Geochemical and Lu/Hf isotopic (LA-ICP-MS) signature of detrital zircons from sandstones of the basal levels of the Riphean stratotype

This paper presents the results of selective study of trace elements (29 analyses) and the Lu/Hf isotopic system (41 analyses) in preliminarily dated (U-Pb) detrital zircons (dZrs) from sandstones of the Ai Formation of the Burzyan Group of the Bashkirian Anticlinorium, which compose the basal horizons of the typical Riphean section of the Southern Urals. The statistically processed trace-element patterns of dZrs showed that “diorites” were dominant over “syenites” among the source rocks of dZrs. The rock types estimated by trace-element patterns for the cores and rims of two large grains (“diorite” and “syenite”) coincided. The analysis of the Lu/Hf isotopic system of dZrs revealed a wide dispersion of the ɛHf value from +7.1 to −20.1 at the TDMC model age of the substrate from 2.25 to 3.95 Ga. Four grains (in one case with the core and rim studied) from the population of the large transparent cherry zircons (TCZ) are characterized by the “syenitic” rock type and extremely ancient TDMC values of 3.22, 3.45, 3.64, 3.66, and 3.75 Ga at ages of zircons of 2486, 2784, 2873, 1977, and 1984 Ma, respectively. Two “dioritic” grains from the TCZ population have significantly distinct parameters: 2.37 and 2.51 Ga at 2049 and 2057 Ma, respectively. It is evident that this specific population of dZrs was formed with a significant contribution of very ancient crustal material, which became active under “syenitic” magmatism and provided the TDMC value of >3.5 Ga. Numerous juvenile dZrs form a compact cluster, which correspond to the rocks of the southern part of the Volga-Sarmatian orogen (age of 2.1–2.0 Ga, TDMC = 2.1–2.4 Ga). The complexes of the entire the Volga-Uralia, the Volga-Sarmatian orogen, and adjacent areas could be the provenance areas for the Ai sandstones in contrast to the northeastern areas of the East-European Platform with dominant “granitic” source rocks and TDMC values lower than 3.5 Ga.