Minerals

Editorial

4 pages, 201 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

Editorial for Special Issue “Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress”

by Wilfried Winkler and Albrecht von Quadt

Minerals 2022, 12(5), 580; https://doi.org/10.3390/min12050580 - 4 May 2022

Viewed by 1358

Abstract

In general, provenance analysis has developed over the past 70 years into an enormously important tool in sediment investigations, both enabling solving earth science questions in basic research and practically applying it to mineral exploration [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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30 pages, 12176 KiB

Open AccessArticle

U–Pb Zircon Geochronological and Petrologic Constraints on the Post-Collisional Variscan Volcanism of the Tiddas-Souk Es-Sebt des Aït Ikko Basin (Western Meseta, Morocco)

by Ismail Hadimi, Nasrrddine Youbi, Abdelhak Ait Lahna, Mohamed Khalil Bensalah, Oussama Moutbir, João Mata, Miguel Doblas, Colombo Celso Gaeta Tassinari, Laura Gaggero, Miguel Angelo Stipp Basei, Kei Sato, Warda El Moume and Moulay Ahmed Boumehdi

Minerals 2021, 11(10), 1099; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11101099 - 7 Oct 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2946

Abstract

The NE–SW trending Tiddas Souk Es-Sebt des Ait Ikko (TSESDAI) basin, located at 110 km southeast of Rabat, in the region of Khmesset between the village of Tiddas and Souk Es-Sebt des Ait Ikko, is the third largest late Palaeozoic continental trough in [...] Read more.

The NE–SW trending Tiddas Souk Es-Sebt des Ait Ikko (TSESDAI) basin, located at 110 km southeast of Rabat, in the region of Khmesset between the village of Tiddas and Souk Es-Sebt des Ait Ikko, is the third largest late Palaeozoic continental trough in the northern Central Moroccan Meseta. It is a ~20 km long and ~2–3 km wide basin, comprising mainly mixed volcano-sedimentary reddish-purple continental Permian rocks laying with an angular unconformity on Visean deep marine siliciclastic sediments and unconformably overlain by the Triassic and Cenozoic formations. In this study we aim to better determine the age of Permian volcanics and their chemical and mineralogical characteristics, as well as assess the provenance of inherited zircons, thus contributing to the understanding of the late stages of the Variscan orogeny in Morocco. The standard volcanic succession includes the following terms: (i) andesites, lapilli tuffs and andesitic ash deposits; (ii) accumulations of rhyolitic lavas; (iii) lapilli tuffs and rhyolitic ash (formation F1); (iv) flows and breccias of dacites; (v) andesite flows; and (vi) basaltic flows. The various volcanic and subvolcanic studied rocks display calc-alkaline-series characteristics with high contents of SiO₂, Al₂O₃, CaO, MgO, and relatively abundant alkalis, and low contents of MnO. In the classification diagram, the studied facies occupy the fields of andesites, trachy-basalts, dacites, trachydacites, and rhyolites and display a sub-alkaline behavior. These lavas would be derived from a parental mafic magma (basalts) produced by partial fusion of the upper mantle. Specific chemical analyses that were carried out on the mineralogical phases (biotite and pyroxene) revealed that the examined biotites can be classified as magnesian and share similarities with the calc-alkaline association-field, while the clinopyroxenes are mainly augites and plot on the calc-alkaline orogenic basalt field. Andesites and dacites of TSESDAI show similarities with the rocks of the calc-alkaline series not linked to active subduction and which involve a continental crust in their genesis. The existence of enclaves in the lavas of the TSESDAI massif; the abnormally high contents of Rb, Ba, Th, and La; and the systematic anomalies in TiO₂ and P₂O₅ indicate also a crustal contamination mechanism. Three magmatic episodes are distinguished with two episodes that correspond to an eruptive cycle of calc-alkaline andesites and rhyolites followed by a basaltic episode. The SHRIMP U–Pb geochronologic data of zircons recovered from the rhyolite dome of Ari El Mahsar in TSESDAI basin show a Concordia age of 286.4 ± 4.7 Ma interpreted to date the magmatic crystallization of this dome. Thus, the rhyolite likely belongs to the third magmatic episodes of TSESDAI. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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29 pages, 9931 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Complex Characteristic of Zircon from Granitoids of the Verkhneurmiysky Massif (Amur Region)

by Maria M. Machevariani, Alexey V. Alekseenko and Jaume Bech

Minerals 2021, 11(1), 86; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11010086 - 16 Jan 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3930

