.44 - 2.85 Ga, calculated for t=1.870 Ma), which
indicate an Archaean continental crustal source. The
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
469
Archaean source fingerprint is detected also in the zircons
from the Maloquinha (Santos et al., submitted) and the
Santa Rita Monzogranite (Fig. 9). In these granitoids, the
old ages obtained are older than their host rocks ages
and do not represent the magmatic age. They are
interpreted as the ages of the crustal sources. Previous
SHRIMP work (Santos et al., submitted) detected the
presence of two main zircon populations in sample MA-
32 (Maloquinha Granite type-area), one being magmatic
(ages of 1870 f 4 Ma) and the other inherited (2680 f
18 Ma).
The isotopic data indicate Archean crust at depth, but
there are no known exposed Archean rocks in the Central
Amazon Province. There are large areas poorly known in
this province (Tumucumaque in the north and Iriri-Xingu
in the south), which may explain the apparent lack of
Archean rocks on surface.
Rio Negro province
This province is located in the northwest region of the
craton (extreme northwest of Brazil, southwest of
Venezuela and southeast of Colombia), and is one of the
least-inhabited and least geologically known areas in the
world. It is dominated by granitic rocks and local remnants
of thick quartz-sandstone sequences (Roraima Group to
the east and Tunui Group to the west), covered by
extensive Cenozoic sedimentation (south, west, and
northwest), and limited to the east by the older Tapaj6s-
Parima Orogenic Belt (Fig. 10).
Basement
The Rio Negro basement comprises banded or foliated
granitic rocks, which are the host rocks of the Iqana and
Uaupks intrusive granitoids. The distribution of these older
rocks in the province is still poorly understood and, hence,
all available regional maps of the area are different
(Pinheiro et al., 1976; Lima and Pires, 1985; Dall'Agnol
and Macambira, 1992; Melo and Vilas Boas, 1993; and
Sidder and Mendoza, 1995). Moreover, the region has
the lowest amount of field data available in the Amazon
Craton, making it very difficult to distinguish the basement
rocks from the UaupCs Granites. The basement is
composed essentially of calc-alkalic granitoids
(monzogranites to tonalites), with a chemistry and
mineralogy similar to those from UaupCs Suite Granites
(biotite + hornblende + titanite). As the UaupCs
granitoids are mainly syntectonic, they have been folded
and sheared together with the host rocks, and were again
locally deformed and sheared during the K'Mudku event
(1.20 Ga). Therefore, no consistent structural
and compositional criteria have been established to
distinguish between the Rio Negro basement and the
UaupCs rocks.
470 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.

Fig. 10. Simplified geologic map of the Rio Negro Province (Brazil, Venezuela and ColBmbia border region). Light Gray=Cenozoic cover; Black and
white stripes=Piraparana Formation; White=Proterozoic Granitoids (1860 to 1520 Ma); Black=Tunui Group (younger than 1916 Ma) and
Dark Grey=Roraima Group. Sample location ( 0 )and results in Ma: (A) Data from this work, (B) Tassinari et al. (1996), (C) Gaudette et al.
(1996), (D) Sato and Tassinari (1997), (E) Almeida et al. (1997), (F) Pinheiro et al. (1976), and ( G ) Priem et al. (1989). SHRIMP U-Pb (11,
conventional U-Pb (2), Sm-Nd T,, model-ages (3), Pb-Pb evaporation (4), Rb-Sr (5) and K-Ar (6). Thick lines are the boundaries between
the Sunsas (SP), Rio Negro (RNP), Tapaj6s-Parima (TPP), and Central Amazon Provinces (CAP).

The basement is better exposed in Venezuela, in the
northern and northeastern zones of the Rio Negro
Province. In the South Amazonas Territory of Venezuela,
Gaudette and Olszewski (1985) dated several basement
samples, including Macabana Gneiss (1847 f 65 MaZ;
1823 k 15 MaW),Minicea Gneiss (1859 k 47 MaZ),
Atabapo Gneiss (1793 k 98 MaW),Cassiquiare Granite
(1783 f 35 MaW)and the Padamo Granite (1805 f 60
MaW).W =whole-rock Rb-Sr isochron; Z =U-Pb zircon
concordia upper intercept. Zircons from another
Venezuelan combined sample (6580-6085, Cassiquiare
tonalites) yielded a weighted-mean SHRIMP zo7Pb/206Pb
age of 1834 k 24 Ma (Tassinari et al., 1996).
Sample MS-63, a niobium ore from the Seis Lagos
Carbonatite Complex, is a laterite rich in Nb, Ti, REE and
clastic heavy minerals, including zircon. The sample was
collected to determine the age of the main clastic sources
to the cover over the Seis Lagos Complex. A relatively
small fraction of MS-63 (-500 g) was crushed and
processed in the heavy minerals laboratory, producing
hundreds of zircons. All zircons appear to belong to only
one population, comprising clear and light pink prismatic
crystals, 80 pm - 400 pm long, with rounded edges
indicating clastic transport. There were no metamict
crystals or metamict cores in this population, nor any cores
and rims. In some grains (eg. Fig. 4), two SHRIMP spots
analyses were made on different internal crystal positions
to test the presence of younger rims. However, all the
results group into one age population, as also indicated
by a small variation in U content (from 120 to 280 ppm)
and Th/U ratios (0.42 to 0.99). All eleven U-Pb analyses
(Table 7) group on concordia, with a concordant 207Pb/
206Pbage of 1810 & 9 Ma and a x2
of 0.80 (Figs. 11
to 16).

Gondwana Research, I/: 3, No. 4,2000

 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGYOF THE AMAZON CRATON 471

IA-MIRIM MONZOGRANITE

1810+9Ma ( n = l l )
22 = 0.80

fl
1780

r 48 49 50 51 52 53
207Pb / 235u
1 2 3 4 5 6

'07Pb / 235U
I I I I I I I I /

1 TAPURUQUARA COMPLEX ,!$~c-512

GABBRO
1 TAPURUQUARA COMPLEX
OLIVINE GABBRO - HC-492
MINERAL ISOCHRON
0.707c WHOLE ROCK ISOCHRON / -I 0 707
Olivine and
pyroxene

0 706

8
\

G O 705
Plagioclase
I / Hornbl;y;7
MSWD = 0 13
f 189 Ma
= 0 70411 r 0 00019
(I)
b
MSWD = 0.31 W
(i) = 0.70374 +0.00029 Plagioclase

"'O4v 1 0 704 and biotite

0.703 I I I
0 703 I I I I
14
0 0 04 0.08 0.16 0.20
8 7 ~ b8/6 s ; 0 0.04 0.08 0.12 0.16 0.20

87Rbl86Sr

UAUPES INTRUSIVE SUITE

0 27 SAO GABRIEL GRANITE - AF-1

3026
m
m
N
1
a 025
W
0
N
MSWD = 3.0

0.24
Figs. 11to 15. Results of U-Pb zircon (SHRIMP and conventional) and
Rb-Sr geochronology from the Rio Negro Province: ll=Tunui
Group clastic zircons (IMA, U-Pb); 12= I&-MirimMonzogranite
(MS-63, SHRIMP U-Pb); 13=Tapuruquara Mafic-ultramafic
2 70 2 90 3 10 3 30 3 50 3 70
Suite (HC-492, Rb-Sr whole rock isochron); 14=Tapuruquara
Mafic-ultramafic Suite (HC-492, Rb-Sr mineral isochron); and
I 235U
207Pb 15=Siio Gabriel Monzogranite (AF-1, U-Pb).

