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Detrital zircon records of Late Cretaceous syn-rift sedimentary sequences of New Caledonia: an Australian provenance questioned
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 09:36 authored by Cluzel, D, Adams, CJ, Maurizot, P, Sebastien MeffreSebastien MeffreThe Late Cretaceous clastic coastal sediments of New Caledonia are contemporaneous with the latest stages of the eastern Australian marginal rifting. As such, they record the erosion of basement terranes located on uplifted and tilted blocks and a contemporaneous volcanic activity. Detrital zircon populations contain two major components, the younger of which is Early Cretaceous, and the older Early Paleozoic and Precambrian. Following recent advances in the knowledge of detrital zircon content of basement terranes, and at variance with previous interpretations, that hypothesised a possible direct Australian provenance for Precambrian zircons, the detrital zircon record of these syn-rift sediments allows a local recycled provenance to be established. In consequence, this new evidence confirms that New Caledonia was already isolated from Australia as early as Coniacian time (ca. 89–85 Ma) a fact consistent with the development of faunal and floral endemism at that period. The prominent abundance of Early Cretaceous detrital zircons also establishes the importance of a previously unrecorded Early Cretaceous magmatism in the area.
History
Publication title
Tectonophysics: International Journal of Geotectonics and The Geology and Physics of The Interior of The EarthVolume
501Issue
1-4Pagination
17-27ISSN
0040-1951Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
Elsevier Science BvPlace of publication
Po Box 211, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1000 AeRights statement
The definitive version is available at http://www.sciencedirect.comRepository Status
- Restricted