Tourmalines as a Tool in Provenance Studies of Terrigenous Material in Extra-Carpathian Albian (Uppermost Lower Cretaceous) Sands of Miechów Synclinorium, Southern Poland

Abstract

The mature transgressive Albian quartz sands in the Miechów Synclinorium contain a poor (<1%) heavy mineral suite consisting of tourmaline, rutile, garnet, staurolite, ilmenite, zircon, monazite, kyanite, and gahnite. The other minerals, especially those containing Fe and Ti (e.g., biotite), are subordinate. Over 512 tourmaline grains from seven outcrops in the Miechów Segment were analysed using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA). The majority of grains belong to the alkali tourmaline group in which the X-site is dominated by Na (0.4 to 0.9 apfu). Detrital tourmalines are mainly dravite with a prevalent schorl end-member with average XMg values over 0.6. Apart from Mg and Fe, the other Y-site cations rarely exceed 0.1 apfu. Fluorine content is usually below the detection limit. Their chemical composition suggests that most tourmaline grains were sourced from Al-rich and Al-poor metapelites/metapsammites. The main source rocks for the Albian sands were rocks from low- to medium-grade metamorphism, probably from Al-rich quartz-muscovite schist and/or muscovite rich gneisses. Additional minor source rocks were granites and pegmatites coexisting with them. A comparison of the examined tourmaline to tourmaline from possible source areas indicates that these areas were located in the eastern part of the Bohemian Massif and/or eastern Sudetes.

Rutile Mineral Chemistry and Zr-in-Rutile Thermometry in Provenance Study of Albian (Uppermost Lower Cretaceous) Terrigenous Quartz Sands and Sandstones in Southern Extra-Carpathian Poland

“…The Nb/Cr ratios and temperatures of crystallization of rutile from the central group (samples MO, GCH, BO, and PO) show their similarity to the western group; thus, the Bohemian Massif seems to be the main source for both groups. This is confirmed by studies of tourmaline and monazite from the MO, GCH, and BO samples collected from the Miechów Synclinorium [25,99]. On the other hand, the increased amount of rutile with crystallization temperatures in the range of 500-600 • C documented in the central group (Figure 6) shows their similarity to the eastern group of rutile grains.…”

“…The latest geochemical studies on tourmaline and monazite from Albian sands of the Miechów Segment point to the Bohemian Massif as the most probable source area [25,99]. The Bohemian Massif comprises a large variety of igneous and metamorphic rocks [100,101].…”

Origin of Lower Cretaceous quartzose arenites in northern India and the Indus Basins of Pakistan—The result of provenance composition, weathering or diagenesis?

“…Rutile dominates in the Darjaniyon‐ki Dhani Sandstone, whilst tourmaline becomes more abundant in the Nosar Sandstone, where staurolite also occurs. An assemblage consisting of predominantly rutile, tourmaline and staurolite with zircon being less abundant, is typical of a metapelite protolith (Henry & Guidotti, 1985; Kotowski et al, 2020; Morton & Chenery, 2009). The zircons are dated to 750–880 Ma within the Kachchh Basin and therefore are likely to be from the Malani Igneous Suite (cf.…”

Detrital heavy minerals as guides to provenance of Albian arenites of southern extra-Carpathian Poland

“…This, in turn, made it possible to use subtle changes in their isotopic ratios and chemical com-position to determine the age, crystallisation conditions and lithology of the initial source rock. By using several different heavy minerals co-occurring in the Albian sediments, it has become possible to get a clearer picture of the initial source area(s) and rocks that build them (Kotowski et al 2020(Kotowski et al , 2021(Kotowski et al , 2023.…”

“…The aims of this paper are: (1) to comment and supplement information about the minerals described in previous studies (Kotowski et al 2020(Kotowski et al , 2021(Kotowski et al , 2023; (2) to test the compositions of other nonopaque (transparent) and selected opaque heavy minerals with provenance; (3) to report the influence of weathering processes on heavy minerals; and (4) to point out the lithological and palaeogeographic source of the sandy detrital material.…”