Detrital zircon geochronology of Ediacaran to Cambrian deep-water strata of the Franklinian basin, northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut: implications for regional stratigraphic correlations

2013 ◽  
Vol 50 (10) ◽  
pp. 1007-1018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luke P. Beranek ◽  
Victoria Pease ◽  
Robert A. Scott ◽  
Tonny B. Thomsen
Keyword(s):  
Shallow Water ◽  
Deep Water ◽  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Ellesmere Island ◽  
Passive Margin ◽  
Sediment Provenance ◽  
Provenance Analysis ◽  
Detrital Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Detrital Zircon Ages

Enigmatic successions of deep-water strata referred to as the Nesmith beds and Grant Land Formation comprise the exposed base of the Franklinian passive margin sequence in northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut. To test stratigraphic correlations with Ediacaran to Cambrian shallow-water strata of the Franklinian platform that are inferred by regional basin models, >500 detrital zircons from the Nesmith beds and Grant Land Formation were analyzed for sediment provenance analysis using laser ablation (LA–ICP–MS) and ion-microprobe (SIMS) methods. Samples of the Nesmith beds and Grant Land Formation are characterized by 1000–1300, 1600–2000, and 2500–2800 Ma detrital zircon age distributions and indicate provenance from rock assemblages of the Laurentian craton. In combination with regional stratigraphic constraints, these data support an Ediacaran to Cambrian paleodrainage model that features the Nesmith beds and Grant Land Formation as the offshore marine parts of a north- to northeast-directed depositional network. Proposed stratigraphic correlations between the Nesmith beds and Ediacaran platformal units of northern Greenland are consistent with the new detrital zircon results. Cambrian stratigraphic correlations within northern Ellesmere Island are permissive, but require further investigation because the Grant Land Formation provenance signatures agree with a third-order sedimentary system that has been homogenized by longshore current or gravity-flow processes, whereas coeval shallow-water strata yield a restricted range of detrital zircon ages and imply sources from local drainage areas or underlying rock units. The detrital zircon signatures of the Franklinian passive margin resemble those for the Cordilleran and Appalachian passive margins of Laurentia, which demonstrates the widespread recycling of North American rock assemblages after late Neoproterozoic continental rifting and breakup of supercontinent Rodinia.

The State-of-play of geochronology and provenance in the Neoproterozoic Adelaide Rift Complex

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jarred Lloyd ◽  
Morgan Blades ◽  
John Counts ◽  
Alan Collins ◽  
Kathryn Amos ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Analytical Techniques ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Passive Margin ◽  
Sediment Provenance ◽  
Rift Basin ◽  
Detrital Zircon Geochronology ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Local Sources

<p>The Adelaide Rift Complex is a large sedimentary superbasin in South Australia that formed resultant of Rodinia’s breakup and subsequent evolution of the Australian passive margin of the Pacific basin. It holds a globally significant and exceptionally well-preserved Neoproterozoic–early Cambrian succession. Much work has been done over the last century describing the lithostratigraphy and sedimentology of this vast basin. The rift complex contains evidence for major changes in Earth’s systems, yet, the rocks are poorly dated, and the sediment provenance, and link with tectonic evolution, is remarkably poorly known.</p><p>This work provides a centralised database of the currently available, and previously unpublished, detrital zircon geochronology for the Neoproterozoic of the Adelaide Rift Complex, highlighting where the available data is from, and the stratigraphic and spatial gaps in our knowledge. By subjecting the U–Pb detrital zircon data to data analytical techniques, we provide a first look overview of the change in provenance, and subsequently (generalised) palaeo-tectonogeography that this suggests during the Neoproterozoic. These data show a change from dominantly local sources in the middle Tonian, to dominantly far-field sources as the rift-basin develops over time. The Cryogenian icesheets punctuate this with an ephemeral return to more local sources from nearby rift shoulders. This effect is particularly apparent during the Sturtian Glaciation than in the younger Marinoan Glaciation. In the Ediacaran, we see an increasingly stronger influence of younger (<700 Ma) detrital zircons from an enigmatic source that we interpret to be from southern (i.e. Antarctic) sources. We also note that we see a slight shift in the late Mesoproterozoic age peaks, from ca. 1170 Ma to ca. 1090 Ma, with a corresponding decrease in older ca. 1600 Ma detritus.</p><p>This work forms the basis of continuing work to improve our understanding of the geochronology, provenance and palaeo-tectonogeography of the Adelaide Rift Complex.</p>

Detrital zircon geochronology of Neoproterozoic to Permian miogeoclinal strata in British Columbia and Alberta

