The development of in-situ Lu-Hf LA–ICP–MS/MS geochronology has opened avenues to dating garnet, apatite, xenotime, calcite and epidote-group minerals. Of these phases, garnet and apatite are particularly relevant to provenance analysis, as both can be dated in situ by the U–Pb, Sm–Nd and Lu–Hf systems, are often present in sediments, and retain geochronological as well as geochemical information during erosion, transport and sedimentation. Garnet and apatite also have the benefit of forming in different geological settings to minerals more widely used in provenance analysis, such as zircon. Zircon usually forms during high-temperature processes such as anatexis and magmatic crystallisation, and has a bias towards more felsic rock compositions. Conversely, garnet is a dominantly metamorphic mineral, and usually retains information about the prograde (and sub-anatectic) history of metamorphic rocks, but may also form in hydrothermal settings, and is stable across a wide variety of lithological compositions. Apatite also forms in a wide variety of rock lithologies during metamorphism and magmatism, and therefore can represent more intermediate and mafic magmatic events which are not sampled by zircon. In situ Lu–Hf geochronology therefore provides an excellent tool to understand the timing and conditions of mountain building and magmatic events from the detrital record, but not without methodological and geological caveats and limitations. The application of the method itself, data handling and analytical interpretations will be presented and discussed.

How to cite: Tamblyn, R., Gillespie, J., and Simpson, A.: In-situ Lu-Hf for provenance analysis – a methodological perspective , EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-14070, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-14070, 2025.

The Balearic Promontory (BP) is a NE-SW oriented continental block located in the centre of the Western Mediterranean that corresponds to the northern prolongation of the Betic-Balearic front. The BP represents a unique case study, as it records two distinct compressive periods from the Alpine orogeny, as well as exhibits evidences of volcanism and back-arc extension related to the opening of the Western Mediterranean. Mallorca is the only island of the BP that preserves an almost complete Cenozoic sedimentary record, which encompasses a significant shift in the geodynamic evolution, evolving from northern derived deposits during the Paleogene (“Catalanide-Pyrenean”) to a southern source area during the Early Miocene (“Betic”). As both source areas currently correspond to marine basins, the Cenozoic detrital deposits therein represent the only remnants whose provenance study can contribute to decipher the hinterland tectonic evolution. Nevertheless, the majority of these deposits are carbonate-dominated, and thus, techniques such as detrital geochronology and thermochronology may prove useful in instances where traditional provenance analysis are challenging. The present study seeks to provide a new perspective on the provenance evolution of Mallorca for the first time from two different timings and settings. By using detrital zircon (DZ) double dating we characterized the Paleogene and Neogene provenance and exhumation history. Our findings suggest an evolution from predominantly Mesozoic-derived DZ during the Paleogene, to a mixed Mesozoic and late Palaeozoic DZ during the Neogene. The presence of only two Eocene ZHe ages in early Miocene DZ may suggest a gradual exhumation process within the hinterland rather than a fast dismantling related to the “Betic” compression. Furthermore, the identification of Oligo-Miocene aged zircons related with synsedimentary volcanism enabled us to establish a maximal depositional age (MDA) for some samples, thus providing a more precise chronostratigraphic constraint.

How to cite: Peris, S., Griera, A., Gómez-Gras, D., Roigé, M., Stockli, D., and Teixell, A.: Reconstructing the Cenozoic provenance evolution of Mallorca (Balearic Promontory):  insights from detrital zircon U-Pb and (U-Th)/He double-dating, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-962, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-962, 2025.

