Provenance of late Palaeozoic metasediments of the Patagonian proto-Pacific margin (southernmost Chile and Argentina)

In this provenance study of late Palaeozoic metasediments of the Eastern Andean Metamorphic Complex (EAMC) along the south Patagonian proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana, the palaeogeological setting of the continental margin in Devonian–Carboniferous and Permian times is reconstructed. The study is based on detrital heavy mineral contents, chemical compositions of tourmaline grains, and whole rock element and Nd-Sr isotopic compositions. Element and isotopic compositions reveal that Devonian–Carboniferous metaturbidites deposited before the development of a Late Carboniferous–Permian magmatic arc along the margin were mainly fed from felsic, recycled, old continental rocks. The last recycling phase involved erosion of metasediments that were exposed in Patagonia. Feeder systems to the basin cut either through epidote-rich or garnet-rich metasediments. In Permian time, EAMC metaturbidites were deposited next to the evolving magmatic arc and were derived from felsic, crustal rocks. Two provenance domains are recognised. The metasediments of the northern one are chemically similar to those of the Devonian–Carboniferous metasediments. This domain was fed from the metasedimentary host rocks of the magmatic arc. The southern domain probably was fed from the arc proper, as indicated mainly by the dominance of metaplutonic lithic fragments, abundant detrital biotite, and the major element composition of the metasediments.     

Oxygen and ozone in the early Earth's atmosphere

The precise amount of O₂ and O₃ in the Earth's prebiological paleoatmosphere has been a topic of considerable discussion in the past. Since the photolysis of H₂O and CO₂, the prebiological mechanisms to produce O₂, depends on the ultraviolet (UV) flux from the Sun, a reliable quantification of the problem requires detailed knowledge of such flux. Using the most recent astronomical observation of young stars from the International Ultraviolet Explorer, as well as a detailed photochemical model of the paleoatmosphere, we find that the amount of O₂ in the prebiological paleoatmosphere may have been as much as 10⁶ times greater than previously estimated.Some of the implications of this new value are discussed.     

The crustal evolution of South America from a zircon Hf‐isotope perspective

Hf‐isotope data of >1100 detrital zircon grains from the Palaeozoic, south‐central Andean Gondwana margin record the complete crustal evolution of South America, which was the predominant source. The oldest grains, with crustal residence ages of 3.8–4.0 Ga, are consistent with complete recycling of existing continental crust around 4 Ga. We confirm three major Archaean, Palaeoproterozoic (Transamazonian) and late Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic crust‐addition phases as well as six igneous phases during Proterozoic to Palaeozoic time involving mixing of juvenile and crustally reworked material. A late Mesoproterozoic to early Neoproterozoic, Grenville‐age igneous belt can be postulated along the palaeo‐margin of South America. This belt was the basement for later magmatic arcs and accreted allochthonous microcontinents as recorded by similar crustal residence ages. Crustal reworking likely dominated over juvenile addition during the Palaeozoic era, and Proterozoic and Archaean zircon was mainly crustally reworked from the eroding, thickened Ordovician Famatinian arc.     

Trace metals in recharge and discharge ground waters at two sites at the Baltic coast of Sweden

The distribution and controls of trace elements (Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn and U) in shallow groundwater in discharge and recharge zones were analysed at two sites on the Baltic coast of Sweden; one granite-dominated and one with a significant addition of calcite. Although the study sites differ in overburden geochemistry and groundwater trace metal concentrations, which were well reflected in the general groundwater composition, the relative hydrochemical differences between recharge and discharge ground waters were similar at both sites, and temporally stable. The concentrations of Cd, Cu, Ni and U were higher in soil tubes in recharge areas, but Cr was higher in discharge zones. Also concentrations of HS, Fe, Mn and NH₄ were higher in discharge samples, which in combination with increased ³⁴S values provide strong evidence of a transition from oxidizing to more reducing conditions along the groundwater flow gradient. In terms of trace metals, this might mean either mobilisation due to dissolution of trace-metal carrying Fe(III) and Mn(IV) phases, or immobilisation caused by precipitation of discrete trace-metal sulfides or co-precipitation with Fe sulfides. The results from this study show that the latter is dominant in both the carbonate and granite environments for the metals Cd, Cu and Ni. Chromium concentrations were likely coupled to organic complexation and were higher in discharge groundwater, where DOC was also more abundant. As the concentration of several potentially toxic trace metals were found to differ between recharge and discharge areas, a climate driven change in hydrology might have a substantial impact on the distribution of these metals.     

