Reconstructing source-to-sink systems from detrital zircon core and rim ages

Abstract Grenville-age (1.3–0.9 Ga) zircons represent one of the most ubiquitous detrital zircon (DZ) age modes on Earth. In North America, given widespread occurrence Grenville basement, DZs are commonly viewed as nondiagnostic with regard to source region in provenance studies. Systematic recovery DZ core-rim U-Pb ages makes it possible identify and differentiate previously indistinguishable basement terranes by leveraging their multistage tectono-magmatic evolution. Our analysis demonstrates that exhibit distinct rim different parts American Paleozoic Appalachian-Ouachita-Marathon foreland. Whereas grains eastern foreland, sourced from southern Appalachian orogen United States, Taconian Acadian (490–350 Ma) rims, western derived Mexico, mainly show Neoproterozoic (750–500 ages. This difference permits differentiation core distinctive Furthermore, paired can illuminate potential genetic relationships among coexisting components spectra, thereby indicating whether separate sources or a single histories. Thus, rim-core provide critical insights into reconstructing global source-to-sink systems elucidating linkages within orogenic systems.