South Atlantic passive margin evolution: A thermochronology case study from the Rio de Janeiro-Três Rios section, SE Brazil

The southeastern Brazilian passive margin records a complex post-rift evolution, with two parallel high-elevation features formed after the opening of South Atlantic. We applied apatite fission track (AFT) and U–Th/He (AHe) low temperature thermochronology to constrain thermo-tectonic history Serra do Mar escarpment in area Rio de Janeiro state. New AFT central ages for basement areas collected from N–S transect orthogonal shoreline between cities Três Rios, range 98.5 ± 5.3 54.1 4.2 Ma, mean lengths 12.34 0.40 14.63 0.17 μm. Uncorrected AHe lie 68.1 5.9 60.2 7.3 Ma are consistent results. Inverse thermal models constrained by data imply earliest cooling onset Barremian (Early Cretaceous), steady rates more common samples closer coastal areas. Maximum depths denudation 2.5 4.5 km. Published thermochronological adjacent combined new results show seemingly simpler evolution area, although suggesting structural control age distribution exhumation. • southeast Brazil (Rio state). Main phase took place Late Cretaceous. Results suggest important over landscape evolution.