Explore the vast range of titles available.

Tectonic interpretations of arc remnants in the Himalayan orogen remain uncertain, despite their important implications for the overall convergence history between India and Eurasia. Provenance results from deep‐water volcaniclastic rocks of the Indus Suture Zone in Ladakh provide new constraints on the Mesozoic tectonic evolution of the Dras and Kohistan‐Ladakh arcs. Detrital zircon (DZ) U‐Pb ages and whole‐rock geochemistry of the fault‐bounded Upper Cretaceous Nindam and Paleocene Jurutze formations present age patterns and compositions that are consistent with those of the Dras and Kohistan‐Ladakh arcs, respectively. The combination of DZs of the Nindam and Jurutze formations with the igneous zircons of the Dras and Kohistan‐Ladakh arcs shows similar age distributions that support a Late Jurassic to Paleocene tectonic connection between all these units. We argue that the secular trends in geochemical composition of DZs and volcaniclastic material are consistent with the magmatic evolution of one convergent margin, which shifted from a primitive to a mature stage during the Late Cretaceous. The recognition of a single Dras‐Kohistan‐Ladakh arc sets the stage for reevaluating competing scenarios of the Mesozoic evolution of the India–Eurasia convergent system. We find that the most likely scenario is that of a Jurassic arc formed above a south‐dipping intraoceanic subduction zone and accreted to Eurasia during the Early Cretaceous, after which it evolved above a north‐dipping subduction zone. Plain Language Summary The Himalayan orogen is the result of the collision between India and Eurasia and the closure of the intervening Neotethys Ocean. The suture zone between India and Eurasia hosts an incomplete and complex archive of the paleogeography that once existed between them prior to continent‐continent collision. Investigating suture zone rocks may therefore provide valuable information on the building blocks of the orogen and the overall history of the India‐Eurasia convergent system. Disparate remnants exposed in the Indus Suture Zone (Western Himalaya) suggest that volcanic arcs and sedimentary basins were formed above intraoceanic subduction zones, but there is no consensus on their original paleogeography. We discuss new and existing geological data from volcaniclastic rocks related to the Dras and Kohistan‐Ladakh arcs. Our data support the existence of a single Dras‐Kohistan‐Ladakh arc during the Mesozoic and provide additional insights into the complexity of the pre‐collisional convergence between India and Eurasia. Key Points Dissimilar ages and compositions of volcaniclastic units in the Indus Suture Zone reveal arc evolution from primitive to mature stages Detrital zircon U‐Pb ages and geochemistry, and whole‐rock geochemistry support a common origin of the Dras and Kohistan‐Ladakh arcs The recognition of a single Dras‐Kohistan‐Ladakh arc represents a key constraint in models of India‐Eurasia convergence

The Kyzylkum Desert, as a transition area of different dust source in Central Asia, provides and reserves a large amount of dust transported by different atmospheric circulation systems, affecting Uzbekistan and downwind East Asia. However, there remains very few investigations about sediment sources and control factors of the desert. We hereby first present a provenance study on the Kyzylkum Desert, utilizing detrital zircon U‐Pb ages of samples composed of desert sand, alluvial sediments from Amu Darya River and piedmont of Southwest Tianshan Mountains. The results reveal that the Southwest Tianshan Mountains contribute the majority of the Kyzylkum desert sand, and the river system, dominated by Syr Darya, controls the sediment provenance of the desert. Moreover, little contribution from the Kyzylkum and Nurata segments indicates that wind erosion on the bedrocks is weak. However, the aeolian process is still crucial but deposit and storage of dust are determined by local topography. Plain Language Summary The Arid Central Asia is commonly considered one of the most important dust sources in the world. The Kyzylkum Desert, located in the center of the multiple dust sources in Central Asia, provides and receives a large amount of dust, affecting Uzbekistan and downwind East Asia. However, research on sediment sources and control factors in the area is under debate. We investigate the potential provenance, spatial variability, and transport patterns of sand in the Kyzylkum Desert using detrital zircon U–Pb geochronology on 10 sediment samples. The results reveal that the Southwest Tianshan Mountains contribute the majority of the Kyzylkum desert sand, however, the proximal provenances also have a significant influence on the formation of the desert. The geomorphologic history shows that, the river system, dominated by Syr Darya, controls the sediment provenance of the Kyzylkum Desert. The wind displays little influence on the rework and recycle process of Kyzylkum Desert, indicated by inhomogeneous composition between northwest and southeast desert. The unmixing model results show evidence of sediments from the Kyzylkum Desert transported to the piedmont areas, but the transport and deposition of dust are primarily controlled by topography. Key Points Detrital zircon U‐Pb dating indicates that the Southwest Tianshan Mountains are the primary sediment source of the Kyzylkum Desert The river system controls the sediment provenance of the Kyzylkum Desert Topography determines reserve positions of the aeolian sand and dust from Central Asian deserts

