Detrital Zircon U-Pb Age Constraints on the Provenance of the Late Jurassic Norphlet Formation, Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Age Constraints on the Provenance of the Late Jurassic Norphlet Formation, Eastern Gulf of Mexico PDF Author: Thomas R. Lovell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and thin-section petrology of core samples taken from onshore Alabama and offshore federal lease blocks, including Destin Dome, Pensacola, and Mobile, constrain sediment provenance for the Upper Jurassic Norphlet Formation in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Previous research of the Norphlet Fm. in onshore Alabama suggests that sediments near onshore areas of Alabama originated from metamorphic rocks of the Talladega slate belt and Piedmont. This study provides evidence that the Gondwanan Suwannee terrane is another potential source for the Norphlet Fm. in the EGOM. This study determined U-Pb ages for 1111 detrital zircons from 13 Norphlet Fm. core and cutting samples were determined using LA-ICPMS. The Norphlet Fm. yields four major U-Pb age ranges: 197.9 - 350 Ma, 350 - 770 Ma, 800 - 1650 Ma, and 1650 - 3390 Ma. These ages correspond with known U-Pb ages of source terranes common to Laurentia, including the Grenville (950 - 1300 Ma), (Granite-Rhyolite (1350 - 1550 Ma), Yavapai-Matzatzal (1650 - 1750 Ma), Penokean (1800 - 1900 Ma), and Superior Provinces (>2500 Ma). U-Pb ages also reveal sourcing from the Gondwanan Suwannee Terrane (540 - 580 Ma and 2000 - 2200 Ma). This study establishes four geochronologic source terranes: the ancient Appalachian Mountains, the Appalachian foreland basin, Mesozoic rift basins, and the Suwannee Terrane. Ten samples from onshore Alabama yield detrital zircon U-Pb ages characteristic of Laurentian sources (Appalachian mountains and Appalachian foreland basin), whereas two offshore samples yield characteristic Gondwanan (Suwannee Terrane) ages. Four samples located adjacent to the Mesozoic rift basin reveal ages characteristic of both Laurentia and Gondwana - indicating an area of sediment mixing during the late Jurassic. Twelve thin-sections taken from 9 cores in the onshore and state waters areas were point counted for 400 grains each for compositional analysis. Petrolographic analyses reveal plagioclase and potassium feldspars, polycrystalline quartz, metamorphic and volcanic lithic fragments as dominant grain types. Petrologic data corroborate that onshore Alabama samples were sourced by recycled orogenic and cratonic rocks of Laurentia and southern samples were sourced by less mature sources characteristic of a rift basin (Mesozoic rift basins). A paleogeographic reconstruction illustrates sediment being distributed from Laurentian and Gondwanan sources via alluvial, fluvial, eolian, and marine depositional environments.

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Age Constraints on the Provenance of the Late Jurassic Norphlet Formation, Eastern Gulf of Mexico

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Age Constraints on the Provenance of the Late Jurassic Norphlet Formation, Eastern Gulf of Mexico PDF Author: Thomas R. Lovell
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
Detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology and thin-section petrology of core samples taken from onshore Alabama and offshore federal lease blocks, including Destin Dome, Pensacola, and Mobile, constrain sediment provenance for the Upper Jurassic Norphlet Formation in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Previous research of the Norphlet Fm. in onshore Alabama suggests that sediments near onshore areas of Alabama originated from metamorphic rocks of the Talladega slate belt and Piedmont. This study provides evidence that the Gondwanan Suwannee terrane is another potential source for the Norphlet Fm. in the EGOM. This study determined U-Pb ages for 1111 detrital zircons from 13 Norphlet Fm. core and cutting samples were determined using LA-ICPMS. The Norphlet Fm. yields four major U-Pb age ranges: 197.9 - 350 Ma, 350 - 770 Ma, 800 - 1650 Ma, and 1650 - 3390 Ma. These ages correspond with known U-Pb ages of source terranes common to Laurentia, including the Grenville (950 - 1300 Ma), (Granite-Rhyolite (1350 - 1550 Ma), Yavapai-Matzatzal (1650 - 1750 Ma), Penokean (1800 - 1900 Ma), and Superior Provinces (>2500 Ma). U-Pb ages also reveal sourcing from the Gondwanan Suwannee Terrane (540 - 580 Ma and 2000 - 2200 Ma). This study establishes four geochronologic source terranes: the ancient Appalachian Mountains, the Appalachian foreland basin, Mesozoic rift basins, and the Suwannee Terrane. Ten samples from onshore Alabama yield detrital zircon U-Pb ages characteristic of Laurentian sources (Appalachian mountains and Appalachian foreland basin), whereas two offshore samples yield characteristic Gondwanan (Suwannee Terrane) ages. Four samples located adjacent to the Mesozoic rift basin reveal ages characteristic of both Laurentia and Gondwana - indicating an area of sediment mixing during the late Jurassic. Twelve thin-sections taken from 9 cores in the onshore and state waters areas were point counted for 400 grains each for compositional analysis. Petrolographic analyses reveal plagioclase and potassium feldspars, polycrystalline quartz, metamorphic and volcanic lithic fragments as dominant grain types. Petrologic data corroborate that onshore Alabama samples were sourced by recycled orogenic and cratonic rocks of Laurentia and southern samples were sourced by less mature sources characteristic of a rift basin (Mesozoic rift basins). A paleogeographic reconstruction illustrates sediment being distributed from Laurentian and Gondwanan sources via alluvial, fluvial, eolian, and marine depositional environments.