Gondwana Research, V 3, No. 4,2000

472 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL
62;W
12"s
I Scandollara et al. (1996) Rondhia State
62'W
The four U-Pb results (1859 f 47; 1834 f 24; 1823 k
15; and 1810 k 9 Ma) indicate that the basement in the
Rio Negro Province is younger than that in the Tapaj6s-
Parima Province (2.10-2.00 Ga), and is older than that in
the RondBnia-Juruena Province (1.70-1.80 Ga). Most of
the Gaudette and Olzsewski (1985) data, presented above,
come from the Ventuari River basin, indicating that this
region does not belong to the Tapaj6s-Parima Province as
proposed by Tassinari (1996).
Six Sm-Nd results are available (Sato and Tassinari,
1997) and the crustal formation ages (TDM)have been
recalculated, according to the rock ages discussed above
(Table 2). Four samples have crustal formation ages in
the range 1916 to 2062 Ma, slightly older than the rock
crystallization ages obtained by zircon U-Pb analysis (1801
to 1906 Ma, considering the uncertainty ranges). This
indicates that the calc-alkalic granitic magmas were
generated from a source with no major contribution from
continental crust. Two other results trace older sources
(2.40 and 2.20 Ga), suggesting a greater crustal
contribution. These are the westernmost samples (Fig.
lo), and are probably not related to the Transamazonic
and Tapaj6s-Parima orogenic belts, because their crustal
formation ages are older.
Ima Formation, Tunui'group - M A
The Tunui Group is a folded and metamorphosed
sedimentary sequence which crops out in four main
mountain areas in the Rio Negro Province, in Brazil (Tunui
Phanerozoic Basins
Post Sunsas Units - Aguapei I,
-
Pacads Novos. Palmeiral 4 . 0 0 G a .
-
Sunsas Orogeny Sunsas, Nova BrasMndia
Aguapel II units - >I.lOGa.
- 12"s
mn Juruena Orogeny - Roosevelt and
Beneficente Groups - 1.70-1'74 Ga
0 Other Proterozoic Units.
Fig. 16. Simplified geological map of the SW
Amazon Craton, showing sample sites (0)
and U-Pb zircon ages in Ma. Previous and
actual (proposed) positions for the main
Sunsas collision front are shown. Based on
geological map.
Mountains), or along the Brazil-Col6mbia border (Traira,
Caparro-Naquh and Onqa-CaranacoaMountains), where
it hosts all the known gold deposits in the region. The
sequence is composed mainly of quartzites (fluvial-braided
quartz-sandstones) and conglomerates (lower unit,
Maimachi Formation), quartzites and graphite phyllites
(Caiio-Loco Formation) and quartzites (top unit, Ima
Formation). The Group is more than 2,000 m thick and
its sedimentary structures and depositional systems have
been compared with those of the Roraima Group (Menezes
and Melo, 1994). The minimum age of the Tunui Group
is that of two intrusive granitic suites (Iqana and Uaupks),
with ages of 1521 (Almeida et al., 1997) and 1518 Ma
(this work) respectively, although its depositional and
metamorphic ages have not been determined. Pinheiro
et al. (1976) describe acid subvolcanic dikes intrusive into
the Tunui Group in the Traira Mountains, with an age
(Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron) of 1496 k 30 Ma, and dated
two muscovite schists, by the K-Ar method (samples PT6
and LP4.1) with ages of 1045 f 19 Ma and 1293 k 18
Ma. Some authors have proposed a Paleoproterozoic or
Archean age for the Tunui Group, and interpreted the unit
as a greenstone belt (Melo and Vilas Boas, 1993).
To establish the maximum age (source age of the
Group) one sample was collected from the upper unit (Ima
Formation), in the Caparro Mountains, on the border
between Brazil and ColBmbia. The rock is a slightly
weathered, coarse quartz-sandstone, which was crushed
and panned in the field. The zircons obtained are very
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE AMAZON CRATON
heterogeneous, and could not be grouped in well-defined
populations. Three groups of grains were analysed
(conventional U-Pb), and the age from the concordia plot
(upper intercept) has a large uncertainty (57 Ma) and
MSWD (5.17), which indicates that the analysed
populations are heterogeneous. The age of 1916 k 57
Ma (Fig. 12), despite its high uncertainty, shows that the
Tunui Group is not Archean and limits its deposition
between 1973 and 1518 Ma (Uaupes Suite age). Santos
et al. (unpub. data) have obtained a maximum age of
1950 Ma for the Roraima Group in the Araca Mountains.
A similar source age, and sedimentary composition and
structures (Menezes and Melo, 1994), allow correlation
between the Roraima and Tunui Groups. The latter could
represent the Roraima Basin to the west, which was folded
and metamorphosed during the Rio Negro collisional
event (1.65-1.50 Ga). In support of this concept, the open-
folded Serra do Padre may represent the transition in
metamorphic grade and deformation between the Neblina
flat-lying sandstones to the east and the strong-folded
Tunui quartzites to the west (Fig. 10). The Tunui Group
rocks may have contributed to the source of the S-type
Iqana Intrusive Suite, as discussed by Almeida et al.
(1997), based on the geochemical and compositional
characteristics of the granitoids and the abundant Tunui
Group xenoliths in the S-type granitoids. An imprecise
muscovite K-Ar age of 1045 Ma (Pinheiro et al., 1976)
reflects regional tectonic reactivation, presumably during
the K’Mudku event.
Tapuruquara Gabbro complex
This complex represents three circular intrusions
dominated by gabbros, with some anorthosites and
ultramafic rocks (websterite, lherzolite). The intrusions
are located in the eastern part of the Rio Negro Province,
north of the Rio Negro, in the Inambu River basin, Santa
Isabel County. This is the westernmost occurrence of a
group of 1 4 gabbro-complexes, which are located mainly
in the Tapajos-Parima Province. The main exposed rocks
are olivine gabbros and hornblende gabbros, with
anorthosite and ultramafic rocks detected in drill cores.
The gabbros are very rich in A1,0, (18 - 23%), with low
Na,O+K,O and FeO/MgO ratios (Santos and Araujo Neto,
1978).
Previous attempts to date the complex by K-Ar were
unsuccessful, due to the very low K,O and radiogenic Ar
content of the rocks, leading to meaningless results, with
uncertainties greater than 1 billion years. Before the
availability of isotopic data, the Tapuruquara Complex
was interpreted to be Archean to Paleoproterozoic (Melo
and Vilas Boas, 1993; Costi, 1985). Despite the low K
and Rb content, four drill-core samples were analyzed
for Rb-Sr and Sm-Nd isotopes (HC477,492,508 and 512,
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
473
Table 2), resulting in a Rb-Sr isochron with an age of 1607
k 346 Ma. The whole-rock samples were re-analyzed,
giving a slightly less imprecise isochron of 1705 f 237
Ma (Fig. 13).Despite the very high uncertainty, the MSWD
is low (0.31), indicating that this is a reasonable isochron.
The low initial ratios (87Sr/86Sr= 0.7037 f 0.0003) are
typical of mantle-derived rocks. In an attempt to improve
the Rb-Sr results, four mineral-separates from sample
HC492 were analyzed. These separates consist of a
plagioclase dominated fraction (floats on bromoform), a
mix of plagioclase and biotite (floats on acetylene
tetrabromide), a hornblende dominated fraction (floats
on methylene iodide) and a fraction of olivine + pyroxene
+ accessory minerals (sinks in methylene iodine). The
Rb-Sr data yield an isochron with an age of 1427 f 189
Ma (Fig. 14) and a MSWD of 0.13. This age is apparently
slightly younger than the whole rock age, but both are in
the same uncertainty range. The hiatus covered by the
two isochrons falls in the 1616-1468 Ma range, or 1542
k 74 Ma. These values, despite the high uncertainties
and low reliability of the Rb-Sr method, constrain the
minimum age of the basement in this part of the Rio Negro
Province. The ages also indicate some temporal
correlations with the collisional UaupCs Intrusive Suite
to the west, and with the anorogenic anorthosite-rapakivi-
charnockite association to the east-northeast (Santos et
al., 1999).
Scio Gabriel Monzogranite, U a u p b intrusive suite - AF-1
The most common rocks in the Rio Negro Province are
granitoid batholiths related to the Iqana and UaupCs Suites
(Dall’Agnol and Macambira, 1992). The Iqana Suite
comprises per-aluminous, two-mica (and tourmaline)
leucogranites classified as S-type (Almeida et al., 1996)
and the UaupCs suite is composed of metaluminous,
biotite-titanite-hornblendemonzogranites (I-type). For the
Uaupes Suite Dall’Agnol and Macambira (1992), proposed
magma generation during continental collision, following
the England and Thompson (1986) model.
The Rb-Sr whole-rock age of the Uaupbs Suite is 1459
k 32 Ma, with an 87Sr/86Srinitial ratio of 0.70631 f
0.00117, suggesting a dominantly crustal source for the
UaupCs magma. Tassinari et al. (1996) published a U-Pb
age of 1521 f 13 Ma for a Papuri River biotite-granite
sample. Without the exact location of the sample, it is
impossible to define whether the dated sample is related
to the UaupCs or Iqana Suite.
In the northern part of the Rio Negro Province, in
Venezuela, Gaudette and Olszewski (1985) dated, using
Rb-Sr, two granitic bodies, which can be correlated to the
UaupCs Suite, the Atabapo Granite (1617 f 90Ma) and
the San Carlos Granite (1567 k 25 Ma).
474 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.
The Santa Rosa Granite (Ifana Suite) was mapped by
Almeida et al. (1997) close to the Papuri River. It is a
two-mica granite, with a minor amount of tourmaline and
cordierite. The zircons from this rock were dated at 1521
k 32 Ma by Pb-Pb evaporation. Tassinari (1996) reported
a Rb-Sr isochron age of 1268 k 23 Ma for the Ifana Suite,
which may represent the regional tectonic reactivation
during the K’Mudku event.
The Sgo Gabriel Granite sited in the eastern part of the
main Uaupks Suite batholith, crops out in S5o Gabriel da
Cachoeira town (Fig. 10). Sample AF-1 was collected in a
quarry in the town. The rock is a monzogranite with a
northwest-southeast protomylonitic foliation produced by
supposed old mylonitization (Melo and Was Boas, 1993).
The zircons obtained were grouped in four populations,
with different magnetic susceptibilities. The U-Pb data
lie on a line (Fig. 15) that intercepts concordia at 1518k
25 Ma (MSWD=3.0), consistent with much of previous
Rb-Sr data (Dall’Agnol and Macambira, 1992; Tassinari
et al., 1996).
The high 87Sr/86Srinitial ratio and the available Sm-
Nd data (four results) from Uaupks Suite rocks, with
crustal formation ages (TD,) from 2124 Ma (MIAB16) to
1996 Ma (PT33ASU) indicate that the Uaupes magma
originated from a source dominated by an older crustal
component (-500 m.y. older). The Tapaj6s-Parima Belt,
to the east of the Rio Negro Province, may have been part
of the crustal source, because it evolved between 2.10
and 1.90 Ga.
Rondbnia-Juruena province
The basement rocks in the neighboring RondGnia and
Juruena areas show distinct Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron
ages of 1.45-1.30 G a and 1.80-1.55, respectively
(Tassinari, 1996). Based on this distinction, these areas
have been considered different units in the evolution of
the craton (Cordani et al., 1979; Tassinari et al., 1996).
The recent availability of U-Pb data (conventional and
SHRIMP), however, has shown similar ages in both
basement areas, in the 1.74-1.54 Ga range (Payolla et al.,
1998; Geraldes et al., 1999; this work) indicating that
the RondGnia and Juruena regions probably belong to the
same province. There are no reliable ages around 1.45
Ga in Rondbnia, to characterize a continental orogenic
belt (Rondhia-San Ignacio Orogeny) . The rocks with “San
Ignacio” ages are restricted to the Santa Helena Terrain,
in northwest Mato Grosso State (Van Schmus et al., 1997;
Geraldes et al., 1999).
Roosevelt dacite, Roosevelt group - MQ-96
Sample MQ-96 is a dacite from the Juruena Block,
Roosevelt Group. The group is characterized by a sequence
of interbedded sedimentary and volcanic rocks,
metamorphosed at greenschist facies and tightly folded
with N-S trending fold axes. The volcanic rocks are dacites,
rhyolites, rhyodacites, andesites, ash-tuffs, lapilli-tuffsand
breccias. Sample MQ-96, collected from a dacite flow, has
a small zircon population, with only 135 crystals recovered
and placed in the mount. Most zircons in this sample are
short and well-defined prisms, and range from 20 ym to
60 ym in length; all lack cores.
Sixteen SHRIMP analyses on 15 crystals indicate a U
content of 84 ppm (zircon c.41) to 285 ppm (c.27). All
crystals, except c.24, group in one population, giving a
207Pb/206Pb age of 1740 k 8 Ma, with x2 = 1.19 (Table 7,
Fig. 17). The c.24 zircon is slightly older, with an age of
1805 k 11 Ma. The magmatic age above (1740 f 8 Ma)
correlates well with the basement tonalite age in Rondbnia
(1700 k 00 Ma; Payolla et al., 1998) and with the Jauru
Complex (Alianqa Gneiss and Cabaqal Meta-tuff) in Mato
Grosso (1747 4 13 and 1767 f 24 Ma; Geraldes et al.,
1999).
Teleron hill rhyolite, Beneficente group - WO-74
Teleron Hill, near the BR-364 highway in central
RondBnia, is a 180 m thick volcano-sedimentary sequence.
The lowermost sequence is dominantly volcanic (rhyolites,
acid ash-tuffs) and the uppermost sequence is mainly
sedimentary (quartzites, hematite quartzites). Scandollara
et al. (1996) correlate the Teleron Hill sequence to the
Beneficente Group, which is well exposed along the Serra
da Providhcia, 15 km to the north. Sample WO-74 is a
weathered rhyolitic tuff, which was panned in the field to
separate the heavy minerals. The sample is zircon poor,
and the zircons are heterogeneous and may represent more
than one population. A single population was picked,
selecting short, euhedral, translucent to light brown
crystals, interpreted to have a magmatic morphology. The
U-Pb results are presented in Table 4. The upper intercept
age on the concordia diagram (Fig. 18) is 1691k 73 Ma.
This indicates that the rhyolite is older than the
surrounding rocks, represented by the Serra d a
Providencia Granite (mylonitized) . In this case, Teleron
Hill may represent a roof pendant in the younger granitoid
intrusion (sample WO-63 with a 1,569 Ma U-Pb age -
see below). The Teleron Hill Rhyolite age is correlated to
the Roosevelt and Dardanelos volcanic sequences, to the
east, which have ages in the same uncertainty range.
Jaru paragneiss and Jaru charnockite
Charnockitic rocks are the dominant lithology in central
RondBnia State between Ariquemes and Our0 Preto
d’Oeste; they are well exposed along 90 km of the BR-
364 highway. These charnockites are spatially related to
Serra da ProvidCncia Granitoids, but field evidence of the
relationship between the two units is lacking. The
Gondwana Research, V: 3, No. 4, 2000
 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGYOF THE AMAZON CRATON 475