Detrital zircon geochronology is becoming increasingly popular in provenance studies relying on the growing availability of accurate techniques and extensive datasets. This large amount of data is currently employed in ancient settings to describe source-to-sink scenarios deriving tectonic and (eventually) climatic implications. The study of modern sediments of African river systems offers the opportunity to observe how the zircon signal is propagated along these vast sediment highways and how the mere interpretation the zircon signal in the deep sea may lead to a significant misfit of interpretations in the source-to-sink system.
One of the factors linking major river systems is the highly segmented nature of sediment transport. Even though this phenomenon is currently enhanced by effect of dams, geomorphic barriers prove to be highly effective. In Niger River, for example, the exclusively Archean-Paleoproterozoic age signal from Leo-Man Shield in Guinea is unable to cross the natural barrier of sand dunes of the Inner Delta. Similarly, old zircons characterising the sands of the Victoria Nile and Albert Nile sink in Lake Victoria and the Sudd marshes. The recent evolution of the Zambezi River demonstrates that zircon geochronology alone is insufficient for depicting the routing system. Paired observations of bulk petrography, elemental, and isotope geochemistry effectively reveals that provenance signals are extremely segment along the river course.
Undoubtedly, the high durability of zircon through sedimentary cycles is effective in indicating the major episodes of crustal growth at continental scale. However, it simultaneously highlights the pitfall of not considering recycling as one of the main features for zircon provenance. In the Orange River, the Pan-African age cluster is dominant from the headwaters all the way to the mouth and transported by ocean currents as far as Angola. This occurs even though the Pan-African basement is only minimally exposed in the catchment, whereas zircon signal is stored in the Karoo Supergroup sandstones.

How to cite: Pastore, G., Garzanti, E., Vermeesch, P., Resentini, A., and Vezzoli, G.: Detrital zircons in modern African rivers: does the Sink truly reflect the Source?, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18786, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18786, 2025.

Northern Calabria, situated at the southern end of the Italian Peninsula, is geologically complex due to its position at the convergence of the Eurasian and African plates. This complexity arises from significant deformation processes, including thrusting, folding, and extensive faulting associated with the closure of the Tethys Ocean and subsequent collisional and extensional tectonics. Thrusting during the Alpine orogeny resulted in a series of extensive nappe stacking, followed by structural reorganization and exhumation of these stacks during the Oligocene to Miocene, reflecting ongoing tectonic activity. Along the eastern margin of northern Calabria, fore-arc basins developed in response to the retreating subduction zone and evolution of the Calabrian arc. From north to south these are termed Rossano, Ciro, Crotone, and Catanzaro sub-basins. Analysing the stratigraphic record of these basins in terms of provenance shifts and changing drainage patters, will aid in further characterising the main exhumation phase of the northern Calabrian Massif, encompassing the Sila Massif and the Coastal Chain (Catena Costiera).

A multi-proxy provenance study was designed combining heavy mineral analysis (via semi-automated Raman spectroscopy), garnet chemistry (via electron microprobe), and apatite trace element analysis and U-Pb geochronology (both via LA-ICP-MS). A collection of siliciclastic samples spanning ~15 Ma from Aquitanian to Messinian in age from the four pre-mentioned sub-basins were selected for measurement. The results present a wide range of both high grade to low grade metamorphics and granitoids, with strong contrasts present spatially and temporally. A high contribution of high-pressure metamorphic phases like lawsonite, glaucophane, and kyanite was identified in samples from the Rossano basin. Paired with the presence of garnets from greenschist/blueschist-facies rocks and apatite derived from mafic igneous rocks, sourcing is likely from Liguride units currently exposed in northern and western regions of northern Calabria (e.g. Catena Costiera, northern Crati valley). Occurrence of andalusite in the Serravallian/ Tortonian samples of the Ciro and Crotone basins points to sourcing directly from the Sila Massif plutonic rocks and/or its high-temperature metamorphic rims. Furthermore, large proportions of Ca-rich garnets in Crotone, and the oldest sample from Ciro, suggest metasomatic host-rocks also reflect this sourcing pattern. Apatite geochronology from Crotone shows one singular significant peak around 300 Ma, referring to the Variscan orogeny and further underlining a significant input from Sila granitoid rocks. The shift in sediment sourcing patterns from the lower to middle Miocene in the Rossano, Ciro, and Crotone basins indicate the exhumation of the Calabrian arc, along with its subsequent increasing and then decreasing relief, played a pivotal role in controlling the timing and direction of sediment transport.

How to cite: Feil, S., von Eynatten, H., Chew, D., Schönig, J., Dunkl, I., Caracciolo, L., and Muto, F.: Provenance and drainage evolution of the Northern Calabria forearc, southern Italy, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-18573, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-18573, 2025.

