Detrital zircon geochronology and provenance of core sediments in Zhoulao Town, Jianghan plain, China

Abstract

In our study, the U-Pb age spectrum of detrital zircons from terrigenous sediments is used to determine the sources. The Middle and Upper Reaches of the Yangtze River drain the western Yangtze craton and eastern Tibetan plateau, and take lots of sediments to the Jianghan (江汉) plain. Detrital zircons collected from Zhoulao (周老) core provide an ideal sample for the provenance studies. Here we report LA-ICP-MS U-Pb ages of 125 detrital zircons from one sand sample in the core sediments, which is recovered from a depth of 86.76–88.58 m and the paleomagnetic age is about 800 kaBP, in Zhoulao Town. The 125 zircons reveal nine major age peaks of >3.0, 2.5–2.3, 2.0–1.7 Ga, 838–723, 453–415, 257, 212, 166 and <17 Ma. Only two zircons have ages of 14.8 and 16.5 Ma, their appearance indicates that the headwater of the Yangtze River had reached the Tibetan plateau about 800 ka ago. Our results also show that the Hanjiang (汉江) River did not influence the sediments of the Zhoulao core obviously at that time.

Keywords

detrital zircon / U-Pb age / provenance / Zhoulao core / Jianghan plain

References

Andersen T.. Correction of Common Lead in U-Pb Analyses that do not Report ²⁰⁴Pb. Chemical Geology, 2002, 192(1–2): 59-79.

Chen Z. Y., Yu L. Z., Gupta A.. The Yangtze River: An Introduction. Geomorphology, 2001, 41(2–3): 73-75.

Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences China Geological Map, 2004, Beijing: Geological Publishing House

Chung, S. L., Jahn, B. M., Wu, G. Y., et al., 1998. The Emeishan Flood Basalt in SW China: A Mantle Plume Initiation Model and Its Connection with Continental Break-up and Mass Extinction at the Permian-Triassic Boundary. In: Flower, M. F. J., Chung, S. L., Lo, C. H., et al., eds., Mantle Dynamics and Plate Interaction in East Asia. AGU Geodynamic Series, 27: 47–58

Friend C. R. L., Strachan R. A., Kinny P. D., . Provenance of the Moine Supergroup of Northwest Scotland: Evidence from Geochronology of Detrital and Inherited Zircons from (Meta) Sedimentary Rocks, Granites and Migmatites. Geological Society [London] Journal, 2003, 160: 247-257.

Gao S., Ling W. L., Qiu Y., . Contrasting Geochemical and Sm-Nd Isotopic Compositions of Archean Metasediments from the Kongling High-Grade Terrain of the Yangtze Craton: Evidence for Cratonic Evolution and Redistribution of REE during Crustal Anatexis. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 1999, 63(13–14): 2071-2088.

Gao S., Zhang B. R., Wang D. P., . Geochemical Evidence for Proterozoic Tectonic Evolution of the Qinling Orogenic Belt and Its Adjacent Margins of the North China and Yangtze Cratons. Precambrian Research, 1996, 80(1–2): 23-48.

Hoskin P. W. O., Black L. P.. Metamorphic Zircon Formation by Solid-State Recrystallization of Protolith Igneous Zircon. Journal of Metamorphic Geology, 2000, 18(4): 423-439.

Lee C. Y.. The Development of the Upper Yangtze River Valley. Bulletin of the Geological Society of China, 1934, 13: 107-117.

Li C. A.. Possible Floodwater Utilization of the Yangtze River. Earth Science—Journal of China University of Geosciences, 2003, 28(4): 461-466.

Li C. A., Zhang Y. F.. Geoscientific Factors Analyses on the through Cutting of Main Drainages and the Formation of Flood Damage in China. Exploration of Nature, 1997, 16(1): 61-65.

Li, C. S., 1956. History of the Yangtze River. Yangtze River, (12): 3–6 (in Chinese with English Abstract)

Li J. J., Xie S. Y., Kuang M. S.. Geomorphic Evolution of the Yangtze Gorges and the Time of Their Formation. Geomorphology, 2001, 41(2–3): 125-135.

Li S. G.. West Three Gorges Geology and the History of Yangtze River. Bulletin of the Geological Society of China, 1924, 3(3–4): 351-391.

Li X. H., McCulloch M. T.. Secular Variation in the Nd Isotopic Composition of Neoproterozoic Sediments from the Southern Margin of the Yangtze Block: Evidence for a Proterozoic Continental Collision in Southeast China. Precambrian Research, 1996, 76(1–2): 67-76.

Li X. H., Li Z. X., Ge W. C., . Neoproterozoic Granitoids in South China: Crustal Melting above a Mantle Plume at 825 Ma?. Precambrian Research, 2003, 122: 45-83.

Ling W. L., Gao S., Zhang B. R., . Neoproterozoic Tectonic Evolution of the Northwestern Yangtze Craton, South China: Implications for Amalgamation and Break-up of the Rodinia Supercontinent. Precambrian Research, 2003, 122(1–4): 111-140.

Liu X. M., Gao S., Ling W. L., . Identification of 3.5 Ga Detrital Zircons from Yangtze Craton in South China and the Implication for Archean Crust Evolution. Progress in Natural Science, 2006, 16(6): 663-666.

Liu X. M., Gao S., Diwu C. R., . Precambrian Crustal Growth of Yangtze Craton as Revealed by Detrital Zircon Studies. American Journal of Science, 2008, 308(4): 421-468.

Ludwig K. R.. ISOPLOT 3: A Geochronological Toolkit for Microsoft Excel. Berkeley Geochronology Centre Special Publication, 2003, 4: 74

Ma G. G., Lee H. Q., Zhang Z. C.. An Investigation of the Age Limits of the Sinian System in South China. Bulletin of Yichang Institute of Geology and Mineral Resources, 1984, 8: 1-29.