0.36 3 I I v I I 3 I I I I I I I I I I I I I 8 I I I I I I I I I I I
- ROOSEVELT GROUP 0.30 - COMEMORACAO GROUP
DACITE - MQ-96 METARHYOLITE - WO-74

1740 ?r. 8 Ma (n=15)

cx3 0.26 -
m
3
cu
\
0.32 co
m
N

12 .0.22 -
-0
co
%30 a .
W
0
0 N
r\l 0.16 -
,281 L/ 1691 k 73 Ma
17-1
0.14 1 //,,,p"
,/'
/'
MSWD = 13 1

0.10 ' // , I I
,I8
2 3 4
207
Pb I 235U
0 30- RONDONIA BASEMENT
PARAGNEISS - PT-12 0300 > JARU CHARNOCKITE
0 28 - WHOLE ROCK ISOCHRON PT-12
3 0.780 rn
m
00

/
\
026- -
Q - L

02 b /
1400 c/) 0.760 -
Wn 024- - (D PT-1A
N
0 00

0 20

0.18 1 l 1 0 y
1200

,,,/"
/"
,/
,,,,,,, /" 1657 f 16 Ma
MSWD = 3 80

I 0 720

i-/' PT-14
PT-15
1429 k 137 Ma
MSWD = 0 19
(i) = 0.7099 k0.0205

20
0700' ' ' I ' I " I ' I ' I
160 200 240 280 320 360 400 440 0 040 080 120 160 200 240 280

207PbI 235U 87Rb/86Sr

l ' l ' l ' l ' l ' l ' l
0 28 024 -
ARIQUEMES GRANITE - WO-52

0 24 0.20 -

m
N
.
3
co

d
020

3
0.16 -

W
n co
m
N
012-

o 0.16
N \
4 0.08 -
r
0 12 8
N
MSWD = 0 93
1
22 I
0 08
0 1 2 3 4
O0 V ' I
040
' I
080
' I
120
' '
160
'
200
' '
240
I ' I
280

'07Pb / 235U I 235U

207Pb
Figs. 1 7 to 22. Results of zircon (SHRIMP and conventional) and Rb-Sr geochronology from the Rondbnia-Juruena Province: 17=Roosevelt Group
Dacite (GR-66, SHRIMP U-Pb); 18=Beneficente Group Metarhyolite (WO-74, U-Pb); 19=Rondbnia Basement Paragneiss (PT-12, U-Pb);
20=Jaru Charnockite (four samples, Rb-Sr whole rock isochron); 21 =Serra da ProvidCncia Mylonite (WO-63, U-Pb) and 22=Ariquemes
Granite (WO-52, U-Pb).

