The Araçuaí orogen extends from the eastern edge of the São Francisco craton to the Atlantic margin, in southeastern Brazil. Orogenic igneous rocks, formed from c. 630 to c. 480 Ma, cover one third of this huge area, building up the Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province and the most important dimension stone province of Brazil. G1 supersuite (630-585 Ma) mainly consists of tonalite to granodiorite, with mafic to dioritic facies and enclaves, representing a continental calc-alkaline magmatic arc. G2 supersuite mostly includes S-type granites formed during the syn-collisional stage (585-560 Ma), from relatively shallow two-mica granites and related gem-rich pegmatites to deep garnet-biotite granites that are the site of yellow dimension stone deposits. The typical G3 rocks (545-525 Ma) are non-foliated garnet-cordierite leucogranites, making up autochthonous patches and veins. At the post-collisional stage (530-480 Ma), G4 and G5 supersuites were generated. The S-type G4 supersuite mostly consists of garnet-bearing two-mica leucogranites that are the source of many pegmatites mined for tourmalines and many other gems, lithium (spodumene) ore and industrial feldspar. G5 supersuite, consisting of high-K-Fe calc-alkaline to alkaline granitic and/or charnockitic to dioritic/noritic intrusions, is the source of aquamarine-topaz-rich pegmatites but mainly of a large dimension stone production.

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a b s t r a c tNew U-Pb in situ zircon dating provides a new approach for the study of the Espinhaço Supergroup units exposed in the São Francisco Craton and Araçuaí Orogen. Located in Southern Espinhaço, Minas Gerais, the following two basins were formed in intraplate conditions: (i) the Lower Espinhaço Basin is marked by a volcano-sedimentary sequence with alluvial, fluvial and eolian deposits that were formed from 1.68 Ga to 1.80 Ga; (ii) the overlying sequence, called the Upper Espinhaço Basin, is a rift-sag basin that presents basal diamond-bearing continental deposits (the Sopa-Brumadinho Formation) with a younger zircon peak at 1192 Ma, which is the maximum age for deposition of the upper units. The obtained U-Pb detrital zircon data of the studied units show age groupings related to the orogenic cycles of Jequié (Neoarchean) and Transamazonian (Paleoproterozoic), which are associated with the stability period from 1.8 Ga to 0.91 Ga in the São Franscico Craton, and record deposition during at least the three basinal cycles. The Stenian-Tonian ages of the Upper Espinhaço Basin units (906 Ma to 1192 Ma) suggest a direct link with the evolution of the Rodinia Supercontinent and represent a marker for Mesoproterozoic to Early Neoproterozoic evolution in the São Franscico Craton and adjacent areas.

