Caputo, M, 1984
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UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA Stratigraphy, Tectonics, Paleoclimatology and Paleogeography of Northern Basins of Brazil A Dissertation submitted in partial satisfaction of the requirements of the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Geology by Mario VicenteCaputo Committee in charge: Professor John C. Crowell, Chairman Professor James R. Boles Professor Richard Y. Fisher Professor Knut Bjorlykke, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway Professor Antonio A. Rocha-Campos, University of São Paulo, Brazil Professor Rodi A. Medeiros, Petroleo Brasileiro S.A.· February 1984 The dissertation of Mario Vicente Caputo Is approved: February 1984 ii February 15, 1984 Copyright by Mario Vicente Caputo 1984 iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I wish to express on, deep appreciation to all those individuals whose suggestions, criticism, encouragement and support have made this study possible. I am most grateful to Petróleo Brasileiro S. A. Petrobras (Brazilian State Oil Company), especially to Carlos Walter· Marinho Campos (member of the Board of Directors of Petrobras) for his constant support to this research project, and for making unpublished data from Petrobras files available for this broad study. Appreciation is also expressed to Raul Mosmann (General Manager·of the Department of Exploration), Raymundo Ruy Bahia (Manager·of Exploration of the Northern Exploration District) and Jeconias Queiroz (General Chief of Geologic Operations) who allowed me to develop this study. I wish to express my sincere gratitude to Dr. John C. Crowell for his guidance and counsel which at times went above and beyond his duty of advising Professor. Formal recognition is given to Drs. James R. Boles, Knut Bjorlykke and Richard V. Fisher for their· friendship and generous allocation of time whenever called upon. I desire to express my appreciation to Frederico Waldemar Lange for his comments and insights which improved the English text. Finally, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to my parents, Pedro and Zelinda and wife Maria da Glor·ia, who have ever been a source of inspiration and renewed strength. To them this study is dedicated. iv VITA March 4, 1938 – Born – Santana do Livramento, R.S.,Brazil 1961 - B.A., Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. 1962-1983 – Oil geologist at Petróleo Brasileiro, S.A. (Petrobras). PUBLICATIONS Caputo,M. V., 1971. Nomenclatura estratigráfica da Bacia do Amazonas – Histórico e atualização. Soc. Bras. Geol., An. XXXVI Congres. Bras. Geol., V. 3, p. 35-46 (with R. Rodrigues and D. N. N. Vasconcelos). Caputo, M, V., and Crowell, J. C., 1984. Migration of glacial centers across Gondwana during Paleozoic era. Geol. Soc. of Am. Bull. (in press). Caputo, M. V., 1984. Late Devonian glaciation in South America. Special issue. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology and Palaeoecology (in press). v ABSTRACT Stratigraphy, Tectonics, Paleoclimatology and Paleogeography of Northern Basins of Brazil by Mário Vicente Caputo Paleozoic basins in northern Brazil contain thick sequences of sedimentary rocks, including diamictites. Because several different geological environments may generate diamictites a study of tec tonism, stratigraphy, paleoclimatology and paleogeography was made in order to deduce the processes involved in their origin. A large part of northern Brazil strata is underlain by metavolcanic and metasedimentary sequences steeply folded and metamorphosed during many tectonic events from about 3,600 to 1,000 m.y. ago. Northeast Brazil was also affected by the Brazilian tectonic cycle from about 700 to 450 m.y. ago. The pre-basin weak zones and resulting trends are responsible for the shape and geometry of 3 huge intracratonic basins developed during Paleozoic time: the Solimões, Amazonas and Parnaíba basins. The three basins had a similar geologic development during Paleozoic times; from Ordovician to Early Carboniferous time only clastic rocks were deposited, and from Late Carboniferous to Permian time carbonate and evaporites were also laid down. Tectonism that affected basins is related to uplift and collapse vi that preceded the break up of Pangea and subduction activity along the Solimões Basin, in the western side of the South American continent. Climate· has influenced the characteristics of each formation. Paleolatitudes based on paleoclimatic indicators such as tillites, eolian sands, coal, bauxite, red beds, evaporites, limestone, fauna and flora, changed from polar and circumpolar to equatorial during Phanerozoic times. Glaciation was recorded in Ordovician-Silurian, Late Devonian and Early Carboniferous times. A Late Devonian glaciation left a clear imprint as shown by sedimentary facies. Diamictites with striated, faceted and polished pebbles; rhythmites with