Provenance Characteristics and Tectonic Implication of the Laiyang Group in Lingshan Island of Riqingwei Basin

JIANG, Yushen and ZHOU, Yaoqi, China University of Petroleum (east)

Abstract: Lingshan Island is located on the suture zone of the Sulu orogenic belt and is an important research area of the Riqingwei Basin. There are turbidites of Laiyang Group of Lower Cretaceous, terrigenous clastic rocks of Qingshan Group and igneous rocks in Lingshan Island from top to bottom. There are significant debates about the sedimentary environment, sediment source, and provenance direction of the Laiyang Group sedimentary strata in the Lingshan Island. The stratigraphic features of Lingshan Island section are investigated in detail and analyzed by various methods, and the following conclusions are drawn:

(1) Analysis of the sandstone detrital components has shown that the predominant rock type in the study area is lithic feldspathic sandstone with overall low maturity, and the grain composition of sandstone shows that the source rocks may have the characteristics of volcanic rocks, granite and metamorphic rocks. The sedimentary source of the Laiyang Group sandstones in Lingshan Island is relatively close with a short transportation distance and fast sedimentation rate, and is mainly from the cutting of arc-island region, which is affected by tectonic uplift to some extent.

(2) The results of paleocurrent analysis show that the ancient water flow in Lingshan Island area is generally oriented in the northwest-southeast direction with an average azimuth of 160 °, suggesting that the sandstone deposits in the study area mainly come from the northern provenance.

(3) Analysis of the principal and trace elements in mudstone has revealed that, from bottom to top, there is a trend of change in properties of the source rock from felsic to intermediate, and a trend of decreasing weathering in the source area; The provenance mainly comes from felsic source area, and the overall chemical weathering and recycling degree is low. It is speculated that the clastic materials of mudstone directly come from the strong weathering and deposition of igneous rocks.

(4) Results of heavy mineral components analysis have shown that the sedimentary strata in the study area are influenced by source rocks such as acid magmatic rocks and metamorphic rocks to a certain extent, and from the change of heavy mineral characteristics in different horizons, it records the first-stage tectonic uplift movement.

Based on the above analysis results and the tectonic position of the study area, it can be concluded that the sedimentary strata of Laiyang Group in Lingshan Island area are influenced to some extent by source rocks such as acid magmatic rocks and metamorphic rocks, and the source rocks are mainly metamorphic sedimentary rocks, intermediate-acid volcanic rocks, metamorphic rocks and sedimentary rocks. The change of provenance reflects a period of tectonic uplift. The main source of provenance in Lingshan Island area is from the Sulu orogenic belt, which may be partly from metamorphic sedimentary rocks of Yangtze platform in the early stage and mainly from Sulu orogenic belt in the later stage.

How to cite: Jiang, Y. and Zhou, Y.: Provenance Characteristics and Tectonic Implication of the Laiyang Group in Lingshan Island of Riqingwei Basin, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1981, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1981, 2025.

The Ediacaran to Cambrian transition witnessed a key interval in the Earth’s history for biological revolution, environmental change and tectonic evolution. Wells and seismic data show that a Lower Cambrian thick siliciclastic rock succession occurs in the NW Yangtze Block, South China. The provenance and tectonic setting for the thick Cambrian sedimentary successions are very crucial for understanding the Ediacaran-Cambrian transition. Here, a Cambrian outcrop section (ca. 800-m-thick) in the middle Longmenshan fold-thrust belt, NW Yangtze Block, which is composed of mixed carbonate-siliciclastic strata, was investigated to constrain depositional ages, sedimentary environments, provenance and tectonic settings, through integrating field-based sedimentology, petrography, whole-rock element geochemistry, detrital zircon U-Pb dating, zircon trace elements and Hf isotopes, and carbonate stable C isotope data. The sedimentary succession is thought to accumulate during the Terreneunian to Epoch 2 time (i.e., Age 2 to Age 4, ca. 524-509 Ma) by comparison of our new carbonate stable C isotopic data and the global Cambrian δ¹³C curve and by the detrital zircon U-Pb age evidence (the youngest age peaks ranging from 538 to 518 Ma). The investigated strata have coarsening-upward trends and indicate complex, variable sedimentary environments (including slope-basin, deep-water shelf and fan delta settings) with hydrothermal inputs. Sandstones from the lower Qiongzhusi Formation have abundant volcanic lithic fragments and detrital zircons therein are dominated by Ediacaran to Cambrian ages. However, sandstones from the upper Canglangpu Formation consist of variable lithic fragments (including chert, metamorphic, volcanic and sedimentary clasts) and indicate diverse detrital zircon U-Pb ages (1000-500 Ma and minor 2600-2100 Ma). Both geochemical data of fine-grained sedimentary rocks and petrographic data of the sandstones reveal the deposits were relatively immature and were derived from proximal sources. Additionally, trace elements of the zircon grains with 650–500 Ma ages indicate a continental arc origin. All the results point to nearby arc-related source terranes for the Cambrian clastic records, rather than distant orogen sources as previously proposed. The geological and geochemical evidence, combining published geophysical data, imply the development of an early Cambrian orogen northwest to the study area. We suggest that the underestimated arc settings were formed in response to the subduction of the Proto-Tethys ocean beneath the NW Yangtze Block, which resulted in continental collision and uplift of northwest microterranes that provided siliciclastic sediments to fill the foreland basin southeastward.

