Provenance Studies Research Articles

Accuracy Improvement in the LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS Measurement of 87Sr/86Sr in Bioapatite Using Dentin of Carcharinus leucas (Bull shark) to Estimate 87Rb/85Rb Instrument Induced Fractionation

In situ 87Sr/86Sr microanalysis in bioapatite using laser ablation (LA‐)MC‐ICP‐MS is an essential tool for provenance studies, as enamel tissue build‐up records the regional Sr isotopic composition of ingested food and water sources. Several factors hamper the acquisition of reliable and precise 87Sr/86Sr data: isobaric interferences, elemental and isotopic fractionation of Rb and Sr, and the lack of certified reference materials. Here we thoroughly characterise several teeth from Carcharinus leucas (Bull shark) for the spatial distribution of Sr and Rb mass fraction by LA‐ICP‐Q‐MS, and their 87Sr/86Sr ratio by solution MC‐ICP‐MS, MC‐TIMS and LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS, and which were used subsequently as a reference material during laser ablation measurement of Sr isotope ratios in bioapatite. We establish a protocol to estimate the 85Rb/87Rb mass bias from the analysis of shark teeth that demonstrates that the common assumption of equal Sr and Rb instrument induced fractionation can lead to a systematic bias in 87Sr/86Sr isotope ratios. Using the shark teeth as an "external" reference material to measure βRb yielded 87Sr/86Sr compositions in unknown samples that are within approximately ‐42 ppm to +66 ppm of expected values, instead of approximately ‐50 ppm to +190 ppm if assuming βRb = βSr. Finally, this methodology was tested on fossil gomphotherid (Rhynchotherium sp.) enamel, allowing us to make preliminary inferences about its palaeobiogeography.

Provenance and Fluvial‐Aeolian Process of Kyzylkum Desert: Constrained by Detrital Zircon U–Pb Dating

AbstractThe 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.

Reconstructing the trade history: provenance study of Han bronze mirrors in and out of Han China

A rapidly increasing number of bronze mirrors dated to the Chinese Han dynasty (202 BC – AD 220), known for their unique decorative patterns and highly developed alloying techniques, have been widely discovered in both China and beyond, providing fresh materials and scientific data to revisit their geological provenance, production and circulation network along the ancient Silk Road. In this paper, 47 bronze mirrors unearthed in the southeastern provinces of China, including Zhejiang, Anhui and Fujian provinces, have been characterized by typo-chronology, lead isotopic analysis, compositional analysis and metallography. A much wider comparative study is also carried out through a combination of data from China, Japan, Central Asia, and Southeast Asia, leading to a more updated lead isotopic database of the Han mirrors spreading out of China in various directions. Compared with the traditional ‘optimal’ model based on the Han mirrors recovered in Japan, the current study contributes several key changes in the bronze mirror production of the Han dynasty. The systematic analysis of the alloy composition, trace elements and typological studies shows that the bronze mirror industry shifted towards a more standardized production in the middle to late Western Han Dynasty. In contrast to the substantial change of non-mirror bronze productions, the similar distribution of lead isotope data in early and middle to late Western Han mirrors suggests that the ‘official monopoly of salt and iron’ policy was less effective for the management of lead involved in mirror production. Bronze mirrors dated to middle to late Western Han discovered outside Han-China, such as Japan, Thailand, Afghanistan, Xiongnu and the ancient Dian Kingdom, appear to be subjected to a more specific type of lead as a result of the state-centralized policy of the Western Han court.

