Zealandia’s Early Paleozoic sandstones: detrital mineralogy of the Greenland and Reefton Groups

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Authors

Nicholas Mortimer

Abstract

New point counts of 13 Buller Terrane sandstones have been made. The results suggest a less quartzose and
more lithic rich content of detrital sand grains in the Ordovician Greenland Group than indicated by an earlier
published study (average Q:F:L = 58:16:26 and 23% matrix rather than 81:8:11 and 37% matrix). A low grade
sedimentary-metasedimentary provenance is indicated. Detrital K-feldspar, previously believed to be absent
from the Greenland Group, has been confirmed in at least six sandstones. In contrast to the greywacke-like
nature of the Greenland Group, Devonian Reefton Group sandstones are texturally and mineralogically more
mature; they are highly quartzose (average Q:F:L 96:2:2, 13% matrix) and generally have better sorted and more
rounded grains. The new results indicate a recycled orogen provenance for the Greenland Group and a
continental block provenance for the Reefton Group

DOI

https://doi.org/10.31223/osf.io/h8rz9

Subjects

Earth Sciences, Geology, Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Keywords

sandstone, Petrography, New Zealand, Buller Terrane, Greenland Group, greywacke, Paleozoic, Western Province

Dates

Published: 2019-03-01 12:21

License

GNU Lesser General Public License (LGPL) 2.1