The Rio de la Plata and Paranapanema cratons: Uncovering the hidden pieces of west Gondwana

Abstract

The Rio de la Plata and Paranapanema cratons are major constituents of the South American Platform, yet both cratons are predominantly covered by Paleo- to Cenozoic basins. Because of that, much about their geological evolution and tectonic position in different supercontinent cycles is still little known, and most inferences about these paleocontinents is recorded indirectly in their surrounding orogenic systems. This special volume collects 15 novel contributions highlightingrecent advancements in uncovering the cratonic blocks and their surrounding orogenic systems, from their ancient evolution to their tectonic significance during the assembly of Gondwana and establishment of the Proto-Pacific active margin. The collected studies span a large geographic extent in South America and African counterparts, and follow a variety of methodological approaches.