Changes in zircon chemistry during archean UHT metamorphism in the Napier complex, Antarctica

Zircons from two paragneisses (from Mount Sones and Dallwitz Nunatak) and one orthogneiss (from Gage Ridge) in the Tula Mountains, Napier Complex (East Antarctica) were analyzed for U-Pb age, oxygen isotopes, REEs and by scanning ion imaging. A large number of zircons from all samples are reversely...

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Main Authors: Kusiak, M., Whitehouse, M., Wilde, Simon, Dunkley, Daniel, Menneken, M., Nemchin, Alexander, Clark, Christopher
Format: Journal Article
Published: American Journal of Science 2013
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/14603
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author Kusiak, M.
Whitehouse, M.
Wilde, Simon
Dunkley, Daniel
Menneken, M.
Nemchin, Alexander
Clark, Christopher
author_facet Kusiak, M.
Whitehouse, M.
Wilde, Simon
Dunkley, Daniel
Menneken, M.
Nemchin, Alexander
Clark, Christopher
author_sort Kusiak, M.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Zircons from two paragneisses (from Mount Sones and Dallwitz Nunatak) and one orthogneiss (from Gage Ridge) in the Tula Mountains, Napier Complex (East Antarctica) were analyzed for U-Pb age, oxygen isotopes, REEs and by scanning ion imaging. A large number of zircons from all samples are reversely discordant. Mount Sones zircons show an age range from 3.0 Ga to 2.5 Ga and underwent high-grade metamorphism at both ~2.8 Ga and 2.5 Ga. Zircons from Dallwitz Nunatak record detrital ages between 3.5 Ga and 2.5 Ga. Zircons from Gage Ridge record multiple age groups, with concordant data between 3.6 Ga and 3.3 Ga and reversely discordant data that form a discrete ~3.8 Ga population. All of the grains show evidence of Pb mobility during metamorphism. Ion imaging of zircons reveals Y and U zonation, characteristic of magmatic zircon, together with a micro-scale patchy distribution of 206Pb and 207Pb that does not correspond to either growth zonation or crystal imperfections. Some of these patches yield 207Pb/206Pb ages >4 Ga, whereas others yield ages younger than the magmatic crystallization age. Reversely discordant data are the result of ancient Pb mobilization, which is independent of the degree of metamictisation, oxygen isotope and REE content of the zircons. This mobilization can result in spurious ages and was most likely caused by polymetamorphism under anhydrous conditions; that is two high-grade events; one poorly defined at ~2.8 Ga and the other ultra-high temperature (UHT) metamorphism at 2.5 Ga.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-146032017-09-13T14:05:39Z Changes in zircon chemistry during archean UHT metamorphism in the Napier complex, Antarctica Kusiak, M. Whitehouse, M. Wilde, Simon Dunkley, Daniel Menneken, M. Nemchin, Alexander Clark, Christopher Antarctica geochronology ion imaging zircon SIMS More than any other mineral introduction Zircons from two paragneisses (from Mount Sones and Dallwitz Nunatak) and one orthogneiss (from Gage Ridge) in the Tula Mountains, Napier Complex (East Antarctica) were analyzed for U-Pb age, oxygen isotopes, REEs and by scanning ion imaging. A large number of zircons from all samples are reversely discordant. Mount Sones zircons show an age range from 3.0 Ga to 2.5 Ga and underwent high-grade metamorphism at both ~2.8 Ga and 2.5 Ga. Zircons from Dallwitz Nunatak record detrital ages between 3.5 Ga and 2.5 Ga. Zircons from Gage Ridge record multiple age groups, with concordant data between 3.6 Ga and 3.3 Ga and reversely discordant data that form a discrete ~3.8 Ga population. All of the grains show evidence of Pb mobility during metamorphism. Ion imaging of zircons reveals Y and U zonation, characteristic of magmatic zircon, together with a micro-scale patchy distribution of 206Pb and 207Pb that does not correspond to either growth zonation or crystal imperfections. Some of these patches yield 207Pb/206Pb ages >4 Ga, whereas others yield ages younger than the magmatic crystallization age. Reversely discordant data are the result of ancient Pb mobilization, which is independent of the degree of metamictisation, oxygen isotope and REE content of the zircons. This mobilization can result in spurious ages and was most likely caused by polymetamorphism under anhydrous conditions; that is two high-grade events; one poorly defined at ~2.8 Ga and the other ultra-high temperature (UHT) metamorphism at 2.5 Ga. 2013 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/14603 10.2475/09.2013.05 American Journal of Science fulltext
spellingShingle Antarctica
geochronology
ion imaging
zircon
SIMS
More than any other mineral
introduction
Kusiak, M.
Whitehouse, M.
Wilde, Simon
Dunkley, Daniel
Menneken, M.
Nemchin, Alexander
Clark, Christopher
Changes in zircon chemistry during archean UHT metamorphism in the Napier complex, Antarctica
title Changes in zircon chemistry during archean UHT metamorphism in the Napier complex, Antarctica
title_full Changes in zircon chemistry during archean UHT metamorphism in the Napier complex, Antarctica
title_fullStr Changes in zircon chemistry during archean UHT metamorphism in the Napier complex, Antarctica
title_full_unstemmed Changes in zircon chemistry during archean UHT metamorphism in the Napier complex, Antarctica
title_short Changes in zircon chemistry during archean UHT metamorphism in the Napier complex, Antarctica
title_sort changes in zircon chemistry during archean uht metamorphism in the napier complex, antarctica
topic Antarctica
geochronology
ion imaging
zircon
SIMS
More than any other mineral
introduction
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/14603