Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

Trace Element Chemistry Of Zircons From Oceanic Crust: A Method For Distinguishing Detrital Zircon Provenance, C B. Grimes, B E. John, P B. Kelemen, F K. Mazdab, J L. Wooden, M J. Cheadle, K Hanghoj, J J. Schwartz

Barbara John

We present newly acquired trace element compositions for more than 300 zircon grains in 36 gabbros formed at the slow-spreading Mid-Atlantic and Southwest Indian Ridges. Rare earth element patterns for zircon from modern oceanic crust completely overlap with those for zircon crystallized in continental granitoids. However, plots of U versus Yb and U/Yb versus Hf or Y discriminate zircons crystallized in oceanic crust from continental zircon, and provide a relatively robust method for distinguishing zircons from these environments. Approximately 80% of the modern ocean crust zircons are distinct from the fi eld defi ned by more than 1700 continental zircons …