Skip to main content

Main menu

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Archive
    • Special Volumes and Special Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribers
    • Pricing
    • FAQ
    • Terms & Conditions for use of AJS Online
  • Instructions to Authors
  • Site Features
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Usage Statistics
    • RSS
  • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • The Journal

User menu

  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart

Search

  • Advanced search
American Journal of Science
  • Register
  • Subscribe
  • My alerts
  • Log in
  • My Cart
American Journal of Science

Advanced Search

  • Home
  • Content
    • Current
    • Archive
    • Special Volumes and Special Issue
  • Subscriptions
    • Subscribers
    • Pricing
    • FAQ
    • Terms & Conditions for use of AJS Online
  • Instructions to Authors
  • Site Features
    • Alerts
    • Feedback
    • Usage Statistics
    • RSS
  • About Us
    • Editorial Board
    • The Journal
  • Follow ajs on Twitter
  • Visit ajs on Facebook
  • Follow ajs on Instagram
Research ArticleArticles

Detrital zircons from modern sands in New England and the timing of Neoproterozoic to Mesozoic Magmatism

Dwight C. Bradley, Paul O'Sullivan and Lauren M. Bradley
American Journal of Science May 2015, 315 (5) 460-485; DOI: https://doi.org/10.2475/05.2015.03
Dwight C. Bradley
* U.S. Geological Survey, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage, Alaska 99508
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • For correspondence: dbradley@usgs.gov
Paul O'Sullivan
** Apatite to Zircon, Inc., 1075 Matson Road, Viola, Idaho 83872
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
Lauren M. Bradley
*** Mirror Lake Middle School, Chugiak, Alaska 99567
  • Find this author on Google Scholar
  • Find this author on PubMed
  • Search for this author on this site
  • Article
  • Figures & Data
  • References
  • Info & Metrics
  • PDF
Loading

Abstract

We report detrital zircon ages from modern sands from rivers and beaches of New England. Sand samples were collected from the Connecticut, Thames, Pawcatuck, Blackstone, Merrimack, Saco, Presumpscot, and Androscoggin-Kennebec watersheds, and from Cape Cod. About 1200 detrital zircons were analyzed by LAICPMS; 984 of these passed strict filters for concordance. A composite plot of the 984 detrital zircon ages from sands and a new plot of 230 igneous ages from the literature show similar age distributions. On the basis of both datasets, the times of peak magmatism in the New England Appalachians, in round numbers, are at 580-610, 440-450, 420, 405, 370-380, 180-200, and 125 Ma. Most zircons from individual watersheds can be attributed to dated igneous rocks in the same watershed. A few zircons are probably exotic and can be interpreted as having been transported into the sampled watershed by ice, and a handful of other zircons likely represent undated plutons within the sampled watershed. The correspondence between the detrital and igneous datasets underscores the proxy value of detrital zircons from river sands in regional geologic reconnaissance—even in glaciated regions. Most detrital zircons from the modern passive margin of New England are Phanerozoic in age, reflecting various Appalachian sources; the age distribution of zircons older than 700 Ma closely resembles the age distribution of detrital zircons from the next-older passive margin that flanked this part of Laurentia after the breakup of Rodinia, that is, the Cambrian passive margin of the Appalachians.

  • Appalachian orogen
  • igneous geochronology
  • detrital zircon geochronology
  • Recent sediment
View Full Text

This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.

Log in using your username and password

Forgot your user name or password?

Purchase access

You may purchase access to this article. This will require you to create an account if you don't already have one.
PreviousNext
Back to top

In this issue

American Journal of Science: 315 (5)
American Journal of Science
Vol. 315, Issue 5
1 May 2015
  • Table of Contents
  • Table of Contents (PDF)
  • About the Cover
  • Index by author
  • Ed Board (PDF)
Print
Download PDF
Article Alerts
Sign In to Email Alerts with your Email Address
Email Article

Thank you for your interest in spreading the word on American Journal of Science.

NOTE: We only request your email address so that the person you are recommending the page to knows that you wanted them to see it, and that it is not junk mail. We do not capture any email address.

Enter multiple addresses on separate lines or separate them with commas.
Detrital zircons from modern sands in New England and the timing of Neoproterozoic to Mesozoic Magmatism
(Your Name) has sent you a message from American Journal of Science
(Your Name) thought you would like to see the American Journal of Science web site.
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
11 + 2 =
Solve this simple math problem and enter the result. E.g. for 1+3, enter 4.
Citation Tools
Detrital zircons from modern sands in New England and the timing of Neoproterozoic to Mesozoic Magmatism
Dwight C. Bradley, Paul O'Sullivan, Lauren M. Bradley
American Journal of Science May 2015, 315 (5) 460-485; DOI: 10.2475/05.2015.03

Citation Manager Formats

  • BibTeX
  • Bookends
  • EasyBib
  • EndNote (tagged)
  • EndNote 8 (xml)
  • Medlars
  • Mendeley
  • Papers
  • RefWorks Tagged
  • Ref Manager
  • RIS
  • Zotero
Share
Detrital zircons from modern sands in New England and the timing of Neoproterozoic to Mesozoic Magmatism
Dwight C. Bradley, Paul O'Sullivan, Lauren M. Bradley
American Journal of Science May 2015, 315 (5) 460-485; DOI: 10.2475/05.2015.03
del.icio.us logo Digg logo Reddit logo Twitter logo Facebook logo Google logo Mendeley logo
  • Tweet Widget
  • Facebook Like
  • Google Plus One

Jump to section

  • Article
    • Abstract
    • INTRODUCTION
    • REGIONAL GEOLOGY
    • ANALYTICAL METHODS
    • SAMPLING STRATEGY
    • RESULTS
    • DISCUSSION
    • SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS
    • ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
    • APPENDIX
    • REFERENCES CITED
  • Figures & Data
  • Info & Metrics
  • References
  • PDF

Related Articles

  • No related articles found.
  • Google Scholar

Cited By...

  • No citing articles found.
  • Google Scholar

More in this TOC Section

  • Timing and Nd-Hf isotopic mapping of early Mesozoic granitoids in the Qinling Orogen, central China: Implication for architecture, nature and processes of the orogen
  • India in the Nuna to Gondwana supercontinent cycles: Clues from the north Indian and Marwar Blocks
  • Unravelling the P-T-t history of three high-grade metamorphic events in the Epupa Complex, NW Namibia: Implications for the Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic evolution of the Congo Craton
Show more Articles

Similar Articles

Keywords

  • Appalachian orogen
  • igneous geochronology
  • detrital zircon geochronology
  • Recent sediment

Navigate

  • Current Issue
  • Archive

More Information

  • RSS

Other Services

  • About Us

© 2022 American Journal of Science

Powered by HighWire