The Basins, Orogens and Evolution of the Southern Gulf of Mexico and Northern Caribbean

The Basins, Orogens and Evolution of the Southern Gulf of Mexico and Northern Caribbean PDF Author: I. Davison
Publisher: Geological Society of London
ISBN: 1786204940
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 560

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Book Description
This volume brings together 17 comprehensive, data-rich analyses to provide an updated perspective on the Mexican Gulf of Mexico, Florida and northern Caribbean. The papers span a broad range of scales and disciplines from plate tectonic evolution to sub-basin scale analysis. Papers are broadly categorised into three themes: 1) geological evolution of the basins of the southern Gulf of Mexico in Mexico, Bahamas and Florida and their hydrocarbon potential; 2) evolution of the region’s Late Cretaceous to Neogene orogens and subsequent denudation history; and 3) geological evolution of the basins and crustal elements of the northern Caribbean. This book and its extensive data sets are essential for all academic and exploration geoscientists working in this area. Two large wall maps are included as fold-outs.

The Gulf of Mexico Sedimentary Basin

The Gulf of Mexico Sedimentary Basin PDF Author: John W. Snedden
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
ISBN: 110841902X
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 343

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Book Description
A comprehensive and richly illustrated overview of the Gulf of Mexico Basin, including its reservoirs, source rocks, tectonics and evolution.

Late Jurassic Margin of Laurasia—A Record of Faulting

Late Jurassic Margin of Laurasia—A Record of Faulting PDF Author: Thomas H. Anderson
Publisher: Geological Society of America
ISBN: 0813725135
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 629

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Book Description
"The objective of this volume is to characterize geologic relationships and settings at the margin of the Laurasia plate from Middle Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous, overlapping the time of the opening of the central Atlantic basin, with the intent of assessing the compatibility of the features with contemporaneous, sinistral fault movement"--Introduction, page v.

Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota

Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota PDF Author: Thomas S. Bianchi
Publisher: Texas A&M University Press
ISBN: 1623497752
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 697

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Book Description
The fifth volume in the Harte Research Institute’s landmark scientific series on the Gulf of Mexico provides the first comprehensive study that covers the major core subjects of chemical oceanography in the Gulf. It synthesizes a tremendous amount of established research, together with the most recent information emerging from studies conducted during and after the Macondo Well oil spill that resulted from the explosion of the Deepwater Horizon drilling platform. Situated within the boundaries of a changing semi-tropical region, the Gulf of Mexico is a particularly important body to its bordering countries—the United States, Mexico, and Cuba—and directly influences the economies of these nations through shipping, oil and gas extraction, mineral mining, fisheries, and myriad ecosystem services and recreational opportunities. The changing chemistry of the Gulf also has wide-ranging effects on weather patterns as many of the hurricanes that reach land in the US and Mexico pass through this ocean basin. We are already seeing some of the consequences of climate change, including, to name one example, the increased frequency of harmful algal blooms, the cause of which is still unknown in most cases. This book brings together a team of expert chemical oceanographers from the US and Mexico to provide a foundational understanding of the complex chemistry of North America’s only marginal sea. Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota: Volume 5, Chemical Oceanography serves as an important reference for understanding the basic science, management, and economic issues facing the Gulf of Mexico while pointing out key topics in critical need of additional research.

Provenance of the Upper Jurassic Norphlet and Surrounding Formations from U-Pb Detrital Zircon Geochronology

Provenance of the Upper Jurassic Norphlet and Surrounding Formations from U-Pb Detrital Zircon Geochronology PDF Author: Andrea Frances Lisi
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Haynesville Formation
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description


Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota

Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota PDF Author: John W. Tunnell (Jr.)
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Geology
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description


Passive Margins

Passive Margins PDF Author: K.R. McClay
Publisher: Geological Society of London
ISBN: 1786203855
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 442

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Book Description
This volume has evolved from papers written in memory of Professor David Roberts. They summarize the key findings of recent research on passive margins, from tectonics, bathymetry, stratigraphy and sedimentation, structural evolution and magmatism. Papers include analyses of the central and southern Atlantic margins of South America and Africa, papers on magmatism and extension in the NE Brazilian margin and on the Cote de Ivoire margin, rift architectures of the NW Red Sea margin, tectonics of the eastern Mediterranean margin, salt tectonics of passive margins of the Gulf of Mexico and Brazil, and papers on the NW Shelf margin of Australia. The volume provides readers with new insights into the complexities of passive margin systems that are in reality, not so passive.

Bulletin of the South Texas Geological Society

Bulletin of the South Texas Geological Society PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Geology
Languages : en
Pages : 278

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Book Description


Detrital Zircon U-Pb Ages and Provenance Study of the Late Jurassic Bossier Sands, East Texas Subsurface

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Ages and Provenance Study of the Late Jurassic Bossier Sands, East Texas Subsurface PDF Author: Christopher John Kennedy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Geology, Stratigraphic
Languages : en
Pages : 90

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Book Description
The Bossier sands, a natural gas reservoir, are a series of Jurassic stacked sand layers within the Bossier Shale found in the subsurface of East Texas. Detrital zircons were separated from 5 wells. U-Pb or Pb-Pb ages were determined on 393 zircon grains using LA-ICPMS at the University of Arizona. Results revealed two dominant age peaks: 32.5% have Early Neoproterozoic -Middle Mesoproterozoic ages (950-1360 Ma 'Grenville'), and 27% have Pennsylvanian-Ediacaran ages (300-680 Ma 'Ouachita'). Other age peaks include the Jurassic-Permian (150-300 Ma), Early Mesoproterozoic (1360-1500 Ma), Early Mesoproterozoic-Late Paleoproterozoic (1500-1900 Ma), and the Late-Paleoproterozoic or older (>1900 Ma). We conclude that the dominant provenance for the Bossier sands was from local sources in the Ouachita and Grenville orogens. This suggests that flanking crust in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas was high-standing regions during the Jurassic time, shedding detritus into rivers feeding Bossier depocenters.