During the existence of Proto-Tethys Ocean (550–430 Ma), microcontinents in northern East Gondwana merged with the northern margin of India-Australia, completing the assembly of Gondwana. Ongoing controversy surrounds the disappearance of the Proto-Tethys Ocean, the dynamic mechanisms of suturing and the palaeogeographic relationships among microcontinents in northern East Gondwana, contributing to the uncertainty about the tectonic evolution of the region. This paper concerns the lower Silurian Zusailing Formation in the Hainan Island and focuses on the affinity between Hainan Island and various microcontinents in northern East Gondwana during the early Silurian. We use detrital zircon geochronology to reconstruct the closure process of the Proto-Tethys Ocean and show that the detrital zircon U–Pb age groups of the lower Silurian Zusailing Formation are 2800–2200, 2100–1350, 1250–950, 600–480 and 480–430 Ma, with a significant age peak of ca. 449 Ma. Furthermore, the analysis of detrital zircon geochemistry and europium anomalies shows that the Hainan Island crust continued to thicken during 600–434 Ma. Comparing the age spectrum of early Palaeozoic detrital zircons from Hainan Island and various microcontinents in northern East Gondwana, as well as the affinity among them during the Silurian, we conclude that the closure of the eastern Proto-Tethys Ocean evolved from unidirectional subduction (600–480 Ma) to bidirectional subduction (480–430 Ma).

A detrital zircon U–Pb laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–quadrupole mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-QMS) provenance study was undertaken on samples selected from the Lower Gondwana successions preserved in the fault-bounded Bokaro and Jharia basins in India to investigate the provenance of the sediment and determine whether the strata were deposited in isolated syn-depositional graben basins or formed part of a wider regional depositional system. A total of 730 concordant U–Pb detrital zircon ages revealed six distinct age fractions: (i) a latest Neoproterozoic to earliest Cambrian age fraction (530 to 510 Ma), which tails down in some samples to older Neoproterozoic ages (650 to 630 Ma); (ii) a major age fraction with an age peak of earliest Neoproterozoic (950 Ma), accompanied in some samples by a twin Mesoproterozoic peak (1000 Ma); (iii) a middle Mesoproterozoic age fraction (1330 to 1300 Ma); (iv) a prominent earliest Mesoproterozoic zircon age fraction (1600 Ma); (v) a less well-defined late Palaeoproterozoic zircon age fraction (2100 to 1700 Ma, or 1600 Ma); and (vi) an Archaean zircon age fraction that typically comprises two zircon age fractions, namely zircons with early Neoarchaean ages (2800 to 2750 Ma) coupled with zircons with ages older than 3100 Ma. Comparison of these newly obtained age fractions with detrital zircon age data presented by Veevers & Saeed (2009) shows similarities with the Gondwana strata of the Mahanadi and Pranhita–Godavari basins, implying that strata preserved in the fault-bounded Gondwana basins in central east India formed part of a much wider regional depositional system and that they were not deposited in isolated half-graben or graben basins. Potential source regions to the Gondwana strata of the Bokaro and Jharia basins include the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt and rock units in Antarctica.

