Gaining from loss: Detrital zircon source-normalized α-dose discriminates first- versus multi-cycle grain histories

A persistent Hadean–Eoarchean protocrust in the western Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia

“…The zircon Hf isotope data show low similarity to the Musgrave signature (Figure 3a) and suggest no significant derivation from central Australian lithologies. The source-to-sink correlation of the Scott Coastal Plain detritus to proximal sources is consistent with previous interpretations (Dröllner et al, 2022;Sircombe & Freeman, 1999).…”

“…Samples in this work were selected to represent the crustal growth of SW Australia. We integrate (a) detrital zircon of modern littoral and fluvial sediments on the Scott Coastal Plain (Figure 1a; Western Australia), which represent multicyclic sediments that are sourced from the local crystalline basement (PJO, AFO and YC; Dröllner, Barham, & Kirkland, 2022; Sircombe & Freeman, 1999), and (b) published detrital zircon data of the Perth Basin, Hillier Bay, Arid Basin and Barren Basin (meta)sediments, all of which have been recognized as significant archives of detrital minerals derived from the PJO, AFO and/or YC (Kirkland, Barham, & Danišík, 2020; Olierook et al, 2019; Spaggiari et al, 2015). Detrital zircon grains have been analysed for their U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic compositions using laser ablation split stream‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry at the John de Laeter Centre, Curtin University.…”

Evaluating the Age Distribution of Exposed Crust in the Acasta Gneiss Complex Using Detrital Zircons in Pleistocene Eskers

“…This result likely reflects the first‐cycle nature of the esker sediments and their relatively short transport distances, which is in contrast to findings for zircons that have experienced multiple sedimentary cycles and longer transport distances. In the latter case, it has been shown that detrital zircons are, on average, less radiation damaged than the zircons in their primary source rocks and do not necessarily reflect the proportion of different basement rock units in the catchment (Dröllner et al., 2022).…”

“…Alpha dose calculations are based on the equation given in Dröllner et al. (2022), which in turn is based on the equations of Holland and Gottfried (1955) and Murakami et al. (1991).…”

“…The AGC esker sediments represent an integrated sample of local bedrock that can be used in conjunction with available bedrock mapping data to infer the presence and relative proportions of different age rock units in unmapped portions of the AGC. Potential complications in assessing source rock proportions with this method include differences in the zircon abundance of bedrock units (e.g., Dickinson, 2008; Moecher & Samson, 2006) and preservation biases related to preferential removal of older and possibly more radiation damaged zircon grains during weathering and sediment transport (e.g., Dröllner et al., 2022). For reasons outlined below, we suggest that neither of these potential complications has significantly impacted the esker detrital zircon record of the AGC and therefore that this record provides a robust estimate of the proportions of different age felsic‐ and intermediate‐composition rock units in the complex.…”