scholarly journals U-Th-Pb Geochronology and Lu-Hf Isotope Geochemistry of Detrital Zircons in Metasedimentary Rocks of the Southern Coast Mountains Batholith

Lithosphere ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 2020 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-21
Author(s):  
Michelle N. Dafov ◽  
Anahi Carrera ◽  
George E. Gehrels ◽  
Dan Alberts ◽  
Mekha Pereira ◽  
...  

Abstract Most metasedimentary rocks in the southern Coast Mountains batholith are of uncertain tectonic affinity because they occur in discontinuous pendants surrounded by large intrusive bodies, and many protolith features are obscured by regional deformation and metamorphism. This study uses U-Th-Pb ages and Lu-Hf isotope signatures of detrital zircons in metasedimentary rocks in Bute, Loughborough, and Knight Inlets in an effort to test possible correlations with the adjacent Wrangellia, Alexander, Taku, Yukon-Tanana, and Stikine terranes. Detrital zircons from metasedimentary samples yield ages that belong to age groups of 590-528 Ma (peak age of 560 Ma), 485-432 Ma (peak age of 452 Ma), 356-286 Ma (peak age of 307 Ma), and 228-185 Ma (peak ages of 215 and 198 Ma). A small number of ~1.1-1.9 Ga grains are also present. εHft values of the 590-185 Ma grains yield a progression from intermediate (0 to +5) values to more juvenile (mostly +4 to +15) values from Neoproterozoic through early Mesozoic time. The Comparison of these results with similar data sets from adjacent terranes demonstrates that primary connections with the Yukon-Tanana and Taku terranes are unlikely but are consistent with primary connections with the Wrangellia, Stikine, and/or Alexander terranes. Unfortunately, the available constraints are not sufficient to eliminate any of these options or the possibility that the pendants are a unique tectonic fragment. Zircons from the metasedimentary samples also yield U-Th-Pb ages of 165-128 Ma (peak age of 152 Ma) and 114-88 Ma (peak age of 102 Ma). εHft values of these zircon domains are mostly juvenile (+7 to +13). Comparison of U concentrations, U/Th values, and CL textures of zircons from the metasedimentary samples, leucocratic sills that intrude the pendants, and surrounding plutonic bodies suggests that most of the young grains, as well as widespread younger rims on older grains, grew during metamorphism associated with emplacement of the adjacent plutonic bodies. Some young grains were derived from thin felsic sills or veins that were unintentionally included in the sampled material.

Minerals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 36 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria B. Ershova ◽  
Andrei V. Prokopiev ◽  
Andrey K. Khudoley ◽  
Tom Andersen ◽  
Kåre Kullerud ◽  
...  

U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotope analyses of detrital zircons collected from metasedimentary rocks from the southern part of Kara Terrane (northern Taimyr and Severnaya Zemlya archipelago) provide vital information about the paleogeographic and tectonic evolution of the Russian High Arctic. The detrital zircon signatures of the seven dated samples are very similar, suggesting a common provenance for the clastic detritus. The majority of the dated grains belong to the late Neoproterozoic to Cambrian ages, which suggests the maximum depositional age of the enclosing sedimentary units to be Cambrian. The εHf(t) values indicate that juvenile magma mixed with evolved continental crust and the zircons crystallized within a continental magmatic arc setting. Our data strongly suggest that the main provenance for the studied clastics was located within the Timanian Orogen. A review of the available detrital zircon ages from late Neoproterozoic to Cambrian strata across the wider Arctic strongly suggests that Kara Terrane, Novaya Zemlya, Seward Peninsula (Arctic Alaska), Alexander Terrane, De Long Islands, and Scandinavian Caledonides all formed a single tectonic domain during the Cambrian age, with clastics predominantly sourced from the Timanian Orogen.


Minerals ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 936
Author(s):  
Tae-Ho Lee ◽  
Kye-Hun Park

There was a hiatus in magmatism in Korea and Japan, located on the eastern continental margin of Asia, during a period of about 40 Ma from 160 Ma to 120 Ma. The cause of the resumption of magmatism since then is not yet well understood. In this study, we analyzed the Hf isotope composition of detrital zircons in the Cretaceous sediments of Korea (Hayang Group) and Japan (Goshoura and Himenoura groups) to investigate the tectonic evolution of eastern Asia in the Early Cretaceous period. εHf(t) in Cretaceous zircons from Japanese samples values from +8.2 to +0.1, suggesting that magmatism was sourced from the depleted juvenile materials, which is compatible with ridge subduction and subsequent melting of the young oceanic crust. εHf(t) values from Cretaceous zircons in the Hayang Group are negative, except for the Jindong Formation, which had a sediment supply from Japan, indicating that the old continental crust material of the Korean Peninsula was included in the magma generation. The detrital zircons of this study exhibit a depleted isotopic character at the beginning of subduction-related magmatism in Permian and Early Cretaceous, and then gradually change to a more enriched composition. This trend may be a typical example of the Pacific-type orogenic cycle.


