Wildfires and Monsoons: Cryptic Drivers for Highly Variable Provenance Signals within a Carboniferous Fluvial System
Sediment delivery and supply are explicitly controlled by variations in broad-scale processes such as climate, tectonics and eustasy. These in turn influence fluvial processes and hinterland evolution. A bespoke multi-proxy approach (integrating apatite and zircon U-Pb geochronology, trace elements...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2022-01-01
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| Series: | Geosciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/1/20 |
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| author | Bébhinn Anders Shane Tyrrell David Chew Gary O’Sullivan Chris Mark John Graham Eszter Badenszki John Murray |
| author_facet | Bébhinn Anders Shane Tyrrell David Chew Gary O’Sullivan Chris Mark John Graham Eszter Badenszki John Murray |
| author_sort | Bébhinn Anders |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Sediment delivery and supply are explicitly controlled by variations in broad-scale processes such as climate, tectonics and eustasy. These in turn influence fluvial processes and hinterland evolution. A bespoke multi-proxy approach (integrating apatite and zircon U-Pb geochronology, trace elements in apatite, and Pb-in-K-feldspar provenance tools) coupled with outcrop investigation is used to constrain the temporal trends in sediment delivery to channel sandstones of the fluvio-estuarine mid-Viséan Mullaghmore Sandstone Formation, Ireland. Provenance data indicate unique detrital signatures for all sampled horizons, indicating the fluctuating nature of sediment supply to this medium-sized basin. Tectonism and/or abrupt relative sea-level fall likely caused fluvial rejuvenation, resulting in local basement sourcing of the initial fill. Older and more distal sources, such as the Nagssugtoqidian Belt of East Greenland, become more prominent in stratigraphically younger channel sandstones suggesting catchment expansion. Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic sources are most dominant, yet the detrital grain cargo varies in each channel sandstone. Proximal sources such as the Donegal Batholith and Dalradian Supergroup are variable and appear to switch on and off. These signal shifts are likely the result of channel migration and paleoclimatic fluctuation. A monsoonal climate and large-scale wildfire events (evidenced by fusain) likely contributed to modify plant cover, intensify erosion, and increase run-off and sediment delivery rates from specific areas of the hinterland. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:25:14Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d8d996e843d742f587c4be4bfe8dd449 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-3263 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:25:14Z |
| publishDate | 2022-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Geosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-d8d996e843d742f587c4be4bfe8dd4492023-11-23T13:53:40ZengMDPI AGGeosciences2076-32632022-01-011212010.3390/geosciences12010020Wildfires and Monsoons: Cryptic Drivers for Highly Variable Provenance Signals within a Carboniferous Fluvial SystemBébhinn Anders0Shane Tyrrell1David Chew2Gary O’Sullivan3Chris Mark4John Graham5Eszter Badenszki6John Murray7Earth and Ocean Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway, University Road, H91 CF50 Galway, IrelandEarth and Ocean Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway, University Road, H91 CF50 Galway, IrelandIrish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandUCD School of Earth Sciences, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandUCD School of Earth Sciences, University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandDepartment of Geology, Trinity College Dublin, College Green, D02 PN40 Dublin, IrelandIrish Centre for Research in Applied Geosciences (iCRAG), University College Dublin, D04 V1W8 Dublin, IrelandEarth and Ocean Sciences, School of Natural Sciences, NUI Galway, University Road, H91 CF50 Galway, IrelandSediment delivery and supply are explicitly controlled by variations in broad-scale processes such as climate, tectonics and eustasy. These in turn influence fluvial processes and hinterland evolution. A bespoke multi-proxy approach (integrating apatite and zircon U-Pb geochronology, trace elements in apatite, and Pb-in-K-feldspar provenance tools) coupled with outcrop investigation is used to constrain the temporal trends in sediment delivery to channel sandstones of the fluvio-estuarine mid-Viséan Mullaghmore Sandstone Formation, Ireland. Provenance data indicate unique detrital signatures for all sampled horizons, indicating the fluctuating nature of sediment supply to this medium-sized basin. Tectonism and/or abrupt relative sea-level fall likely caused fluvial rejuvenation, resulting in local basement sourcing of the initial fill. Older and more distal sources, such as the Nagssugtoqidian Belt of East Greenland, become more prominent in stratigraphically younger channel sandstones suggesting catchment expansion. Paleoproterozoic to Mesoproterozoic sources are most dominant, yet the detrital grain cargo varies in each channel sandstone. Proximal sources such as the Donegal Batholith and Dalradian Supergroup are variable and appear to switch on and off. These signal shifts are likely the result of channel migration and paleoclimatic fluctuation. A monsoonal climate and large-scale wildfire events (evidenced by fusain) likely contributed to modify plant cover, intensify erosion, and increase run-off and sediment delivery rates from specific areas of the hinterland.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/1/20provenancetemporal variationsediment supplypaleoclimatefusainzircon |
| spellingShingle | Bébhinn Anders Shane Tyrrell David Chew Gary O’Sullivan Chris Mark John Graham Eszter Badenszki John Murray Wildfires and Monsoons: Cryptic Drivers for Highly Variable Provenance Signals within a Carboniferous Fluvial System Geosciences provenance temporal variation sediment supply paleoclimate fusain zircon |
| title | Wildfires and Monsoons: Cryptic Drivers for Highly Variable Provenance Signals within a Carboniferous Fluvial System |
| title_full | Wildfires and Monsoons: Cryptic Drivers for Highly Variable Provenance Signals within a Carboniferous Fluvial System |
| title_fullStr | Wildfires and Monsoons: Cryptic Drivers for Highly Variable Provenance Signals within a Carboniferous Fluvial System |
| title_full_unstemmed | Wildfires and Monsoons: Cryptic Drivers for Highly Variable Provenance Signals within a Carboniferous Fluvial System |
| title_short | Wildfires and Monsoons: Cryptic Drivers for Highly Variable Provenance Signals within a Carboniferous Fluvial System |
| title_sort | wildfires and monsoons cryptic drivers for highly variable provenance signals within a carboniferous fluvial system |
| topic | provenance temporal variation sediment supply paleoclimate fusain zircon |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3263/12/1/20 |
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