ZIRCON, THE GUARD OF TIME
U-PB DATING APPLIED TO SEDIMENTARY PROVINENCE - METHODOLOGICAL REVIEW AND USEFULNESS IN THE BIOCRONORTE PROJECT
Keywords:
Detrital zircon., Parnaíba Basin., Sedimentary provenance., U-Pb geochronology.Abstract
The U-Pb geochronological dating method on detrital zircon is a technique for reconstructing past sedimentary environments. Dating using the LA-ICP-MS method on zircon is widely used in studies of sedimentary provenance due to its use as a tracer of source areas and mixtures between sedimentary systems. In this article, we review the mineral zircon and its potential as a geochronometer, the preparation and analysis of zircon with the U-Pb method, and the techniques of statistics and visualization of geochronological data. In addition, we present a schematic example of the application of geochronological signatures in detrital zircon in current sedimentary environments, in the geological record, and in the Parnaíba Basin. In the context of the Biocronorte Project, provenance studies involving U-Pb dating on detrital zircon will support paleogeographic reconstructions and correlations with neighboring areas. This type of information is key to understanding the geological processes that affect the Earth's surface over millions of years.