Insights into sedimentary provenance and the evolution of the Potiguar Basin, NE Brazil, using U-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotopes in detrital zircons

U-Pb and Lu-Hf data obtained from detrital zircon of 21 samples from four wells were used to determine the source terrains of the Cretaceous sedimentary rocks of the Pendencia, Pescada and Alagamar Formations (rift and post-rift sections) of Potiguar Basin, northeast Brazil. More than 1500 U-Pb concordant ages allowed the determination of the main age peaks in Paleoproterozoic (ca. 2.2-2.0 Ga and 1.9-1.7 Ga) and Neoproterozoic (ca. 0.62-0.55 Ga), matching the ages of rocks from the basement adjacent to the basin (northern portion of Borborema Province). epsilon Hf values obtained from 61 zircon grains range from -0.53 to -8.86 for Paleoproterozoic and from 7.67 to -25.43 for Neoproterozoic zircons, consistent with published data from rocks of the adjacent basement. Neoproterozoic zircons shows epsilon Hf values more negative from bottom to top, and presents a trend in U-Pb age vs epsilon Hf where the older grains show juvenile signature and the younger, continental crustal signature. This trend mimics the evolution of granitoid generation in the basement adjacent to the Potiguar Basin during the Neoproterozoic orogeny. The age pattern varies vertically in most wells, reflecting the contribution of distinct source areas following the rift evolution. Furthermore, the age pattern in the wells located at southeast of the grabens and horsts system of the onshore Potiguar Basin show Paleoproterozoic zircons concentrated in a single peak age, few or no zircon grains of 1.8-1.6 Ga and lesser amount of 0.6-0.7 Ga zircons, in contrast with the wells located at northwest, with Paleoproterozoic ages distributed in more than one peak, significant presence of 1.8-1.6 Ga zircons and proportionally more 0.6-0.7 Ga zircon grains. It suggests that this system acted as a barrier to sediment transport, delimiting the basin in two sectors fed by two different sources, one being the northeast portion of Borborema Province and the other, the northwest portion, both in the rift and post-rift sections. Such differences can result in distinct quality for the potential reservoirs in these sectors and would be an important guide for hydrocarbon exploration in Potiguar basin.

Automated summary

The U-Pb and Lu-Hf data from detrital zircon in sedimentary rocks of the Potiguar Basin in northeast Brazil revealed main age peaks in the Paleoproterozoic and Neoproterozoic periods, matching the ages of rocks from the adjacent basement. Additionally, the Hf values of zircon grains showed distinct characteristics with different time periods, indicating the evolution of granitoid generation in the adjacent basement rocks.