O Orógeno Araçuaí, de idade neoproterozóica, se estende da margem sudeste do Cráton do São Franciscoao Oceano Atlântico, entre os paralelos 15° e 21° S. O estágio rifte da bacia precursora do Orógeno Araçuaíé balizado pela idade U-Pb SHRIMP de ca. 875 Ma dada por granitos anorogênicos. A evolução orogênicaé subdividida nos estágios pré-colisional (ca. 630-585 Ma), sin-colisional (ca. 585-560 Ma), tardi-colisional(ca. 560-530 Ma) e pós-colisional (ca. 530-490 Ma). Remanescentes de rochas magmáticas de assoalhooceânico, localizados no setor central deste orógeno, têm sido descritos na literatura geológica desde 1990.O mais completo destes registros oceânicos é o ofiolito de Ribeirão da Folha, situado nos arredores da vilahomônima, no município de Minas Novas, MG. O ofiolito de Ribeirão da Folha é uma associação litológicatectonicamente desmembrada, composta por fatias de rochas meta-ultramáficas e metamáficas que foramembutidas por empurrões em pacotes da Formação Ribeirão da Folha (unidade distal do Grupo Macaúbas).Esta formação, na área enfocada, consiste de micaxistos e cianita-grafita xistos (pelitos pelágicos), comintercalações de metacherts sulfetados, diopsiditos sulfetados, corpos de sulfetos maciços, formaçõesferríferas bandadas dos tipos óxido, sulfeto e silicato, e orto-anfibolitos finos (metabasaltos), metamorfisadosnas zonas da cianita da fácies anfibolito médio. Dados geotermobarométricos dos micaxistos peraluminososrevelaram condições metamórficas em torno de 550º C a 5,5 kbar. As assinaturas litoquímicas das rochasmetamáficas e meta-ultramáficas revelam afinidade ofiolítica e origem em assoalho oceânico. Os dadosisotópicos Sm-Nd destas rochas mostram valores positivos de epsilon Nd (+3 a +7), e as idades modelo eisocrônica sugerem desenvolvimento de litosfera oceânica durante o Neoproterozóico. Todas as tentativasanteriores de recuperação de zircão a partir de volumosas amostras das rochas metamáficas foram infrutíferas.Contudo, corpos leucocráticos semelhantes a plagiogranito foram reconhecidos poucos anos atrás e setornaram um dos principais alvos da tese de doutorado da primeira autora. Estes corpos ocorrem sob aforma de veios irregulares com dimensões milimétricas a centimétricas (até 50 cm), e são encaixados pororto-anfibolito bandado de granulação média a grossa (metadolerito a metagabro). Os corpos leucocráticosconsistem de metaplagiogranito foliado, composto essencialmente por plagioclásio cálcico com bordasalbíticas, quartzo, hornblenda e epidoto, com titanita, sulfeto, apatita e zircão como os principais mineraisacessórios. Os cristais de zircão da amostra de plagiogranito são euédricos e muito límpidos, e mostrammorfologia prismática elongada (3:1), sugerindo origem magmática. Análises U-Pb por LA-ICPMS (LaserAblation Inductively Coupled Mass Spectrometry) foram realizadas em dezoito cristais de zircão e mostramresultados concordantes, indicando idade de cristalização magmática de 660 ± 29 Ma. Esta idade baliza aépoca de geração de crosta oceânica na bacia precursora do Orógeno Araçuaí. O espalhamento de algumasdas análises ao longo da curva concórdia sugere perda de Pb devido ao metamorfismo de fácies anfibolitoem ca. 580 Ma. A idade de ca. 660 Ma plagiogranito precede a maior idade U-Pb (ca. 630 Ma) de tonalitosdeformados do arco magmático pré-colisional, bem como a idade U-Pb (ca. 582 Ma) dos granitos sincolisionaismais antigos.

The Mesoproterozoic Conselheiro Mata Group is the uppermost sequence of the Proterozoic intracontinental Espinhaço basin that developed on the Congo-São Francisco Paleoplate. This sequence is represented by a marine shallow-water platform that experienced a sag phase followed by a rift phase in the Upper Espinhaço. We used combined sedimentological-stratigraphic descriptions of sections, whole-rock (WR) geochemistry and U-Pb detrital zircon dating to develop a regional paleogeographic evolution model of the sag phase. The succession corresponds to transgressive-regressive cycles in the following ascending order: 1) offshore to lower shoreface facies represented by quiescent periods and episodic sediment supply (Santa Rita Formation); 2) upper shoreface to foreshore and coastal desert facies with a reworking of the underlying units (Córrego dos Borges Formation); 3) lower shoreface with fallout of suspended fine sediments and a combination of unidirectional and oscillatory flows generated by storm waves (Córrego da Bandeira Formation); 4) tidal-influenced upper shoreface to foreshore facies with the migration of subaqueous dunes, wave swash in a beach environment and cycles of neap-spring tides (Córrego Pereira Formation); and 5) the resumption of lower-shoreface sedimentation and the subsequent development of a stromatolitic carbonate-siliciclastic platform (Rio Pardo Grande Formation). The geochemical data indicate that the studied units contain input from felsic rocks and sedimentary rocks. The basal marine to eolian sediments of the Galho do Miguel Formation are dominated by Rhyacian sources (2.1 Ga). The basal and intermediate units of the Conselheiro Group contain Archean, Rhyacian, Statherian and Calymmian-Ectasian (1.6-1.33 Ga) zircon grains, whereas Orosirian (1.9-2.0 Ga) sources dominate in the upper strata of the group. The study of this Stenian (Mesoproterozoic) intracratonic sequence provides clues to understanding the history of sedimentation and the potential source areas on the São Francisco Craton and adjacent areas, which are very useful for comparison to Phanerozoic intracratonic basins and the reconstruction of Paleoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic supercontinents.