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

476 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.
charnockites are often confused with granulites (Costa
and Hasui, 1997) or migmatites (Scandollara et al., 1996)
where they were overprinted by the Grenvillian-Sunsas
mylonitization event. Sample PT-12, a paragneiss
surrounded by charnockites (samples PT-1, PT-15, PT-14
and PT-15a), is interpreted as a megaxenolith, with a
minimum diameter of 200 meters, and is exposed
southeast of Jaru, along BR-364. The field relationship
between paragneiss and charnockites is well exposed in
a large quarry 8 km southeast of Ariquemes, where
fragments of paragneiss, with dimension of 1-2 m, are
surrounded by charnockite. In the same quarry, there is
an 80 cm thick charnockite dyke cutting the paragneiss.
Both paragneisses are correlated and interpreted as part
of the basement of the Rondbnia-Juruena Province.
Sample PT-12 produced a zircon concentrate, in which
the main population of small, brownish and slightly
rounded crystals was selected for U-Pb analysis. The upper
intercept on the concordia plot (Fig. 19) corresponds to
an age of 1657 f 16 Ma (MSWD=3.8), which is the age
of the main clastic source of the paragneiss.
Four charnockites (Table 2) plot on a Rb-Sr whole-rock
errorchron, which yields an age of 1429 k 137 Ma
(87Sr/86Sri=0.7099). The paragneiss plots above the
isochron, indicating that it is older (Fig. 20). The minimum
age of the Jaru Charnockite is 1429 Ma, but assuming
that it is related or cut by the Serra da ProvidCncia Granite,
its magmatic age may be at least 120 m.y. older. Payolla
et al. (1998) reported a slightly older zircon U-Pb age
(1477 f 14 Ma) from a charnockitic rock collected in the
same region (Ariquemes-Jaru). There were not enough
zircons in the charnockite samples to be analyzed by
U-Pb.
Our0 Preto granite - Serra da Provid2ncia intrusive suite
- WO-63
This sample, an augen-gneiss in the southern and
deformed zone of the Serra da Providencia Batholith,
named the Our0 Preto Granite, was collected 2 km
southeast of Our0 Preto, along the BR-364 highway,
Central RondBnia. The Brazilian Geological Survey
(Scandollara et al., 1996) showed that the Serra da
Providencia Granite (anorogenic rapakivi) was strongly
affected by shear belts, and was transformed into mylonite
gneiss. Previously, all occurrences of mylonitized post-
tectonic granites in RondGnia were interpreted as pre-Serra
da Providencia, basement rocks.
The zircons from sample WO-63 are homogeneous,
consisting of a single population of light to dark brown,
subhedral to euhedral zircons, with length to width ratios
ranging from 1 : l to 3:l. This morphology implies an
igneous source. The U-Pb results are presented in Table 3
and the concordia diagram in Fig. 21. The upper intercept
yields an age of 1569 f 18 Ma, with an MSWD of 0.51.
This age is correlated to other Serra da ProvidCncia
Batholith U-Pb ages (1566 f 3 Ma, Bettencourt et al.,
1999; 1544 f 4 Ma, Payolla et al., 1998; 1588 k 16 Ma,
Tassinari et al., 1996) and to post-tectonic granites in the
Jauru Block (extreme southwest of the Craton, Mato
Grosso State), dated at 1550 f 7 Ma (Geraldes et al.,
1999). Correlations are made to other rapakivi granites
in the Amazon Craton, such as Surucucus (1551 Ma,
Santos et al., 1999), Mucajai (1544 Ma, Santos and
Olszewski, 1988) and Parguaza (1540 Ma, Gaudette et
al., 1996).
Ariquemes granite. Early-Sunsas assemblage - WO-52
An evolved biotite syenogranite crops out southeast of
Ariquemes town along BR-364 Highway, from which four
zircon populations were picked. The zircons are U rich
(1900-3000 ppm), cloudy short prisms, with very few
crystals suitable for analysis. The four populations show
discordant results, which align in an intercept at 1352 f
8 Ma, with MSWD of 0.93 (Fig. 22). There is a correlation
of this age to the zircon U-Pb ages (1346 f 5 Ma and
1338 f 5 Ma) obtained by Bettencourt et al. (1999) for
the Candeias Intrusive Suite (SW from Ariquemes).
Santa Helena terrain
The Santa Helena terrain in western Mato Grosso State
is a Precambrian area limited by extensive sedimentary
covers to the west (Guapor6 Cenozoic basin), south
(Pantanal Cenozoic basin) and northeast (Parecis
phanerozoic basin) and constituted by granitic rocks. Both
granites and crust were formed during Mesoproterozoic,
according to Geraldes et al. (1999). Magmatic ages were
determined by conventional U-Pb dating and correspond
to the ages of 1463k 4 Ma (Lavrinhas Tonalite), 1488 f
11 Ma (Pau-a-Pique Tonalite), 1442 f 15 Ma and 1450
f 13Ma (Trihgulo Farm Granodiorite) . The E,, (t) values
are positive (+ 2.9 to + 4.6) and the Nd T,, ages (1491,
1500, 1532, 1550, 1563 and 1567 Ma) are close to the
magmatic ages, indicating little or no crustal component
in the granitoids generation (Geraldes et al., 1999). The
above isotopic data are evidence for a juvenile
Mesoproterozoic crust in southwest Amazon Craton.
However, the Santa Helena Terrain may be a n
allochthonous terrane accreted to the Amazon Craton
during the Grenvillian-Sunsas collision. There is a good
correlation to the Eastern Granite-RhyoliteProvince (1480-
1420 Ma) in Laurentia (USA). Plutons of this age also occur
throughout the Laurentian margin belt in Ontario.
Sunsas province
Rocks with Late Mesoproterozoic (Estenian) ages have
been recognized in the extreme southwest of the Craton
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE AMAZON CRATON
since Priem et al. (1971), when the tin-granites of
RondGnia were dated by Rb-Sr (1011 Ma) and related to
Grenvillian orogeny in Laurentia. Grenvillian rocks
generated during the Sunsas Orogeny are known in
ColGmbia as Garzon Complex (Priem et al., 1989), Yaca-
Yaca Rhyodacite (Priem et al., 1982), Tijereto Granophyre
and Piraparana Formation (Galvis et al., 1979). The
importance of this orogeny in the Proterozoic of Venezuela
was detected by Goldstein et al. (1997) analysing clastic
zircons from lower Orinoco River sand, where the second
statistical population (15 zircons) groups around the age
of 1.12 Ga.
The narrow westernmost part of the Amazon Craton
has been included in Rodinia continent reconstructions
(Renne et al., 1989; Dalziel, 1992), in which the Rodinia
continent resulted from the collision and fusion of
AmazGnia and Laurentia around 1.20-1.10 Ga. Only the
western part of this orogeny appears to be juvenile, with
some granulite restites cropping out close to the contact
of the Eastern Andes Belt with the Amazon Cenozoiccover,
known as the Colombian Garzon Complex and the
Peruvian Arequipa Massif (Fig. 1).The effects of this
collision over the Amazon Craton are shearing and
thrusting, which affected mainly the RondGnia-Juruena
rocks, producing mylonites and rejuvenated Rb-Sr ages.
The K’Mudku Shear Belt, in the north-central zone of the
Craton, may be related to this collision. Litherland et al.
(1989) proposed the existence of an orogenic belt in
Bolivia, called Sunsas, with a -1000 Ma age and
northwest trend, that can be correlated with the Aguapei
belt in Brazil (Fig. 16). More recently, Tassinari et al.
(1996) grouped the Aguapei and Sunsas orogenic belts
into one mobile belt (1.25-1.00 Ga). However, the ages
of the Sunsas Belt post-tectonic younger rocks (tin-
granites) are slightly younger than 1.00 Ga (0.99 Ga, Rio
Pardo Granite, Rizzotto et al., 1999; 0.99 Ga, Maqangana
and Sgo Carlos granites, Bettencourt et al., 1999), leading
to move the end of the Sunsas Cycle from 1.00 to
0.99 Ga.
The juvenile part of the orogeny is sited more than
1,500 km to the west (perpendicular to the belt, Fig. 1)
and it is possible that, in the craton, collisional
deformation of older rocks dominates the Sunsas Belt.
There are ten available Sm-Nd T,, model ages from this
belt (Table 3), including the youngest in the craton (1180
Ma, 1140 (2) and 1060 Ma; Sat0 and Tassinari, 1997).
These four results were obtained in mafic rocks, which
may represent the post-tectonic Nova Floresta and
Siriquiqui magmatism, unrelated to a juvenile crust. The
post-tectonic, post-Grenvillian rocks correspond to the
rapakivi granite suite (part of the classic Rondonian tin-
granites), alkaline pipes (Teotanio), alkali basalts (Nova
Floresta and Siriquiqui) and a sedimentary cover (Pacaas
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
477
Novos Formation). All these units have ages (Rb-Sr and
K-Ar) between 1.10 and 1.00 Ga (Tassinari, 1996; Priem
et al., 1971). Bettencourt et al. (1999) reported U-Pb ages
between 974 k 6 Ma and 1082 k 5 Ma for six Rondonian
tin-granites (Siio Carlos, Maqangana, Pedra Branca,
Oriente NOVO, Santa Clara and Manteiga). Another post-
Sunsas granite, the Rio Pardo Suite, has a similar zircon
U-Pb age (995 k 15 Ma, Rizzotto et al., 1999).
The Grenvillian-Sunsas collision overprinted juvenile
(1.75-1.70 Ga) and post-tectonic (1.55 Ga) rocks from
the RondGnia-Juruena Orogenic Belt, and totally or
partially rejuvenated Rb-Sr ages, which now may be
anywhere between 1.75 and 1.10 Ga.
Paragneiss, Nova Brasiliindia metamorphic suite - GR-66
Sample GR-66, from Central RondGnia State, is a
paragneiss from the Nova Brasildndia Metamorphic Suite,
a volcano-sedimentary sequence metamorphosed to
predominantly amphibolite facies. Because of the high
metamorphic grade, suite is preferred to sequence (cf.
Scandollara et al., 1996). The rock types are mica-quartz
schist, sillimanite schist, biotite paragneiss, amphibolite,
quartzite, metabasite, meta-tuff, tremolite-schist, phyllite
and hematite quartzite. The Nova Brasildndia Suite is
widespread in the central, south and southeast areas of
RondGnia State (Fig. 16). Sample GR-66 was collected in
the type-area of the Nova Brasildndia Suite, in RondGnia
State, close to the town of Nova Brasildndia do Oeste
(GR66, UTM co-ordinates: 63-604741; 08691091).
Sample GR66 is a meta-sandstone and produced
abundant zircons, with approximately 400 placed in an
epoxy mount for SHRIMP analyses. The zircons are up to
60 pm long, and normally in the 20 pm-40 pm range.
This population is heterogeneous, with variable shapes
and colors, reflecting several sources, so 24 crystals were
analyzed, with one analysis on each grain (Table 7). The
concordia plot (Fig. 23) shows that the ages spread from
2090 Ma to 1103 Ma. The 207Pb/206Pb age is more precise
for the older zircons (> 1700 Ma) and 206Pb/238U ages were
selected for the individual ages of younger crystals
(< 1700 Ma). The younger zircons were grouped into three
populations (Fig. 24), with ages of 1417 k 35 Ma (x2 =
0.89), 1320 & 20 Ma (x2 = 0.21) and 1211 & 18 Ma (x2
= 1.23).
The oldest zircons from the paragneiss (2090 and 2020
Ma) have ages comparable to the oldest rocks in the
Tapaj6s-ParimaOrogenic Belt, located 400 km to the east.
The age of 1904 Ma possibly correlates to the youngest
rocks in the Tapaj6s-Parima Province (Parauari Intrusive
Suite). Some clastic contribution from the Roosevelt
volcano-sedimentarybelt is indicated by zircons with ages
of 1748 and 1716 Ma. The Serra da Providkncia rapakivi-
type granites are considered to be part of the Nova
478 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.