Using quartz OSL signals from SAR cycles for sediment provenance studies

Quartz optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity is varied and related to Earth surface processes and, thus, it has been shown to be a useful tool for appraising sediment recycling and provenance investigations. These investigations are mainly based on OSL data purposely measured for sensitivity calculations. However, it has been recently shown that the relative sensitivity of the quartz OSL fast component (%BOSLF) from the first test dose (Tn) signal from an OSL dating measurement using the Single Aliquot Regenerative-dose (SAR) protocol can be used to discriminate sediment sources. Here, we investigate the possibility of characterizing %BOSLF for provenance purposes using not only Tn signals but all other OSL signals obtained over SAR protocol cycles from OSL dating measurements. We address the %BOSLF behaviour over SAR cycles (if conservative or not), the %BOSLF dependency on dose-size, differences between %BOSLF values given by natural/regenerative and test dose signals, and %BOSLF application for provenance studies. Quartz sand grains data from twenty Late Quaternary sediment samples, representing orogenic and cratonic sources and diverse depositional contexts from South America, Africa, and Asia, are included in the analysis. All calculations were performed using data that have been previously obtained for equivalent dose estimation. The key finding is that the averaged %BOSLF of all SAR signals was representative of the samples' characteristic sensitivity and could satisfactorily discriminate samples from known sources, mainly in the case of high-sensitivity samples. We could distinguish sediment source areas by averaging the %BOSLF of OSL signals from SAR natural/regenerative and test doses together. Likewise, laboratories worldwide could produce regional/global sediment provenance fingerprinting reference data using their dating measurements accumulated throughout the last decade.

New Strategies in Archaeometric Provenance Analyses of Volcanic Rock Grinding Stones: Examples from Iulia Libica (Spain) and Sidi Zahruni (Tunisia)

Archaeometry can help archaeologists in many ways, and one of the most common archaeometric objectives is provenance analysis. Volcanic rocks are often found in archaeological sites as materials used to make grinding tools such as millstones and mortars or as building materials. Petrographic characterization is commonly applied to identify their main mineralogical components. However, the provenance study of volcanic stones is usually undertaken by comparing geochemical data from reference outcrops using common descriptive statistical tools such as biplots of chemical elements, and occasionally, unsupervised multivariate data analysis like principal component analysis (PCA) is also used. Recently, the use of supervised classification methods has shown a superior performance in assigning provenance to archaeological samples. However, these methods require the use of reference databases for all the possible provenance classes in order to train the classification models. The existence of comprehensive collections of published geochemical analyses of igneous rocks enables the use of the supervised approach for the provenance determination of volcanic stones. In this paper, the provenance of volcanic grinding tools from two archaeological sites (Iulia Libica, Spain, and Sidi Zahruni, Tunisia) is attempted using data from the GEOROC database through unsupervised and supervised approaches. The materials from Sidi Zahruni have been identified as basalts from Pantelleria (Italy), and the agreement between the different supervised classification models tested is particularly conclusive. In contrast, the provenance of the materials from Iulia Libica remained undetermined. The results illustrate the advantages and limitations of all the examined methods.

Provenance study of marble artifacts from the Berenike (Egypt) archaeological site based on petrographic and isotopic data

Provenance study of marble artifacts from the Berenike (Egypt) archaeological site based on petrographic and isotopic data

Provenance Studies of Natural Stones Used in Historical Buildings of the Peninsula de Barbanza, Galicia, Spain (North-Western Iberia)

Traditionally, the building stones used in the architectural heritage of Galicia (Spain) during the past were mainly extracted from quarries located in the surrounding areas of the historical buildings. Thus, a great variety of monuments were built with the same type of granite but with different degrees of weathering depending on local conditions, geological context (facies), and period of construction. The main purpose of this work is to evaluate the probable origin of the construction materials of six historical buildings on the Barbanza Peninsula, Galicia (Spain), based on the degree of weathering and petrographic-mineralogical characteristics. The evaluation was performed on six different samples of granite according to the geological context in outcrops of places where there are old quarries. We used X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and petrographic microscopy (PM) to attempt to address whether the origin is really local to the Barbanza Peninsula or whether the stone was brought from more distant places, based on our knowledge of the geological context of the study area. Based on the chemical, textural, and mineralogical analyses obtained, the material used for construction has a local origin and comes from small quarries spread over a wide area within the Peninsula itself. Barbanza-type granite is the most abundant within the geological context of the area and also the most used as a construction material. Other types of granites identified are the Confurco Granite and other granitoids of the Noya complex. The Chemical Alteration Index (CIA) shows low to moderate weathering in the granites, fitting petrographic observations. In monuments, samples show higher concentrations of Na and K due to salt crystallization. They show microcracks due to extraction, cutting, and finishing processes and common alteration processes of the main minerals, such as sericitization of plagioclase and chloritization of biotite. This work consists of a multidisciplinary study focused on the geological perspective for the identification and preservation of historic quarries. Knowledge of the original material also presents a unique opportunity for the restoration and/or reconstruction of monuments, which allows for the maintenance of their conceptual and constructive homogeneity.