Abstract

The study presents a complex characteristic of zircon from the Verkhneurmiysky intrusive series with Li-F granites. A wide range of morphological and chemical properties of zircon allowed us to obtain new information on the formation and alteration of zircon from biotite and zinnwaldite [...] Read more.

The study presents a complex characteristic of zircon from the Verkhneurmiysky intrusive series with Li-F granites. A wide range of morphological and chemical properties of zircon allowed us to obtain new information on the formation and alteration of zircon from biotite and zinnwaldite granitoids and to determine its features, which contribute to the correct definition of Li-F granites formed directly before the tin mineralization. The reviled trends of zircon morphology and composition evolution in the Verkhneurmiysky granites series are: the high-temperature morphotypes are followed by low-temperature ones with more complicated internal structure with secondary alteration zones, mineral inclusions, pores, and cracks; the increasing concentration of volatile (H₂O, F), large ion lithophile (Cs, Sr), high field strength (Hf, Nb) and rare-earth elements with decreasing crystallization temperatures and the determining role of the fluid phase (predominantly, F) in the trace element accumulation. The composition of zircon cores in biotite and zinnwaldite granites is very similar. However, the zircon rims from zinnwaldite granites are much more enriched in trace elements compared to those from biotite granites. The first study of zircon from the Verkhneurmiysky granitoids provides new data on the formation and alteration conditions of granitoids, including zinnwaldite ones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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32 pages, 5008 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Eoarchean to Neoproterozoic Detrital Zircons from the South of Meiganga Gold-Bearing Sediments (Adamawa, Cameroon): Their Closeness with Rocks of the Pan-African Cameroon Mobile Belt and Congo Craton

by Nguo Sylvestre Kanouo, Arnaud Patrice Kouske, Gabriel Ngueutchoua, Akella Satya Venkatesh, Prabodha Ranjan Sahoo and Emmanuel Archelaus Afanga Basua

Minerals 2021, 11(1), 77; https://doi.org/10.3390/min11010077 - 15 Jan 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 4703

Abstract

The core of detrital zircons from the southern Meiganga gold-bearing placers were analyzed by Laser Ablation Split Stream analytical techniques to determine their trace element abundances and U-Pb ages. The obtained data were used to characterize each grain, determine its formation condition, and [...] Read more.

The core of detrital zircons from the southern Meiganga gold-bearing placers were analyzed by Laser Ablation Split Stream analytical techniques to determine their trace element abundances and U-Pb ages. The obtained data were used to characterize each grain, determine its formation condition, and try to trace the provenance. The Hf (5980 to 12,010 ppm), Y (27–1650 ppm), U (25–954 ppm), Th (8–674 ppm), Ti (2–256 ppm), Ta, Nb, and Sr (mainly <5 ppm), Th/U (0.06–2.35), Ti zircon temperature (617–1180 °C), ∑REE (total rare earth element) (98–1030 ppm), and Eu/Eu* (0.03 to <1.35) are predominant values for igneous crustal-derived zircons, with very few from mantle sources and of metamorphic origin. Crustal igneous zircons are mainly inherited grains crystallized in granitic magmas (with some charnockitic and tonalitic affinities) and a few from syenitic melts. Mantle zircons were crystallized in trace element depleted mantle source magmatic intrusion during crustal opening. Metamorphic zircons grown in sub-solidus solution in equilibrium with garnet “syn-metamorphic zircons” and in equilibrium with anatectic melts “anatectic zircons” during crustal tectono-metamorphic events. The U-Pb (3671 ± 23–612 ± 11 Ma) ages distinguish: Eoarchean to Neoproterozoic igneous zircons; Neoarchean to Mid Paleoproterozoic anatectic zircons; and Late Neoproterozoic syn-metamorphic grains. The Mesoarchean to Middle Paleoproterozoic igneous zircons are probably inherited from pyroxene-amphibole-bearing gneiss (TTGs composition) and amphibole-biotite gneiss, whose features are similar to those of the granites, granodiorites, TTG, and charnockites found in the Congo Craton, south Cameroon. The youngest igneous zircons could be grains eroded from Pan-African intrusion(s) found locally. Anatectic and syn-metamorphic zircons could have originated from amphibole-biotite gneiss underlying the zircon-gold bearing placers and from locally found migmatized rocks that are from the Cameroon mobile belt, which could be used as proxies for tracking gold. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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21 pages, 6225 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Zircon U–Pb Geochronology, Geochemistry and Geological Significance of the Anisian Alkaline Basalts in Gejiu District, Yunnan Province