0 40 I I I I I I ’ I I I
1 21001 muscovites by Ar-Ar (J.O. Santos, unpub. data). These
NOVA BRASlL66~NDIAMETAMORPHIC
PARAGNEISS - GR-66
ages are comparable to the Composite Arc belt age in
0 36 CLASTIC ZIRCONS Laurentia and suggest that the Sunsas Orogenic Cycle
3 started prior to 1.25 Ga, around 1.33 Ga.
03 0 3 2
m
N K’Mudku shear belt
\
a

a.
W
0 28

024
I5O0 \fl7I6
1 5 9 9 i 4 2 M a l7
DETAIL ON FIGURE 24
__
0 20
I I
20
I
30
I
40
I
207Pb / 235u
0 26 I I
PARAGNEISS. GR-66
18 20 22 24 26
Figs. 23 and 24. Results of U-Pb zircon SHRIMP geochronology from
the Sunsas Province: 23=Nova Brasilhdia Paragneiss (GR-66,
SHRIMP U-Pb, all zircon grains) and 24=Nova Brasildndia
Paragneiss (GR-66, SHRIMP U-Pb, younger populations).
Brasildndia sedimentation source, as suggested by the
zircons with ages of 1546 and 1540 Ma. The youngest
zircon population constrains the maximum age of the
Nova Brasildndia sedimentation at 1211 f 18 Ma. The
minimum age is constrained by the 1110 f 15 Ma age of
the granite generated by partial melting of the paragneiss
(Rizzotto et al., 1999). The sedimentation and
metamorphism of sample GR66 is then limited to the
1211-1110 Ma time interval. The two main populations
in GR-66 have ages of 1320 f 20 Ma (five spots) and
1215 f 20 Ma (seven spots). This indicates intensive
magmatism prior to sedimentation, and suggests that the
collisional orogenic process lasted at least -105 m.y. from
1320 to 1215 Ma. The 1320 Ma age correlates well with
the granulite metamorphism age determined by Tassinari
et al. (1999) at 1331 f 8 Ma and to the early-K’Mudku
age (1317 f 4 Ma) determined in Roraima Group
Ma
2090 * 17 Ma
-
The K’Mudku Shear Belt is an approximately 200 km
wide, NE-trending shear belt, which has produced
mylonitization and local rock melting in four provinces
-
of the Amazon Craton at ca. 1.20 Ga, affecting rocks from
-
2.20 Ga to 1.52 Ga in age. The belt (Fig. 1)represents the
23 - zone most affected by shearing, being composed of several
I I 1 I
50 60
I
70
parallel to subparallel individual shear zones. The main
belt, as indicated in Fig. 1, is known as K‘Mudku (Brazil
and Guyana, since Barron, 1966) and Nickerie (Priem at
I
al., 1971). Other northeast trending 1.20 Ga shear belts,
named as Jari-Falsino (Amap6 State, Brazil, Lima et al.,
1974), Orinoquense (Venezuela, Bellizzia, 1974; Restrepo-
Pace et al., 1997) and Madeirense (RondGnia, Amaral,
1974) are correlated to the main belt, but not shown in
Fig. 1.Within the main belt there are strong variations in
strain, and KMudku shearing may actually extend beyond
the limit of the main belt. Rock units in this belt show
strong mylonitization along a NE trend, and have been
recognized and named in Surinam as Bakhuis and
Falawatra, in Guyana as Kanuku and Rupununi, and in
Brazil as Rupununi, Serra da Lua and Kanuku. Due to the
intensity of the deformation, these rocks were interpreted
28 30 32
as the oldest units in the northern part of the Amazon
Craton and mapped as Archean (Lima, 1999; Melo and
Vilas Boas, 1993; Costa and Hasui, 1997).
According to Berrangk (1977), the intensity of KMudku
metamorphism in Guyana reaches high metamorphic
grade and produced local rock melting. This indicates that
granitic bodies generated by the K’Mudku melting may
be present along the belt. The great majority of the
granulites mapped in the center-north zone of the Craton
appear to be Mesoproterozoic igneous charnockites
deformed by the K’Mudku shear zones under amphibolite
facies. This applies to other “granulites” in north
Amazonas State (Camanau, Pardo and Curiuad
“granulites”; Santos et al., 1974) and south (Jufari and
Jauaperi; Santos et al., 1974) and central Roraima State
(Lua, Cigana, Caracarai, Prata and Barauana “granulites”).
Relationships should be tested also in the Kanuku
(Guyana) and Bakhuis (Surinam) “granulites”.
Shear-belt age and evolution remain uncertain,
although Fraga and Reis (1995a) have indicated the
predominance of oblique thrusts, with principal stresses
from the NW, as the main tectonic feature in the belt.
Several rocks affected by the KMudku shearing have K-
Ar and Rb-Sr ages around 1.20 Ga in Roraima (Amaral,
1974), Suriname (Priem et. al., 1971), Rio Negro

Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000

 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE AMAZON CRATON
(Tassinari, 1996), ColBmbia (Pinson et al., 1962), Amapa
(Lima et al., 1974) and in Guyana (Barron, 1966). There
are 62 K’Mudku “rejuvenated” K-Ar and Rb-Sr ages (1.35
Ga - 0.98 Ga) available in the bibliography above cited.
On the other hand, as the K’Mudku event produced
mylonite zones in both Uaup4s Suite granitoids in the
Rio Negro Province (1520 Ma) and in the Mucajai
Rapakivi Granite in Roraima (1,544 Ma; Gaudette et al.,
1996), 1.52 Ga would be the maximum age for the shear
belt. This indicates that the hypothesis that the KMudku
belt was generated by reactivation of older (Archean?)
structures (Melo and Vilas Boas, 1993) is less plausible.
A new Ar-Ar study, dating micas generated during
K’Mudku mylonitization (Santos et al., ZOOO), has
determined ages between 1317 k 4 Ma (Roraima Group,
Araca Mountain), 1244 k 5 Ma (SR-189) and 1198 k 4
Ma (SR-144, Urariquera Complex, Roraima). The
KMudku (and other locally named k 1.20 Ga shear belts)
is interpreted as the intracratonic reflex of the continental
Grenvilian-Sunsas collision in the western-northwestern
Amazon Craton.
Discussion and Regional Implications
According to the data available, seven main geological
Provinces, and the main processes, which produced them,
are recognised (Fig. 1, Table 1). In some cases, the
relationship between neighboring provinces is clear, based
on new data (mapping, U-Pb geochronology, airborne
geophysics), however in many cases the relationship
remains speculative, due to the extensive sedimentary
cover and the lack of, or limited, mapping and
geochronological constraints. It is clear that the Sunsas
Belt overthrusts the RondBnia-Juruena Belt, and that this
last orogeny consumed the southernmost zone of the
Tapaj6s-Parima Orogeny. The Central Amazon rocks
clearly cut the west-northwest structure of the Carajis
greenstone belts. Nevertheless, the relationship between
the Rio Negro and Rondbnia-Juruena Provinces, as well
as between the Rio Negro and Tapaj6s-Parima, remain
uncertain. The Amazon Craton was originated mainly
during Paleo and Mesoproterozoic times, with an Archean
area smaller than previously considered (Teixeira et al.,
1989; Tassinari, 1996).
Imataca province
The Imataca Complex evolution will be better
understood only when U-Pb isotopic data are available.
The Paleoarchean Imataca block may be an allochthonous
terrane pasted to the Craton along the Guri Shear Zone
(Teixeira et al., 1999). The Imatac’a belt cuts the main
Transamazonian structures indicating that the
amalgamation process is late-Transamazonian (ca. 2.00
Gondwana Research, V: 3, No. 4,2000
479
Ga), or more probably post-Transamazonian. The only
known continental collisional event after 2.00 G a is the
Grenvillian-Sunsas Orogeny, indicating that the Imataca
accretion may be as young as 1.10 Ga. Based on Ar-Ar
plateaus, Onstott et al. (1989) suggested tectonic activity
at 1.10 Ga and the Grenville-Sunsas presence close to
Imataca region was detected by Goldstein et al. (1997),
which found 15 zircons in Orinoco River sand with ages
in the 1338Ma - 962 Ma range (grouped around 1.12 Ga
on a histogram). Other possibility is that Imataca and the
other two older remnants (Cupixi in Amapa and Pium in
Carajds) were linked during the Paleoarchean (> 3.10
Ga), composing the Amazon Craton precursor.
Carajh province
The distribution of Archean crust
The craton has been considered predominantly
Archean, as shown in the Brazil geological map, 1984
edition (Schobbenhaus et al., 1984) and in Costa and
Hasui (1997), although this study shows that it is
restricted to the Carajas (extended to the south Amap6
and Bacaja areas) and Imataca provinces (i.e. less than
12 Yo of the craton area). The Central Amazon Province,
despite its precursor Archean crust, is much younger and
truncates the Carajas west-northwest tectonic trend. Thus,
the exposed Archean rocks comprise only <12 YOof the
Craton, which is predominantly Paleoproterozoic and
Mesoproterozoic.
The Xingu complex problem
The great majority of the granitic rocks that surround
the strongly folded greenstone sequences have been
mapped as Xingu Complex, and interpreted as older
basement (Aracjo et al., 1994). Some of these granitoids
are late-tectonic and were dated by U-Pb in zircon, such
as the Estrela and Old Salobre Granites, and are younger
than the greenstones. This indicates that the Xingu
Complex concept should be revised to include only pre-
greenstone rocks. As the Complex is older than 2.85 Ga,
the Xingu prefix should not be used to designate the
Proterozoic basement in the Tapajds, Rondbnia and
Juruena regions.
Transamazonic province
The names Transamazonian (Cycle) and Transamazonic
(Province) are widely used in the geology of other
provinces in Brazil. In some cases, Transamazonian is used,
as a synonym for Paleoproterozoicbut this practice should
be abandoned. The misuse of the name is requiring
clarification. As the classic Transamazonian Orogeny is
almost entirely Riacian, correlations to the
Transamazonian should be restricted to rocks formed
480 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL
approximately between 2.25 and 2.00 Ga. Comparisons
related to the nature of the terrain should be limited to
the granite-greenstone style of orogenic rocks.
Tapajds-Parima province
The evolution of the orogenic belt
The geochronologic constraints and results from the
new mapping program in the Tapaj6s Province have led
to a more detailed timing of events for the Tapaj6s-Parima
Orogeny. The U-Pb age of 2.1 Ga obtained from clastic
zircons from the Sai-Cinzaturbidite sequence is tentatively
related to oceanic primordial magmatism (Buiuy ocean
basalts, not dated). Trench and back-arc sedimentation
(Sai-Cinza turbidites) occurred between 2.10 - 2.03 Ga,
being younger than the Buiup ocean basalts and older
than, or contemporaneous with, the earliest calc-alkalic
magmatic arc (Cui6-Cuiu Complex),which formed at 2.20
- 2.00 Ga. The second calc-alkalicmagmatic arc (Parauari
Suite) formed later at 1.92 - 1.88 Ga. Fore-arc to intra-arc
sedimentation is represented by the Sequeiro and Abacaxis
Formations, formed at 1.89 - 1.87 Ga. An intracratonic,
post-tectonic volcano-plutonic assemblage (Maloquinha
Suite and Iriri Group) was emplaced between 1.87 - 1.86
Ga. Some of the gold mineralization is constrained at 1.87
-1.85 Ga (Santos et al., submitted).
Continental, platformal sedimentation of the Palmares
Group is interpreted to have developed at 1.80-1.75 Ga.
Finally, continental tholeiitic magmatism (Crepori Gabbro-
Dolerites) and intrusion of a rapakivi-granite suite (Teles
Pires Granite) probably occurred at 1.76- 1.70 Ga.
There is an overall zonation within the belt, from the
metabasalts in the western area, to the cratonic rocks in
the east, as follows: I) metabasalts, ii) turbidites, iii) first
magmatic arc, iv) fore arc and intra-arc sedimentary
rocks, v) second magmatic arc, and vi) post-tectonic
magmatism.
The western limits of Tapajds-Parima orogeny
The Buiup ocean basalts are restricted to four outcrops
in the westernmost part of the Tapaj6s-Parima Orogenic
Belt. The poor development of oceanic and accretionary
sequences may be explained in two ways: i) the more
primitive zone of the TPOB underlies the extensive
Cachimbo Graben; or ii) the western part of the TPOB
(and of the Amazon Craton) was removed during an
interpreted continental break-up a t the end of
Paleoproterozoic (1.78 Ga?), which may be reflected by
tholeiitic magmatism represented by thick sills and the
giant diabase-gabbro dike swarm. In the north (Roraima-
Venezuela-Guiana),this widespread magmatism is termed
the Avanavero Suite and, in the south, the Crepori Suite
(Bizinella et al., 1980).
The southeast and northwest correlations
Santos and Reis Net0 (1982) considered the Juruena
Granite from the Alta Floresta area comparable in
chemistry and age to the Parauari Suite in the Tapaj6s
region. Recent geological mapping in the Alta Floresta
Domain (Valente, 1998) identified the same main units
present in the Tapaj6s Province: Jacareacanga Group
(Fabinho and Domingos mine pits); Cuiu-CuiG Complex
(Rato, Fazenda Mogno, Paraiba, Melado, Gaspar and
Naiuram) ; and Parauari Suite (Vila Guarita, Armando,
Sede and Levi). The Tapajos geology may be correlated
with units to the northwest and southeast, extending the
orogenic belt to Roraima (Parima Domain) and Mato
Grosso (Alta Floresta Domain). This correlation is
indicated by a number of features, including: i) orogenic
rocks dominated by fine grained metasedimentary rocks
and minor metabasalts; ii) large volume of calc-alkalic,
magmatic-arc volcano-plutonic rocks; iii) similar
northwest tectonic trends, with 0,of the orogenic stress
fields at - 250"-230"; iv) hundreds of alluvial gold
deposits; and v) orogenic lode-type and porphyry-type
gold mineralization. Correlation of the Tapaj6s Province
with the Ventuari region of Venezuela (Tassinari, 1996)
is unlikely, because there are many geologic, isotopic and
metallogenic dissimilarities between the two regions, the
most important is the age of the Tapaj6s basement, which
is 250 to 290 m.y. older than the Ventuari basement. The
Ventuari region is included below in the Rio Negro Granitic
Province, based on available U-Pb (Gaudette et al., 1996)
and Sm-Nd data (Table 3).
Central Amazon province
The origin of the Uatuma magmatism
The Central Amazon Province has the same regional
north-northwest trend as the Tapaj6s-Parima Province
(Fig. l ) , and clearly truncates the west-northwest Carajas
tectonic trend. The Uatuma rocks occur in an anorogenic
setting and show the main characteristics of A-type rocks,
such as high F, Nb and Y contents, bird-wing REE plots,
high magma temperature and very high crustal-level of
emplacement. Partial melting of I-type granites is the
probable source for A-type rocks (Clemens et al., 1986).