1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (12) ◽  
pp. 1380-1401 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E Gehrels ◽  
Gerald M Ross
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Isotopic Signature ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Detrital Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Salmon River ◽  
Western Canada Sedimentary Basin ◽  
Cordilleran Margin ◽  
Peace River Arch ◽  
Detrital Zircon Ages

U-Pb ages have been determined on 250 detrital zircon grains from Neoproterozoic through Permian miogeoclinal strata in British Columbia and Alberta. Most of the grains in these strata are >1.75 Ga and are interpreted to have been derived from nearby basement provinces (although most grains were probably cycled though one or more sedimentary units prior to final deposition). Important exceptions are Ordovician sandstones that contain grains derived from the Peace River arch, and upper Paleozoic strata with detrital zircons derived from the Franklinian orogen, Salmon River arch (northwestern U.S.A.), and (or) Grenville orogen. These provenance changes resulted in average detrital zircon ages that become progressively younger with time, and may also be reflected by previously reported shifts in the Nd isotopic signature of miogeoclinal strata. In addition to the grains that have identifiable sources, grains of ~1030, ~1053, 1750-1774, and 2344-2464 Ma are common in our samples, but igneous rocks of these ages have not been recognized in the western Canadian Shield. We speculate that unrecognized plutons of these ages may be present beneath strata of the western Canada sedimentary basin. Collectively, our data provide a record of the ages of detrital zircons that accumulated along the Canadian Cordilleran margin during much of Paleozoic time. Comparisons between this reference and the ages of detrital zircons in strata of potentially displaced outboard terranes may help reconstruct the paleogeography and accretionary history of the Cordilleran orogen.

Late Paleozoic tectonism of the Bogda region in  Chinese North Tianshan: Insights from sedimentary provenance analysis

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Qian Wang ◽  
Guochun Zhao ◽  
Yigui Han ◽  
Jinlong Yao
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Late Paleozoic ◽  
Provenance Analysis ◽  
The North ◽  
Tectonic Transition ◽  
Isotopic Analyses ◽  
Zircon Morphology ◽  
Detrital Zircon Ages ◽  
T Values

<p>The Chinese North Tianshan (CNTS) extends E-W along the southern part of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and has undergone complicated accretion-collision processes in the Paleozoic. This study attempts to clarify the late Paleozoic tectonism in the region by investigating the provenance of the Late Paleozoic sedimentary successions from the Bogda Mountain in the eastern CNTS by U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic analyses of detrital zircons. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages (N=519) from seven samples range from 261 ± 4 Ma to 2827 ± 32 Ma, with the most prominent age peak at 313 Ma. There are Precambrian detrital zircon ages (~7%) ranged from 694 to 1024 Ma. The youngest age components in each sample yielded weighted mean ages ranging from 272 ± 9 Ma to 288 ± 5 Ma, representing the maximum depositional ages. These and literature data indicate that some previously-assumed “Carboniferous” strata in the Bogda area were deposited in the Early Permian, including the Qijiaojing, Julideneng, Shaleisaierke, Yangbulake, Shamaershayi, Liushugou, Qijiagou, and Aoertu formations. The low maturity of the sandstones, zircon morphology and provenance analyses indicate a proximal sedimentation probably sourced from the East ­Junggar Arc and the Harlik-Dananhu Arc in the CNTS. The minor Precambrian detrital zircons are interpreted as recycled materials from the older strata in the Harlik-Dananhu Arc. Zircon ɛ<sub>Hf</sub>(t) values have increased since ~408 Ma, probably reflecting a tectonic transition from regional compression to extension. This event might correspond to the opening of the Bogda intra-arc/back arc rift basin, possibly resulting from a slab rollback during the northward subduction of the North Tianshan Ocean. A decrease of zircon ɛ<sub>Hf</sub>(t) values at ~300 Ma was likely caused by the cessation of oceanic subduction and subsequent collision, which implies that the North Tianshan Ocean closed at the end of the Late Carboniferous. This research was financially supported by the Youth Program of Shaanxi Natural Science Foundation (2020JQ-589), the NSFC Projects (41730213, 42072264, 41902229, 41972237) and Hong Kong RGC GRF (17307918).</p>

Detrital zircon geochronology of metasedimentary rocks in the southern Omineca Belt, Canadian Cordillera

1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1254-1270 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gerald M. Ross ◽  
Randall R. Parrish
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Bimodal Distribution ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Detrital Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Early Proterozoic ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Basement Rocks ◽  
Two Samples ◽  
Alberta Basin ◽  
Detrital Zircon Ages