by Zhi Shang and Yongqing Chen

Minerals 2020, 10(11), 1030; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10111030 - 18 Nov 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3437

Abstract

The Gejiu Anisian alkaline basalts (GAAB), distributed in the southern part of the Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP), are crucial to understand the tectonomagmatic activity during the Triassic. Geochronological, geochemical, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic analyses were systematically applied to explore the origin, petrogenesis, and [...] Read more.

The Gejiu Anisian alkaline basalts (GAAB), distributed in the southern part of the Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP), are crucial to understand the tectonomagmatic activity during the Triassic. Geochronological, geochemical, and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic analyses were systematically applied to explore the origin, petrogenesis, and tectonic setting of the GAAB, and how they relate to the ELIP. Zircon U-Pb dating set the eruption date at 244 Ma. Most of the samples belonged to alkaline basalts and had high TiO₂ (2.14–3.23 wt.%) and MgO (4.43–19.58 wt.%) contents. Large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) were enriched relative to high field strength elements (HFSEs). The rare earth elements (REEs) and trace element signatures in the normalized diagrams were similar to oceanic island basalts (OIB) and Emeishan high-Ti basalts. These samples had consistent Sr-Nd isotope compositions: the initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr values ranged from 0.7044 to 0.7048 and εNd(t) = 3.25–4.92. The Pb isotopes were more complex, the (²⁰⁶Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)t, (²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)t, (²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁴Pb)t ratios were 17.493–18.197, 15.530–15.722, and 37.713–38.853, respectively. Our results indicate that the GAAB originated from the deeper enriched mantle with 5% to 15% partial melting of garnet lherzolite and a segregation depth of 2 to 4 GPa (60–120 km). During the formation of the GAAB, clinopyroxene and Ti-Fe oxides were fractionally crystallized with insignificant crustal contamination. The GAAB were formed in a extensional regime that was related to the Gejiu-Napo rift event in the Triassic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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19 pages, 7504 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationships between Alluvial Facies/Depositional Environments, Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology, and Bulk-Rock Geochemistry in the Cretaceous Neungju Basin (Southwest Korea)

by Hyojong Lee, Min Gyu Kwon, Seungwon Shin, Hyeongseong Cho, Jong-Sun Kim, Yul Roh, Min Huh and Taejin Choi

Minerals 2020, 10(11), 1023; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10111023 - 17 Nov 2020

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2661

Abstract

Zircon U-Pb geochronology and bulk-rock geochemistry analyses were carried out to investigate their relationship with depositional environments of the non-marine Neungju Basin sediments in South Korea. The Neungju Basin was formed in an active continental margin setting during the Late Cretaceous with associated [...] Read more.

