Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous Strata of Western Laurentia (North America): A Record of Transition from Passive to Convergent Margin

Abstract

Abstract The Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous (DC) Antler orogeny in southwestern Laurentia is contemporaneous with influx of clastic sediments, unconformities, and volcanism across much of western Laurentia (WL), suggesting the demise of the Paleozoic passive margin. However beyond the type Antler orogeny in southwestern Laurentia, the DC tectonic setting is still unclear. Westerly sediment provenance has been suggested as evidence of a convergent margin setting in a foreland basin. However, there is a gap in our understanding in central WL (Alberta and Montana) despite the fact that paleogeographic reconstructions place this area at the centre of WL. We provide detrital zircon (DZ) U-Pb geochronological data from strata in Alberta, Montana, and Nevada that are synchronous with the Antler orogeny to constrain sediment dispersal patterns and test the westerly sediment sourcing hypothesis. We show three DZ facies specific to particular geographic locations: DZ facies 1 in southern Nevada has a prominent subpopulation of early to mid-Mesoproterozoic (mode at 1430 Ma), DZ facies 2 in northeastern Nevada has a late Paleoproterozoic population (mode at 1823 Ma), and DZ facies 3 in Alberta and Montana displays Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic (mode at 1036 Ma), mid-Paleozoic (mode at 411 Ma), and depositional (ca. 360-340 Ma) ages. North-south variation in DZ facies indicates that WL basins were locally sourced from various tectonic fragments having different signatures. Comparing our data with published data, we show that WL is dominated by DZ recycled from uplifted older strata with input from mid-Paleozoic arc terrane (s) to the west. Westerly sourcing is evidenced by the presence of near-depositional ages and affinities of this study’s DZ facies with strata located to the west. Our results and geological evidence from other studies suggest that the Antler orogeny triggered a depositional shift and controlled sediments dispersal in WL, signaling the demise of the Paleozoic passive margin.