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Neotectonic evolution of the Brazilian northeastern continental margin based on sedimentary facies and ichnology☆ , ☆☆

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  20 January 2017

Rosana Gandini ,
Dilce de Fátima Rossetti ,
Renata Guimarães Netto ,
Francisco Hilário Rego Bezerra  and
Ana Maria Góes
Rosana Gandini*
Affiliation:
Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo—USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
Dilce de Fátima Rossetti
Affiliation:
Division of Remote Sensing, Brazilian National Institute for Space Research—INPE, São José dos Campos, SP, Brazil
Renata Guimarães Netto
Affiliation:
Graduate School of Geology, University of Rio dos Sinos—UNISINOS, São Leopoldo, RS, Brazil
Francisco Hilário Rego Bezerra
Affiliation:
Departament of Geology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte−UFRN, Natal, Brazil
Ana Maria Góes
Affiliation:
Institute of Geosciences, University of São Paulo—USP, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
*
*Corresponding author.E-mail addresses:gandini.rosana@usp.br (R. Gandini), rossetti@dsr.inpe.br (D.F. Rossetti), nettorg@unisinos.br (R.G. Netto), bezerrafh@geologia.ufrn.br (F.H.R. Bezerra), goes@igc.usp.br (A.M. Góes).
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Abstract

Quaternary post-Barreiras sediments are widespread along Brazil's passive margin. These deposits are well exposed in the onshore Paraíba Basin, which is one of the rift basins formed during the Pangean continental breakup. In this area, the post-Barreiras sediments consist of sandstones with abundant soft-sediment deformation structures related to seismicity contemporaneous with deposition. The trace fossils Thalassinoides and Psilonichnus are found up to 38 m above modern sea level in sandstones dated between 60.0 (± 1.4) and 15.1 (± 1.8) ka. The integration of ichnological and sedimentary facies suggests nearshore paleoenvironments. Such deposits could not be related to eustatic sea-level rise, as this time coincides with the last glaciation. Hence, an uplift of 0.63 mm/yr, or 1.97 mm/yr if sea level was 80 m lower in the last glaciation, would have been required to ascend the post-Barreiras sediments several meters above the present-day sea level during the last 60 ka. This would suggest that the post-rift stage of the South American eastern passive margin may have experienced tectonic reactivation more intense than generally recognized. Although more complete data are still needed, the information presented herein may play an important role in studies aiming to decipher the Quaternary evolution of this passive margin.

Keywords

IchnologyThalassinoidesQuaternarySouth American passive marginTectonic reactivation

Information

Type
Articles
Information
Quaternary Research , Volume 82 , Issue 2 , September 2014 , pp. 462 - 472
Copyright
University of Washington

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Footnotes

☆

RRH: Neotectonic Evolution of the Brazilian Continental Margin.

☆☆

LRH: GANDINI et al.

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