Zircon U-Pb geochronology and bulk-rock geochemistry analyses were carried out to investigate their relationship with depositional environments of the non-marine Neungju Basin sediments in South Korea. The Neungju Basin was formed in an active continental margin setting during the Late Cretaceous with associated volcanism. Detrital zircon age distributions of the Neungju Basin reveal that the source rocks surrounding the basin supplied sediments into the basin from all directions, making different zircon age populations according to the depositional environments. Mudstone geochemistry with support of detrital zircon U-Pb age data reveals how the heterogeneity affects the geochemical characteristics of tectonic setting and weathering intensity. The sediments in the proximal (alluvial fan to sandflat) and distal (playa lake) environments differ compositionally because sediment mixing occurred exclusively in the distal environment. The proximal deposits show a passive margin signature, reflecting their derivation from the adjacent metamorphic and granitic basement rocks. The distal deposits properly indicate an active continental margin setting due to the additional supply of reworked volcaniclastic sediments. The proximal deposits indicate a minor degree of chemical weathering corresponding to fossil and sedimentological records of the basin, whereas the distal deposits show lower weathering intensity by reworking of unaltered volcaniclastic detritus from unstable volcanic and volcaniclastic terranes. Overall, this study highlights that compositional data obtained from a specific location and depositional environments may not describe the overall characteristic of the basin. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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31 pages, 14948 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Sedimentology, Provenance and Radiometric Dating of the Silante Formation: Implications for the Cenozoic Evolution of the Western Andes of Ecuador

by Cristian Vallejo, Santiago Almagor, Christian Romero, Jose L. Herrera, Vanessa Escobar, Richard A. Spikings, Wilfried Winkler and Pieter Vermeesch

Minerals 2020, 10(10), 929; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10100929 - 21 Oct 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 5815

Abstract

The Silante Formation is a thick series of continental deposits, exposed along a trench-parallel distance of approximately 300 km within the Western Cordillera of Ecuador. The origin, tectonic setting, age and stratigraphic relationships are poorly known, although these are key to understand the [...] Read more.

The Silante Formation is a thick series of continental deposits, exposed along a trench-parallel distance of approximately 300 km within the Western Cordillera of Ecuador. The origin, tectonic setting, age and stratigraphic relationships are poorly known, although these are key to understand the Cenozoic evolution of the Ecuadorian Andes. We present new sedimentological, stratigraphic, petrographic, radiometric and provenance data from the Silante Formation and underlying rocks. The detailed stratigraphic analysis shows that the Silante Formation unconformably overlies Paleocene submarine fan deposits of the Pilalo Formation, which was coeval with submarine tholeiitic volcanism. The lithofacies of the Silante Formation suggest that the sediments were deposited in a debris flow dominated alluvial fan. Provenance analysis including heavy mineral assemblages and detrital zircon U-Pb ages indicate that sediments of the Silante Formation were derived from the erosion of a continental, calc-alkaline volcanic arc, pointing to the Oligocene to Miocene San Juan de Lachas volcanic arc. Thermochronological data and regional correlations suggest that deposition of the Silante Formation was coeval with regional rock and surface uplift of the Andean margin that deposited alluvial fans in intermontane and back-arc domains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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25 pages, 9722 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detrital Zircon Provenance Analysis in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt of Central and Southeastern Mongolia—A Palaeotectonic Model for the Mongolian Collage

by Wilfried Winkler, Denise Bussien, Munktsengel Baatar, Chimedtseren Anaad and Albrecht von Quadt

Minerals 2020, 10(10), 880; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10100880 - 2 Oct 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3178

Abstract

Our study is aimed at reconstructing the Palaeozoic–early Mesozoic plate tectonic development of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt in central and southeast Mongolia (Gobi). We use sandstone provenance signatures including laser ablation U-Pb ages of detrital zircons, their epsilon hafnium isotope signatures, and [...] Read more.

