The First Ar– Ar Date from Oxfordian Ammonite-Calibrated Volcanic
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Geol. Mag.: page 1 of 7 c Cambridge University Press 2013 1 doi:10.1017/S0016756813000605 RAPID COMMUNICATION The first 40Ar–39Ar date from Oxfordian ammonite-calibrated volcanic layers (bentonites) as a tie-point for the Late Jurassic ∗ P. PELLENARD †, S. NOMADE‡, L. MARTIRE§, F. DE OLIVEIRA RAMALHO¶, F. MONNAࢱ & H. GUILLOU‡ ∗ Biogéosciences, CNRS-UMR 6282, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France ‡LSCE-IPSL, CNRS-UMR 8212, CEA Orme, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France §Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra, University of Torino, via Valperga Caluso 35 10125 Torino, Italy ¶Statoil ASA, Grenseveien 21, 4313 Forus, Norway ࢱARTeHIS, CNRS-UMR 6298, Université de Bourgogne, F-21000 Dijon, France (Received 26 December 2012; accepted 1 July 2013) Abstract European domains (Cariou & Hantzpergue, 1997; Morton, 2006). However, provincialism in Boreal, sub-Boreal, sub- Eight volcanic ash layers, linked to large explosive events Mediterranean and Tethyan domains prevents unequivocal caused by subduction-related volcanism from the Vardar zonation correlation, especially for certain intervals, and Ocean back-arc, interbedded with marine limestones and hence introduces a temporal bias in the magnetostratigraphic cherts, have been identified in the Rosso Ammonitico Ver- model. Despite recent progress in reducing this bias (Ogg onese Formation (northeastern Italy). The thickest ash layer, et al. 2010; Przybylski et al. 2010; Gradstein et al. 2012), the attributed to the Gregoryceras transversarium ammonite scarcity of interbedded volcanic units in ammonite-bearing Biozone (Oxfordian Stage), yields a precise and reliable 40 39 ± marine successions hinders the accurate numerical calibra- Ar– Ar date of 156.1 0.89 Ma, which is in better tion of the Late Jurassic Time Scale, even with the progress agreement with GTS2004 boundaries than with the current made in the GTS2012, including improved numerical ages GTS2012. This first biostratigraphically well-constrained for stage boundaries, obtained by selecting only single-zircon Oxfordian date is proposed as a new radiometric tie-point U–Pb ages, recalculating 40Ar–39Ar dates and more precise to improve the Geologic Time Scale for the Late Jurassic, magnetostratigraphy and cyclostratigraphy. where ammonite-calibrated radiometric dates are particularly Therefore, to obtain radiometrically calibrated tie-points scarce. for the Late Jurassic, biostratigraphically constrained vol- canic ash layers in Tethyan basins have been studied (Pel- Keywords: geochronology, palaeovolcanism, bentonite, Ox- lenard et al. 2003; Pellenard & Deconinck, 2006). Here, we fordian, Jurassic Time Scale. focus on eight volcanic ash layers, weathered into bentonites, sampled in pelagic cherty limestones from the Altopiano di Asiago (Trento Plateau domain, northeastern Italy; Bernoulli 1. Introduction & Peters, 1970; Martire, 1996). We present a new 40Ar– 39 There are no well-constrained radiometric dates, closely tied Ar radiometric date from one of these bentonites, providing to ammonite biostratigraphy, currently available for the whole the first radiometric tie-point from biostratigraphically well- of the Upper Jurassic (Gradstein et al. 2012). Some Upper constrained sedimentary strata for the Middle Oxfordian and Jurassic Ar–Ar dates are integrated as secondary guides into discuss these volcanic events and their potential sources. the GTS2012: (1) a suite of dates from the almost totally non-marine Morrison Formation in the USA (Gradstein, Ogg & Smith, 2004; Ogg, Ogg & Gradstein, 2008); (2) dates 2. Material and method from Oxfordian tuffs intercalated with terrestrial sediments Six bentonite layers were identified by their field charac- in China (Chang et al. 2009); and (3) dates from ocean-floor teristics, mineralogy and geochemical features at the Ser- basalt veins in the Pacific (Gradstein et al. 2012). A single rada section and a further five, 28 km away, at the Echar Re–Os date is available from ammonite-bearing marine sed- and Kaberlaba sections, in the Altopiano di Asiago (Trentino imentary successions in the Lower Kimmeridgian (Selby, Alto Adige and Veneto regions, Italy; Fig. 1a). Weathering of 2007). As a consequence, the Late Jurassic Time Scale volcanic ashes into clays produced bentonite deposits during derives mainly from the Pacific seafloor-spreading numer- the early stages of diagenesis at the sediment/seawater inter- ical model of the M-sequence magnetic polarity pattern and face. In the Rosso Ammonitico Veronese (RAV), bentonites from limited recent cyclostratigraphic studies (Ogg & Smith, appear as continuous, centimetre-thick red or white plastic 2004; Ogg et al. 2010; Gradstein et al. 2012). Magneto- clay-rich