dropstones; erratic boulders; striated pave ments and deformed sandstones document glacial conditions. Study of the migration of glacial centers based on the available literature and new data from Brazil shows that they closely follow published paleomagnetic wander data and that there is a close rela tionship between all Paleozoic glaciations and the Brazilian gla ciations. Ice centers moved from northern Africa to southwestern South America from Late Ordovician to Early Silurian time. From Mid-Silurian to early Late Devonian time no record of glaciation is known. In Late Devonian time intermittent glaciation initiated again in central South America and, from Late Devonian to Late Permian time ice centers migrated toward Antarctica across South America and South Africa. The Devonian and Ordovician-Silurian glaciations together vii with the Permo-Carboniferous glaciations may all have primarily resulted from the shifting position of the Gondwana continent with respect to the South Pole. viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS …………………………………..…………………………………………….iv VITA, PUBLICATIONS…..……………………………………………………….v ABSTRACT………………………………………………………………………….vi LIST OF FIGURES.….……………………..………….………………………….…xiv PHOTO CAPTIONS……….…………………………………………………………………………xix CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ………………………………………………….…………….………1 Scope and Methods of Study ………………………………………………...5 CHAPTER 2. CRITERIA FOR PALEOCLIMATIC STUDIES………..…………….8 Limestone………………………………………………………………………10 Evaporites………………………………………………………………………14 Red Beds……………………………………………………………………….18 Bauxite………………………………………………………………………….19 Coal……………………………………………………………………………..22 Aeolian Sands………………………………………………………………….24 Tilites………………………………………………………….………………...26 CHAPTER 3. CRITERIA FOR THE IDENTIFICATION OF GLACIGENIC DEPOSITS…………………………………………….…………………..30 Direct Evidence for Glaciation………………………………………………....34 Pavement and Boulder Pavement……………………………………...36 Striations and Related Features………………………………....….36 Periglacial Deposits……………………………………………….….......37 Glacio Marine Deposts…………………………………………..............38 Dropstones………………………………………………………..............40 Patterned Ground and Other Features…………………………….…...41 Indirect Evidence for Glaciation……………………………………………….…44 Loess………………………………………………….……………….……44 Regressions and Transgressions………………………………………....46 Massive Biotic Extinction…………………………………………………...46 Paleogeographic Reconstruction……….…………………………………47 Paleomagnetic Data………………………………………………………...48 CHAPTER 4. TECTONIC DEVELOPMENT OF SOUTH AMERICA FROM EARLY PRECAMBRIAN TO ORDOVICIAN TIME…………..……….…49 Amazonian Platform………………………………………………………….......53 Central Amazonian Province…………………………………….………...58 Maroni-Itacaiunas Fold Belt…………………………………….……….…59 ix Central Guyana Fold Belt……………………………………….…………….62 Rio Negro –Juruena Fold Belt………………………………………………..62 Rondonian Fold Belt…………………………………………………………...63 Brazilian Platform……………………………………………………….…………....67 Araguaia Fold Belt…………………………………………………………… ..68 Araioses Fold Belt…..................................................................................72 São Luís Craton.........................................................................................74 Goiás Massif..............................................................................................75 Brasilia Fold Belt........................................................................................76 São Francisco Craton................................................................................77 Ribeira and Própria Fold Belts...................................................................78 Plate Tectonics VS. Ensialic Tectonics……………………………………….......82 CHAPTER 5. ORIGIN AND DEVELOPMENT Of NORTHERN BRAZILIAN BASINS..89 Basic Concepts……………………………………………………………….89 Origin of the basins………………..………………………………..………..91 Basin Amplification……………………………………………………….…..96 CHAPTER 6. GENERAL REMARKS ON STRATIGRAPHY………….……………….99 CHAPTER 7. PIMENTA BUENO BASIN…………..………………..……….………....110 Pimenta Bueno Formation……………………………………………….....112 Unnamed Formation..............................................................................118 Fazenda da Casa Branca Formation......................................................118 Anari Basalt............................................................................................122 Botucatu Formation................................................................................122 Parecis Formation..................................................................................124 CHAPTER 8. SOLIMÕES BASIN………………………………………………………...126 Uatumã Group…………………………........…………………………….…….....128 Prosperança Formation………….......................................................130 Jutaí Formation..................................................................................134 Juruá Formation.................................................................................138