Our study is aimed at reconstructing the Palaeozoic–early Mesozoic plate tectonic development of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt in central and southeast Mongolia (Gobi). We use sandstone provenance signatures including laser ablation U-Pb ages of detrital zircons, their epsilon hafnium isotope signatures, and detrital framework grain analyses. We adopt a well-established terran subdivision of central and southeastern Mongolia. However, according to their affinity and tectonic assemblage we group them into three larger units consisting of continental basement, rift-passive continental margin and arc elements, respectively. These are in today’s coordinates: (i) in the north the late Cambrian collage from which the later Mongol-Okhotsk and the Central Mongolia-Erguna mountain ranges resulted, (ii) in the south a heterogeneous block from which the South Mongolia-Xin’gan and Inner Mongolia-Xilin belts developed, and (iii) in between we still distinguish the intra-oceanic volcanic arc of the Gurvansayhan terrane. We present a model for paleotectonic development for the period from Cambrian to Jurassic, which also integrates findings from the Central Asian Orogenic Belt in China and Russia. This mobilistic model implies an interplay of rift and drift processes, ocean formation, oceanic subduction, basin inversion, collision and suture formation in space and time. The final assemblage of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt occurred in Early Jurassic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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18 pages, 7476 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Provenance Analysis of the Paleogene Strata in the Northern Qaidam Basin, China: Evidences from Sediment Distribution, Heavy Mineral Assemblages and Detrital Zircon U‒Pb Geochronology

by Jianguo Yin, Shuai Zhang and Zhixiong Wu

Minerals 2020, 10(10), 854; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10100854 - 27 Sep 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2687

Abstract

Using provenance analysis to build an accurate source-to-sink relationship is the key to infer mountain building scenarios around the Qaidam Basin, and also important to understanding the uplift and expansion of the Tibetan Plateau. However, some conflicting provenance inferences are caused by different [...] Read more.

Using provenance analysis to build an accurate source-to-sink relationship is the key to infer mountain building scenarios around the Qaidam Basin, and also important to understanding the uplift and expansion of the Tibetan Plateau. However, some conflicting provenance inferences are caused by different interpretations for the prevalent existence of the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic age group in detrital zircon U‒Pb age spectra of the Paleogene strata at the northern Qaidam Basin, and these need to be resolved. In this article, an integrated study of sediment distribution, heavy mineral assemblages, and detrital zircon U‒Pb geochronology is carried out to analyze provenance of the Paleogene strata at the northern Qaidam Basin. The decreasing trends of the net sand to gross thickness ratios and conglomerate percentages away from the Qilian Mountains and Altyn Tagh range to basin interior clearly support they are the provenance areas. Sedimentation of materials from the Altyn Tagh range is spatially confined to a small area in front of the mountains. A large sandy body with a uniform distribution of detrital zircon ages (containing a lot of the late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic zircon ages) and heavy mineral assemblages in the Xiaganchaigou Formation is supplied by the Qilian Mountains. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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15 pages, 54288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tracking the Detrital Zircon Provenance of Early Miocene Sediments in the Continental Shelf of the Northwestern South China Sea

by Ce Wang, Letian Zeng, Yaping Lei, Ming Su and Xinquan Liang

Minerals 2020, 10(9), 752; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10090752 - 25 Aug 2020

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 3388

Abstract

Sediment provenance studies have become a major theme for source-to-sink systems and provide an important tool for assessing paleogeographic reconstruction, characterizing the depositional system, and predicting reservoir quality. The lower Miocene is an important stratigraphic unit for deciphering sediment evolution in the continental [...] Read more.

Sediment provenance studies have become a major theme for source-to-sink systems and provide an important tool for assessing paleogeographic reconstruction, characterizing the depositional system, and predicting reservoir quality. The lower Miocene is an important stratigraphic unit for deciphering sediment evolution in the continental shelf of the northwestern South China Sea, but the provenance characteristics of this strata remain unclear. In this study, detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and Lu-Hf isotopes from the lower Miocene Sanya Formation in the Yinggehai-Song Hong Basin were examined to study the provenance and its variation in the early Miocene. U-Pb dating of detrital zircons yielded ages ranging from Archean to Cenozoic (3313 to 39 Ma) and displayed age distributions with multiple peaks and a wide range of ε_Hf(t) values (from −27.2 to +8.5). Multi-proxy sediment provenance analysis indicates that the Red River system was the major source for the sediments in the northern basin, with additional contribution from central Vietnam, and the Hainan played the most important role in contributing detritus to the eastern margin of the basin in the middle Miocene. This paper highlights the provenance of early Miocene sediments and contributes to paleogeographic reconstruction and reservoir evaluation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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23 pages, 7720 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detrital-Zircon Age Spectra of Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic Sedimentary Rocks from the Ereendavaa Terrane in NE Mongolia: Implications for the Early-Stage Evolution of the Ereendavaa Terrane and the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean

by Laicheng Miao, Mingshuai Zhu, Chenghao Liu, Munkhtsengel Baatar, Chimidtseren Anaad, Shunhu Yang and Xingbo Li