1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (6) ◽  
pp. 899-911 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E. Gehrels ◽  
William C. McClelland ◽  
Scott D. Samson ◽  
P. Jonathan Patchett ◽  
David A. Brew

U–Pb geochronologic studies demonstrate that steeply dipping, sheetlike tonalitic plutons along the western margin of the northern Coast Mountains batholith were emplaced between ~83 and ~57 (perhaps ~55) Ma. Less elongate tonalitic–granodioritic bodies in central portions of the batholith yield ages of 59–58 Ma, coeval with younger phases of the tonalitic sheets. Large granite–granodiorite bodies in central and eastern portions of the batholith were emplaced at 51–48 Ma. Trends in ages suggest that the tonalitic bodies generally become younger southeastward and that, at the latitude of Juneau, plutonism migrated northeastward across the batholith at ~0.9 km/Ma. Variations in the age, shape, location, and degree of fabric development among the various plutons indicate that Late Cretaceous – Paleocene tonalitic bodies were emplaced into a steeply dipping, dip-slip shear zone that was active along the western margin of the batholith. Postkinematic Eocene plutons were emplaced at shallow crustal levels. Inherited zircon components in these plutons range in age from mid-Paleozoic to Early Proterozoic and are coeval with detrital zircons in adjacent metasedimentary rocks. These old zircons, combined with evolved Nd isotopic signatures for most plutons, record assimilation of continental crustal or supracrustal rocks during the generation and (or) ascent of the plutons.


2019 ◽  
Vol 486 (4) ◽  
pp. 446-450
Author(s):  
V. A. Zaika ◽  
A. A. Sorokin ◽  
A. P. Sorokin

This paper presents the results of U–Pb (LA–ICP–MS) and Lu–Hf ­isotope studies of detrital zircons from metasedimentary rocks of the Tokur Terrane. It has been shown that metasedimentary rocks of the Tokur and Ekimchan formations are characterized by similar age peaks of detrital zircons, which indicates a close (or same) age of these formations. The lower age of the sedimentation is determined by the age of the youngest zircons of 326–323 Ma. The upper age boundary is determined of 254–251 Ma, based on the intruded of the Late Permian granitoids. The main sources of zircons in the metasedimentary rocks of the Tokur Terrane are the igneous and metamorphic complexes of the southeast framing of the North Asia Craton. The Tokur Terrane can be considered as a fragment of the Paleozoic accretionary complex, the formation in front of the southeastern margin of the North Asia Craton.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
M.R. Cecil ◽  
et al.

<div>Includes sample location information, whole rock geochemical data, and individual zircon trace element, Lu-Hf isotope, and O isotope data.<br></div>


1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (8) ◽  
pp. 1285-1300 ◽  
Author(s):  
George E. Gehrels ◽  
William C. McClelland ◽  
Scott D. Samson ◽  
P. Jonathan Patchett

Metamorphic rocks within and west of the northern Coast Mountains in southeastern Alaska consist of an Upper Proterozoic(?) to upper Paleozoic continental margin assemblage that we interpret to belong to the Yukon-Tanana terrane. U–Pb geochronologic analyses of single detrital zircon grains from four samples of quartzite suggest that the zircons were shed from source regions containing rocks of ~495 Ma, ~750 Ma, 1.05–1.40 Ga, 1.75–2.00 Ga, ~2.3 Ga, 2.5–2.7 Ga, and ~3.0 Ga. Multigrain fractions from two samples yield upper intercepts between 2.0 and 2.3 Ga, but the scarcity of single grains of similar age suggests that these fractions comprise a mixture of < 2.0 and > 2.3 Ga grains. Zircons in these rocks generally overlap in age with (i) detrital zircons in metasedimentary rocks of the Yukon–Tanana terrane in eastern Alaska and Yukon, (ii) detrital zircons in strata of the Cordilleran miogeocline, and (iii) plutonic and gneissic rocks that intrude or are overlain by miogeoclinal strata. In addition, the pre-1.7 Ga grains overlap in age with dated crystalline rocks of the western Canadian Shield. These similarities raise the possibility that metaclastic rocks in the northern Coast Mountains accumulated in proximity to western North America. The younger zircon populations were likely shed from mid-Proterozoic to early Paleozoic igneous rocks that now occur locally (but may have been widespread) along the Cordilleran margin. Recognition of a continental margin assemblage of possible North American affinity in the Coast Mountains raises the possibility that some arc-type and oceanic terranes inboard of the Coast Mountains may be large klippen that have been thrust over the North American margin.


2016 ◽  
Vol 53 (10) ◽  
pp. 979-992 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Giesler ◽  
George Gehrels ◽  
Mark Pecha ◽  
Chelsi White ◽  
Intan Yokelson ◽  
...  

The Taku terrane consists of metamorphosed Carboniferous through Triassic marine clastic strata, volcanic rocks, and limestone that occur along the western margin of the Coast Mountains in southeastern Alaska. These rocks are juxtaposed along mid-Cretaceous thrust faults over Jura-Cretaceous basinal strata of the Gravina belt to the west and beneath Proterozoic through Carboniferous metamorphic rocks of the Yukon–Tanana terrane to the east. This paper presents U–Pb ages and Hf isotope analyses of detrital zircons from the Taku terrane, and compares these values with information from the adjacent Wrangellia, Alexander, and northern and southern portions of the Yukon–Tanana terrane (YTTn and YTTs). These comparisons suggest that (i) Carboniferous strata of the Taku terrane were shed mainly from mid-Paleozoic igneous rocks of YTTs, (ii) Permian strata of the Taku terrane were shed from mid-Paleozoic igneous rocks and intraformational Lower Permian volcanic rocks of YTTs as well as Upper Permian volcanic rocks exposed in YTTn, and (iii) Triassic sandstones were shed from mid-Paleozoic igneous rocks of YTTs, whereas conglomerates were shed mainly from mid-Paleozoic arc rocks in YTTn. Hf isotope analyses of Paleozoic zircons record increasing continental input during Silurian–Devonian and Permian phases of magmatism. Similarities in isotopic characteristics, combined with stratigraphic and geochemical information presented by previous workers, suggest that strata of the Taku terrane accumulated on (and partly as lateral equivalents of) rocks of YTTs, and that the combined assemblages formed outboard or along strike of YTTn.


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