Sourcing the sand: Accessory mineral fertility, analytical and other biases in detrital U-Pb provenance analysis

Chew D, O'Sullivan G, Caracciolo L, Mark C, Tyrrell S (2020)

Publication Language: English

Publication Type: Journal article, Review article

Publication year: 2020

Journal

Earth-Science Reviews Elsevier

Book Volume: 202

URI: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012825219305835?via=ihub

DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103093

Abstract

Interpreting the wealth of new data derived from the diverse suite of modern single-grain provenance approaches available to a sedimentologist requires a thorough

understanding of the potential biases in the information recorded by each mineral-provenance system. This review focuses on the various possible mineral-specific

biases in U-Pb accessory mineral provenance studies employing the minerals zircon, rutile, apatite, monazite and titanite, focussing on biases resulting from

variations in source-rock mineralogy (fertility). Fertility is intimately linked to the mineral petrogenesis of crystalline basement sources, which is another key aspect

of this review. This petrogenetic information, which often resides in the specialist petrology literature, has great relevance to fertility studies (particularly those

measuring mineral content in modern river sediment using confluence and along-trunk sampling) as trace-element abundances and/or elemental ratios in many

accessory minerals can be linked to specific lithologies. Other mineral-specific biases in single-grain provenance analysis considered include physical and chemical

modifications both before and after deposition, while the diverse suite of modern single-grain analytical approaches also requires understanding of potential

methodological and laboratory induced-biases. A series of multi-proxy provenance studies are presented where fertility bias apparently plays a significant role. In

magma-poor metamorphic belts (e.g. segments of the Himalayas and Caledonides-Appalachians), it is shown that zircon growth is limited, and monazite, apatite or

rutile associated with the youngest tectonomagmatic events are significantly more fertile. Such multi-proxy provenance studies will be greatly aided in the future by

high-throughput, coupled U-Pb age – trace-element analyses integrated with automated heavy mineral determinations employing highly efficient sample preparation

protocols.

Authors with CRIS profile

Luca Caracciolo Lehrstuhl für Geologie (Exogene Dynamik)

Involved external institutions

National University of Ireland (NUI), Galway IE Ireland (IE) University College Dublin (UCD) IE Ireland (IE) Trinity College Dublin IE Ireland (IE)

How to cite

APA:

Chew, D., O'Sullivan, G., Caracciolo, L., Mark, C., & Tyrrell, S. (2020). Sourcing the sand: Accessory mineral fertility, analytical and other biases in detrital U-Pb provenance analysis. Earth-Science Reviews, 202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103093

MLA:

Chew, David, et al. "Sourcing the sand: Accessory mineral fertility, analytical and other biases in detrital U-Pb provenance analysis." Earth-Science Reviews 202 (2020).

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