Minerals 2020, 10(9), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10090742 - 22 Aug 2020

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 3243

Abstract

The Mongol-Okhotsk orogenic belt (MOB) is considered to be the youngest division of the huge Central Asian Orogenic Belt, but its origin and evolution are still enigmatic. To better understand the history of the MOB, we conducted U-Pb geochronological analyses of detrital-zircon grains [...] Read more.

The Mongol-Okhotsk orogenic belt (MOB) is considered to be the youngest division of the huge Central Asian Orogenic Belt, but its origin and evolution are still enigmatic. To better understand the history of the MOB, we conducted U-Pb geochronological analyses of detrital-zircon grains from Neoproterozoic-Paleozoic sedimentary sequences as well as a volcanic suite in the Ereendavaa terrane, the southern framing unit of the MOB, in NE Mongolia. Our results show that the protoliths of the quartzite assemblage of the Ereendavaa terrane basement (or proto-Ereendavaa terrane) was deposited after ca. 1.15 Ga on a passive continental margin. The detrital-zircon age spectra of the Silurian and Devonian sedimentary sequences of the terrane demonstrate that the source areas were dominated by proximal Cambrian-Ordovician arc rocks, likely resulting from the northward subduction of the Kherlen Ocean lithosphere beneath the Ereendavaa terrane. Based on a combination of our new data with those published, we show that the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean split from an early Paleozoic domain during, or after, the early Silurian by a mantle plume, and developed an Andean-type margin along its northern rim possibly at Middle Devonian times, and a bidirection subduction system in mid-Carboniferous at approximately 325 Ma. This bipolar subduction of the Mongol-Okhotsk Ocean might have lasted until the Triassic. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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15 pages, 6248 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Comparison of Detrital Zircon U-Pb and Muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar Ages in the Yangtze Sediment: Implications for Provenance Studies

by Xilin Sun, Klaudia F. Kuiper, Yuntao Tian, Chang’an Li, Zengjie Zhang and Jan R. Wijbrans

Minerals 2020, 10(7), 643; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10070643 - 20 Jul 2020

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3607

Abstract

Detrital zircon U-Pb and muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating are useful tools for investigating sediment provenance and regional tectonic histories. However, the two types of data from same sample do not necessarily give consistent results. Here, we compare published detrital muscovite ⁴⁰ [...] Read more.

Detrital zircon U-Pb and muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating are useful tools for investigating sediment provenance and regional tectonic histories. However, the two types of data from same sample do not necessarily give consistent results. Here, we compare published detrital muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar and zircon U-Pb ages of modern sands from the Yangtze River to reveal potential factors controlling differences in their provenance age signals. Detrital muscovite ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages of the major tributaries and main trunk suggest that the Dadu River is a dominant sediment contributor to the lower Yangtze. However, detrital zircon data suggest that the Yalong, Dadu, and Min rivers are the most important sediment suppliers. This difference could be caused by combined effects of lower reaches dilution, laser spot location on zircons and difference in closure temperature and durability between muscovite and zircon. The bias caused by sediment laser spot targeting a core or rim of zircon and zircon reworking should be considered in provenance studies. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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19 pages, 6661 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Role of the Down-Bending Plate as a Detrital Source in Convergent Systems Revealed by U–Pb Dating of Zircon Grains: Insights from the Southern Andes and Western Italian Alps

by Andrea Di Giulio, Chiara Amadori, Pierre Mueller and Antonio Langone

Minerals 2020, 10(7), 632; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10070632 - 16 Jul 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 2430

Abstract

In convergent zones, several parts of the geodynamic system (e.g., continental margins, back-arc regions) can be deformed, uplifted, and eroded through time, each of them potentially delivering clastic sediments to neighboring basins. Tectonically driven events are mostly recorded in syntectonic clastic systems accumulated [...] Read more.

