Sedimentation, metamorphism and granite generation in a back-arcregion : records from the Ediacaran Nova Venécia Complex, Araçuaí Orogen, Southeastern Brazil.

Abstract

The Nova Venécia migmatite-granulite-granite Complex (NVC) in the core of the Arac¸ uaí Orogen (AO,630–480 Ma), southeast Brazil, exposes a mid-crustal section with abundant evidence for high-grademetamorphism linked to production, extraction and emplacement of peraluminous melts. Although theAO represents the textbook example of a confined orogen, there is surprisingly a lack of detailed studieson its metamorphic evolution related to widespread granitogenesis occurring from the Neoproterozoic toearly Paleozoic. In this study, we combine U–Pb geochronology and metamorphic petrology to constrainthe evolution of the NVC migmatitic metasedimentary granulites, from deposition to high-grade meta-morphism, and to correlate the metamorphic history of the terrain with the several episodes of granitemagmatism (G1–G5) in the AO. The sedimentation of the NVC can be bracketed within a maximum 13 Myperiod, between its maximum depositional age at ca. 606 Ma and the intrusion of early syn-collisionalgranitoids at 593 Ma. Compilation of available U–Pb data shows that the bulk of the magmatic rocks in theAO (G1 + G2 rocks) crystallized contemporaneously over a period of 15 My (ca. 595–570 Ma) with a peakat ca. 575 Ma. Although it is inferred a protracted period of crustal heating in the AO (from ca. 640–480),U–Pb ages of metamorphic and magmatic zircons and monazites suggest at least two major heat pulsesat ca. 593–560 and 523–495 Ma. The timing of peak regional metamorphism is constrained from 575 to560 Ma, which temporally overlaps with the crystallization of the youngest granitoids. Phase equilibriummodeling of metasedimentary granulites from three different localities within the NVC, indicates thatall areas record similar peak P–T conditions of 750–850◦C and 5300–7500 bar. This is followed by hightemperature retrograde evolution to 640–800◦C and 4500–6000 bar. A post-collisional thermal eventlinked to the intrusion of large norite bodies (520–480 Ma) is recorded in our metagreywackes (monaziteU–Pb) and in granites (monazite and zircon U–Pb) from 523 to 495 Ma.