Can detrital zircon analysis reveal the tectonic history of the Taku terrane? This study presents U-Pb geochronologic analyses of 60 detrital zircon grains from Permian(?) and Triassic metasandstones of the Taku terrane in central southeast Alaska. The resulting ages are mainly in the range 349–387 Ma, with five additional grains that yield probable ages ranging from ~906 to ~2643 Ma. These ages are similar to the ages of detrital zircons in Carboniferous and older rocks of the Yukon-Tanana terrane, which lies directly east of the Taku terrane. In contrast, these ages are different from the ages of detrital zircon grains in the Alexander terrane to the west. These ages are similar to the ages of detrital zircons in Carboniferous and older rocks of the Yukon–Tanana terrane, which lies directly east of the Taku terrane. The data are accordingly consistent with models in which the Taku terrane is a western component of the Stikine and Yukon-Tanana terranes, and that this crustal fragment is separated by a fundamental tectonic boundary from rocks of the Alexander and Wrangellia terranes to the west. The resulting ages are mainly in the range 349–387 Ma, with five additional grains that yield probable ages ranging from ~906 to ~2643 Ma. This has implications for *geology* and *modeling*.
This article, published in the _Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences_, presents geochronologic analyses of detrital zircon grains. It contributes to the journal's coverage of earth sciences and the geological history of North America.
| Category | Category Repetition |
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| Science: Geology | 36 |
| Category | Category Repetition |
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| Science: Geology | 10 |
| Science: Physics: Geophysics. Cosmic physics | 1 |
| Science: Astronomy | 1 |