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Perspectives on Cretaceous Gondwana break-up from detrital zircon provenance of southern Zealandia sandstones

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  13 May 2016

C.J. ADAMS ,
H J. CAMPBELL ,
N. MORTIMER  and
W.L. GRIFFIN
C.J. ADAMS
Affiliation:
GNS Science, Private Bag 1930, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
H J. CAMPBELL*
Affiliation:
GNS Science, PO Box 30368, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
N. MORTIMER
Affiliation:
GNS Science, Private Bag 1930, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
W.L. GRIFFIN
Affiliation:
Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Core to Crust Fluid Systems/GEMOC, Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Macquarie University, NSW 2109, Australia
*
†Author for correspondence: [email protected]
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Abstract

Detrital zircon U–Pb ages in 37 sandstones from late Early – Late Cretaceous marine and non-marine successions across southern Zealandia indicate a provenance from local basement within present-day Zealandia. Samples from Taranaki Basin were derived from Median and Karamea batholith granitoids with transport directions from west to east. Samples from West Coast, Western Southland and Great South basins contain components derived more locally and more variably from Median Batholith and Rahu Suite granitoids and/or the Palaeozoic Buller Terrane. West Coast Basin samples have more plutonic contributions and Great South Basin localities have more Albian-aged (c. 110–100 Ma) zircons. Samples from Canterbury Basin were sourced from Torlesse Composite Terrane basement. The provenance variations are present in both marine and non-marine sandstones and suggest localized watersheds. This fits an interpretation of Late Cretaceous deposition in rift-controlled basins across southern Zealandia during pre-Gondwana break-up regional extension. More speculatively, some additional source areas may have been created at the rifted margins of Zealandia during this break-up.

Keywords

CretaceousNew ZealandZealandiadetrital zirconU–Pb ages
Type
Original Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 154 , Issue 4 , July 2017 , pp. 661 - 682
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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