(U-Th)/He dating of supergene iron (oxyhydr-)oxides of the Nefza-Sejnane district (Tunisia):new insights into mineralization and mammalian biostratigraphy

The mining district of Nefza-Sejnane (Tunisia) encloses numerous ores and raw material deposits, all formed in relation with successive Fe-rich fluids of meteoric and/or hydrothermal origins. Here, for the first time in Tunisia, (U-Th)/He ages were obtained on supergene goethite from various localities/deposits of the district highlight direct dating of significant weathering episodes during late Tortonian and late Pleistocene. These weathering events are most likely associated with favorable conditions that combine (i) wet climate displaying sufficient meteoric water/fluid; and (ii) regional exhumation, due to large-scale vertical lithospheric movements enhancing the percolation of fluids. Matched with previous works, these results refine the stratigraphic frame for the polymetallic mineralization and clay deposits in the district, confirming the influence of meteoric fluids circulation during the late Cenozoic. As a consequence of the new (U-Th)/He data, we moreover propose a taxonomic and stratigraphic revision of the well-known mammalian fauna from the Fe-rich Douahria locality, suggesting an early Tortonian age for the fossils, i.e., prior to the first episode of meteoric event in the area

Helium trapping in apatite damage: insights from (U-Th-Sm)/He dating of different granitoid lithologies

Apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He (AHe) thermochronometry is widely used to constrain thermal histories and rates of tectonic, exhumation, and erosion processes. However, data interpretation is often challenging, especially when the thermal history includes extended residence time in the He partial retention zone (HePRZ), with highly dispersed dates revealing the complexity of diffusion processes in natural systems. This study investigates chemical and physical factors that may have impacted He diffusion in apatite over long timescales in a context of protracted residence in the HePRZ. Nine samples from the Ploumanac'h pluton and North Tregor (Armorican Massif, France) were collected in granitoids, differing in petrography and chemisty. This area was chosen because these samples underwent a similar thermal history since ~300 Ma. We report new (U-Th Sm)/He dates, along with apatite fission-track (AFT) data, as well as lithological and chemical characterization. The results show dispersed (U-Th-Sm)/He dates, ranging from 87 ± 7 to 291 ± 23 Ma, whereas central AFT dates vary from 142 ± 6 to 199 ± 9 Ma. Current predictive models for He diffusion and fission-track annealing in apatite could not reproduce the two datasets together. However, this apparent discrepancy gives insight into the parameters influencing He diffusion at geological timescales. The data confirm that radiation damage enhances He trapping, as the AHe dates are positively correlated to effective uranium (eU) concentration. The He age dispersion for constant eU content cannot be explained just by variations in grain size or chemical composition. To explore the potential influence of recoil damage trapping behavior and annealing kinetics on AHe dates, we tested a new diffusion model from Gerin et al. (2017). Given the expected model of the thermal history provided by AFT inversion, we investigated the influence of the trapping energy on AHe dates. The AHe date variations can be explained only if the trapping energy evolves from one crystal to another, increasing with the amount of damage. For a given trapping energy, minor variations in the recoil-damage annealing rate can consistently explain most of the remaining dispersion of the AHe dates

Thermal evolution of onshore West Iberia: A better understanding of the ages of breakup and rift-to-drift in the Iberia-Newfoundland Rift

International audienc

Cenozoic landforms and post-orogenic landscape evolution of the Balkanide orogen: evidence for alternatives to the tectonic denudation narrative in southern Bulgaria

Continental denudation is the mass transfer of rock from source areas to sedimentary depocentres, and is typically the result of Earth surface processes. However, a process known as tectonic denudation is also understood to expose deep-seated rocks in short periods of geological time by displacing large masses of continental crust along shallow-angle faults, and without requiring major contributions from surface erosion. Some parts of the world, such as the Basin and Range in the USA or the Aegean province in Europe, have been showcased for their Cenozoic tectonic denudation features, commonly described as metamorphic core-complexes or as supradetachment faults. Based on 22 new apatite fission-track (AFT) and 21 helium (AHe) cooling ages among rock samples collected widely from plateau summits and their adjacent valley floors, and elaborating on inconsistencies between the regional stratigraphic, topographic and denudational records, this study frames a revised perspective on the prevailing tectonic denudation narrative for southern Bulgaria.We conclude that conspicuous landforms in this region, such as erosion surfaces on basement-cored mountain ranges, are not primarily the result of Paleogene to Neogene core-complex formation. They result instead from “ordinary” erosion-driven, subaerial denudation. Rock cooling, each time suggesting at least 2 km of crustal denudation, has exposed shallow Paleogene granitic plutons and documents a 3-stage wave of erosional denudation which progressed from north to south during the Middle Eocene, Oligocene, Early to Middle Miocene, and Late Miocene. Denudation initially prevailed during the Paleogene under a syn-orogenic compressional regime involving piggyback extensional basins (Phase 1), but subsequently migrated southward in response to post-orogenic upper-plate extension driven by trench rollback of the Hellenic subduction slab (Phase 2). Rare insight given by the denudation pattern indicates that trench rollback progressed at a mean velocity of 3 to 4 km/Ma. The Neogene horst-and-graben mosaic that defines the modern landscape (Phase 3) has completely overprinted the earlier fabrics of Phases 1 and 2, and has been the prime focus of tectonic geomorphologists working in the region. The new narrative proposed here for linking the geodynamic evolution of SE Europe with surface landform assemblages raises issues in favour of better documenting the regional sedimentary record of existing Paleogene basins,which constitute a poorly documented missing link to the thermochronological evidence presented her

