Unravelling the protracted U-Pb zircon geochronological record of high to ultrahigh temperature metamorphic rocks: Implications for provenance investigations

Abstract

The assessment of detrital zircon age records is a key method in basin analysis, but it is prone to several biases that may compromise accurate sedimentary provenance investigations. High to ultrahigh temperature (HT-UHT) metamorphism (especially if T > 850 °C) is herein presented as a natural cause of bias in provenance studies based on U-Pb detrital zircon ages, since zircon from rocks submitted to these extreme and often prolonged conditions frequently yield protracted, apparently concordant, geochronological records. Such age spreading can result from disturbance of the primary U-Pb zircon system, likewise from (re)crystallization processes during multiple and/or prolonged metamorphic events. In this contribution, available geochronological data on Archean, Neoproterozoic and Palaeozoic HT-UHT metamorphic rocks, acquired by different techniques (SIMS and LA-ICP-MS) and showing distinct compositions, are reassessed to demonstrate HT-UHT metamorphism may result in modes and age distributions of unclear geological meaning. As a consequence, it may induce misinterpretations on U-Pb detrital zircon provenance analyses, particularly in sedimentary rocks metamorphosed under such extreme temperature conditions. To evaluate the presence of HT-UHT metamorphism-related bias in the detrital zircon record, we suggest a workflow for data acquisition and interpretation, combining a multi-proxy approach with: (i) in situ U-Pb dating coupled with Hf analyses to retrieve the isotopic composition of the sources, and (ii) the integration of a petrochronological investigation to typify fingerprints of the HT-UHT metamorphic event. The proposed workflow is validated in the investigation of one theoretical and one natural example allowing a better characterization of the sedimentary sources, maximum depositional ages, and the tectonic setting of the basin. Our workflow allows to the appraisal of biases imposed by HT-UHT metamorphism and resulting disturbances in the U-Pb detrital zircon record, particularly for sedimentary rocks that underwent HT-UHT metamorphism and, finally, suggests ways to overcome these issues.