Origin of northern Gondwana Cambrian sandstone revealed by detrital zircon SHRIMP dating

Research Article| March 01, 2003 Origin of northern Gondwana Cambrian sandstone revealed by detrital zircon SHRIMP dating D. Avigad; D. Avigad 1Institute of Earth Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar K. Kolodner; K. Kolodner 1Institute of Earth Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar M. McWilliams; M. McWilliams 2Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar H. Persing; H. Persing 3U.S. Geological Survey, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar T. Weissbrod T. Weissbrod 4Israel Geological Survey, 30 Malchai-Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information D. Avigad 1Institute of Earth Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel K. Kolodner 1Institute of Earth Sciences, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem 91904, Israel M. McWilliams 2Department of Geological and Environmental Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA H. Persing 3U.S. Geological Survey, Stanford, California 94305-2115, USA T. Weissbrod 4Israel Geological Survey, 30 Malchai-Israel Street, Jerusalem 95501, Israel Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 09 Jul 2002 Revision Received: 18 Oct 2002 Accepted: 21 Oct 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (2003) 31 (3): 227–230. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2003)031<0227:OONGCS>2.0.CO;2 Article history Received: 09 Jul 2002 Revision Received: 18 Oct 2002 Accepted: 21 Oct 2002 First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation D. Avigad, K. Kolodner, M. McWilliams, H. Persing, T. Weissbrod; Origin of northern Gondwana Cambrian sandstone revealed by detrital zircon SHRIMP dating. Geology 2003;; 31 (3): 227–230. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(2003)031<0227:OONGCS>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Voluminous Paleozoic sandstone sequences were deposited in northern Africa and Arabia following an extended Neoproterozoic orogenic cycle that culminated in the assembly of Gondwana. We measured sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U-Pb ages of detrital zircons separated from several Cambrian units in the Elat area of southern Israel in order to unravel their provenance. This sandstone forms the base of the widespread siliciclastic section now exposed on the periphery of the Arabian-Nubian shield in northeastern Africa and Arabia. Most of the detrital zircons we analyzed yielded Neoproterozoic concordant ages with a marked concentration at 0.55–0.65 Ga. The most likely provenance of the Neoproterozoic detritus is the Arabian-Nubian shield; 0.55–0.65 Ga was a time of posttectonic igneous activity, rift-related volcanism, and strike-slip faulting there. Of the zircons, 30% yielded pre-Neoproterozoic ages grouped at 0.9–1.1 Ga (Kibaran), 1.65–1.85 Ga, and 2.45–2.7 Ga. The majority of the pre-Neoproterozoic zircons underwent Pb loss, possibly as a consequence of the Pan-African orogeny resetting their provenance. Rocks of the Saharan metacraton and the southern Afif terrane in Saudi Arabia (∼1000 km south of Elat) are plausible sources of these zircons. Kibaran basement rocks are currently exposed more than 3000 km south of Elat (flanking the Mozambique belt), but the shape of the detrital zircons of that age and the presence of feldspar in the host sandstone are not fully consistent with such a long-distance transport. Reworking of Neoproteorozoic glacial detritus may explain the presence of Kibaran detrital zircons in the Cambrian of Elat, but the possibility that the Arabian-Nubian shield contains Kibaran rocks (hitherto not recognized) should also be explored. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.