Paleogeography of the Carolina Terrane: Constraints from Detrital Zircon Ages

9909120 Samson卡罗莱纳地体的古地理位置，包括它向劳伦蒂亚吸积的时间，限制得很差。这项研究将确定卡罗莱纳地体内碎屑沉积岩中碎屑锆石的年龄分布，并将其年龄组与来自不同克拉通的造山带的已知年龄进行比较。将对新元古代、寒武纪和奥陶纪三个不同时代砂岩中的碎屑锆石进行研究，以确定年龄分布是否发生了与不同古地理位置相关的根本变化。奥陶系砂岩中碎屑锆石的年龄将被用来检验这样的假设，即卡罗莱纳地体在中奥陶世时与劳伦萨东部边缘有着密切的空间联系，并在奥陶纪末期与劳伦萨地区发生了聚积。

9909120SamsonThe paleogeographic positions of the Carolina terrane, including the timing of its accretion to Laurentia, are poorly constrained. This study will determine the age distribution of detrital zircons from clastic sedimentary rocks within the Carolina terrane and compare the age groups with known ages of orogenic belts from various cratons. Detrital zircons from sandstones of three different ages, including Neoproterozoic, Cambrian, and Ordovician, will be examined to determine if any fundamental changes in age distributions occur that can be correlated to different paleogeographic positions. The ages of detrital zircons from Ordovician sandstones will be used to test the hypothesis that the Carolina terrane was in close spatial association with the eastern Laurentian margin in mid-Ordovician time and had accreted to Laurentia by the end of the Ordovician.