Potential of combined U-Pb geochronology and Hf isotope geochemical studies on zircon to aid sedimentary provenance within Antarctica: Examples from West Antarctica

Zircon U-Pb age spectra of early Palaeozoic sediments from five samples collected from West Antarctica are similar. Provenance analysis for each sample is therefore compromised. This paper illustrates how, in conjunction with U-Pb geochronology, in-situ Hf isotope analyses of detrital zircons can contribute to characterizing zircon provenance with greater discrimination of correlatable events than U-Pb geochronology alone. The employment of this dual approach to detrital zircon provenance in the future is recommended, particularly for sedimentary rocks deposited around the Pacific margin region of Gondwana, as this technique may help identify and quantify terrane movements.