New age determinations for the Banhadão and Itapirapuã complexes in the Ribeira Valley, southern Brazil

Abstract

New age determinations by Ar-Ar and U-Pb SHRIMP for the alkaline complexes of Banhadão and Itapirapuã that occur in the Ribeira Valley are in agreement with the previously radiometric K-Ar ages available in literature. Ar-Ar ages on biotite for Banhadão range in the 106-110 Ma interval, and suggest a minimum age of 106 Ma for the complex. Ar-Ar data on biotite for Itapirapuã are more uniform, indicating an age of 102 Ma for the complex. U-Pb SHRIMP determinations on titanite from Itapirapuã melanite syenitic rocks yielded an age of ~106 Ma. Thus, the age interval of 100 and 110 Ma does exist indeed, suggesting an intermediate magmatic pulse between the already well-defined peaks of 80-90 Ma and 130-140 Ma for the alkaline rocks in southern Brazil, confirming the periodicity of the magmatism.