Potential sources for this magmatism are the neighbouring
provinces, Carajas to the east and Tapaj6s-Parima to the
west, which are both largely dominated by calc-alkalic, I-
type granitoids. The distribution of the Uatumii A-type
rocks over 1.1 million km2 indicates high temperature
magmatism at very shallow depths over a wide area, in a
continental-scale process. A model to explain the source
of the Uatumii Magmatism is proposed below.
The Tapaj6s-ParimaOrogeny is interpreted as an ocean-
continent orogeny, with 0,of the far-field stress at about
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE AMAZON CRATON
-
250". Low-angle slab subduction is considered to have
started at about 2.10 Ga beneath the Archean continental
crust, which was the extension of the Carajas Province to
the west. At the end of the generation of the second
magmatic arc (Parauari Arc) at 1.90 Ga, the descending
slab, now dipping at a very low angle, is interpreted to
have migrated to the discontinuity between the
continental crust and the lithosphere. The hydrated fertile
slab is considered to have moved - 900 km along the
discontinuity and heated the overlying zone, allowing
partial melting of the calc-alkalic crust to produce the
high-temperature (> 800") and low-pressure A-type
magma. For example, Douce (1997) shows that such
generation of A-type melts may occur at pressures as low
as 4 kilobars. It is assumed too, that the magma produced
was highly fractionated and with a low-viscosity,possibly
due to its high F content, as indicated by high F in the
UatumZi rocks.
Rio Negro province
The separation of the Juruena domain from the Rio Negro
province
The Rio Negro and Juruena Domain were previously
interpreted to be linked (Rio Negro-Juruena Mobile
Province), based mainly on Rb-Sr data and structural
similarities (Cordani et al., 1979, Tassinari et al., 1996).
The whole-rock Rb-Sr isochrons in both areas indicate
ages in the range 1.80-1.55 Ga, and both areas were
proposed to be in a mobile belt with a NW trend. The
new U-Pb data, in conjunction with new geological maps
(Scandollara et al., 1996; Valente, 3998), show that the
Juruena and Rio Negro Provinces each had a distinct
evolution at different times during the Proterozoic and
probably are not related. The main structural trend in the
Juruena Province is related to WNW to E-W folding in the
supracrustal sequences (Roosevelt, Beneficente and Teles
Pires volcano-sedimentary sequences), which is evident
from the LANDSAT images and the new maps (Scandollara
et al., 1996; Valente, 1998). This trend dominates a large
area, with an along-strike length of 600 km, from Peixoto
Azevedo in Mato Grosso State to northeast Rondbnia
State. In the Rio Negro Province, there are no dominant
trends, and the fold belts appear to be related to the
emplacement or displacement of several batholiths
(Uaupks and Iqana Suites). The trends are highly variable,
as shown in five fold belts: i) Padre Mountain - N70°W,
ii) Tunui Mountain - N30°E; iii) Traira Mountain - N3OoW;
iv) Caparro-Maimachi Mountain - NIOOE;and v) Onqa-
Caranacoa Mountain - N-S; N45W.
The Rb-Sr isochrons from the Juruena Province yield
ages comparable to the ages of the UaupCs and Iqana
Granite Suites in the Rio Negro Province. Earlier samples
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
481
gave Rb-Sr ages of 1.56 Ga for the Roosevelt Formation
and 1.65 Ga for the Teles Pires volcanic rocks. The new
U-Pb ages of volcanic rocks in the Roosevelt and Teles
Pires sequences are roughly 200 m.y. older than the
previous Rb-Sr results. The U-Pb ages from the basement
rocks are mainly 1.75-1.70 Ga in the Juruena Domain
and 1.86-1.79 Ga in the Rio Negro Province.
Supracrustal volcano-sedimentary sequences are
common in the Juruena Domain, but rare, and exclusively
sedimentary, in the Rio Negro Province (Tunui Group).
The Rio Negro Province is composed essentially of
collisional granites (Iqana and Uaupes Suites), which cover
more than 80 percent of the exposed area. In the Juruena
and Rondbnia Domains, rapakivi granites and
charnockites are dominant as intrusive rocks but these
rock-types are completely absent in the Rio Negro
Province. The presence of large collisional batholiths
(Iqana Suite, S- type; UaupCs Suite, I- type; Almeida et
al., 1997), with U-Pb ages in the range of 1550 to 1520
Ma, indicate a continental collisional process in the
northwestern part of the Amazon Craton. The age of this
collision, possibly equivalent to the granite ages of 1.55-
1.52 Ga, remains uncertain, due to the strong deformation
of the collisional granites by the ENE-trending K'Mudku
shear belt, which has a proposed age (K-Ar data, Barron,
1966) of around 1.20 Ga.
Rondbnia-Juruena province
Regional implications
The tectonic boundary between the Juruena and
Rondbnia areas, as delineated by Cordani et al. (1979)
and Teixeira and Tassinari (1996), was questioned by
Bettencourt et al. (1987) and by Payolla et al. (1998),
who suggested its re-evaluation. The U-Pb and Sm-Nd
data from the basement samples from both areas are
similar, with U-Pb ages in the range 1.97 to 1.69 Ga. The
dominant tectonic regime in both areas is the same (WNW
to E-W) as that shown in the new Rondbnia State
(Scandollara et al., 1996) and the Alta Floresta region
(Valente, 1998) geological maps, released recently by the
Brazilian Geological Survey. The trend is evident in the
LANDSAT images, especially in the Roosevelt River area,
where Rizzotto et al. (1996) recognized a volcano-
sedimentary association. A dacite from the Roosevelt
Formation has a 1.74 Ga magmatic age, with no inherited
zircons (Santos et al., 1999), and similar results have been
obtained to the east, in the AripuanZi River (Dardanelos),
Mato Grosso State (J. Leite, verbal comm., 1999). The
E, of the Rondbnia-Juruena Province rocks plot between
the depleted mantle reservoir growth curve (De Paolo,
1988) and CHUR. The initial ratios for these rocks
correspond to cNdvalues between $1.65 and +3.81 (for
482 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.
~
T= 1100 to 1970 Ma), including the post-tectonic rapakivi
granites at 1570 Ma and the tholeiites at 1100 Ma. The
range in E~~ values indicates that the calc-alkalic magmas
were derived from a source with very limited interaction
with the continental crust. These juvenile volcano-
sedimentary sequences (Teleron Hill Rhyolite, Jaru
Metapelite, Roosevelt Dacite, Dardanelos Dacite, Mutum-
Parana Tuff) form a 900 km long belt, which extends from
northwest Mato Grosso through southeast Amazonas and
central RondBnia to east Acre States, and represents new
crust accreted to the Parima-Tapaj6s Belt in the east. The
belt is named the Guapork Orogenic Belt, because the
majority of the streams draining the belt flow into the
Guapork River. Correlations to the Jauru block (Mato
Grosso State) are made to the Cabaqal Meta-tuff and to
the Alianqa Gneiss, with U-Pb ages of 1767 k 24 and
1747 f 13 Ma (Geraldes et al., 1999).
The orogenic cycle was followed by the post-tectonic
Serra da Providhcia rapakivi granite suite; the Jaru
Charnockites, with U-Pb ages of 1.57-1.55 Ga; and by
continental sedimentation and basaltic volcanism (PacaBs
Novos Formation and Nova Floresta Basalt, with K-Ar ages
of 1100 Ma). The granitoids are strongly affected by
Grenvillian-Sunsas thrusting (1.20-1.10 Ga?), and are
locally mylonitized (Scandollara et al., 1996). Sample
WO-63, collected south of Ariquemes, along the BR364
highway, is an example of the mylonitization of the Serra
da Providhcia-type granite. Most rocks previously
classified as granulites in central RondBnia (Jaru and Our0
Preto areas), are actually 1.57 Ga charnockites mylonitized
by the Grenvilean-Sunsas collision.
Geraldes et al. (1999) reported equivalent U-Pb ages
for some granitoids in the Jauru block (Mato Grosso), as
the Cachoeirinha Granite (1536 f 11Ma; T,,= 1754 Ma),
Cabagal Tonalite (1540 k 16 Ma; T,,=1773 Ma), Santa
Cruz Gneiss (1556 f 2 Ma), Agua Clara Graniodiorite
(1567 f 6 Ma), Alvorada (1522 f 12 Ma; T,,=1743
Ma) and Araputanga granites (1522 f 12 Ma; T,,= 1777
Ma). Payolla e t al. (1998) record zircons from
syenogranitic gneiss with a U-Pb age of 1526 f 12 Ma. In
the same sample, the monazite U-Pb age is 1200 Ma,
corresponding to the Sunsas metamorphic age. The Nd
model ages indicate the juvenile volcano-sedimentary
sequences above described as the more probable source
for these granitoids. Both the orogenic rocks (1.74-1.70
Ga) and the post-tectonic charnockites and granites (1.57-
1.53 Ga) have a variety of Rb-Sr ages between 1.70-1.57
and 1.10 Ga. The younger, scattered and reset Rb-Sr ages
from the RondBnia Block can be explained by their greater
proximity to the Sunsas Collisional Belt (Grenvillian) in
the southwest.
In some areas, the T,, model ages in the Rondbnia-
Juruena Province are in the 2.10-1.90 Ga range. This may
indicate some crustal contribution, possibly from the
Tapajos-Parima Province, because the tectonic trend (E-
W) of the RJP truncates the Tapaj6s-Parima Province
(North Mato Grosso, Alta Floresta region; Valente, 1998)
in the easternmost part of the Rondbnia-Juruena Province.
Implications for Uatumii magmatism
All the Proterozoic calc-alkalicvolcanic rocks from both
the RondBnia-Juruena and Central Amazon Provinces
were grouped previously in the UatumB Supergroup.
Redefinition of the age and distribution of the Uatum5
Supergroup magmatism ( Santos, 1982) is required. Basei
(1977), based on Rb-Sr data grouped the UatumB volcanic
rocks into four main units: Iriri (1765 f 16 Ma), IricoumC
(1790 k 20 Ma) Teles Pires (1680 c! 13Ma) and Surumu
(1860 f 28 Ma). The more precise U-Pb ages in zircons
(Santos et al., submitted) are: 1870 f 8 Ma (Iriri), 1862
f 7 Ma (Iricoumk), 1740 f 12 Ma (Teles Pires) and 1960
f 6 Ma (Surumu). The Uatum5 type-area is enclosed by
the Iricoumk Group, at UatumB River, Amazonas State
and the Uatum5 Magmatism appears to be restricted to
this area and to the correlated Iriri Group to the south.