Facies and provenance analysis of Paleogene‐age alluvial conglomerates from the northern part of the Mesta Basin,SW Bulgaria

The Mesta Basin in southwest Bulgaria is a graben that contains a Paleogene‐age siliciclastic and volcaniclastic succession deposited in alluvial and fluvial settings. A sedimentological analysis has shed light on conglomerate provenance, and the links between deposition and tectonic setting. Petrographical and chemical analysis of conglomerate clasts and matrix from the Dobrinishka, Gradinishka, Osikovo (or Osenovo) and Zlataritsa formations reveal both local, and more distal source provenance ages. The basal conglomerates are subdivided into three types, a lower and upper polymictic and a middle granitic conglomerate type. Petrographical and chemical analysis reveals granite, gneiss and amphibolite clasts that were sourced from the Sidironero–Mesta Unit of the Middle Allochthon of the Rhodope Metamorphic Complex, and the Rila–Rhodope Batholith to the east of the basin. Cathodoluminescence analysis of quartz sand grains reveals an increased input of red‐ and violet‐luminescent volcanic grains. Volcanic quartz in the oldest conglomerates indicates a hitherto unknown early (pre‐Oligocene) phase of volcanic activity in the vicinity of the Mesta Basin. The conglomerates were deposited in association with movement on the Ribnovo low‐angle normal fault during the Late Eocene, creating subsidence and the development of considerable accommodation space. The establishment of a fluvial environment followed subsequent Oligocene‐age volcanic activity. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Trace metal and geochemical variability during 5,500 years in the sediment of Lake Lehmilampi,Finland

A high-resolution geochemical profile from a 5,500-year-old sediment core of Lake Lehmilampi in eastern Finland was analyzed to study long-term trends and variability in element concentrations and accumulation rates. The accumulation rates of all studied elements followed the same trend, responding to changes in the total sedimentation rate. Concentration profiles differed among elements and showed considerable variation over time. Principal components analysis (PCA) was used on the concentration data to identify groups of elements that have similar geochemical controls. The first principal component was influenced by changes in mineral matter accumulation, and it incorporated elements that are associated with stable allochthonous minerals (such as Mg, K, Cs, Rb, Li, Ti and Ga), as well as elements in forms that become diluted when mineral matter increases (e.g., S, Fe and Mn). The second and third principal components showed that a large proportion of the variance was accounted for by elements with continuously increasing or decreasing concentrations related to pedogenetical development of the catchment soil. In the case of Hg, Pb and Cd, however, accumulation rates increased faster at the surface than is simply accounted for by changes in total sedimentation rates. For Cu, Cr, Ni and Zn, concentrations increased over the past 150 years, but there were no indications of a significant addition due to atmospheric deposition. These elements had more variable concentrations before the mid nineteenth century than after, as did elements that are often used for normalization. These findings suggest that lake sediments may not properly reflect the history of atmospheric metal deposition in remote areas.     

Magmatic source and metamorphic grade of metavolcanic rocks from the Granjeno Schist: was northeastern Mexico a part of Pangaea?

The geochemistry of the metavolcanic rocks from the Granjeno Schist in northeastern Mexico indicates an origin in different tectonic environments: mid‐ocean ridge and ocean island. High ratios of Hf/Th and Th/Nb (4.4–14 and 0.08–0.15), low ratios of LaN/YbN and LaN/SmN (0.74–1.7 and 0.60–1.4) and depleted LREE patterns in metabasalt display mid‐ocean ridge characteristics. In contrast, the pattern of trace‐element ratios and REEs in metabasalt and metapillow lava 60 km to the west indicates a magma source with ocean‐island basalt characteristics. Both areas were metamorphosed during the Late Carboniferous (300 ± 4 Ma). Estimated metamorphic conditions deduced from white mica and chlorite compositions, distinguish greenschist facies (350 °C and 4 kbar) for the mid‐ocean ridge basalt, and prehnite–pumpellyite facies (250 °C and 2.5 kbar) for the ocean‐island‐type basalt. This metamorphism took place at an active continental margin during Pennsylvanian time. Our new tectonic model, which differs from earlier models, suggests that the origin of the Granjeno Schist is related to a subduction zone located at the western margin of Pangaea, active after Laurentia–Gondwana collision. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tectonic,sedimentary and diagenetic controls on sediment maturity of lower Cambrian quartz arenite from southwestern Baltica