We address two problems of Cordilleran geology in this study using U–Pb dating of single detrital zircon grains from metasedimentary rocks: the provenance of the Windermere Supergroup, and the age and correlation of metasedimentary rocks within the Shuswap Complex that are at high metamorphic grade. Because some of these rocks are clearly of North American affinity, the ages of zircons provide indirect constraints on the age and distribution of continental basement from which the zircons were derived.A consistent pattern emerges from ages of about 50 grains from six rocks. Nearly all samples analyzed (48–53°N) are characterized by a bimodal distribution of zircon ages of 1.65–2.16 Ga and > 2.5 Ga, with a distinct lack of ages between 2.1 and 2.5 Ga. Exceptions to this pattern are young zircons from two samples, from Valhalla and Grand Forks – Kettle complexes of southeastern British Columbia, that have grains 1435 ± 35 and 650 ± 15 Ma, respectively. These younger grains are inferred to have been derived from magmatic rocks, and they have no obvious source in either the Canadian Shield or the Alberta subsurface basement to the east. The Early Proterozoic and Archean ages of detrital zircons resemble those of dated basement rocks beneath the Alberta Basin as well as basement exposed within the Cordilleran hinterland (gneisses of Thor–Odin, Frenchman Cap, and Malton regions). However, 2.1–2.4 Ga rocks that are extensive in the subsurface of northern Alberta are not represented in the inventory of detrital zircon ages presented in this paper.This pattern suggests that much of the Cordilleran basement between these latitudes is underlain by Archean crust of the Hearne–Wyoming provinces that may be mantled to the west by an orogenic–magmatic belt of Early Proterozoic (1.7–1.9 Ga) age which may largely have been parallel to the present Cordilleran orogen.

Detrital Zircon Geochronology of Pennsylvanian-Permian Strata in Colorado: Evidence for Appalachian-Derived Sediment and Implications for the Timing of Ancestral Rocky Mountains Uplift

2018 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 119-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kajal Nair ◽  
John Singleton ◽  
Christopher Holm-Denoma ◽  
Sven Egenhoff
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Sediment Provenance ◽  
Front Range ◽  
Sediment Sources ◽  
Dispersal Patterns ◽  
North Central ◽  
Zircon Age ◽  
Detrital Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Appalachian Orogen

Pennsylvanian-Permian time in north-central Colorado corresponds with uplift of the Ancestral Front Range and deposition of the Fountain, Ingleside, and Lyons Formations along its flanks. In southwestern Colorado, deposition of the Molas and Hermosa Formations along the flanks of the Uncompahgre Highlands largely represents Pennsylvanian time. We present new detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology data for the Ingleside and Lyons Formations in north-central Colorado and the Molas and Hermosa Formations in southwestern Colorado to understand sediment provenance and dispersal patterns. We determined U-Pb ages using LA-ICPMS on 120-150 zircon grains from five sandstone samples collected from shallow marine and eolian facies within the Ingleside, Lyons, Molas, and Hermosa Formations. All sandstone samples display a mixed Laurentian derivation, with age populations that record local and distal sediment sources. All samples also contain between 5% and 10% concordant Paleozoic-age zircon grains ranging from 330–490 Ma, coinciding with high magmatic flux during the Taconic and Acadian orogenies in the Appalachian orogen. Ultimate derivation from the Appalachians are also interpreted for zircon age populations ranging from 500-750 Ma and 1000-1300 Ma that likely originated from Pan-African and Grenville terranes respectively. This study detects the earliest documented appearance of Paleozoic zircons along the northern Ancestral Front Range, corresponding to deposition of the lower Ingleside Formation. We compare our data along the Front Range to previous detrital zircon studies from the underlying Fountain Formation to conclude that the Fountain-Ingleside transition was accompanied by a decrease in locally sourced detrital zircons, most likely marking the cessation of Ancestral Front Range uplift. Conversely, deposition across the Molas-Hermosa contact in southwestern Colorado was accompanied by an increase in locally-sourced detrital zircon grains, most likely marking the initiation of the Uncompahgre uplift.

