Detrital Rutile Geochemistry and Thermometry as Guides to Provenance of Jurassic-Paleocene Sandstones of the Norwegian Sea

Abstract

This paper explores the potential for use of rutile geochemistry as a provenance tracer in Jurassic-Paleocene sandstones in hydrocarbon exploration wells from the Norwegian Sea.Previous studies in this area, concentrating on provenance-sensitive heavy-mineral ratios, The development of rutile geochemistry as a provenance tracer is especially important given the stability of rutile in both diagenetic and surficial weathering conditions. The technique yields information that can be utilised to reveal the ultimate source-rock lithology and metamorphic facies, even in highly modified sandstones that may have lost most other provenance information.

Petrography of Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous sandstones in the Kutch Basin, western India: Implications on provenance and basin evolution

“…Heavy mineral constituents in sandstones further refines the understanding of provenance (Andò and Garzanti 2014;Andò et al 2012;Hounslow and Morton 2004;Hubert 1962;Mange and Maurer 1992;Mange and Morton 2007;Morton and Chenery 2009;Morton and Hallsworth 1999;Zack et al 2004). While transmitted light optical microscopy reveals the composition of transparent heavy minerals (Mange and Maurer 1992), electron microprobe analyser Molinaroli 1989, 1991;Dill 1998;Dill and Klosa 2011;Weibel and Friis 2004) and Raman spectroscopy (e.g., Andò and Garzanti 2014) identify the opaque constituents.…”

“…While transmitted light optical microscopy reveals the composition of transparent heavy minerals (Mange and Maurer 1992), electron microprobe analyser Molinaroli 1989, 1991;Dill 1998;Dill and Klosa 2011;Weibel and Friis 2004) and Raman spectroscopy (e.g., Andò and Garzanti 2014) identify the opaque constituents. Heavy minerals, like garnet, ilmenite, zircon, rutile, tourmaline, and epidote, may exhibit significant variation in chemical composition depending on conditions of formation of their parent rock (Mange and Morton 2007;Meinhold 2010;Morton and Chenery 2009;Morton et al 2004;Preston et al 2002). Ilmenites from mafic igneous sources exhibit higher concentrations of TiO 2 (~50%) than those from felsic igneous sources (~48%) (Grigsby 1992).…”

Greyish-Black Rutile Megaclasts from the Nsanaragati Gem Placer, SW Cameroon: Geochemical Features and Genesis

“…The calculated crystallization temperature using Zack et al (2004b) (Table 2). They show that rutile with temperature ranging from 470 to 550 o C were crystallized in greenschist and bleuschists while those whose temperature ranges from 550 to 675 o C has amphibolitic to eclogitic affinities as presented in Morton & Chenery (2009) and Meinhold (2010) rutile thermometric table (Table 5). …”

“…When crystallizing, rutile incorporates chemical elements in minor and trace values (Zack et al, 2004a;2004b;Luvizotto & Zack, 2009), and other minerals: apatite (Miller et al, 2007); ilmenite or zircon (Meinhold, 2010), whose study helps rutile characterization and constrain its source parameters. It is mined for its high titanium contents and often contains minor and trace elements (Zack et al, 2004a;2004b;Cherniak et al, 2007), important for correlative, petrogenetic and provenance studies (Triebold et al, 2007;Morton & Chenery, 2009;Meinhold, 2010). Thus, rutile plays an important role in both economic and fundamental geology (Clack & William-Jones, 2004;Klemme et al, 2005;Scott et al, 2005;Cerny et al, 2007;Dill et al, 2007;Meinhold, 2010).…”

UPb LA-(MC)-ICP-MS dating of rutile: New reference materials and applications to sedimentary provenance

“…Due to its chemical and physical stability during the sedimentary cycle, rutile is commonly found in the heavy mineral suite of sedimentary rocks and can therefore provide important information about provenance. Rutile typically consists of > 98 wt % TiO 2 , but considerable amounts of other elements such as Fe, Cr, Nb and Ta and other HFSE (high field strength elements) can enter the crystalline lattice, allowing insight into rock forming conditions and discrimination between different source lithologies in provenance studies (e.g., Zack et al, 2004a;Carruzzo et al, 2006;Triebold et al, 2007;Meinhold et al, 2008;Morton and Chenery, 2009;Ewing et al, 2011;Meyer et al, 2011). The Zr content of rutile crystallised in a zircon-saturated environment is strongly dependent on temperature (Zack et al, 2004b;Watson et al, 2006;Ferry and Watson, 2007;Tomkins et al, 2007), and Zr-in-rutile is used as a geothermometer, commonly coupled to the Ti-in-zircon thermometer.…”