In this work an extensive microstructural survey of detrital zircon from the Orange River basin and the Atlantic coast of South Africa was carried out in order to search for the presence of far-traveled Vredefort-derived detrital shocked zircon grains in different modern sedimentary environments. The TESCAN field emission scanning electron microscope (FEG-SEM) MIRA3 was used to perform the microanalysis of the grain mineral samples which included BSE imaging, cathodoluminescence (CL) and electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD).
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- (a) BSE image showing two PF sets (arrows). (b) CL image showing sector zoning and location of geochronology analyses. (c) Orientation map showing one set of twins (red lines), planar deformation bands (PDB), and crystal-plastic deformation. Red cross indicates reference location. (d) Pole figures (lower hemisphere) of orientation data from (c) showing crystallographic relationship between twins and host zircon.