Lower Cambrian quartz arenitic deposits have a worldwide occurrence. In this study, petrographic and mineralogical analyses were carried out on samples from the quartz‐rich Ringsaker Member of the Vangsås Formation from southern Norway and the corresponding Hardeberga Formation from southern Sweden and on the Danish island of Bornholm. The quartz arenite is almost completely quartz cemented and has an average intergranular volume of 30%. The quartz cement is the dominating cause for porosity loss. Dissolution along stylolites and microstylolites is suggested to be the primary and secondary source for the quartz cement respectively. The quartzose sandstone from southern Norway was severely cemented prior to the Caledonian Orogeny, thus limiting the tectonic influence on diagenesis during thrusting. For most samples, authigenic clay minerals and detrital phyllosilicates represent ca. 5% of the present‐day composition. This, together with a low feldspar content, of on average 4%, indicates that the sediment was extremely quartz‐rich already during deposition. The low amount of feldspar prior to burial and the formation of early diagenetic kaolinite point to weathering, sediment reworking and early diagenesis act as important controls on sediment maturity. The large variation in clay‐mineral and feldspar content between the localities, as well as within the sandstone successions, can be explained by different palaeogeography on the shelf during deposition and subsequently dissimilar subjection to reworking and early diagenetic processes. Weathering in the provenance area, reworking in the depositional shallow‐marine environment and meteoric flushing during the burial stage are suggested to explain the high mineralogical maturity of the lower Cambrian sandstone from southwestern Baltica. These processes may generally account for similar quartz‐rich shallow‐marine sandstone units, deposited as a result of intensive continental denudation and during temperate to subtropical and moderately humid conditions.     

Quartz and zircon decoupling in sandstone: Petrography and quartz cathodoluminescence of the Early Triassic continental Buntsandstein Group in Germany

This study illustrates how decoupling of quartz and zircon can be used advantageously in provenance research. Thirty‐eight fine‐grained to coarse‐grained arkose samples of the Early Triassic intracontinental Buntsandstein Group from the Central European Basin in Germany were analysed for their petrography and 1200 grains in 23 of these for their detrital quartz cathodoluminescence characteristics. The samples represent the Hessian and Thuringian sub‐basins and the Eichsfeld–Altmark Swell separating them. The Hessian Sub‐basin includes more metamorphic lithoclasts with a larger content of plutonic grains than are found further east in the Thuringian Sub‐basin. More than 90% of the detrital quartz from the eastern Thuringian Sub‐basin produce medium to bright blue cathodoluminescence colours and corresponding spectra that are typical for igneous or high‐temperature metamorphic origin. Differently, the quartz from the Hessian Sub‐basin mostly luminesces brown and dark to medium blue, typical for a low‐temperature metamorphic origin. Quartz from the Eichsfeld–Altmark Swell and the western Thuringian Sub‐basin is a mixture between these origins. The quartz indicates different catchments for the sub‐basins, possibly the Bohemian Massif and the Massif Central, with converging transport routes on and close to the eastern fringe of the swell. Taking published zircon data from the same samples into account, light mineral‐zircon grain‐size shifts are up to 2 Φ units. That can be explained by mineral decoupling due to different transport modes for quartz and zircon and different zircon‐size availability in the source areas, exaggerated by combined aqueous–aeolian transport, as well as sample preparation‐induced sorting. This study concludes that submerged highs significantly can influence continental sediment transport. Hence, vast, flat continental areas with submerged morphological highs and a seemingly straightforward transportation pattern may be more complex than expected. The results also illustrate that analysis of detritus that has been affected by different dominating transport modes, and further sorting during sampling and preparation can reveal additional source information.