Sources of Zircons from Cretaceous and Lower Paleogene Terrigenous Sequences of the Southern Koryak Upland and Western Kamchatka

The mineral composition of sandstones from Cretaceous–Lower Paleocene terrigenous sequences of the western Kamchatka–Ukelayat zone (southern Koryak Upland, western Kamchatka) suggests that the Okhotsk–Chukot volcanogenic belt and fragments of the Uda–Murgal island arc served as the most probable provenance. Fission-track dating of zircon showed that sandstones from this zone contain detrital zircon of several different-age populations. Fission tracks in zircon grains were nor subjected to secondary ignition. The age of young zircon population coincides with the biostratigraphic age of host sequences. Thus, results of dating of detrital zircon grains from sandstones, which did not experience heating above 215–240°C, indicate that this method is appropriate for dating fossil-free terrigenous sequences. The young zircon population in the sandstones is related to erosion of plagiogranite and diorite intrusions of the Uda–Murgal arc and outer zone of the Okhotsk–Chukot volcanic belt exposed at the day surface owing to differential vertical movements and rapid exhumation of blocks.