Depósitos cenozóicos da porção oeste da Bacia do Amazonas

Abstract

The geological history of Cenozoic in the Amazonas Basin is not well known yet. After the Cretaceous ages had been extended also to younger deposits from Amazonas Basin, only in the beginning of this century, Cenozoic deposits were described locally on fluvial scarps of Solimões and Amazonas rivers. Based-outcrop facies and stratigraphic analysis of the central-west region of Amazonas Basin, between Manacapuru and Itacoatiara towns, state of Amazonas, allowed to individualize two Cenozoic units, the Iranduba and Novo Remanso formations that recorded the Miocene-Pleistocene history of the Amazon fluvial system. Both units overlie Cretaceous siliciclastics deposits of the Alter do Chão Formation and are separate by stratigraphic surfaces S1, S2 and S3 associated to lateritic paleosoils. The Iranduba Formation is characterized by poor sorted, reddish, medium to coarse grained sandstones with trough and planar cross stratification, inclined heterolithic stratification and interbedded pelites. Trace fossil (Taenidum) and roots marks occur in the top of the fining upwards cycles. The Novo Remanso Formation is characterized by coarse grained to ferruginous sandstones and fine to medium grained kaolinitc sandstones with incipient planar stratification and subordinates pelites. Locally, occurs inclined heterolithic stratification with pelites rich in organic detritus and Late to Middle Miocene palinomorphs, and woods fragments fossilized by oxides and hydroxide of iron. Those units are interpreted as deposits of fluvial channels and flood plains, related to a meandering fluvial system. The integration of stratigraphic analysis and available data in the literature allowed the correlation with others Cenozoic units from Amazonas and Solimões basins and Bragantina Platform/São Luis Basin. Geochronological data show the absence of Andean sedimentary source that suggested a limited connection with the Solimões Basin drainage and indicate that Purus Arch was a geographic barrier in the Late Miocene to Pliocene. The current configuration of the Solimões-Amazonas transcontinental drainage seems has established after the Pliocene. The paleoenvironment and paleogeographic changes have contributed mainly to the current Amazon biodiversity.