Unravelling the history of mountain belts through U–Pb and Lu–Hf dating of zircon and 40Ar/39Ar dating of detrital white mica: a case study from the Eastern Alps

Abstract

ABSTRACT Radiogenic isotopes of igneous and detrital minerals from various clastic rocks of mountain belts are used to reveal tectonic and sedimentary processes, which are otherwise difficult to detect. Here, we discuss the results of U–Pb and Lu–Hf zircon systems, and 40Ar/39Ar on detrital white mica in Eastern Alps. Zircon and white mica are chemically and mechanically stable and occur in magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks. During subsequent metamorphism, zircon is resistant against high temperature, >650 °C (U–Pb) and 900 °C (Lu–Hf). The Lu–Hf zircon system is used as a tracer of initial magma separation from the mantle, and the U–Pb zircon system records magmatic crystallization. The 40Ar/39Ar white mica system is stable up to 400–450 °C dating either formation or cooling after high-grade metamorphism. Detrital U–Pb zircon ages on two major rivers draining the Eastern Alps do not record any sign of Alpine orogeny or metamorphism. Consequently, U–Pb zircon studies can entirely miss the record of collisional orogeny in cool, magma-poor collision orogens. In contrast, 40Ar/39Ar white mica ages record Early and Late Alpine metamorphism but are limited to revealing the pre-orogenic history. U–Pb zircon and 40Ar/39Ar white mica yield different information in provenance studies. In the Eastern Alps, U–Pb zircon dating of magmatic and clastic rocks indicates intense formation of magmatic rocks between 630 and 230 Ma. Felsic rocks dominate the older age groups, and increasingly young mafic rocks were dated, specifically between 265 and 230 Ma. Hf isotopes record increasing juvenile input since ∼630 Ma. Two different groups with respect to Mesoproterozoic depleted mantle ages are shown: (1) one group with a Mesoproterozoic age gap typical for Gondwana-derived units, and (2) a rare group with Mesoproterozoic ages recording a new tectonic element in the Austroalpine basement in Alps.