Testing inferences from palaeocurrents: application of zircon double-dating to Miocene sediments from the Hengchun Peninsula, Taiwan

Linda A. Kirstein, Andrew Carter, Yue-Gau Chen

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract / Description of output

Detrital zircon provenance studies that combine low-temperature fission-track and high-temperature U-Pb single-grain age dating are powerful in constraining sediment provenance by documenting the tectonothermal evolution of the sediment source(s). We apply these techniques to Miocene (12-6 Ma) sandstones of the Hengchun Peninsula, southern Taiwan, which, based on diametrically opposite palaeocurrents, have a controversial provenance. U-Pb grain ages range from the Miocene (8 Ma) to Archaean (2.5 Ga). Cretaceous thermal cooling is recorded by detrital zircon fission tracks at Loshui and Lilongshan. Permian fission-track grain ages account for <33% of zircon ages from Loshui, while at Lilongshan, Jurassic/Triassic grain ages account for 33-66% of all zircon fission-track ages. Minor (<12%) Miocene age components are detected in both formations. These new data suggest that the primary sources of these Miocene sediments were similar. A simple model is proposed invoking sediment reworking in this complex tectonic setting.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)483-493
Number of pages11
JournalTerra nova
Volume22
Issue number6
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Dec 2010

Keywords / Materials (for Non-textual outputs)

  • ARC-CONTINENT COLLISION
  • FISSION-TRACK
  • ACCRETIONARY WEDGE
  • SOUTHERN TAIWAN
  • BASIN CLOSURE
  • SUBDUCTION
  • EVOLUTION
  • CHINA
  • ZONE
  • THERMOCHRONOMETRY

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