Obsidian Sources and Source Provenance of Archaeological Obsidian in Northern Sonora: The Known and Unknown

A recent obsidian provenance study in three sites in the Valle de Altar region of northern Sonora has greatly expanded our understanding of the prehistoric relationship between the southern and northern Sonoran Desert. Based on obsidian source provenance, archaeological sites in the Valle de Altar indicate that contact with the region as far north as west-central and northern Arizona, the northern portion of the Papaquería, the Sierra Pinacate, the Sierra Madre Occidental, and the Basin and Range of Chihuahua was potentially frequent. However, the vast majority of artifacts produced from obsidian were procured apparently locally from an, as yet, unlocated source called here “SON Valle de Altar Unknown.” The purpose here is to discuss the relevant regional geology, the source provenance of the obsidian artifact assemblage, and relationships throughout the greater Sonoran Desert. This project also adds significant data to the Southwest Archaeological Obsidian Project (http://swxrflab.net/).

On the radiometric significance of glauconies in studies of provenance: An example of the quaternary marine sequences of the Rio Grande Cone (Pelotas basin, southern Brazil)

The sediments of the Pleistocene-Holocene marine sequences of the Rio Grande Cone (RGC) (offshore Pelotas Basin, southernmost Brazilian Margin) are dominantly composed by muddy facies with thin interspersed sandy layers containing abundant very fine-to coarse green grains, heavy minerals assemblage, shards and planktonic foraminifera. These components contribute for a better understanding of the RGC filling during the Pleistocene-Holocene. However, the aim of this work was focused in the radiometric dating of the green grains as tool for provenance studies in marine sedimentary sequences. Based on Electron Microprobe, Scanning Electron Microprobe, Transmission Electron Microprobe and optical analysis the green grains occur as: (01) yellowish-green grains with smooth surfaces, low K2O and moderate Fe2O3 contents, (02) pale green grains with surfaces slightly fractured with moderate K2O and Fe2O3 contents, and (03) dark green grains characterised by fractured (cracked) surfaces and high of K2O and Fe2O3 contents. These characteristics classified them as glauconitic minerals ranging from glauconitic smectite to glauconitic mica (glauconite) indicating the first (nascent) and intermediate (slightly-evolved and evolved) stages of the glauconitization process. K–Ar radiometric dating indicated ages from 33.2 ± 0.99 to 6.69 ± 0.54 Ma corresponding from Rupelian Stage (Oligocene) to Messinian Stage (Miocene) to these grains. Considering these glauconitic grains within a Quaternary sequence, an allochthonous (detrital) origin was attributed whose probable source areas were older sedimentary sequences exposed on the seafloor along fold-and-thrust belts related to the gravitational collapse of the RGC depocentre. After eroded the glauconitic minerals probably were distributed by countourite currents and deposited within the Quaternary deposits of the RGC.

Investigations on single and multi-grain optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity and electron spin resonance (ESR) signals in quartz derived from sandstones: Insights on provenance of quartz in ancient depositional systems

