Zircon U-Pb Geochronology Applied to Tectonics and Ore Deposits

A special issue of Geosciences (ISSN 2076-3263).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 May 2025 | Viewed by 1972

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School of Natural Sciences, CODES Centre of Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences, University of Tasmania, 208 Physics Building, Sandy Bay Campus, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Interests: ore deposits; metallogeny; SE Asia; gemstones; fluid inclusions; zircon U–Pb
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Guest Editor
CODES Centre for Ore Deposit and Earth Sciences, University of Tasmania, Private Bag 126, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Interests: exploring geochemistry; geochemistry; geochronology; sedimentology; isotope geochemistry
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled "Zircon U-Pb Geochronology Applied to Tectonics and Ore Deposits", delves into the application of zircon U–Pb geochronology in the field of tectonics. Tectonics, the study of the Earth's crustal movements and deformation, plays a crucial role in understanding the formation and evolution of our planet's geological features. Zircon U–Pb dating techniques have emerged as a powerful tool in deciphering the timing and duration of various tectonic events, shedding light on the dynamic processes that have shaped Earth's surface.

This Special Issue presents a comprehensive collection of research articles that highlight the significance of zircon U–Pb geochronology in unraveling the mysteries of tectonic processes. The articles within this Special Issue explore the diverse applications of zircon U–Pb dating, including the determination of ages for magmatic events, metamorphic processes, and sedimentary deposition. By analyzing the isotopic composition of zircons, researchers can accurately date these geological events, providing valuable insights into the geological history of different regions.

The papers presented in this Special Issue aim to showcase the wide range of tectonic settings where zircon U–Pb geochronology has been applied, such as mountain building processes, plate tectonics, and crustal growth. The studies contained within this collection also emphasize the integration of zircon U–Pb dating with other analytical techniques, such as geochemistry and geophysics, to enhance our understanding of tectonic phenomena.

