Insights into Cretaceous-Palaeogene sediment transport paths and basin evolution in the North Atlantic from a heavy mineral study of sandstones from southern East Greenland

摘要

Major changes in sandstone provenance occurred during the deposition of the Cretaceous-Eocene succession in Kangerlussuaq,southern East Greenland.These changes can be recognized on the basis provenance sensitive heavy mineral parameters(apatite:tourmaline and rutile:zircon ratios and garnet the subdivison of the successioninto three units separated by major unconformities spanning the Late Coniacian to late Campanian and Late maastrichtian to Early Eocene.Rifting durign the deposition of the first unit (Aptian-Late Coniacian)led durign the deposition of the second unit (Late Campanian-Late Maastrichtian)led to rift flank subsidence and sediment sourcing from outside the immediate region.Renewed rifting immediately preceding the third unit (early Eocene)resulted in a return to local sediment sourcing.Tehbasin morphology during the depositionof the secodn unti would have been more conducive for the long-distance transport of sediment into the adjacent Faroe-Shetland Basin than durign deposition of the first and third units.the results provide a framework for the identificationof Greenland-sourced material in the Faroe-Shetland Basin.