Trapped charge techniques of luminescence and electron spin resonance (ESR) are classic tools for dating Quaternary deposits. Over the past decade, these techniques have been routinely applied to investigate provenance and/or the sedimentary history of quartz grains based on their different luminescence and ESR characteristics. Of these, optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) sensitivity is one of the most widely investigated parameter for luminescence-based provenance approach. A majority of studies on this parameter are based on evaluation of multi-grain quartz OSL sensitivity of the samples. This is particularly concerning because single-grain quartz luminescence studies have shown that the luminescence signal of a multi-grain aliquot is contributed by less than ∼1–10% of the total grains. Since the sole criteria for discrimination of sources based on luminescence sensitivity relies on its intensity, therefore the results based on multi-grain analysis will most likely be skewed depending on the ‘proportion’ and ‘brightness’ of a few grains. This demands a need to evaluate the potential of single-grain quartz OSL sensitivity in provenance studies. In this study, we investigate single and multi-grain quartz OSL sensitivity from compositionally different sandstones with well-characterised sources based on U–Pb zircon ages. We further complement this analysis with characterisation of ESR centres commonly used in quartz provenance, namely E′1 and [AlO4]0 centres. Our study shows that single-grain quartz OSL sensitivity can help distinguish between sediments that have a predominant input from a single source as compared to those with contribution from multiple sources, which otherwise cannot be inferred from multi-grain studies. Moreover, our results on characterisation of quartz-based ESR intensity of E′1 and saturated [AlO4]0 centres successfully differentiates between sandstones and further complements the luminescence-based characterisation.

Paleozoic to Mesozoic paleotectonic reconstructions of Gondwana assembly: Insights from petrography, heavy mineral chemistry and detrital U–Th–total Pb monazite geochronology of sandstones in the Pranhita-Godavari Basin (SE India)

The provenance study of Paleo-Mesozoic sediments of the Pranhita-Godavari (P-G) Basin, located in the southeastern India is crucial for the reconstruction of the eastern Gondwanaland, including the India-Antarctica connection. This study examines petrography, heavy mineral chemistry and detrital monazite geochronology of the Permo-Carboniferous to Cretaceous, predominantly fluviatile sandstones in the P-G Basin to track the possible sediment sources in East Antarctica and Eastern India. The sandstones show a gradual shift in composition from feldspatho-quartzose to quartzose arenite from older to younger succession, accompanied by a change in source terranes in a changing setting from transitional continental to the cratonic interior. The heavy minerals of the sandstones are dominated by garnet, rutile, ilmenite, monazite and zircon in order of decreasing abundance. The mineral chemistry of garnet and rutile indicates the predominance of sources from amphibolite to granulite facies rocks with minor inputs from metapelitic sources. The increase in textural and mineralogical maturity of sandstones accompanied by a gradual increase in ilmenite alteration from the bottom to the top of the succession indicates the attainment of tectonic stability with time. U–Th–total Pb dating of detrital monazites yielded three distinct major clusters at (1) 2556–2125 Ma, (2) 969–715 Ma, and (3) 581–418 Ma. Based on the correlation of source composition and monazite geochronology and paleocurrent data, the source of sediments is traced to the orogens of the Eastern Ghats mobile belt, East Antarctica (including Rayner and Napier complex), Karimnagar granulite belt, Khammam schist belt, and Bhopalpatnam granulite belt, situated to the west, south, and southeast of the present outcrops of the P-G Gondwana succession. The younger age populations possibly represent the sediment input from Kuunga Orogen, which represents the youngest orogenic event (635–488 Ma) in the Gondwana assembly. The rocks of Kuunga orogeny, occurring to the south of the basin, was a minor contributor to the P-G Gondwana sediments of this basin. The new data supports that the Eastern Ghats Mobile Belt of India and East Antarctica were conjugate to each other till the Late Triassic Period, both of which contributed major sediments to the P-G Gondwana Basin.