4He behavior in calcite filling viewed by (U-Th)/He dating, 4He diffusion and crystallographic studies

Fault-filling calcite crystals sampled from the Eocene/Oligocene Gondrecourt graben, Paris Basin, Eastern France, have been studied in order to test the potentiality of calcite (U-Th)/He dating, based on recognized He retention behavior in crystal lattice at surface temperature (Copeland et al., 2007). The samples have been selected because of their relatively old Eocene to Oligocene precipitation age and cold thermal history (<40 °C since precipitation). They were sorted into three main tectonic and morphological groups in order of precipitation, including (1) micro-fracture calcites, (2) breccia and associated geodic calcites, and (3) vein and associated geodic calcites. (U-Th)/He dating of 63 calcite fragments yields ages dispersed from 0.2 ± 0.02 to 35.8 ± 2.7 Ma, as well as two older dates of 117 ± 10 and 205 ± 28 Ma (1σ). These He ages correlate with grain chemistry, such as Sr, ΣREE concentrations or (La/Yb)N ratios, likely reflecting parent fluid evolution. Only the oldest He ages, which correspond to the most recently precipitated crystals, have preserved the total 4He budget since precipitation. To better understand both the age dispersion and why calcites precipitated earlier show younger ages, 4He diffusion experiments have been conducted on 10 Gondrecourt calcite fragments from 3 samples with He ages of ∼0.2-6 Ma. Additionally, a crystallographic investigation by X-ray diffraction (XRD) performed on similar samples reveals that crystal structure evolves with increasing temperature, beginning with micro-cracks and cleavage opening. These XRD results shed light on the (U-Th)/He data, indicating that, in fault-filling calcite, He retention is controlled by multiple diffusion domains (MDD) with various sizes, and therefore, evolves through time with strong consequences on (U-Th)/He age. We thus interpret the Gondrecourt calcite (U-Th)/He age scatter as a consequence of the production of defects due to successive calcite crystallization phases associated with the deformation history

Foreland exhumation controlled by crustal thickening in the Western Alps

International audienceIn alpine-type collision belts, deformation of the foreland may occur as a result of forward propagation of thrusting and is generally associated with thin-skinned deformation mobilizing the sedimentary cover in fold-and-thrust belts. Locally, foreland deformation can involve crustal-scale thrusting and produce large-scale exhumation of crystalline basement resulting in significant relief generation. In this study, we investigate the burial and exhumation history of Tertiary flexural basins located in the Western Alpine foreland, at the front of the Digne thrust sheet (southeast France), using low-temperature apatite fission-track and (U-Th)/He thermochronology. Based on the occurrence of partially to totally reset ages, we document 3.3-4.0 km of burial of these basin remnants between ca. 12 Ma and 6 Ma, related to thinskinned thrust-sheet emplacement without major relief generation. The onset of exhumation is dated at ca. 6 Ma and is linked to erosion associated with significant relief development. This evolution does not appear to have been controlled by major climate changes (Messinian crisis) or by European slab breakoff. Rather, we propose that the erosional history of the Digne thrust sheet corresponds to basement involvement in foreland deformation, leading to crustal thickening. Our study highlights the control of deep-crustal tectonic processes on foreland relief development and its erosional response at mountain fronts

Cretaceous and late Cenozoic uplift of a Variscan Massif: The case of the French Massif Central studied through low-temperature thermochronometry

Located in the foreland domain of the Alpine and Pyrenean mountain belts, the French Massif Central presents enigmatic topographic features-reaching elevations of ~1700 m above sea level and ~1000 m of relief-that did not originate from Alpine compressional nor from extensional tectonics. Similar to other Variscan domains in Europe, such as the Bohemian, Rhenish, and Vosges/Black Forest Massifs, a Cenozoic uplift has been postulated, although its timing and quantification remain largely unconstrained. With respect to the other Variscan Massifs, the French Massif Central is wider and higher and shows a more intense late Cenozoic volcanism, suggesting that deep-seated processes have been more intense. In this study, apatite fission-track and (U-Th)/He thermochronometry were applied to investigate the long-term topographic evolution of the Massif Central. Our new thermochronological data come from the eastern flank of the massif, where sampling profiles ran from the high-elevation region down to the Rhone River valley floor with a total elevation profile of 1200 m. Age-elevation relationships, mean track-length distributions, and thermal modeling indicate a two-step cooling history: (1) a first exhumation event, already detected through previously published thermochronology data, with an onset time during the Cretaceous, and (2) a more recent Cenozoic phase that is resolved from our data, with a likely post-Eocene onset. This second erosional event is associated with relief formation and valley incision possibly induced by a long-wavelength domal uplift supported by mantle upwelling

