Neoproterozoic sedimentation and tectonics of the Laurentian midcontinent: Detrital zircon provenance of the Jacobsville Sandstone, Lake Superior Basin, USA and Canada

David H. Malone*, Carol A. Stein, John P. Craddock, Seth Stein, John E. Malone

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Neoproterozoic Jacobsville Sandstone outcrops along the south and east shores of Lake Superior, USA. It records intraplate deformation, some during its deposition and some afterwards, after the c. 1,100 Ma Midcontinent Rift (MCR) failed. Here we analyse 549 new detrital zircon ages from five sites, combined with prior data. Initially, local palaeo-topography controlled the source material, including the MCR-adjacent Penokean and Archaean rocks. With time the percentage of distal sources increased, including the c. 1,300–980 Ma Grenville orogeny and 1,480–1,360 Ma Granite-Rhyolite Province. Sites near the Keweenaw fault contain a significant number of MCR-age zircons, presumably uplifted to the surface, indicating fault motion during deposition. Only a relatively small percentage of 1,090–980 Ma Grenville-age zircons from collisions to the east are present, suggesting that they were not efficiently transported to the Lake Superior area. This work is innovative in that it is the first to use detrital zircon geochronology to understand the internal stratigraphy of the Jacobsville Sandstone, whose provenance provides new information about the Neoproterozoic tectonic and sedimentary history of Laurentia.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)442-449
Number of pages8
JournalTerra Nova
Volume32
Issue number6
DOIs
StatePublished - Dec 2020

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geology

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