Dating sedimentary rocks using in situ U-Pb geochronology of syneruptive zircon in ash-fall tuffs <1 mm thick
Abstract
Absolute ages for sedimentary rocks are required to construct a temporal framework in which to decipher Earth's history. The most reliable method for dating Precambrian sedimentary rocks is U-Pb geochronology of zircon in intercalated volcanic rocks. However, extracting sufficient zircons involves destructive mineral separation procedures, often requiring several kilograms of sample. We have dated felsic tuffs <1 mm thick using single polished thin sections from diamond drill core of Neoarchean shale from the Pilbara craton, Australia. The tuffs contain abundant euhedral zircon crystals, commonly 10–30 μm long. In situ SHRIMP (sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe) geochronology of the zircon in 8 tuffs gives 207Pb/206Pb dates between ca. 2600 Ma and ca. 2680 Ma, all consistent with their stratigraphic position and available age constraints.The dates represent the timing of syndepositional volcanism and provide reliable estimates for the age of deposition. Zircons in a 0.5 mm tuff band 15 mm above the Jeerinah impact layer provide an age of 2632 ± 7 Ma, which represents a close approximation for the timing of a major asteroid impact, the strewn field of which is distributed across two Archean cratons. In situ geochronology of zircon in felsic tuffs requires only small volumes of sample and is especially useful for drill core samples where material is limited. It avoids the destruction of samples associated with mineral separation, retaining textural information and avoiding potential contamination. This approach adds significantly to the number of sedimentary rocks that can be dated accurately.
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AIDP-2 and RHDH2A intersect the same Carawine Dolomite and Jeerinah Formation, so they sample the same stratigraphy and underwent the same regional metamorphism.
“Spatially separated by less than 1 km, AIDP-2 and RHDH2A both intersect the Carawine Dolomite (<2.63 Ga) of the Hamersley Group and the Jeerinah Formation (2.63-2.67Ga) of the Fortescue Group (20), so they sample the same stratigraphy and have experienced the same regional metamorphic effects (Fig. 1).”
From Reappraisal of hydrocarbon biomarkers in Archean rocks (2015) · cites this paper as [20]
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- Authors
- Rasmussen, B., & Fletcher, I. R.
- Affiliations
- Curtin University (AU)
- ORCID
- Rasmussen, Birger
- Venue
- Geology
- Publisher
- Geological Society of America
- Published
- 2010-04
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 299-302
- ISSN
- 0091-7613 (ISSN-L)
- 1943-2682
- OpenAlex
- W1975545888
- Cited by
- 39
- References
- 11
- Citations by year
- 2025: 1 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 1 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 1 · 2020: 1 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 5 · 2016: 3 · 2015: 1 · 2013: 3 · 2012: 2
- FWCI
- 2.61
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Geology (publishedVersion)
- eSpace (Curtin University) (submittedVersion)
- Funders
- Australian Government
- Government of Western Australia
- Australian Research Council
- Topics
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Geophysics › Geological and Geochemical Analysis
- Physical Sciences › Physics and Astronomy › Astronomy and Astrophysics › Astro and Planetary Science
- Physical Sciences › Earth and Planetary Sciences › Paleontology › Paleontology and Stratigraphy of Fossils
- Keywords
- zircon U-Pb geochronology, ash-fall tuffs, Precambrian sedimentary rocks, Neoarchean, Pilbara Craton, asteroid impact, drill core sample, thin sections, Archean cratons
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