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Minerals
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Petrochronology of Zircon: Recent Development, Data Interpretation, and Implications
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Petrochronology of Zircon: Recent Development, Data Interpretation, and Implications

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Geochemistry and Geochronology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 1429

Editors

Dr. Achim Herrmann

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Guest Editor
LSU Trace Metals Laboratory, Department of Geology and Geophysics, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
Interests: earth systems history; geochronology of accessory minerals; carbonate geochemistry; in-situ geochemistry of volcanic phenocrysts
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hafiz U. Rehman

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Kagoshima University, Kagoshima 890-0065, Japan
Interests: metamorphism; igneous rocks petrology; geochemistry; geochronology
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

High-precision geochronological and petrochronological techniques, such as U–Pb dating, Lu–Hf analysis, and in situ trace element and isotopic measurements of zircon, are essential for determining the timing and rates of geological processes. Recent advances in analytical instruments, improved precision, and detailed micro-analysis of internal zircon domains have significantly enhanced our ability to extract robust chronological and geochemical information from single grains.

In the past few years, notable methodological progress—such as simultaneous multi-isotope acquisition, refined data-reduction workflows, improved imaging-based domain characterization, and the integration of computer-based modeling—has greatly strengthened zircon-based petrochronology. These new approaches provide unprecedented resolution for reconstructing complex magmatic and metamorphic histories and for improving the interpretation of zircon growth, recrystallization, and isotopic systematics.

This Special Issue focuses exclusively on recent methodological and conceptual innovations in zircon petrochronology, particularly developments emerging within the last five years. We welcome contributions on the following:

  • New analytical or instrumental techniques for zircon;
  • Advances in U–Pb, Lu–Hf, and trace element zircon petrochronology;
  • Improvements in data processing, modeling, and interpretation;
  • Applications that demonstrate how these innovations refine our understanding of magmatic and metamorphic processes.

Dr. Achim Herrmann
Dr. Hafiz U. Rehman
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geochronology
  • petrochronology
  • isotope geochemistry
  • zircon
  • analytical techniques