Prof. Dr. Khin Zaw
Dr. Charles Makoundi
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • zircon U–Pb geochronology
  • tectonics
  • magmatic events
  • geological history
  • plate tectonics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 5031 KiB  
Article
Rapid India–Asia Initial Collision Between 50 and 48 Ma Along the Western Margin of the Indian Plate: Detrital Zircon Provenance Evidence
by Muhammad Qasim, Junaid Ashraf, Lin Ding, Javed Iqbal Tanoli, Fulong Cai, Iftikhar Ahmed Abbasi and Saif-Ur-Rehman Khan Jadoon
Geosciences 2024, 14(11), 289; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14110289 - 29 Oct 2024
Viewed by 534
Abstract
Constraining the collision timing of India and Asia requires reliable information from the coeval geological record along the ~2400 km long collisional margin. This study provides insights into the India–Asia collision at the westernmost margin of the Indian Plate using combined U-Pb geochronological [...] Read more.
Constraining the collision timing of India and Asia requires reliable information from the coeval geological record along the ~2400 km long collisional margin. This study provides insights into the India–Asia collision at the westernmost margin of the Indian Plate using combined U-Pb geochronological data and sandstone petrography. The study area is situated in the vicinity of Fort Munro, Pakistan, along the western margin of the Indian Plate, and consists of the Paleocene Dunghan Formation and Eocene Ghazij Formation. The U-Pb ages of detrital zircons from the Dunghan Formation are mainly clustered between ~453 and 1100 Ma with a second minor cluster between ~1600 and 2600 Ma. These ages suggest that the major source contributing to the Dunghan Formation was likely derived from basement rocks and the cover sequence exposed mainly in Tethyan Himalaya (TH), Lesser Himalaya (LH), and Higher Himalayan (HH). Petrographic results suggest that the quartz-rich samples from the Dunghan Formation are mineralogically mature and have likely experienced log-distance transportation, which is possible in the case of an already established and well-developed river system delivering the sediments from the Craton Interior provenance. Samples of the overlying Ghazij Formation show a major detrital zircon age clustered at ~272–600 Ma in the lower part of the formation, comparable to the TH. In the middle part, the major cluster is at ~400–1100 Ma, and a minor cluster at ~1600–2600 Ma similar to the age patterns of TH, LH, and HH. However, in the uppermost part of the Ghazij Formation, ages of <100 Ma are recorded along with 110–166 Ma, ~400–1100 Ma, and ~1600–2600 Ma clusters. The <100 Ma ages were mainly attributed to the northern source, which was the Kohistan-Ladakh arc (KLA). The ~110–166 Ma ages are possibly associated with the TH volcanic rocks, ophiolitic source, and Karakoram block (KB). The Paleozoic to Archean-aged zircons in the Ghazij Formation represent an Indian source. This contrasting provenance shift from India to Asia is also reflected in the sandstone petrography, where the sample KZ-09 is plotted in a dissected arc field. By combining the U-Pb ages of the detrital zircons with sandstone petrography, we attribute this provenance change to the Asia–India collision that caused the provenance shift from the southern (Indian Craton) provenance to the northern (KLA and KB) provenance. In view of the upper age limit of the Ghazij Formation, we suggest the onset of Asian–Indian collision along its western part occurred at ca. 50–48 Ma, which is younger than the collision ages reported from central and northwestern segments of the Indian plate margin with 70–59 Ma and 56 Ma, respectively. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zircon U-Pb Geochronology Applied to Tectonics and Ore Deposits)
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19 pages, 7689 KiB  
Article
Development of High-Silica Adakitic Intrusions in the Northern Appalachians of New Brunswick (Canada), and Their Correlation with Slab Break-Off: Insights into the Formation of Fertile Cu-Au-Mo Porphyry Systems
by Fazilat Yousefi, David R. Lentz, James A. Walker and Kathleen G. Thorne
Geosciences 2024, 14(9), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/geosciences14090241 - 7 Sep 2024
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 760
Abstract
High-silica adakites exhibit specific compositions, as follows: SiO2 ≥ 56 wt.%, Al2O3 ≥ 15 wt.%, Y ≤ 18 ppm, Yb ≤ 1.9 ppm, K2O/Na2O ≥ 1, MgO < 3 wt.%, high Sr/Y (≥10), and La/Yb [...] Read more.
High-silica adakites exhibit specific compositions, as follows: SiO2 ≥ 56 wt.%, Al2O3 ≥ 15 wt.%, Y ≤ 18 ppm, Yb ≤ 1.9 ppm, K2O/Na2O ≥ 1, MgO < 3 wt.%, high Sr/Y (≥10), and La/Yb (>10). Devonian I-type adakitic granitoids in the northern Appalachians of New Brunswick (NB, Canada) share geochemical signatures of adakites elsewhere, i.e., SiO2 ≥ 66.46 wt.%, Al2O3 > 15.47 wt.%, Y ≤ 22 ppm, Yb ≤ 2 ppm, K2O/Na2O > 1, MgO < 3 wt.%, Sr/Y ≥ 33 to 50, and La/Yb > 10. Remarkably, adakitic intrusions in NB, including the Blue Mountain Granodiorite Suite, Nicholas Denys, Sugar Loaf, Squaw Cap, North Dungarvan River, Magaguadavic Granite, Hampstead Granite, Tower Hill, Watson Brook Granodiorite, Rivière-Verte Porphyry, Eagle Lake Granite, Evandale Granodiorite, North Pole Stream Suite, and the McKenzie Gulch porphyry dykes all have associated Cu mineralization, similar to the Middle Devonian Cu porphyry intrusions in Mines Gaspé, Québec. Trace element data support the connection between adakite formation and slab break-off, a mechanism influencing fertility and generation of porphyry Cu systems. These adakitic rocks in NB are oxidized, and are relatively enriched in large ion lithophile elements, like Cs, Rb, Ba, and Pb, and depleted in some high field strength elements, like Y, Nb, Ta, P, and Ti; they also have Sr/Y ≥ 33 to 50, Nb/Y > 0.4, Ta/Yb > 0.3, La/Yb > 10, Ta/Yb > 0.3, Sm/Yb > 2.5, Gd/Yb > 2.0, Nb + Y < 60 ppm, and Ta + Yb < 6 ppm. These geochemical indicators point to failure of a subducting oceanic slab (slab rollback to slab break-off) in the terminal stages of subduction, as the generator of post-collisional granitoid magmatism. The break-off and separation of a dense subducted oceanic plate segment leads to upwelling asthenosphere, heat advection, and selective partial melting of the descending oceanic slab (adakite) and (or) suprasubduction zone lithospheric mantle. The resulting silica-rich adakitic magmas ascend through thickened mantle lithosphere, with minimal affect from the asthenosphere. The critical roles of transpression and transtension are highlighted in facilitating the ascent and emplacement of these fertile adakitic magmas in postsubduction zone settings. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Zircon U-Pb Geochronology Applied to Tectonics and Ore Deposits)
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