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.