Rutile Mineral Chemistry and Zr-in-Rutile Thermometry in Provenance Study of Albian (Uppermost Lower Cretaceous) Terrigenous Quartz Sands and Sandstones in Southern Extra-Carpathian Poland

The geochemistry of detrital rutile grains, which are extremely resistant to weathering, was used in a provenance study of the transgressive Albian quartz sands in the southern part of extra-Carpathian Poland. Rutile grains were sampled from eight outcrops and four boreholes located on the Miechow, Szydlowiec, and Pulawy Segments. The crystallization temperatures of the rutile grains, calculated using a Zr-in-rutile geothermometer, allowed for the division of the study area into three parts: western, central, and eastern. The western group of samples, located in the Miechow Segment, is characterized by a polymodal distribution of rutile crystallization temperatures (700-800 degrees C; 550-600 degrees C, and c. 900 degrees C) with a significant predominance of high-temperature forms, and with a clear prevalence of metapelitic over metamafic rutile. The eastern group of samples, corresponding to the Lublin Area, is monomodal and their crystallization temperatures peak at 550-600 degrees C. The contents of metapelitic to metamafic rutile in the study area are comparable. The central group of rutile samples with bimodal distribution (550-600 degrees C and 850-950 degrees C) most likely represents a mixing zone, with a visible influence from the western and, to a lesser extent, the eastern group. The most probable source area for the western and the central groups seems to be granulite and high-temperature eclogite facies rocks from the Bohemian Massif. The most probable source area for the eastern group of rutiles seems to be amphibolites and low temperature eclogite facies rocks, probably derived from the southern part of the Baltic Shield.

Automated summary

This study used the geochemistry of detrital rutile grains to analyze the provenance and crystallization temperatures of transgressive Albian quartz sands in southern Poland. The study area was divided into western, central, and eastern parts based on the crystallization temperatures and source areas of rutile grains. Different characteristics and origins of rutile grains were observed in each part of the study area.