Articles | Volume 7, issue 1
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-15-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gchron-7-15-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
18 Feb 2025
Research article |
| 18 Feb 2025
| 18 Feb 2025
Controls on zircon age distributions in volcanic, porphyry and plutonic rocks
Chetan Nathwani
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Dawid Szymanowski
Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Lorenzo Tavazzani
Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Sava Markovic
Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Adrianna L. Virmond
Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
Cyril Chelle-Michou
Institute of Geochemistry and Petrology, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zurich, Switzerland
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Short summary
We performed a statistical analysis of high-precision U–Pb zircon age distributions. This reveals that volcanic and porphyry zircon age distributions are skewed to younger ages, whereas plutonic age distributions are skewed to older ages. We show that this is caused by truncation of zircon crystallisation by magma evacuation rather than differences in magmatic flux. Our contribution has key implications for modelling of magma dynamics and eruption ages using zircon age distributions.
We performed a statistical analysis of high-precision U–Pb zircon age distributions. This...
