Provenance of Lower Cretaceous sediments in the Wandel Sea Basin, North Greenland

Detrital zircons in Lower Cretaceous sedimentary formations from the Wandel Sea Basin (Kilen, Peary Land) were dated by U-Pb and analysed for Hf isotopes by laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS). Samples from Kilen and Peary Land display a wide range of U-Pb ages, with significant zircon populations at 1.0-1.1 and 1.8-2.0 Ga. Major hiati occur between 2.1 and 2.4 and from 0.48 to 0.91 Ga. Low initial ε_Hf values indicate that recycled crust components are significant in Caledonian-aged zircons, and in Palaeoproterozoic (1.8-2.0 Ga) and Neoarchaean zircon populations. Other U-Pb age populations in th0e studied samples are dominated by zircons with positive ε_Hf values indicating a significant contribution of mantle-derived material in these periods. A narrow range of ε_Hf values is commonly seen within a given U-Pb age population, and the values seen in the samples are in general correlated with the different age populations and their frequency. One exception is the 1.8-2.0 Ga population, where variations suggest variable sources. The U-Pb and Hf data are consistent with Greenland as the sole source of zircon from the studied sandstones.