Brittle fracturing and fracture healing of zircon: An integrated cathodoluminescence, EBSD, U-Th-Pb, and REE study

Andrius Rimša*, M. J. Whitehouse, L. Johansson, S. Piazolo

*Corresponding author for this work

    Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

    49 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    The entire population of magmatic oscillatory zoned zircons in a migmatitic granite from the Tjärnesjö intrusion, southwest Sweden, reveal fine-scale brittle fracturing. The oscillatory zoned fragments are rotated but not dispersed. Fractures between individual fragments are sealed by newly formed CL-bright zircon. Hydraulic fracturing is the most probable mechanism. The internal structure of fractured zircons and the LREE-enriched, low Th character of CL-bright zircon both suggest that cracks between oscillatory zoned zircon fragments were rapidly sealed after fracturing by CL-bright zircon, precipitated from hydrothermal fluids. Zircon fracturing and crack-sealing has been dated by SIMS ion-probe and U-Th-Pb isotopes to 920 ± 51 Ma (lower intercept age, 2σ, MSWD = 1.09) with a limit for the youngest possible age of 960 ± 16 Ma (207Pb/206Pb, 2σ, MSWD = 0.23) dated by sector-zoned rims forming overgrowths on the fractured cores.

    Original languageEnglish
    Pages (from-to)1213-1224
    Number of pages12
    JournalAmerican Mineralogist
    Volume92
    Issue number7
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - Jul 2007

    Keywords

    • Cathodoluminescence
    • EBSD
    • Fracturing
    • Hydraulic
    • Hydrothermal
    • SIMS
    • Sveconorwegian
    • U-Pb
    • Zircon

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