In convergent zones, several parts of the geodynamic system (e.g., continental margins, back-arc regions) can be deformed, uplifted, and eroded through time, each of them potentially delivering clastic sediments to neighboring basins. Tectonically driven events are mostly recorded in syntectonic clastic systems accumulated into different kinds of basins: trench, fore-arc, and back-arc basins in subduction zones and foredeep, thrust-top, and episutural basins in collisional settings. The most widely used tools for provenance analysis of synorogenic sediments and for unraveling the tectonic evolution of convergent zones are sandstone petrography and U–Pb dating of detrital zircon. In this paper, we present a comparison of previously published data discussing how these techniques are used to constrain provenance reconstructions and contribute to a better understanding of the tectonic evolution of (i) the Cretaceous transition from extensional to compressional regimes in the back-arc region of the southern Andean system; and (ii) the involvement of the passive European continental margin in the Western Alps subduction system during impending Alpine collision. In both cases, sediments delivered from the down-bending continental block are significantly involved. Our findings highlight its role as a detrital source, which is generally underestimated or even ignored in current tectonic models. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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13 pages, 2623 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tectonic Setting of the Eastern Margin of the Sino-Korean Block in the Pennsylvanian: Constraints from Detrital Zircon Ages

by Mun Gi Kim, Yong Il Lee and Taejin Choi

Minerals 2020, 10(6), 527; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10060527 - 9 Jun 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2648

Abstract

To test the previous hypothesis that upper Paleozoic sediments in the eastern Sino-Korean Block were mostly derived from the paleo-orogen located to the east, we compared published and new U–Pb age data of detrital zircons from Pennsylvanian strata distributed in the Sino-Korean Block [...] Read more.

To test the previous hypothesis that upper Paleozoic sediments in the eastern Sino-Korean Block were mostly derived from the paleo-orogen located to the east, we compared published and new U–Pb age data of detrital zircons from Pennsylvanian strata distributed in the Sino-Korean Block (SKB). The age distributions of detrital zircons from different localities of Pennsylvanian strata in North China reflect varying contributions from the Inner Mongolia Paleo-uplift in the north and the Central China Orogenic Belt in the south. The supply of detritus from the northern source to distant areas, however, appears to have been limited during the Pennsylvanian times. The age distributions of detrital zircons from Korean Pennsylvanian strata located in the east of the SKB are characterized by a dense cluster of 1.84–1.90 Ga and differ from those of North China. The Korean age characteristic is best explained by strong influences of the detritus derived from the Paleoproterozoic Yeongnam Massif in southeastern Korea. Along with the significant number of zircons that record syn- to near-depositional magmatic activities, this observation supports the hypothesis of the existence of an active continental margin setting in the east of the SKB. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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20 pages, 4231 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Ages in the East China Seas: Implications for Provenance Analysis and Sediment Budgeting

by Xiangtong Huang, Jiaze Song, Wei Yue, Zhongbo Wang, Xi Mei, Yalong Li, Fangliang Li, Ergang Lian and Shouye Yang

Minerals 2020, 10(5), 398; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10050398 - 29 Apr 2020

Cited by 22 | Viewed by 4291

Abstract

Linking marine sinks to potential terrestrial sources is one of most intriguing but challenging aspects of sediment source-to-sink studies. In this study, we analyzed 23 zircon samples (3271 filtered best ages) from surface sediments of the east China seas (ECSs) that cover a [...] Read more.