The zircon U-Pb ages above suggest a correlation between
Iriri and Iricoumk volcanics and indicate that the Surumu
-
volcanism is 100 Ma older and the Teles Pires volcanism
is -120 Ma younger.
The UatumB magmatism is the product of a n
anorogenic process that has occurred around 1880-1870
Ma, involving the partial melting of an Archean crustal
source. The rocks with these characteristics correspond
to the Iriri, IricoumC and part of the Surumu Groups, and
are restricted to the Central Amazon Province. Other calc-
alkalic volcanic rocks (Roosevelt, Rio Branco, Teles Pires,
Dardanelos and Mutum-Parana volcanics), with a very
distinctive age and origin, are related to two other
orogenies, the Tapaj6s (2.10-1.90 Ga) and Guapork (1.74-
1.69 Ga) orogenies, and do not belong to the Uatum5
Magmatism. Therefore, the name Iriri should not be used
to define the calc-alkalic volcanic rocks in the RondBnia-
Juruena Province, as is common practice in the north Mato
Grosso State (Moura and Botelho, 1998; Lima, 1999).
Sunsas province
The Earlier Sunsas granites?
There is a suite of granitoids in RondBnia State which
have ages around 1350 Ma. For example, sample WO-52
has an age of 1352 f 8 Ma (Fig. 22), and an important
clastic zircon population in sample GR-66 has an age of
1320 f 20 Ma. Bettencourt et al. (1999) recognize two
comparable tin-granite suites, Alto Candeias (1346 f 5
Ma) and SBo Lourenqo (1314 k 15 Ma). The two main
recognized tin-granite suites in the region are rapakivi-
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
 U-Pb AND Sm-Nd GEOCHRONOLOGY OF THE AMAZON CRATON
type and post-orogenic, one being post-Juruena-RondBnia
Orogeny (1.56 Gal and the other post-Sunsas Orogeny
(<1.10 Ga). The existence of a third tin-granite suite,
with an age around 1.35 Ga (Bettencourt et al., 1999), is
not well understood. This suite could be related to another
intermediate (1.45-1.35 Ga) orogeny (Rond6nia or San
Ignacio), but there are no orogenic rocks yet detected in
Rondbnia, in that time range. Alternatively, the suite could
represent Serra da Providhcia-type granites (1.56 Ga),
which were partially or totally remelted in the earlier
stages of the Sunsas Orogeny. This hypothesis can be
tested by a detailed geochemical-geochronological study
on this granitoid group.
The Sunsas front location
The presence of a large belt of meta-volcano-
sedimentary rocks (Nova Brasilhdia Suite), with a
Grenvillian age, shows that Sunsas orogenic rocks are
widespread in the central Rondbnia region, - 400 km
northeastwards from the boundary of the Sunsas Belt in
Bolivia (Litherland et al., 1989; Tassinari, 1996). This
suggests that the main front of the Sunsas orogeny is -400
km northeast from the original position proposed by
Litherland et al. (19891, as shown in Fig. 16. The Paragua
Craton in Bolivia is sited between two major Sunsas fronts,
and possibly represents a zone less affected by the orogeny.
The small Santa Helena Arc in the extreme southwest of
the craton (western Mato Grosso State), displays juvenile
ages around 1.45 Ga (Van Schmus et a1.,1997) and
represents another local area not or less affected by the
Sunsas collision.
In the northwest, the Grenvillian front may be located
close to the Brazilian border, as indicated by the 1.20 Ga
Piraparana Formation and Tijereto Granophyre (Galvis
et al., 1979), the 0.92 Ga Yaca-Yaca Metarhyodacite in
ColBmbia, and by 15 Grenvillian zircons detected in
Venezuela (Goldstein et al., 1997).
Collisional or accretionary?
The Sunsas assemblage in the investigated area is
represented by three main units: i) a metamorphosed,
quartzose, supracrustal sedimentary assemblage (Nova
B r a s i l h d i a Metamorphic Suite); ii) variably
metamorphosed, tholeiitic gabbros and dolerites; and iii)
anatectic, lenticular, S-type granitoids. This association
is characteristic of a collisional assemblage, with a
complete lack of juvenile rocks (calc-alkaline volcanic-
plutonic suite, oceanic basalts, or accretionary sequences).
Both the U-Pb SHRIMP results from sample GR-66 and
the Sm-Nd data from six samples (Rizzotto et al., 1999)
indicate a much older crustal source for the Sunsas rocks
in RondBnia. S-type granites, derived from the Nova
BrasilAndia Suite have a magmatic U-Pb age of 1100 Ma,
Gondwana Research, V. 3, No. 4,2000
483
and a Sm-Nd T,,model age of 1630 Ma. Five other Sunsas
rocks have Sm-Nd model ages between 1.91 and 1.63 Ga
(Table 1). These data confirm that, in the southwest
Amazon Craton, the Sunsas-Grenville orogeny was not
juvenile. Thejuvenile remnants of this continental orogeny
in South America (Fig. 1) are located -2000 km southwest
(Arequipa Complex, Peru) and in eastern Colombia
(Garzon Complex).
Regional nomenclature and correlations
The western part of the RondBnia-Juruena Province
and the Sunsas Province enclose several sedimentary and
volcano-sedimentary sequences, which form an elongate,
northwest to east-west belt, from Mato Grosso to Acre,
crossing Amazonas, Acre and northeast Bolivia (Fig. 16).
These sequences are locally termed Comemoraqiio, Nova
Brasilbndia, Mutum-Parana, Beneficente, Roosevelt,
Aguapei, Huanchaca and Abunii. Although some of these
are now related to the RondBnia-Juruena (Beneficente
and Roosevelt) and Sunsas (Nova Brasilhdia Suite)
Orogenic Belts, as indicated by U-Pb ages, the others are
of unknown age. The name Comemoraqiio, following
Scandollara et al. (1996), must be abandoned, as the type-
area (Comemoraqiio River) is entirely composed of
Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks.
Two different sequences have been correlated with the
Aguapei Group, one folded and metamorphosed (for
example the host rock in the Santa Elina gold mine, in
northwest Mato Grosso State) and the other lacking
deformation and metamorphism (for example the
Huanchaca plateau in Bolivia). These sequences could
represent the same unit with different degrees of
deformation or could be distinctive basins, deposited
under different tectonic environments in different epochs.
In some cases, as in the Pacabs-Novos and Huanchaca
plateaus, the presence of an erosive unconformity between
folded and unfolded sedimentary sequences is evident
even in satellite images. Although, in some areas, the
relationship between the two main sequences remains
uncertain, it is proposed that the names Aguapei (Mato
Grosso State and Bolivia) and Nova Brasilhndia (RondBnia
State) be limited to the metasedimentary units related to
the Sunsas Orogeny. It is preferable to retain the names
Pacaas-Novos (Leal et al., 1978) and Huanchaca
(Litherland et al., 1989) for the post-collisional,
continental, horizontal sedimentary cover.
The postsunsas assemblage
The youngest rocks in the southwest Amazon Craton
appear not to be affected by the Sunsas deformation, and
are now included in a post-Sunsas assemblage. The
youngest Sunsas rocks are the late S-type granites that
are intrusive into the Nova BrasilAndia Suite, having ages
484 J.O.S. SANTOS ET AL.
of 1,098 f 10 and 1,100 k 8 Ma (Rizzotto et al., 1999).
There is a variety of rocks younger than 1,100 Ma, related
to a more stable tectonic environment. Included in this
group are: i) Rondbnia tin Granites (995 Ma); ii) Nova
Floresta alkali-basalts (980 Ma, K-Ar); iii) TeotGnio
Alkaline Pipes; and iv) post-Nova Floresta sedimentary
cover (Guajara-Mirim, Pacaas-Novos, Huanchaca) .
Conclusions
1) The ages obtained from geologically well-
constrained samples from the Amazon Craton samples
using the U-Pb method (conventional and SHRIMP), with
a few exceptions, are 100 to 400 m.y. older than the Rb-
Sr whole-rock isochron ages, making it essential to
carefully review the existing regional stratigraphy.
2) Seven main Provinces are recognized, each with its
own geological, structural, magmatic and isotopic
characteristics: Carajas and Imataca, Transamazonic
(Guianas), Tapaj6s-Parima, Central Amazon, Rio Negro,
RondGnia-Juruena and Sunsas. The K'Mudku Shear Belt
affected four Provinces.
3) Interpretation of U-Pb rock formation ages,
combined with Sm-Nd model ages, indicates that four
provinces (Carajas, Transamazonic, Tapaj6s-Parima and
Rondbnia-Juruena) represent juvenile crust. Two are more
likely to be related to continental collisional processes (Rio
Negro, and Sunsas/K'Mudku effect), and one is proposed
to be the product of reworking of the Archean crust during
underplating (Central Amazon).
4) The exposed Archean crust is restricted to the
Imataca and Carajas Provinces, corresponding to less than
12 percent of the exposed area of the Craton, which was
largely formed during the Paleoproterozoic and
Mesoproterozoic. This shows that considerable revision
is required for existing regional geological maps, including
the map of Brazil.
5) Large areas of the Craton still have no geological maps
or geochronological data (Tumucumaque and Imeri
Mountains, South Surinam, South Guyana and the Iriri
River Basin, for example). This is being remedied by further
geologically constrained isotope research, in order to test
and further extend the tectonic models presented here.
6 ) The model presented here is transient and will
change as new data are obtained.
Acknowledgments
This research was supported by the Conselho Nacional
do Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnolhgico - CNPq and
by CPRM - Brazilian Geological Survey. Zircon analyses
were carried out on a Sensitive High-mass Resolution Ion
Micro Probe mass spectrometer (SHRIMP II), operated
by a consortium consisting of the University of Western
Australia (UWA), Curtin University of Technology and the
Geological Survey of Western Australia, with the support
of the Australian Research Council. Sincere thanks to
Companhia de Pesquisa de Recursos Minerais geologists
for additional sampling and discussions, and to Rebecca
Ford for initial revisions in the text. The senior author
wrote the paper while a sandwich doctoral student in the
Centre for Strategic Mineral Deposits at UWA.
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