The growth of the continent through geological time studied by Nd isotope analysis of shales

Details The growth of the continent through geological time studied by Nd isotope analysis of shales The growth of the continent through geological time studied by Nd isotope analysis of shales

Jan 1984

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=1984e%26psl..67...19a&link_type=abstract

Earth and Planetary Science Letters (ISSN 0012-821X), vol. 67, no. 1, Jan. 1984, p. 19-34.

Mathematics

Logic

71

Continents, Long Term Effects, Neodymium Isotopes, Shales, Australia, Earth Crust, Earth Mantle, Growth, Samarium

Scientific paper

A determination of the Nd isotopic composition and the Sm/Nd ratios in a series of 0.2-3.3 Gy-aged Australian shales shows both Sm/Nd ratio constancy, and an initial Nd-143/Nd-144 ratio that gives a regular curve which decreases through geological time, confirming that shales are representative samples of the continental crust. Model ages for the shales regularly decrease with the stratigraphic ages and, after 2 Gy, the curve flattens and tends to an asymptotic value at around 1.8 Gy. These shales are significant in representing a mixture of continental materials. The model age of such a mixture is directly linked with the mean age of the continental portion feeding the sedimentary basin. A quantitative model of the growth curve of the continental source of the shales is deduced from these results which takes into account the erosion effects which selectively sample recent mountains relative to shield areas. It is proposed that the results obtained are representative of the entire Gondwana continent. An attempt is then made to extend this study through the application of the quantitative approach to recent results for the North Atlantic provinces, and continental growth curves distinct from those for the Australian shales are obtained. Comparisons are made with the existing continental growth model.

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