Influence of continental fraction in recent biogenic carbonate sedimentation in the oriental shelf of Northeastern Brazil

  • Marques W
  • Menor E
  • Sial A
  • et al.
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Abstract

The influence of continental sediments on formation of recent marine sediments, has been min-eralogically and geochemically studied using shelf-floor whole sediments (WS). The studied area corresponds to the oriental shelf of Northeastern Brazil between the 10 to 80m isobaths, adjacent to a continental area dominated by semi-arid to humid tropical climate. 47 representative samples from the dominating facies in this shelf have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and chemical analisis and results allowed identification of two types of floor sediments of: (a) quartz-terrigenous dominance and (b) carbonate dominance, whose fraction present distinct mineralogical and geochemical characteristics. In the terrigenous facies, that occur from 10 to 25-55m depths, quartz, potassic feldspar and high Mg-calcite predominate, with Sr generally <2,200 ppm. In the carbonate facies, high Mg-calcite and aragonite coexist and predominate, with Sr concentrations up to 6,400 ppm and ranging >2,600 ppm. In both cases, low-Mg calcite is absent. Even when the terrigenous fraction is found in accessory amounts (< 3% WS), geochemical signatures, marked by strong intercorrelations SiO2-Al2O3-K2O-Rb, exhibit correlation coefficients with r ≥ 0.9, reflecting a continental felsic source. The statistical analyses (co-variation between Mg/Ca and SiO2), chemistry and mineralogy of the sediments indicate that textural and mineralogical nature of the substratum is the main factor controlling the biota (domi-nantly benthonic in this shelf) and that, in these conditions, quartzous terrigenous facies favor species that are preserved in high Mg-calcite instead of those preserved in aragonite. This tendency showed to be independent of depth of sampling between 10 and 55 m.

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Marques, W. S., Menor, E. de A., Sial, A. N., Ferreira, V. P., Freire, G. S. S., & Manso, V. do A. V. (2007). Influence of continental fraction in recent biogenic carbonate sedimentation in the oriental shelf of Northeastern Brazil. Revista Brasileira de Geociências, 37(4), 760–766. https://doi.org/10.25249/0375-7536.2007374760766

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