A study of the cathodoluminescence (CL) properties of imperial topaz from Ouro Preto region (Minas Gerais state, Brazil) and its relation with trace-element composition was conducted, using scanning electron microscope cathodoluminescence (SEM-CL), optical microscope cathodoluminescence (OM-CL), cathodoluminescence-spectrometry (CL-spectrometry), electron microprobe analysis (EMPA), laser ablation inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) and Raman spectrometry. Each analytical technique allowed characterization of the imperial topaz fingerprint. SEM-CL panchromatic images show different crystal growth and resorption events in imperial topaz crystals. Colour CL images indicate only blue to violet emissions. The CL-spectra indicate a broad emission band with low intensity peak at ~417 nm and a broad emission band with high intensity and major peaks at 685, 698, 711 and 733 nm. The EMPA indicates high OH content, in which the OH/(OH + F) ratio ranges between 0.35–0.43 (0.72 ≤ OH ≤ 0.86 apfu). High Cu and Zn concentrations (LA-ICP-MS) were measured in the high luminescence areas of SEM-CL images, suggesting both elements as CL-activators in imperial topaz. Raman and CL-spectra indicate high Cr concentrations, corroborated by EMPA and LA-ICP-MS results. The high Cr caused strong luminescence intensities that enabled their superimposition over the OH stretching mode (~3650 cm–1) of topaz in all Raman spectra. Among trace elements, the concentrations of Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Cu, Zn, Ga and Ge provide the fingerprint of imperial topaz.

This paper focuses on magmatic episodes and their relations to the main regional deformation in thebackarc region of the Araçuaí Orogen (southeastern Brazil). The main tectonic event took placeduring the syncollisional stage (ca. 585-560 Ma) and imprinted the regional, solid-state foliation (Sn)in most rocks of this orogen. In the mapped region (18°-19°S, 41°-40°30’W), the older unit (NovaVenécia Complex) occurs in small areas and consists of migmatitic, sillimanite-garnet-cordieritebiotiteparagneisses with minor calcsilicate intercalations. The widespread garnet-biotite granites(Carlos Chagas, Montanha and Ataléia suites) are correlated to the syncollisional, S-type, G2 supersuite(ca. 585-560 Ma) of the Araçuaí Orogen, because they persistently record Sn, usually associated tostriking mylonitic features. However, we also correlate some massifs of undeformed garnet-biotitegranite to the Carlos Chagas Suite. Outwards from such undeformed pods, this Sn-free, garnet-biotitegranite progressively shows solid-state deformation features superimposed on its igneous fabric, andgives place to the mylonitized granite typical of the Carlos Chagas Suite. In fact, both the undeformedand mylonitized granites of the Carlos Chagas Suite yielded similar magmatic crystallization ages (ca.585-575 Ma; zircon, U-Pb SHRIMP). These G2 suites often show restites and xenoliths of paragneissand calcsilicate rock, and gradational contacts with migmatitic inliers, suggesting a genesis related toanatexis of the Nova Venécia Complex. The usually small, irregular-shaped bodies and veins composedof garnet-cordierite leucogranites, free of Sn, belong to the post-collisional, S-type, G3 suite (ca.540-530 Ma, in the focused region). Most G3 bodies are enveloped by and contain restites of foliatedG2 granites, representing autochthonous to parautochthonous partial melts from the Carlos Chagas,Montanha and Ataléia suites. Sn-free granites and pegmatites, representing post-Sn partial meltsfrom the Nova Venécia paragneisses, also can be correlated to the G3 suite. Very large to relativelysmall intrusions composed of biotite granite, charnockite and/or norite, free of Sn, represent the lastmagmatic episode of the Araçuaí Orogen, in the focused region. These intrusions (Aimorés Suite)belong to the post-collisional, I-type, G5 supersuite (ca. 520-490 Ma). Such a succession of magmaticepisodes suggests that this middle crust sector of the Araçuaí Orogen remained hot (T > 650 °C) fora long time interval (ca. 100 Ma), from ca. 585 Ma to the Cambrian-Ordovician boundary. Thisrequires a long-lasting release of orogenic heat that could be explained by a combination of threesources: i) heat input by convective asthenosphe under the backarc region from the precollisional tothe syncollisional stages; ii) release of radiogenic heat from the crustal pile thickened by thrusts; andiii) ascent of mantle magmas and partial melting of the deep crust during the extensional collapse ofthe Araçuaí Orogen.

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