The Weihe Basin is an intracontinental rift basin in central China that provides an ideal location for studying the interactions between regional tectonics and monsoonal climate change. In this paper, we present detrital zircon U-Pb ages from sediments from Core LYH drilled in the northern margin of the basin. We use these to illuminate changing sediment transport processes, provenance and palaeo-environments during the Quaternary. The sediments are dominated by zircon age groups of 100-400 Ma and 400-550 Ma, and three secondary age peaks at 700-1100 Ma, 1700-2100 Ma and 2400-2600 Ma. Multidimensional scaling plots support the conclusion that the Central Loess Plateau and the Luo River are the dominant sources of sediments to the core site. Before c. 1.06 Ma, the Qinling Mountains and the Wei River, as well as the Yellow River, had minor influence on the sedimentation at the core site. These results are consistent with the existence of a palaeolake prior to 1.06 Ma, which allowed sediments supplied to the south and east edge of the basin to be reworked to the northern side of the Weihe Basin. Subsequently, the Luo River has provided a steady source of sediments to the northern Weihe Basin.

Reconstructing the tectonic architecture of the southern Altaids is of great importance to piece together the continental growth history of the Central Asian continent. In this paper, we address the subduction‐accretion process of the Paleo‐Tianshan Ocean, one branch of the South Tianshan Ocean, in the southern Altaids, through a detailed geological and geochemical investigation of the Wulanmoren Accretionary Complex (WAC). The WAC is composed of ophiolitic mélanges, ocean plate stratigraphy mélanges, and turbiditic coherent units. In this study, we present key geological, petrological, and geochemical evidence indicating back‐arc and ocean island affinity of the igneous rocks of the WAC. Zircon U‐Pb dates of these rocks ages range between 380.2 ± 1.3 and 302.0 ± 5.3 Ma. The sedimentary matrix units of the mélanges were deposited in the Early Devonian (∼405 Ma) to the Late Triassic (∼222 Ma), rather than Silurian strata as previously thought. However, the ages of some detrital zircons in the sedimentary matrix are Precambrian, pointing to a complex evolution involving multiple ocean island terrains and island arcs of different ages that accreted from the mid‐Paleozoic to the Early Mesozoic. Plain Language Summary Well‐exposed rock outcrops of the Wulanmoren Accretionary Complex (WAC) offer an ideal opportunity to solve the enigma of the evolutionary history of the Paleo‐Tianshan Ocean (PTO) of Central Asia. We report field observations, geochemistry, and geochronology of the WAC in the southern Altaids, pointing to multiple tectonic settings of ages spanning from the Early Devonian (∼405 Ma) to the Late Triassic (∼222 Ma). These reconstructions suggest closure time of the PTO occurred post‐Triassic. Based on detrital zircons provenance analysis, we propose a multi‐island ocean model to explain the tectonic evolution of the PTO in the time period studied. Key Points The Wulanmoren Accretionary Complex was composed of ophiolitic mélanges, ocean plate stratigraphy mélanges, and coherent units The Late Paleozoic MORB‐like and OIB‐type basalts, and ∼222 Ma coherent units indicate closure of the Paleo‐Tianshan Ocean occurred post‐Triassic The southern Paleo‐Asian Ocean was an archipelago with several subduction systems which is similar to the modern southwest Pacific

AbstractThis paper presents the data on the geological structure of the Lower Paleozoic complexes of the Omulevka and Rassokha terranes, which occur in the western part of the Kolyma–Omolon microcontinent. The Lower Paleozoic rocks of both terranes are mostly terrigenous and terrigenous-volcanic, respectively. The U–Pb dating of detrital zircons allowed the determination of the provenances of clastic material and paleogeographical position of terranes for the Early Paleozoic. The age of detrital zircons indicates that the main sources of clastic material for the Ordovician–Silurian sedimentary rocks of the Omulevka Terrane were located at the northern and northeastern passive margin of the Siberian Craton. For the entire Early Paleozoic, the Rassokha Terrane occurred close to a northeastern margin of Laurentia and the northwestern margin of Baltica.

