Sediment provenance inferred by U-Pb ages of zircon grains in the Puerto Chiapas beach, Mexican Pacific

This study comprises a comprehensive integrated provenance study based on the chemistry and U-Pb ages of zircon grains collected from the Puerto Chiapas beach sediments. The beach area in the Mexican Pacific coast is situated within active margin, and heavy winds called “Tehuanos” represent an important economic sector of the region. Mineralogically, the sediments are associated with quartz, ilmenite, amphibole, feldspar, and magnetite. U-Pb ages of 175 zircon grains indicated the predominant age groups of Cenozoic 0.38 Ma–57.67 Ma to 0.21 Ma–55.34 Ma. The chondrite normalized rare earth element (REE) patterns of zircon grains are depleted in low REE (LREE) and enriched in heavy REE (HREE) with positive cerium and negative europium anomalies. The chondrite normalized REE patterns of zircons present similitude according to their age. Zircon ages and morphology indicated that the zircons were derived from the nearby terranes and were transported to the coastal area by wind. The source terrane which supplied sediments to the Puerto Chiapas beach area was inferred as the Chiapas Massif Complex. Microtextures such as parallel striations, V-shaped marks, and conchoidal fractures were indicated the fluvial and aeolian source. Solution pits and crystal overgrowth indicated the diagenetic environment. In addition, the elongated depression and adhering particles suggested the combination of mechanical/chemical origin.