U–Th–Pb isotopic dating of detrital zircon deposits of the Upper Sarmatian of the Western Precaucasian trough (Belaya river) and the geological consequences

UDK: 553.98

DOI: 10.24887/0028-2448-2025-5-54-60

Key words: detrital zircon, U-Pb age, paleogeography, Sarmatian, Western Precaucasian trough

Authors: S.Y. Kolodyazhny (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); E.A. Shalaeva (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); E.I. Makhinya (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); K.I. Dantsova (Gubkin University, RF, Moscow ); N.B. Kuznetsov (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); T.V. Romanyuk (Schmidt Institute of Physics of the Earth of the RAS, RF, Moscow); A.S. Novikova (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); I.V. Latysheva (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); A.S. Dubenskiy (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); K.G. Yerofeyeva (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); V.S. Sheshukov (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow); S.F. Khafizov (Gubkin University, RF, Moscow ); G.E. Parfenov (Geological Institute of the RAS, RF, Moscow)

The article explores the sandstone horizon located in the upper part of the Blinovskaya formation section in the Maikop area, near the hydroelectric dam. As a result of the discharge of water into the bypass channel of the hydroelectric dam, a section of the Belaya riverbed was exposed, which enabled to study sandstones with a thickness of up to 50 m and consisting of layers of various thicknesses alternating with marl layers. This sandstone horizon is underlain by the Middle Sarmatian lake sediments and belongs to the transgressive stage of development of the Late Sarmatian Sea. The 1D-24 sample was taken from the middle part of the horizon and demonstrated an argose composition with a high content of quartz and feldspar, as well as carbonate inclusions. The paper presents the results of U–Pb dating of dZr grains from Upper Sarmatian sandstones, which indicate the predominance of the «northern» source of detrital material demolition, specific to Eastern European region. The absence of significant U–Pb dating from the Early-Middle Jurassic and the presence of Mesoproterozoic dating indicate differences in the provenance signal compared to the «southern» source. During the transgression of the Late Sarmatian Sea, when the studied sandstones were formed, detrital material came from the north, while no signs of the Greater Caucasus orogen being a source of detrital matter in the Late Sarmatian basin were identified. The rocks of the pre-Alpine structural floors of the Greater Caucasus were not represented on the surface in the Late Sarmatian.

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