143-5 Tracing sediment origin and organization of late Paleozoic Michigan Basin sandstones using detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology

Abstract:

The Michigan Basin is an ideal location for identifying how tectonic events along a continental margin can influence sediment organization in the continental interior. We present detrital zircon U-Pb geochronologic data from sandstone deposited in the Michigan Basin during periods of active tectonism along the eastern margin of Laurentia including Acadian (~410-365 Ma) and Alleghenian (~360-300 Ma) orogenesis. Our target sandstones include the Devonian Sylvania (~390-380 Ma) and Berea (~360-370 Ma) Sandstones, the Mississippian Marshall Sandstone (~350-345 Ma), and the Pennsylvanian Saginaw Formation (~300-310 Ma).

The tectonically stable Superior Craton (3,000 – 2,500 Ma) and tectonically active Grenville provenance (1,300-1,000 Ma) and Appalachian orogens (480-300 Ma) are the most prominent sources present in the analyzed samples. Sediment organization varies spatially and temporally across the basin, with the Superior Craton being the most prominent source in the middle Devonian Sylvania Sandstone and the Grenville provenance being the most prominent source in the late Devonian – Pennsylvanian Sandstones. Appalachian sources are most abundant in the northeast of the basin during Acadian orogenesis, and southeast of the basin during Alleghenian orogenesis. These geochronologic data will be used to target age populations for pending (U-Th)/He thermochronology.

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