Lithofacies, stratigraphy, and provenance study of upper sandstone, Blue Nile (Abay) Basin, Ethiopia: insight to the distribution of reservoir facies

Lithofacies, stratigraphy, and provenance study of upper sandstone, Blue Nile (Abay) Basin, Ethiopia: insight to the distribution of reservoir facies

Provenance constraints on the Late Triassic ejecta layer from Churchwood Quarry, SW England: An impactite suite from Manicouagan

AbstractIn situ LA‐ICP‐MS/MS U‐Pb and Rb‐Sr geochronology combined with geochemical analysis and electron microscopy have been performed on ejecta components sampled from the Mid‐to‐Late Triassic Mercia Mudstone Group at Churchwood Quarry, SW England. The layer comprises altered impact spherules, melt‐rich and fragment‐rich accreted grain clusters (AGCs), along with shocked mineral phases. Late Triassic ages are obtained: a U‐Pb age of 219 ± 72 Ma from variably shock‐metamorphosed apatite and a Rb‐Sr age of 213 ± 31 Ma from melt‐rich AGCs. A post‐depositional U‐Pb age of 200 ± 7.5 Ma obtained from the carbonate host matrix correlates with an early Jurassic dolomitization event associated with regional marine transgression. Several links to the Manicouagan impact structure, Canada, are identified that complement previous provenance studies: (1) rare earth element compositions of impact spherules and melt‐rich AGCs match those of the Manicouagan impact melt sheet; (2) the preservation of Archean and Paleo‐ to Neoproterozoic target rock U‐Pb ages in zircon and apatite match those recorded within Manicouagan basement lithologies; and (3) impact spherules and melt‐rich AGCs record initial 87Sr/86Sr compositions that overlap with those of the Manicouagan impact melt sheet and the target rocks involved in their generation.

Automatic image analysis applied to the recognition of quartz surface microtextures using neural network

Microtextures imprinted on the surface of quartz grains provide in-depth information on the environmental conditions and sedimentary processes that affected the study sediments. Microtextural analyses are therefore widely used in the provenance studies of sediments. In order to minimize the subjectivity of microtextural recognition, we propose a new software, called DeepGrain (source codes are available at https://github.com/deepgrains/deepgrain), for the automatic identification of microtextures on the surface of quartz grains using the DeepLabV3 model with applied improving techniques. The approach provides an accuracy of 99 % of the area of the tested grains and 63 % of the mechanical features on the surfaces of the tested grains. The inference of a single SEM image of quartz grain took an average of 3.10 sec, leading to a significant reduction in the analysis time of a single grain.

The Ornamental white marble use and reuse at the Ottoman palaces of Algiers’ Regency: New knowledge to a provenance study

The Ornamental white marble use and reuse at the Ottoman palaces of Algiers’ Regency: New knowledge to a provenance study

Mechanical transport revealed by optical textures of heavy minerals in aeolian sand: A case study in the Badain Jaran Desert, Northwestern China

Determining whether and to what extent the relative abundance of heavy minerals in original detrital assemblage has been modified by mechanical transport is beneficial for understanding regional historical climate changes and acquiring modern sediment provenance information. Utilizing the frequency of surface mechanical optical textures of heavy minerals may be an effective approach to address this question. However, the connection between the frequency surface mechanical optical textures of heavy minerals and the variations in the relative abundance of these minerals remains uncertain. In this study, 12 modern aeolian sand samples were collected from the Badain Jaran Desert in hyper arid region of northwestern China, characterized by weak weathering to analyze their relative contents of five major heavy minerals. Then, 3796 transparent heavy mineral grains were photographed under the parallel light of a polarizing microscope, and the frequency of 13 surface mechanical optical textures were calculated. The results reveal that the variations in the relative abundance of heavy minerals are substantially influenced by mechanical transport. The decrease in the relative abundance of heavy minerals with weak mechanical stability primarily attributed to mechanical collision. Conversely, the variations in the relative abundance of heavy minerals with strong mechanical stability are primarily influenced by mechanical abrasion. Therefore, mechanical transport impact on the relative abundance of heavy minerals in regions with weak chemical weathering. Establishing heavy mineral characteristic indices for provenance studies using the relative abundance of mechanically unstable minerals may not directly indicate transport distance but rather the strength of wind forces, which have significant potential in palaeo wind regime studies. This study expands the research field of sediment surface micromorphology and has potential applications in inferring past climate changes and determining modern sediment provenance.