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

20 pages, 12823 KB  
Article
Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Lu-Hf Isotopic Constraints on Early Cretaceous Volcanism and Zircon Provenance in the Dehui Graben, Southern Songliao Basin, NE China
by Yourong Wang, Ruifei Wang, Jiahao Liu, Jihang Shi, Xinyi Xu, Guangxin Gao, Yutong Guo and Junting Zhou
Minerals 2026, 16(7), 742; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16070742 - 16 Jul 2026
Viewed by 153
Abstract
The Lower Cretaceous volcanic–sedimentary succession in the Dehui Graben of the southern Songliao Basin preserves critical records of syn-rift volcanism and basin filling in NE China. This study presents an integrated dataset of zircon cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging, LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology, trace-element geochemistry, and [...] Read more.
The Lower Cretaceous volcanic–sedimentary succession in the Dehui Graben of the southern Songliao Basin preserves critical records of syn-rift volcanism and basin filling in NE China. This study presents an integrated dataset of zircon cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging, LA-ICP-MS U-Pb geochronology, trace-element geochemistry, and LA-MC-ICP-MS Lu-Hf isotopic analyses for four representative Yingcheng Formation samples collected from three boreholes (D102, D21, and D83) in the Dehui Graben. Zircon grains from samples S1 (gray crystal-vitric tuff, Well D102, 3050.5 m) and S3 (gray tuff, Well D21, 2287 m) are predominantly euhedral to subhedral with well-developed oscillatory zoning, elevated Th/U ratios (>0.4), and chondrite-normalized REE patterns characterized by depletion in light REEs, enrichment in heavy REEs, and pronounced negative Eu anomalies, all of which are diagnostic of a magmatic origin. The 37 zircon analyses from S1 yield 206Pb/238U ages ranging from 109 to 122 Ma, with a KDE peak at ~116 Ma and two inherited grains at 158 Ma and 262 Ma, whereas the 43 analyses from S3 define a narrow age population between 110 and 123 Ma with a KDE peak at ~114 Ma and a single inherited grain at 145 Ma. Together, these ages constrain Yingcheng Formation felsic volcanism in the Dehui Graben to the Aptian stage of the Early Cretaceous. In marked contrast, the 54 zircon analyses from S2 (dark gray crystal-rich tuff, Well D21, 2288 m) exhibit a polymodal distribution dominated by an Early Jurassic population (KDE peak ~181 Ma), with subordinate Permian–Triassic (~251 Ma) and Carboniferous (~325 Ma) components and a complete absence of Cretaceous-aged zircons. We interpret this population entirely as inherited (xenocrystic) zircons entrained from conduit wall rocks during the incipient phase of volcanic eruption. Notably, S2 and S3 were collected from the same well at depths separated by only 1 m, yet they display fundamentally contrasting zircon age spectra. This abrupt vertical discontinuity is consistent with a two-phase eruptive model in which an early xenocryst-rich volcaniclastic unit (S2), possibly related to conduit-wall entrainment during the initial eruptive stage, was rapidly followed by a juvenile magma-derived tuff (S3). Sample S4 (gray coarse sandstone, Well D83, 3273 m) contains 84 detrital zircon grains spanning 112 to 440 Ma, with a dominant Early Jurassic peak (~179 Ma) that correlates with widespread granitoids in the Zhangguangcai Range and a youngest single-grain age of 110.5 Ma that constrains the maximum depositional age of the Yingcheng Formation. All 86 zircon Lu-Hf analyses yield positive εHf(t) values (+0.8 to +9.2), with two-stage Hf model ages (TDM2) clustering between 536 and 1100 Ma and peaking at ~700–800 Ma (Neoproterozoic). These data indicate that the parental magmas were predominantly derived from partial melting of Neoproterozoic juvenile crust extracted from a depleted mantle source. Among the four samples, S3 records the highest mean εHf(t) (+7.1) and the youngest mean TDM2 (~672 Ma), which may indicate a relatively stronger depleted-mantle affinity during the extensional stage at ca. 114 Ma. The positive εHf(t) values of the ~181 Ma S2 xenocrysts further imply that the Early Jurassic magmatic event in this region also sampled juvenile Neoproterozoic crust, which thus served as the common source basement for both episodes of magmatism. A regional compilation reveals a systematic north-to-south younging trend of syn-rift volcanism across the Songliao Basin (Yingtai ~119 Ma, Dehui ~115 Ma, Wangfu ~110 Ma), with the Dehui Graben occupying a critical intermediate position that is consistent with the southeastward migration of back-arc extension possibly related to Paleo-Pacific slab rollback. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petrochronology of Zircon: Recent Development, Data Interpretation, and Implications)
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15 pages, 6376 KB  
Article
Hadean–Neoarchean Crustal Evolution of the Northeastern North China Craton: Evidence Derived from the Zircon U–Pb–Hf Isotopes of Supracrustal Rock from the Jiapigou Terrane
by Nan Tian, Jilong Han, Xueni Zhang, Yong Zhang and Shu Wang
Minerals 2026, 16(2), 176; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16020176 - 6 Feb 2026
Viewed by 866
Abstract
The North China Craton (NCC), one of the oldest cratons worldwide, may provide information on the evolution and geodynamic processes of the early Earth, especially during the pre-Mesoarchean period. Many ancient zircons have been discovered in the Jiapigou terrane of the northeastern NCC [...] Read more.
The North China Craton (NCC), one of the oldest cratons worldwide, may provide information on the evolution and geodynamic processes of the early Earth, especially during the pre-Mesoarchean period. Many ancient zircons have been discovered in the Jiapigou terrane of the northeastern NCC on the basis of our recent studies, providing an excellent opportunity to trace the early crustal evolution trend of the NCC. Here, we present a detailed study of the petrography, mineralogy, zircon U–Pb dating and Lu–Hf isotopes of supracrustal rocks (biotite schist) obtained from the Jiapigou terrane. Geochronology combined with the internal structures and Th/U ratios of the zircons reveal that the zircons acquired from the supracrustal rock can be divided into the following two types: magmatic zircons and metamorphic zircons. Among the magmatic zircons, the youngest zircon age (2.49 Ga) is considered to represent the time at which the protolith of the supracrustal rock (i.e., Neoarchean) crystallized, whereas the others were likely captured or inherited from their magma sources. The zircon Hf isotopes reveal that unexposed Hadean–Paleoarchean crust (4.18–3.57 Ga) is present beneath the Jiapigou terrane, and its growth history can be traced back to the Hadean period. Moreover, the evidence derived from this and previous studies indicates that the Jiapigou terrane underwent two crustal recycling events (3.37–3.20 Ga and ~2.96 Ga) during the Paleoarchean, two crustal reworking episodes (2.53 Ga and 2.49 Ga) during the Neoarchean, and later metamorphism at 2.41 Ga. Thus, the Jiapigou terrane has undoubtedly recorded multiple episodes of early crustal growth and/or reworking that are similar to, but not limited to, those of the northern and southern margins of the NCC. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Petrochronology of Zircon: Recent Development, Data Interpretation, and Implications)
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