How to cite: Gu, Z. and Jian, X.: Sedimentary provenance analysis unravels the Early Cambrian orogeny in the NW Yangtze Block, South China, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-13916, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-13916, 2025.

Quartz is the most stable and abundant mineral in sedimentary rocks and remains stable during weathering and diagenetic processes [1], thus being a good provenance tracer. Traditional and advanced techniques to determine quartz origin, such as petrography and cathodo-luminescence and laser ablation spectrometry have obtained limited success.

The aim of the study is to implement a new protocol to analyze the oxygen isotopic signatures of single detrital grains of quartz, with primary application in source-to-sink studies, and to assess their role as a provenance fingerprint of different magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary domains. While single grain approach is standard in detrital thermochronology [e.g. 2,3], it has not been applied on major minerals using classic isotopic tracers.

This new protocol is tested on modern sediments of Ganga-Brahmaputra rivers and turbidites from the Bengal Fan (IODP Expedition 354). Single grain isotopic fingerprint allows us to define oxygen isotopic signature of magmatic and metamorphic source rocks of different Himalayan tectonic domains (Greater Himalaya, Lesser Himalaya, Tethys Himalaya and Trans-Himalayan Batholiths) and to detect and quantify their relative contribution in Bengal turbidites and to highlight sediment mixing from specific sources thus enhancing provenance resolution with respect to bulk approaches.

Around 200 quartz grains in each sand sample from rivers draining exclusively a single Himalayan tectonic domain have been analyzed by ion microprobe LG-SIMS to better characterize their oxygen isotopic variability, thus providing a good fingerprint of the source rocks in the detrital record. Around 150 quartz grains from each Bengal Fan turbiditic sample have been analyzed to quantify the contribution of different Himalayan tectonic domains in Bengal Fan turbidites through time.

The new data, combined with data obtained with other bulk-sediment to single-mineral approaches, allow us to enhance provenance resolution and highlight the erosional evolution of the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen through time.

This new method can be profitably applied in any sediment-provenance study as a precious complement to traditional methods applied to the same quartz grains (luminescence, OH-defects, and petrographic characteristics) as well as classic techniques (e.g., petrography, heavy minerals, elemental geochemistry, isotope geochemistry) to discriminate detrital quartz derived from felsic igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary sources.

Key words: Oxygen isotopes, Ion Probe LG-SIMS, Provenance analysis, Single-grain techniques, Himalayan orogen, Bengal fan

[1] Clayton, Jackson & Sridhar (1978), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 42(10), 1517-1522.

[2] Blum, Rogers, Gleason, Najman, Cruz & Fox (2018), Scientific Reports 8(1), 7973.

[3] Chew, Najman, Mark, Barfod, Carter, Parrish, & Gemignani (2019), Bulletin of the Geological Society of America 131; 9-10.

