Rare earth element chemistry indicates chemical alteration of zircons during the evolution of weathering profile

Although rare earth elements（REEs）in magmatic zircons have been widely used to identify the type and compositional evolution of host rocks,REE distribution patterns during the chemical alteration of zircons need clarification.We investigated REE characteristics in zircons with different degrees of chemical weathering through systematic observation of a granodiorite-weathering profile in southeast China.Despite the relatively stable provenance of the studied profile（zircon U–Pb ages are95.2±4.8 Ma）,the zircon REEs exhibited systematic differences in abundance and fractionation patterns from the bedrock to upper layers,e.g.∑PREE,（LREE/HREE）CN,and Ce/Ce*.This evidence suggests chemical alteration of zircons during intensive chemical weathering and an expected influence on REE variability in the weathered products due to the presence of REE-bearing minerals.