Ma Y. F., Li C. A., Wang Q. L., . Statistics of Gravels from a Bore in Zhoulao Town, Jianghan Plain and Its Relationship with Cut-Through of the Yangtze Three Gorges, China. Geological Science and Technology Information, 2007, 26(2): 40-44.

Peucat J. J., Tisserant D., Caby R., . Resistance of Zircons to U-Pb Resetting in a Prograde Metamorphic Sequence of Caledonian Age in East Greenland. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 1985, 22(3): 330-338.

Qiu Y. M., Gao S., McNaughton N. J., . First Evidence of >3.2 Ga Continental Crust in the Yangtze Craton of South China and Its Implications for Archean Crustal Evolution and Phanerozoic Tectonics. Geology, 2000, 28: 11-14.

Rainbird R. H., Heaman L. M., Young G. M.. Sampling Laurentia: Detrital Zircon Geochronology Offers Evidence for an Extensive Neoproterozoic River System Originating from the Grenville Orogen. Geology, 1992, 20: 351-354.

Ren M. E.. General Situation of the Three Gorges. Geographical Knowledge, 1957, 3: 1-6.

Royden L. H.. The Geological Evolution of the Tibetan Plateau. Science, 2008, 321(5892): 1054-1058.

Shen Y. C.. The Valley Landform of the Upper Yangtze, 1965, Beijing: Science Press 85-144.

Tapponnier P., Xu Z. Q., Roger F., . Oblique Stepwise Rise and Growth of the Tibet Plateau. Science, 2001, 294(5547): 1671-1677.

Vermeesch P.. How Many Grains are Needed for a Provenance Study?. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2004, 224(3–4): 441-451.

Wang D. H., Chen Y. C., Xu J., . Cenozoic Mineralization in China, 2005, Beijing: Geological Publishing House 164-153.

Williams I. S.. Some Observations on the Use of Zircon U-Pb Geochronology in the Study of Granitic Rocks. Royal Society of Edinburgh Transactions, 1992, 83: 447-458.

Xiang F., Zhu L. D., Wang C. S., . Quaternary Sediment in the Yichang Area: Implications for the Formation of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. Geomorphology, 2007, 85(3–4): 249-258.

Xu Y. G., Chung S. L., Jahn B. M., . Petrologic and Geochemical Constraints on the Petrogenesis of Permian-Triassic Emeishan Flood Basalts in Southwestern China. Lithos, 2001, 58(3–4): 145-168.

Xu Y. G., Luo Z. Y., Huang X. L., . Zircon U-Pb and Hf Isotope Constraints on Crustal Melting Associated with the Emeishan Mantle Plume. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 2008, 72(13): 3084-3104.

Yang D. Y.. The Origin and Evolution of the Three Gorges of the Changjiang Yangtze River. Journal of Nanjing University (Natural Sciences, 1988, 24(3): 466-474.

Yang D. Y., Li X. S.. Sedimentation and Its Indicative Significance of the Evolution of Yangtze River. Journal of Nanjing Normal University (Natural Sciences Edition), 2000, 23(4): 466-474.

Yang J., Gao S., Yuan H. L., . Detrital Zircon Ages of Hanjiang River: Constraints on Evolution of Northern Yangtze Craton, South China. Journal of China University of Geosciences, 2007, 18(3): 210-222.

Yang S. Y., Li C. X., Yokoyama K.. Elemental Compositions and Monazite Age Patterns of Core Sediments in the Changjiang Delta: Implications for Sediment Provenance and Development History of the Changjiang River. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2006, 245(3–4): 762-776.

Ye, L. F., Xie, J. R., 1925. Structural Geology and Geological History of the Yangtze Eastward from Wushan. Geological Report, (7): 69–70 (in Chinese)

Yuan H. L., Gao S., Liu X. M., . Accurate U-Pb Age and Trace Element Determinations of Zircon by Laser Ablation-Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometry. Geostand Newsletter, 2004, 28: 353-370.

Zhang D. H.. Neotectonics and Quaternary Environmental Changes in Jianghan Basin. Crustal Deformation and Earthquake, 1994, 14(1): 74-80.

Zhang S. B., Zheng Y. F., Wu Y. B., . Zircon U-Pb Age and Hf Isotope Evidence for 3.8 Ga Crustal Remnant and Episodic Reworking of Archean Crust in South China. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2006, 252(1–2): 56-71.

Zhang S. B., Zheng Y. F., Wu Y. B., . Zircon Isotope Evidence for > or =3.5 Ga Continental Crust in the Yangtze Craton of China. Precambrian Research, 2006, 146(1–2): 16-34.

Zhang Y. F., Li C. A., Wang Q. L., . Magnetism Parameters Characteristics of Drilling Deposits in Jianghan Plain and Indication for Forming of the Yangtze River Three Gorges. Chinese Science Bulletin, 2008, 53(4): 584-590.

Zhong H., Yao Y., Prevec S. A., . Trace-Element and Sr-Nd Isotopic Geochemistry of the PGE-Bearing Xinjie Layered Intrusion in SW China. Chemical Geology, 2004, 203(3–4): 237-252.

Zhou M. F., Malpas J., Song X. Y., . A Temporal Link between the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (SW China) and the End-Guadalupian Mass Extinction. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 2002, 196(3–4): 113-122.

Zhou M. F., Robinson P. T., Lesher C. M., . Geochemistry, Petrogenesis and Metallogenesis of the Panzhihua Gabbroic Layered Intrusion and Associated Fe-Ti-V Oxide Deposits, Sichuan Province, SW China. Journal of Petrology, 2005, 46(11): 2253-2280.