horizons, interbedded with limestones and cherts stratigraphy can be calibrated with ammonite assemblage (Figs 1b, 3a). The RAV is an Upper Bajocian to Tithonian biochronology, which is mainly defined in northwestern pelagic limestone succession, which can be divided into three units (Figs 1b, 2a; Sarti, 1985; Martire, 1992; Martire et al. 2006). The lower unit (Rosso Ammonitico Inferiore: RAI) †Author for correspondence: [email protected] and the upper unit (Rosso Ammonitico Superiore: RAS) are 2 RAPID COMMUNICATION Figure 1. (Colour online) (a) Locality map of the sections sampled in the Altopiano di Asiago region: Kaberlaba (45° 50 27.38 N, 11° 29 47.56 E), Echar (45° 51 21.24 N, 11° 34 44.47 E) and Serrada (45° 53 16.10 N, 11° 09 12.40 E); (b) view of the three members of the Rosso Ammonitico Veronese (RAV) in the Kaberlaba quarry. Scale bar corresponds to 5.2 m, the thickness of the middle unit (RAM). The RAM unit contains typical chert layers and several bentonite layers. The position of the thickest bentonite AB4 is indicated (white arrow). composed of massive nodular limestones, while the Rosso value (0.0006846 ± 0.00000137, 2σ) was calculated using Ammonitico Middle unit (RAM), containing all the benton- the Renne et al. (2011) calibration of ACs. The J uncer- ite layers, consists of thin, evenly bedded, non-nodular, chert- tainty corresponds to the standard deviation of the weighted rich limestones. The RAM unit reaches a maximum thickness mean of three ACs single grains (see Nomade et al. 2010, of 10 m, although it occasionally thins out and disappears 2011 and online Supplementary Material available at http:// (Martire, 1996; Fig. 2a). journals.cambridge.org/geo for detailed methodology). Mineralogical (X-ray diffraction, Biogéosciences, Dijon, France) and elemental analyses (inductively coupled plasma- optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES) and inductively 3. Biostratigraphy and correlation of ash layers coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), CRPG Nancy, France) were performed on all powdered samples to con- At Kaberlaba, calcareous nannofossil assemblages indic- firm their volcanic nature (online Supplementary Mater- ate a Late Callovian age for the base of the RAM unit, ial Table S1 available at http://journals.cambridge.org/geo). while the ammonite assemblage composed of Gregory- Principal Component Analysis (PCA) was used to evaluate ceras fouquei, Passendorferia (Enayites) birmensdorfensis, the number of volcanic events. Prior to the correlation matrix- Passendorferia cf. ziegleri, Perisphinctes (Otosphinctes) nec- based PCA, trace element concentrations were re-expressed tobrigensis, Perisphinctes (Dichotomosphinctes)aff.elisa- assuming an initial volcanic concentration of 15 % Al2O3 bethae, Sequeirosia (Gemmellarites)aff.trichoplocus and (Spears et al. 1999; Pellenard et al. 2003). This procedure re- Subdiscosphinctes richei, which is characteristic of the duces variability in lithophile element concentration, which Gregoryceras transversarium Biozone, indicates a Middle could be owing to post-depositional diagenetic processes, Oxfordian age for the top of the RAM unit (Clari, Martire such as dilution by authigenic phases, or concentration by & Pavia, 1990; Martire, 1992, 1996; Martire et al. 2006; dissolution of less stable minerals. see Fig. S1 in online Supplementary Material available at The 40Ar–39Ar dating (OSIRIS reactor CEA Saclay, http://journals.cambridge.org/geo for photographs of typical France) was performed by step-heating about 30 small (< ammonites of the G. transversarium Biozone). All these am- 100 μm) transparent sanidines, carefully hand-picked un- monite taxa come from the bed between bentonites AB3 der a binocular microscope after several treatments from the and AB4 at Kaberlaba, where preservation is better than Kaberlaba section AB4 bentonite (original sample weight in the rest of the section. They are all exclusive to the 2 kg, see online Supplementary Material available at http:// G. transversarium Biozone, except for G. fouquei,which journals.cambridge.org/geo for details). Each Ar isotope spans both the G. transversarium Biozone and the Peri- measurement consists of 20 cycles by peak switching sphinctes (Dichotomoceras) bifurcatus Biozone. The overly- between the different Ar isotopes. The J value was determ- ing RAS unit contains ammonites such as Orthosphinctes ined using three single ACs (Alder Creek sanidine) grains (Ardescia)gr. inconditus, Crussoliceras aceroides and Ido- taken from the same hole as the sample. Recently, Renne ceras (Lessiniceras) sp., which are characteristic of the Tara- et al. (2010, 2011) published an optimization model for es- melliceras strombecki and Presimoceras herbichi biozones timating the partial decay constants of 40Kand40Ar∗/40K ratio of the Lower Kimmeridgian (Sarti, 1993; Clari, Martire & of FCs