The Paranapanema block is a coherent block of lithosphere located in southeastern South America spanning roughly the same area as the Paraná Basin. The existence of a tectonically stable zone beneath the Paraná Basin was first suggested in 1975. Despite difficulties in accessing the buried Paranapanema block it is inferred it must be composed mostly of orthogneiss and that it existed before the Brasiliano orogeny.[1]

## Description[edit]

Paranapanema is a triangular block surrounded by structures of the Neoproterozoic Brasiliano orogeny. The northwestern edge faces the Paraguai Belt, probably the remains of an island arc from the Brazilides Ocean. On the northeast edge are the southern end of the Brasilia Belt and the Arenópolis magmatic arc. To the south and southeast are the Apiaí and São Roque belts.[2]

During the Carboniferous, Paranapanema was covered by sediments and during the Early Cretaceous, the Paraná-Etendeka large igneous province added a layer of flood basalts before the South America-Africa breakup.[2]

## References[edit]

* Geology portal

1. ^ Mantovani & de Brito Neves 2009
2. ^ a b Mantovani et al. 2005, Definition of the Paranapanema Block, pp. 20–21

### Bibliography[edit]

* Mantovani, M. S. M.; Quintas, M. C. L.; Shukowsky, W.; Brito Neves, B. B. (2005). "Delimitation of the Paranapanema Proterozoic block: a geophysical contribution". Episodes — Newsmagazine of the International Union of Geological Sciences. 28 (1): 18–22. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
* Mantovani, M. S. M.; de Brito Neves, B. B. (2009). "7.1 The Paranapanema Lithospheric Block: Its Nature and Role in the Accretion of Gondwana". In Gaucher, C.; Sial, A. N.; Halverson, G. P.; Frimmel, H. E. (eds.). Developments in Precambrian Geology. Vol. 16\. Elsevier. pp. 257–272. doi:10.1016/S0166-2635(09)01619-3. ISBN 9780444532497.

* v
* t
* e

Major South American geological features

Tectonic plates|

* Antarctic
* Caribbean
* Cocos
* Coiba
* Malpelo
* Nazca
* North Andes
* Scotia
* South American

Cratons and shields|

* Amazonian Craton
* Arequipa-Antofalla Craton
* Atlantic Shield
* Central Brazilian Shield
* Guiana Shield
* Paranapanema Block
* Río Apa Craton
* Río de la Plata Craton
* São Francisco Craton
* Uruguayan Shield

Structures undergoing subduction|

* Antarctic Plate
* Carnegie Ridge
* Chile Rise
* Juan Fernández Ridge
* Malpelo Ridge
* Nazca Plate
* Nazca Ridge

Faults and shear zones|

* Atacama
* Boconó
* Bucaramanga-Santa Marta
* Cochabamba
* Cordillera Blanca
* Dolores-Guayaquil
* Domeyko
* Eastern Frontal
* Gastre
* Huincul
* Liquiñe-Ofqui
* Magallanes-Fagnano
* Meta
* Morón
* Oca-Ancón
* Pernambuco
* El Pilar
* Romeral
* San Ramón
* Sarandí del Yí
* Sierra Ballena
* Sobral
* El Tigre
* Trans-Brazilian

Rifts and grabens|

* Aguapeí
* Amazon Rift
* Asunción Rift
* Cuyo Rift
* Espino
* Neuquén Rifts
* Paramirim
* Salta Rifts

Sedimentary basins|

* Altiplano
* Amazon
* Andean foreland
* Central Brazil
* Chaco
* Colorado
* Cuyo
* Eastern Venezuela
* Golfo San Jorge
* Magallanes
* Malvinas
* Neuquén
* Pantanal
* Paraíba
* Paraná
* Salta
* Solimões

Orogenies|

* Andean
* Brasiliano
* Cariri Velhos
* Chonide
* Famatinian
* Gondwanide
* Juruá
* Pampean
* San Rafael
* Sunsás
* Terra Australis
* Tilcarian

Metallogenetic provinces|

* Bolivian Tin Belt
* Chilean Iron Belt
* Deseado Massif
* El Indio Gold Belt
* El Mutún
* Iron Quadrangle
* Lithium Triangle

Volcanism|

| Volcanic provinces|

* Andean
* North
* Central
* South
* Austral
* Caribbean
* Central Atlantic
* Paraná and Etendeka

|

Hotspots|

* Ascension
* Noronha hotspot
* Galápagos
* Juan Fernández
* San Felix
* Trindade

This geology article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

|

* v
* t
* e

*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template