Linking marine sinks to potential terrestrial sources is one of most intriguing but challenging aspects of sediment source-to-sink studies. In this study, we analyzed 23 zircon samples (3271 filtered best ages) from surface sediments of the east China seas (ECSs) that cover a large portion of the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea, East China Sea to part of the northeastern South China Sea. The results of U-Pb age distributions exhibit variable signatures in different seas. The Bohai Sea is characterized by 4 age populations at 203–286 Ma, 383–481 Ma, 1830–1940 Ma and 2480–2548 Ma, whereas the southern Yellow Sea and the East China Sea are featured by 5 age populations at 176–223 Ma, 383–481 Ma, 732–830 Ma, 1830–1940 Ma and 2480–2548 Ma. We propose that the presence or absence of the population of 732–830 Ma in the Yangtze Craton (YC) and the North China Craton (NCC) is a possible geochronological signature to distinguish zircon grains derived from the two source regions. Furthermore, on the basis of multidimensional scaling (MDS), U-Pb ages in the sediments of the Bohai Sea, East China Sea and the Taiwan Strait could be correspondently linked to those of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and Taiwan rivers. The good linkages support the view that U-Pb age distributions of detrital zircons in the margin seas are mainly controlled by fluvial discharges, and ultimately, by the tectonic history of the corresponding source regions. Using a sediment forward mixing model, we obtained the relative sediment contributions and spatial variations of five most important river discharges in the region. The mixing results suggest that the major rivers in the region, i.e., the Yangtze and the Yellow Rivers, are the dominant sediment contributors to the continental margin, and their mixing coefficients could be used to infer relative sediment budgeting. In addition, spatial variations in mixing coefficient in the East China Sea indicate that sediment mixing and partitioning processes in the marine depositional environment have played a part role in propagating the provenance signals as a result of interaction of oceanic currents and tides. The combined method between provenance analysis and mixing modeling provides a feasible way to appreciate sediment budgeting in the geological past. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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24 pages, 11540 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Tectonic Evolution of the West Bogeda: Evidences from Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Geochemistry Proxies, NW China

by Yalong Li, Wei Yue, Xun Yu, Xiangtong Huang, Zongquan Yao, Jiaze Song, Xin Shan, Xinghe Yu and Shouye Yang

Minerals 2020, 10(4), 341; https://doi.org/10.3390/min10040341 - 10 Apr 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3330

Abstract

The Bogeda Shan (Mountain) is in southern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) and well preserved Paleozoic stratigraphy, making it an ideal region to study the tectonic evolution of the CAOB. However, there is a long-standing debate on the tectonic setting [...] Read more.

The Bogeda Shan (Mountain) is in southern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) and well preserved Paleozoic stratigraphy, making it an ideal region to study the tectonic evolution of the CAOB. However, there is a long-standing debate on the tectonic setting and onset uplift of the Bogeda Shan. In this study, we report detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and whole-rock geochemistry of the Permian sandstone samples, to decipher the provenance and tectonic evolution of the West Bogeda Shan. The Lower-Middle Permian sandstone is characterized by a dominant zircon peak age at 300–400 Ma, similar to the Carboniferous samples, suggesting their provenance inheritance and from North Tian Shan (NTS) and Yili-Central Tian Shan (YCTS). While the zircon record of the Upper Permian sandstone is characterized by two major age peaks at ca. 335 Ma and ca. 455 Ma, indicating the change of provenance after the Middle Permian and indicating the uplift of Bogeda Shan. The initial uplift of Bogeda Shan was also demonstrated by structural deformations and unconformity occurring at the end of Middle Permian. The bulk elemental geochemistry of sedimentary rocks in the West Bogeda Shan suggests the Lower-Middle Permian is mostly greywacke with mafic source dominance, and tectonic setting changed from the continental rift in the Early Permian to post rift in the Middle Permian. The Upper Permian mainly consists of litharenite and sublitharenite with mafic-intermediate provenances formed in continental island arcs. The combined evidences suggest the initial uplift of the Bogeda Shan occurred in the Late Permian, and three stages of mountain building include the continental rift, post-rift extensional depression, and continental arc from the Early, Middle, to Late Permian, respectively. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Detrital Mineral U/Pb Age Dating and Geochemistry of Magmatic Products in Basin Sequences: State of the Art and Progress)

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