Dating Kimberlite Eruption and Erosion Phases Using Perovskite, Zircon, and Apatite (U-Th)/He Geochronology to Link Cratonic Lithosphere Evolution and Surface Processes

Abstract:

In many cases it is difficult to evaluate the synchronicity and thus potential connections between disparate geologic events, such as the links between processes in the mantle lithosphere and at the surface. Developing new geochronologic tools and strategies for integrating existing chronologic data with other information is essential for addressing these problems. Here we use (U-Th)/He dating of multiple kimberlitic minerals to date kimberlite eruption and cratonic erosion phases. This approach permits us to more directly assess the link between unroofing and thermomodification of the lithosphere by tying our results to information obtained from mantle-derived clasts in the same pipes. Kimberlites are rich sources of information about the composition of the cratonic lithosphere and its evolution over time. Their xenoliths and xenocrysts can preserve a snapshot of the entire lithosphere and its sedimentary cover at the time of eruption. Accurate geochronology of these eruptions is crucial for interpreting spatiotemporal trends, but kimberlites can be difficult to date using standard techniques.

Here we show that the mid-temperature thermochonometers of the zircon and perovskite (U-Th)/He (ZHe, PHe) systems can be viable tools for dating kimberlite eruption. When combined with the low temperature sensitivity of (U-Th)/He in apatite (AHe), the (U-Th)/He system can be used to date both the emplacement and the erosional cooling history of kimberlites. The southern African shield is an ideal location to test the utility of this approach because the region was repeatedly intruded by kimberlites in the Cretaceous, with two major pulses at ~200-110 Ma and ~100-80 Ma. These kimberlites contain a well-studied suite of mantle xenoliths and xenocrysts that document lithospheric heating and metasomatism over this interval. Our ZHe and PHe dates overlap with published eruption ages and add new ages for undated pipes. Our AHe dates constrain the spatial patterns of Cretaceous erosion across the craton, with a phase of erosion that overlaps with when the lithosphere was thermochemically modified, especially in the more heavily altered off-craton regions. These results highlight the value of the (U-Th)/He system for dating a range of geologic events and evaluating elusive links between surface and deeper-earth processes.