Detrital zircon geochronology of quartzite clasts in the Permian Abo Formation, Sacramento Mountains, New Mexico, USA

2017 ◽  
Vol 54 (2) ◽  
pp. 53-68 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Malone ◽  
John Craddock ◽  
Eric Deck ◽  
Tenley Banik ◽  
Brian Hampton
Keyword(s):  
New Mexico ◽  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Rocky Mountain ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Zircon Age ◽  
Detrital Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Sacramento Mountains ◽  
Central Texas ◽  
Depositional Age ◽  
Detrital Zircon Ages

More than 2500 m of Paleozoic strata, ranging in age from Cambrian to Permian occur in the Sacramento Mountains of New Mexico, making these rocks the largest and most complete exposures of Paleozoic strata in North America. The core of the Sacramento Mountains reveals compressional structures associated with the Pennsylvanian-Permian Ancestral Rocky Mountain orogeny. The Permian Abo Formation is 120–450 m in thickness, and consists of interbedded sandstone, conglomerate, limestone and shale and rests above the Ancestral Rocky Mountain unconformity. U-Pb analysis of detrital zircons extracted from quartzite clasts in basal conglomerates reveal a maximum depositional age of their protolith to be 1110 ± 15 Ma. Most (∼40%) of the detrital zircon age spectrum is Grenville (1000–1300 Ma) in age, with a peak age of 1209 Ma. Midcontinent Granite-Rhyolite (1300–1500 Ma) ages comprise about 33% of the data, and have a peak age of 1431 Ma. Smaller age populations of Yavapai-Mazatzal (1600–1800 Ma; age peak =1676 Ma), Trans-Hudson (1800–2000 Ma; peak age = 1820 Ma), and Archean (>2.5 Ga, age peak = 2819 Ma) also are present. U-Pb detrital zircon ages from these quartzite clasts indicate that they were likely derived from the Proterozoic Lanoria Formation, which is exposed now in the Franklin Mountains >150 km to the south. The Lanoria is identical to the Abo clasts in terms of maximum depositional age and detrital zircon age peaks. The protolith sandstone of these quartzite clasts and quartzites of the Lanoria were derived from the Grenville high-lands of the Llano region of central Texas, and then transported west to the Rodinian continental margin at ∼1110 Ma, where they were eventually buried and metamorphosed to quartzite. These quartzites were subsequently uplifted and eroded during the Ancestral Rocky Mountain orogeny and transported north and west along the Pedernal Uplift to the adjacent Orogrande Basin during the early Permian.

Detrital zircon geochronology and provenance of Devono-Mississippian strata in the northern Canadian Cordilleran miogeoclineThis article is one of a series of papers published in this Special Issue on the theme of Geochronology in honour of Tom Krogh.Northwest Territories Geoscience Office Contribution 0047. Geological Survey of Canada Contribution 20100432.

2011 ◽  
Vol 48 (2) ◽  
pp. 515-541 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yvon Lemieux ◽  
Thomas Hadlari ◽  
Antonio Simonetti
Keyword(s):  
Detrital Zircon ◽  
Inductively Coupled Plasma ◽  
Source Region ◽  
Upper Devonian ◽  
Detrital Zircons ◽  
Detrital Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Inductively Coupled ◽  
Arctic Alaska ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
Late Neoproterozoic

U–Pb ages have been determined on detrital zircons from the Upper Devonian Imperial Formation and Upper Devonian – Lower Carboniferous Tuttle Formation of the northern Canadian Cordilleran miogeocline using laser ablation – multicollector – inductively coupled plasma – mass spectrometry. The results provide insights into mid-Paleozoic sediment dispersal in, and paleogeography of, the northern Canadian Cordillera. The Imperial Formation yielded a wide range of detrital zircon dates; one sample yielded dominant peaks at 1130, 1660, and 1860 Ma, with smaller mid-Paleozoic (∼430 Ma), Neoproterozoic, and Archean populations. The easternmost Imperial Formation sample yielded predominantly late Neoproterozoic – Cambrian zircons between 500 and 700 Ma, with lesser Mesoproterozoic and older populations. The age spectra suggest that the samples were largely derived from an extensive region of northwestern Laurentia, including the Canadian Shield, igneous and sedimentary provinces of Canada’s Arctic Islands, and possibly the northern Yukon. The presence of late Neoproterozoic – Cambrian zircon, absent from the Laurentian magmatic record, indicate that a number of grains were likely derived from an exotic source region, possibly including Baltica, Siberia, or Arctic Alaska – Chukotka. In contrast, zircon grains from the Tuttle Formation show a well-defined middle Paleoproterozoic population with dominant relative probability peaks between 1850 and 1950 Ma. Additional populations in the Tuttle Formation are mid-Paleozoic (∼430 Ma), Mesoproterozoic (1000–1600 Ma), and earlier Paleoproterozoic and Archean ages (>2000 Ma). These data lend support to the hypothesis that the influx of sediments of northerly derivation that supplied the northern miogeocline in Late Devonian time underwent an abrupt shift to a source of predominantly Laurentian affinity by the Mississippian.

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