First recorded occurrence of detrital baddeleyite (ZrO2) in sedimentary rock (Smith Bank Formation, Triassic, Central North Sea)

摘要

Baddeleyite (ZrO2) is a comparatively rare mineral in nature. It has been found previously only in igneous and metamorphic rocks, in soils and modern river sands derived from these rocks and, most recently, in deep sea ferro-manganese nodules in the Indian Ocean. Here we report two occurrences of baddeleyite in a siltstone from the Triassic Smith Bank Formation of the Central North Sea, which we believe to be the first record of this mineral as a detrital phase within a clastic sedimentary rock.