How to cite: Limonta, M., France-Lanord, C., Galy, A., Gurenko, A., Bouden, N., and Garzanti, E.:  Single quartz δ18O: a new proxy in sediment provenance studies (Bengal Fan, IODP Expedition 354)., EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-6282, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-6282, 2025.

Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity as well as some electron spin resonance (ESR) and cathodoluminescence (CL) signals have been empirically proposed as provenance indicators. Sensitivity is defined as luminescence emitted in response to a given dose per unit mass. While it is largely believed to be acquired by earth surface processes, recent studies bring evidence that sensitisation processes depend on source geology.
Here we combine OSL and thermoluminescence (TL), ESR and CL analyses to understand the mechanisms of quartz OSL sensitisation. We investigate granites and their derived sediments from catchments draining simple lithologies of known age that display contrasting OSL sensitisation behaviour both in nature and during irradiation and light exposure laboratory experiments. The sample displaying increased OSL sensitisation is characterised by TL emission at intermediate temperatures (150-250 °C), Ti-related signals in CL, and Ti and Ge lithium compensated signals in ESR. The insensitive samples either lack or exhibit very weak such characteristics and contain several times less amount of trace titanium measured by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS).
We demonstrate that the OSL sensitisation results as an effect of the existence of certain defects and impurities in the quartz crystal in the parent rock, such as titanium and germanium. However, the degree of sensitisation reached in nature is significantly higher than in the laboratory.  As such, the existence of this precursor represents the potential for sensitisation, which can later be amplified by environmental factors during sedimentary history.

This study is funded by the European Research Council Consolidator Grant - PROGRESS, (ERC-CoG-101043356) awarded to Prof. Alida Timar-Gabor. 

How to cite: Constantin, D., Dave, A., Grecu, Ș., Kabacińska, Z., Antuzevics, A., Barla, A., Urdea, P., Ducea, M., and Timar-Gabor, A.: Tracing quartz provenance: a multi-disciplinary investigation of luminescence sensitisation mechanisms of quartz from granite source rocks and derived sediments, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-1479, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-1479, 2025.

Relief degradation and drainage evolution in the aftermath of major orogenies have been extensively studied for young mountain belts. For ancient orogenic settings such reconstructions often remain enigmatic with respect to, e.g., exhumation and erosion rates, sediment dispersal paths and sediment budgets as well as associated paleolandscapes and sediment routing systems. Sedimentary provenance analysis provides an essential tool to constrain these complex systems in space and time.

Here we present a multi-method provenance study from the Black Forest, the Palatinate Forest and the Vosges (SW Germany and NE France) that includies heavy mineral assemblage data from 100 sandstone samples as well as detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and grain-size measurements from 40 selected samples. The samples cover approximately 10 to 15 Myrs from Zechstein to Upper Bundsandstein strata (Wuchiapingian to early Anisian). Additional data comprise detrital tourmaline and garnet geochemistry as well as detrital monazite geochronology.

The heavy mineral assemblages are rather uniform, dominated by the stable phases zircon, tourmaline and rutile (along with other TiO₂-polymorphs) and complemented by variable apatite content as well as minor monazite. Zircon U-Pb ages range from ~0.25 to 3.5 Ga, showing prominent Variscan (30%), Caledonian (23%) and Cadomian (28%) age components, along with older ages (19%). Grain-size data indicate an overall decrease of zircon size with increasing U-Pb age. The zircon age distributions suggest an increase of Cadomian and older ages at the expense of Variscan ages with decreasing stratigraphic age of the samples. This observation is independent of zircon grain size. It is interpreted to reflect a change from more local sources in Late Permian time to a significantly enlarged catchment area in the Early Triassic that includes tapping new source regions. This comes along with a homogenization of sediment composition across the entire drainage and depositional area in the late Olenekian to early Anisian. Our study serves as an example of heavy-mineral based fingerprints for regional-scale drainage basin widening due to relief planation in the aftermath of major orogenic phases. 

How to cite: von Eynatten, H., Sass, K., Dunkl, I., and Schönig, J.: Permo-Triassic sediment provenance and paleodrainage in Central to Western Europe, EGU General Assembly 2025, Vienna, Austria, 27 Apr–2 May 2025, EGU25-15518, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu25-15518, 2025.