(U-Th)/He Geochronology Constraints on Lateritic Duricrust Formation on the Guiana Shield

International audienceThick regoliths developed under tropical climate, namely, laterites, resulting from long-term and pronounced geochemical and mineralogical rearrangement of the parent rock in response to environmental changes. Little information is available on the timing of laterite and bauxite formations, especially on the chronology of the main weathering episodes responsible for lateritic cover formation on the Guiana shield. For this purpose, we focused on both lateritic and bauxitic duricrusts developed over the Paleoproterozoic Greenstone Belt in the Brownsberg, Suriname. The duricrust samples have a relatively simple mineralogy (i.e., goethite, gibbsite, hematite, and kaolinite) but reveal, when observed at a microscopic scale, a complex history of formation with multiple episodes of dissolution/reprecipitation. The (U-Th)/He dating of 179 Fe-oxides subsamples shows that duricrusts sampled at the top of the Brownsberg plateau have ages ranging from &lt;0.8 Ma to ∼19 Ma. In contrast, Fe-oxides extracted from detrital duricrust boulders collected downslope indicate formation ages up to 36 Ma. This age discrepancy may indicate that a main episode of physical erosion affected this region between ca. 30 and 20 Ma. Consistently, the bauxite sampled at the mountaintop indicates a younger phase of formation, with Fe-oxides recementing fragments of a preexisting bauxitic material older than ∼15 Ma. Geochronological data also reveal a long-lasting weathering history until the present day, with multiple generations of Fe-oxides in the bauxite and the duricrusts resulting from successive cycles of dissolution and reprecipitation of Fe-oxides associated with redox cycles. This long-lasting weathering history led to geochemical remobilization and apparent enrichment in some relatively immobile elements, such as REE, aluminum, and vanadium, especially in the duricrust sampled at the mountaintop. Our geochronological, mineralogical, and geochemical study of Fe- and Al-crusts from the Brownsberg mountain provide constraints on the evolution of environmental conditions prevailing since the early Oligocene in Suriname

Where are the limits of Mesozoic intracontinental sedimentary basins of southern France?

International audienceReconstitution of the geometry of sedimentary basins is fundamental to understand the nature of present sedimentary rocks and the economic potential in hydrocarbon and mineral resources. Present-day topography of southern France shows elevations growing between the Meso-Cenozoic Aquitaine Basin to the South-East Basin across the Variscan domain and the Jurassic Causses small basin with maximum relief in the Cévennes area. Present-day elevation offset is of approximately 1000 m. This geometry questions the paleogeography and dynamics of these various domains and the relative elevation of the Variscan domain during the subsidence of adjacent Aquitaine and South-East Basins. In this study, we investigate the geological history of the Variscan basement high and the Causses small basin using paleotemperatures deduced from organic matter analysis, low temperature thermochronology and regional geological constraints.Lower Jurassic (upper Pliensbachian and Toarcian) marls sampled across the area from the Aquitaine Basin to the South-East Basin have similar depositional environments containing mainly type III oganic matter, and close Tmax values ranging between 430 and 440 ± 2 °C. These data show that the entire south Massif Central has undergone a similar burial history. considering that these values are explained by burial. Low temperature thermochronology data have been acquired on basement rocks outcropping on the borders of sedimentary basins (Rouergue, Cévennes and Margeride). Fission-track ages are ranging between 74 ± 5 and 187 ± 6 Ma and track lengths between 11.5 ± 0.3 and 13.6 ± 0.1 μm; apatite (U–Th)/He corrected ages are ranging between 65 ± 5 and 184 ± 15 Ma. Data inversion with the software QTQt indicates a cooling episode starting at the end of Early Cretaceous or beginning of Late Cretaceous from maximum temperature of 100 ± 10 °C in the Rouergue and Cévennes area and from 80 ± 10 °C in most of the Margeride area.Thermal indicators are compatible with the erosion of a Middle/Upper Jurassic and Cretaceous sedimentary cover of 1400 ± 400 m assuming a thermal paleogradient of 35 °C/km. The preserved sedimentary cover attests of a Middle and Upper Jurassic – Lower Cretaceous sedimentary cover of 1000–2000m in the Aquitaine and South-East basins. This erosion phase occurred during mid-Cretaceous and is associated to a major geodynamical event characterized by large amplitude (from the Aquitaine Basin to Durancian doming in the South-East Basin) and by kilometric offset. We interpret also these data to show that marine connections have existed between the Aquitaine Basin and the South-East Basin during the Jurassic and likely Early Cretaceous. The present-day morphology of the area has then been acquired after Cretaceous times and may result from the Pyrenean orogenic event during Eocene times