High frequency peritidal cycles of the upper Araras Group: Implications for disappearance of the neoproterozoic carbonate platform in southern Amazon Craton

• The Nobres Fm. is characterized by shallowing upward cycles from arid tidal flats.
• The cyclicity patterns suggest accommodation by sea-level changes and subsidence.
• Carbonate production was eliminated by terrigenous input.
• Our data do not support the pre-glaciation Gaskiers influence within the Nobres Fm.

The Araras Group is an extensive carbonate platform developed at the southeastern margin of the Amazon Craton during the Neoproterozoic. The Nobres Formation corresponds to the upper unit of the Neoproterozoic Araras Group. It is exposed in road cuts and quarries in the Northern Paraguay Belt, and is characterized by meter-scale shallowing upward cycles. Forty-four fourth-to fifth-order parasequence cycles are enclosed into three third order sequences/megacycles, unconformably overlain by siliciclastic deposits of the Alto Paraguay Group. The cycles are generally of peritidal type, limited by exposure surfaces composed of asymmetrical tidal flat/sabkha lithofacies in the basal Nobres Formation. They consist of fine dolostone, intraclastic dolostones with megaripples, stromatolites biostrome, sandy dolostone with enterolithic structures and silicified evaporite molds. Upsection, the cycles progressively become symmetrical, comprising arid tidal flat deposits with abundant stromatolite biostrome, fine-grained sandstone and rare evaporitic molds. The stacking patterns for hundreds of meters indicate continuous and recurrent generation of accommodation space, probably triggered by subsidence concomitant with relative sea-level changes. Palynomorphs found in the upper part of Nobres Formation comprehend spheroidal forms, such as Leiospharidia, rare filamentous and acanthomorphous acritarchs, mostly Tanarium correlated to the Ediacaran Complex Acantomorph Palynoflora of ∼580–570 Ma. Previous data of carbon isotopes and paleogeographic reconstructions, and also the presence of evaporites and storm-influenced deposits in the Araras Group, suggest a wet to tropical setting for Amazonia during the Mid-Ediacaran, which is incompatible with previous claims for Gaskiers-related glacial sedimentation in the region. During the final stages of evolution of the Araras carbonate platform, a progressive input of terrigenous has occurred in the peritidal setting likely due tectonic activity in the vicinity of the basin and the rapid uplift of source areas to the west and to the east of the basin preceding the progradation of the siliciclastic fluvial-coastal environments related to the Alto Paraguay sedimentation. This event resulted in erosion of shallow carbonate basins and, potentially, the demise and disintegration of the Neoproterozoic carbonate platforms in southern Amazon Craton.

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