The effects of weathering and sediment source mixing on whole-rock geochemical provenance studies, Cook Inlet forearc basin, south-central Alaska, USA

The provenance of most basin systems today is interpreted based on radiogenic ages or the geochemical composition of detrital minerals, which has all but replaced the use of whole-rock geochemical approaches that can effectively complement provenance information inferred from detrital approaches. Here, we further investigate previous provenance models developed using detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology by applying whole-rock major and trace element geochemistry of fine-grained clastic rocks from the late Oligocene−middle Miocene Tyonek Formation, late Miocene Beluga Formation, and Pliocene Sterling Formation in the Cook Inlet Basin, Alaska, USA. When taken alone, our new geochemical data suggest solely intermediate igneous sediment sources to the basin. When paired with existing detrital zircon U-Pb data, however, significant mixing of felsic and mafic sediment sources is evident, which indicates that thorough mixing of geochemically distinct source terranes can mask the input from individual sources in whole-rock geochemical studies. Furthermore, we demonstrate that both weathering and provenance influence the major element chemistry of sediment source terranes as well as the resultant basinal strata. Our conclusions indicate that the combination of whole-rock geochemistry with other detrital approaches provides a robust interpretation of sedimentary basin provenance.

How to Quantify Heavy Mineral Fertility From Point‐Counting Data

AbstractHeavy minerals (HM) are widely used in provenance studies, for example, for reconstructing source areas and quantifying sediment budgets. Source rock mineral fertility influences the composition and concentration of HM in sediments. The resulting bias is of particular interest when interpreting single‐grain data such as detrital age distributions. However, the quantification of fertility is complex and there are no robust data for most HM, which prevents the routine implementation of fertility in many studies. In this study, we test whether mineral fertility can be assessed by quantifying mineral concentrations in detrital samples through point counting and quantitative evaluation of minerals by scanning electron microscopy (QEMSCAN). The challenge is to transform the resulting area percentage into mass percentage, which is a prerequisite for comparing those data with grain size or geochemical data. We suggest overcoming this problem by recording grain‐size and shape metrics of minerals using image analysis, and applying several transformation steps. We test our method by (a) using a series of detrital grain mixtures of known density and mass, and (b) applying it to a natural sediment from the European Alps. Our results agree with existing methods developed for apatite and zircon, that is, the quantification of fertility through geochemistry (with P2O5 and Zr concentrations as proxies for apatite and zircon) and the separation of pure apatite and zircon concentrates using additional separation steps. The advantage of our method is its applicability to all HM (not only apatite and zircon) and the redundancy of additional separation steps, which might create bias.

Evaluation of anti-microbial effect of Sushrutokta Vayu-Nirvishikarana yoga

Introduction: With the presence of extensive number of various microbes in the living environment, there is need to explore few sustainable and safe practices to control the ill effects of the microbes. In Indian tradition the Dhoopana (fumigation process) is well established since time immemorial and it is practiced regularly for different purposes. Many of the formulations quoted in the classics are already in practice. Acharya Sushruta, in Kalpasthana quotes the use of Vayu Nirvishikarana Yoga for Dhoopana-artha in the chikitsa of Dushita Vayu. Therefore, it is necessary to adopt safer methods like Dhoopana with the herbal formulations for the disease control. Methods: Vayu Nirvishikarana yoga comprising of 11 drugs, predominantly constitutes of volatile oils, alkaloids and tannins from the respective drugs. There are proven studies over the antimicrobial property, anti-oxidant properties of various drugs of this formulation. Results: The study was conducted to showcase the efficacy of the Dhoopana yoga in an indoor environment in terms of limiting the microbial load. The results of this work showed considerable results with sufficient scope for further studies. Conclusion: Krimighna and Vishaghna gunas of these drugs used in this formulation can be justified as explained in the classics. After evaluating the existing data about Dhoopana process and executing the study, its effectiveness becomes self-evident, but scientific approach and evidence are required to mainstream them and to establish the formulations as primary disinfection measures.

