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K-feldspar sand-grain provenance in the Triassic, west of Shetland : distinguishing first-cycle and recycled sediment sources?
Date Issued
2009-11
Date Available
2011-08-02T15:34:27Z
Abstract
Sandstone provenance studies can help constrain palaeogeographic reconstructions and ancient drainage system scales and pathways. However, these insights can be obscured by difficulties in geochemically distinguishing or adequately characterising potential sourcelands, or by failure to identify sedimentary recycling. Triassic basins west of Shetland accumulated ~2.5 km of sand-rich sediment. The Middle-Upper Triassic Foula Formation represents fluvial, aeolian and sabkha facies deposited in the northern interior of the Pangean supercontinent. Published U-Pb zircon geochronology and heavy mineral analysis suggest that these sandstones were derived from East Greenland. They contain significant fresh K-feldspar which is likely to be first-cycle and derived directly from its source. Pb isotopic analyses of individual K-feldspar sand-grains show a single, unradiogenic Pb population, consistent with the provenance indicated by U-Pb zircon geochronology. Archaean and Palaeo-Mesoproterozoic rocks – the Nagssugtoqidian Mobile Belt, the Lewisian Complex or equivalents - are the likely source, with terranes south of the Moine Thrust (Grampian, Caledonian and Variscan) ruled out by both the Pb and U-Pb data. However, it is not possible to distinguish between rift flank sources to the east and west, as both areas have similar crustal affinity and/or share the same tectonic history. It is possible that the sediment was derived from the West Shetland Platform and not from Greenland. The comparison of provenance signals from robust and less stable mineral phases provides a means of recognising sedimentary recycling. Robust zircon populations and less stable feldspar in Foula Formation sandstones concur in indicating the same source, suggesting that they are likely to be first-cycle. The Triassic sand supply can be contrasted with that in Upper Carboniferous (Namurian) basins in the north of England where a significant zircon population has no corresponding K-feldspar component. This zircon population is likely to have been recycled from Lower Palaeozoic greywackes from the Southern Uplands Belt or its along strike extension.
Sponsorship
Science Foundation Ireland
Type of Material
Journal Article
Publisher
John Wiley and Sons
Journal
Geological Journal
Volume
44
Issue
6
Start Page
692
End Page
710
Copyright (Published Version)
2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Subject – LCSH
Lead--Isotopes
Feldspar
Geology, Stratigraphic--Triassic
Sedimentary basins--Scotland--Shetland
Web versions
Language
English
Status of Item
Peer reviewed
ISSN
1099-1034
This item is made available under a Creative Commons License
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