This is a slide presentation for a literature review on studying provenance and clastic sedimentary rocks

1. Can clastic rocks be used to
reconstruct past
provenance?
Meg Stewart, AMNH
November 7, 2014

2. Outline
• What is a provenance and what
methods are used to look for
provenance?
• Case studies in New York
– Taconic orogeny sediments
– Glacial history

3. Chile

4. Source Area
provenance or parent lithology
Chile

5. Source Area
weathering erosion abrasion sorting
Sedimentary
Basin Chile

6. Source Area
Sedimentary
Basin
Sedimentary
Basin
topography climate
Chile

7. • Stratigraphic sequences
• Bulk chemistry
• Cathodoluminescence
• Isotope ages
• Detrital zircons

8. Case study:
Taconic Orogeny Sediments, New York
Modified from Ron Blakey
at Northern Arizona
University
Silurian Paleogeography
~420 Ma

10. PA
Location of Shawangunk Conglomerate in New York

12. 1 cm

13. Bernet, Kapoutsos & Bassett, 2007

14. Bernet, Kapoutsos &
Bassett, 2007

15. McLennan, et al.,
2001

16. Interpretation:
The Silurian Shawangunk
Conglomerate was deposited in an
inland shallow sea. The topographic
high was to the east of the sea.
Clasts in the Shawangunk are not
Taconic age but Grenvillian age.
Provenance for the sediments was
likely recycled, older sedimentary
rocks exhumed in the orogeny.

17. Case study:
Glacial history of New York

18. Long Island

19. Long Island

22. Pacholik, Gilbert, Hanson and Hemming 2001

23. Interpretation:
Evidence of Wisconsinan glaciation on
Long Island include two distinct
moraine deposits and many glacial
erratics (boulders). Provenance for
the moraine is difficult to interpret
because of obliteration of source
rock and reworked sediments during
the many glacial episodes.
Provenance of the erratics show a
range from the Long Inland Sound
basement rock to Taconian age.

24. Conclusions
• Clastic rocks and sediments can help
reconstruct provenance
– Knowing the source rock tells the direction
the sediments came from
• plate configurations
• orogenesis
• geomorphic changes