Detrital signatures of clastic serpentinite in tectonically diverse settings and interpretation of an example from the Northern Apennines

Abstract Serpentine-bearing sediment, a rare sediment type that is formed and deposited in divergent, convergent, transform, and collisional plate-tectonic settings, carries important evidence of sediment provenance. Specific sources of serpentine-rich sediment display grain assemblages of distinct character that can be used to infer the serpentinization condition and sediment formation. This study reports quantitative and qualitative results on serpentine components in sandstones from Ocean Drilling Program Legs 149 (Iberia), 210 (Newfoundland), and 125 (Mariana and Izu–Bonin regions), and from serpentine-rich debris flows and arenitic breccias in deep-water successions in the Northern Apennine fold–thrust belt. We propose a textural scheme that offers a visual guidance for evaluating serpentinite grains that can be broadly adopted, is easily reproducible, and reduces user bias in determining compositional modes that allow comparison of serpentinite grain populations in arenites from different depositional environments, provenance, and associated tectonic settings. These data allow us to define a scheme for serpentine-dominated deposits that demonstrates the presence of two main groups of grain textures (pseudomorphic and non-pesudomorphic) with specific mineralogy and crystal shape as a function of temperature and pressure in the source rocks. The quantitative analysis of the serpentine-rich arenites and fine-grained sediments derived from forearc and rifted continental-margin settings shows that the studied samples are characterized by high percentages (c. ≥ 80%) of serpentine detritus and subordinate dense minerals and other lithic fragments, including basalt. In rifted continental-margin settings, the prevalent textures in serpentinite sandstones consist of polygonal mesh, mesh-core, and hourglass that all belong to the pseudomorphic category, which preserves the pre-serpentine features and mineralogy. These textures are typically formed in low-temperature conditions (< 390°C); lizardite is the most common mineral, along with minor chrysotile and, in rare cases, antigorite. In contrast, in forearc settings, serpentine-rich grain assemblages exhibit dominantly non-pseudomorphic, interlocking, and interpenetrating textures, dominantly composed of lizardite and recrystallization of lizardite by antigorite. Minor preserved ultramafic minerals related to dynamic recrystallization might be associated with the diapiric rise and protrusion of serpentine bodies. The Northern Apennines case study adopted to test this model indicates that the relationship of detrital serpentine texture to setting can be employed in provenance studies. Firstly, serpentine-bearing sediments derived from ophiolites deformed in fold–thrust belts have more variable serpentinite content, ranging from a few percent to < 10% for samples from deep marine environments, to typically c. 20 to ≤ 50% for stream and beach samples. This compositional variation arises from mixing of sediments derived from deeper to shallower oceanic lithosphere (peridotites and serpentinites) with material from overlying volcanic rocks and sedimentary cover. The deep-water serpentine-rich sands of the Northern Apennines display variable compositions with intermediate characteristics. The source of the serpentine-bearing deposits is interpreted to be a residual oceanic lithosphere characterized by subcontinental mantle-lherzolite originated in the Middle–Late Jurassic by mantle delamination. The serpentinite-dominated debris flows and sand beds contain serpentine grains that exhibit compositional and textural transitions from pseudomorphic to non-pseudomorphic categories, along with changes in mineralogy from lizardite to antigorite. Serpentinite with pseudomorphic texture is observed in the mantle section away from the deformed area. On the contrary, the presence of serpentine-rich arenites with dominant non-pseudomorphic textures suggests derivation from tectonized serpentine along fault scarps and or as products of serpentine diapirism. The detailed serpentinite texture scheme used to classify sand grains in this study includes pseudomorphic (often lizardite, minor crysotile) and non-pseudomorphic textures, with the latter attributed to temperature- and pressure-controlled recrystallization (often to antigorite) or shearing during or after serpentinization. For comparison of different detrital-serpentinite populations, a new ternary plot is proposed where counted parameters are grouped into three end members: undeformed, deformed, and recrystallized. This plot appears to discriminate different sources of detrital serpentine by tectonic setting (e.g., Iberia and Newfoundland margins vs. Mariana forearc) and shows the potential complexity of serpentinite sources in the Apennine basin example. Additional texturally based petrographic data sets are needed to determine the usefulness of this plot in provenance studies.