The rock association of low-grade metasedimentary rocks and greenschists located within the Meso- Cenozoic Liupanshan Fault system on the southwestern margin of the North China Craton (NCC) is regarded as part of the Paleoproterozoic Xiong’er Group. These lowgrade rocks are separated by normal faults, with the greenschist located in the hanging walls. Zircon LA–ICP–MS U–Pb ages of the greenschists range from 2455 to 423 Ma, suggesting that they are not Paleoproterozoic in age. The protolith ages (206–194 Ma) of the greenschists were determined by LA–ICP–MS U–Pb dating of zircons from two siltstone interlayers. The petrology and geochemistry of the greenschists reveal that their protolith was continental tholeiitic basalt that formed in an extensional environment such as a continental rift. Thus, it is proposed that the protolith of the greenschists was a mafic volcanic rock of Late Triassic–Early Jurassic age and was metamorphosed during the Jurassic due to tectonism within the Liupanshan tectonic belt. These results show that the greenschists should be reclassified and removed from the Xiong’er Group, and explains why they differ so much from those of typical Xiong’er Group successions in other areas. The formation of the mafic volcanic rocks under conditions of continental rifting differs from that of coeval granitic rocks in the western Qinling Orogen, where the extension occurred during a post-collisional stage in the Late Triassic, which further suggests that the southwestern margin of the NCC became an extensional setting after the Late Triassic.

Detrital geochronology and thermochronology have emerged as primary methods of reconstructing the tectonic and surficial evolution of the Earth over geological time. Technological improvements in the acquisition of detrital geo‐thermochronologic data have resulted in a rapid increase in the quantity of published data over the past two decades, particularly for the mineral zircon. However, existing tools for visualizing and analysing detrital geo‐thermochronologic data generally lack flexibility for working with large datasets, hampering efforts to utilize the large quantity of available data. This paper presents detritalPy, a Python‐based toolset that is designed for flexibility in visualizing and analysing large detrital geo‐thermochronologic datasets. Any number of samples, or groups of samples, can be selected for plotting and/or analysis. Functionality includes: (a) plotting detrital age distributions using the most commonly employed visualization types, (b) plotting sample locations within an interactive mapping interface, (c) calculating and plotting maximum depositional age, (d) creating multi‐dimensional scaling plots and (e) calculating inter‐sample similarity and dissimilarity matrices, among other functions. detritalPy is implemented using a Jupyter Notebook, requires no significant coding expertise, and can be modified as needed to meet users’ specific requirements. It is anticipated that detritalPy will provide a platform for analysing detrital geo‐thermochronologic data within a ‘Big Data’ framework, providing a much needed toolset for efficient utilization of ever‐increasing quantities of data.

Zircon geochemistry provides a sensitive monitor of its parental magma composition. However, due to the complexity of the uptake of trace elements during zircon growth, identifying source magmas remains challenging, particularly for detrital grains whose petrological context is lost. We use a machine learning-based approach to explore the classifiers for zircon provenance, based on 3794 published, high-quality zircon trace element analyses compiled from I-, S-, and A-type granites. Three supervised machine learning algorithms, namely, Support Vector Machine (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Multilayer Perceptron (MLP) were used and trained with 11 features, including 7 trace elements (Ce, Eu, Ho, Nb, Ta, Th, and U) and 4 derived trace element ratios (Th/U, U/Yb, Ce/Ce*, and Eu/Eu*). Our results show that all three trained machine learning methods perform very well with accuracy varying from 0.86 to 0.89, and that input–output relationships captured by different ML methods are nearly consistent and can be explained by the known petrological processes. The application of our trained machine learning classifiers to detrital zircon studies will enhance the interpretability of zircon assemblages of different origins. It also helps develop interpretations, approaches, and tools that will benefit, for example, the study of continental crust evolution and mineral exploration.