Evolution of 3.1 and 3.0 Ga volcanic belts and a new thermotectonic model for the Hopedale Block, North Atlantic craton (Canada)

2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 687-710 ◽  
Author(s):  
D T James ◽  
S Kamo ◽  
T Krogh

A new model for evolution of the Archean Hopedale Block, based on mapping and supporting U–Pb geochronological and geochemical studies, is highlighted by (i) ca. 3.25 Ga emplacement of igneous precursors of Maggo Gneiss; (ii) &gt3.1 Ga, high-grade Hopedalian metamorphism and attendant deformation; (iii) emplacement of the Hopedale mafic dykes; (iv) 3.1 Ga deposition of Hunt River volcanic rocks; (v) ca. 3.0 Ga deposition of Florence Lake volcanic rocks; (vi) 2.88–2.96 Ga, greenschist- to amphibolite-facies Fiordian metamorphism and formation of penetrative, northeast-striking Fiordian structures; and (vii) emplacement of a suite of 2.89–2.83 Ga tonalite to granite intrusions, which partially overlap and locally postdate Fiordian metamorphism and deformation. The Hunt River and Florence Lake volcanic sequences are different in age but similar in most other respects. The former consists mainly of amphibolite-facies mafic metavolcanic rocks and lesser amounts of komatiite flows and metasedimentary and 3105 ± 3 Ma felsic volcanic rocks. The Florence Lake volcanic belt consists mainly of greenschist- to amphibolite-facies mafic metavolcanic rocks, lesser amounts of felsic metavolcanic rocks, dated at 2979 ± 1 and 2990 ± 2 Ma, komatiite flows, and rare metasedimentary rocks. The similarity of rock types, field relationships between different rock types, such as the common association of ultramafic and felsic metavolcanic rocks, and the chemistry of volcanic rocks in both belts suggest a common tectonic setting for each belt. A model involving episodic volcanism, separated by 100 Ma, in ensialic basins is consistent with the dominance of tholeiitic basalt and an abundance of pre-volcanic basement.

Author(s):  
Dennis Sánchez-Mora ◽  
Christopher R.M. McFarlane ◽  
James A Walker ◽  
David R. Lentz

Gold mineralization at Williams Brook in northern New Brunswick is hosted within the Siluro-Devonian, bimodal, volcano-sedimentary rocks of the Tobique-Chaleur Zone (Wapske Formation). Gold mineralization occurs in two styles: 1) as disseminations (refractory gold) in rhyolite, and 2) in cross-cutting quartz veins (free gold). Dating of the felsic volcanic host rocks by in situ LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb geochronology returned ages of 422 ± 3, 409 ± 2, 408 ± 3, 405 ± 2, 401 ± 9 Ma. Zr/Y of subvolcanic felsic intrusion (<8 for syn-mineralization and >8 for post-mineralization) suggests evolution from transitional to more alkalic affinities. Two mineralizing events are recognized; the first is a disseminated mineralization style formed at ~422–416 Ma and the second consists of quartz vein-hosted gold emplaced at 410–408 Ma. Felsic rocks from Williams Brook and elsewhere in the Tobique Group (i.e. Wapske, Costigan Mountain, and Benjamin formations), and the Coastal Volcanic Belt have similar Th/Nb ratios of ~0.1 to 1, reflecting similar levels of crustal contamination, and similar Nb and Y content, suggesting A-type affinities. These data indicate a similar environment of formation. Regionally, mafic rocks show similar within-plate continental signatures and an E-MORB mantle source that formed from partial melts of 10–30%. Mafic volcanic rocks from Williams Brook have a more alkaline affinity (based on Ti/V), and derivation from lower percentage partial melting (~5%). The chemical and temporal variations in the Williams Brook rocks suggest that they were erupted in an evolving transpressional tectonic setting during the oblique convergence of Gondwana and Laurentia.


1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (11) ◽  
pp. 1769-1779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra M. Barr ◽  
Rebecca A. Jamieson

Interlayered mafic and felsic metavolcanic rocks and metasedimentary rocks of Ordovician to Silurian age are characteristic of the Aspy terrane of northwestern Cape Breton Island. These rocks were affected by medium- to high-grade metamorphism and were intruded by synkinematic granitoid orthogneisses during Late Silurian to Early Devonian times. They were intruded by posttectonic Devonian granitic plutons and experienced rapid Devonian decompression and cooling. The chemical characteristics of the mafic metavolcanic rocks indicate that they are tholeiites formed in a volcanic-arc setting. The volcanic rocks of the Aspy terrane differ from many other Silurian and Silurian–Devonian successions in Atlantic Canada, which have chemical and stratigraphic characteristics of volcanic rocks formed in extensional within-plate settings, and are somewhat younger than the Aspy terrane sequences. Aspy terrane units are most similar to Ordovician–Silurian volcanic and metamorphic units in southwestern Newfoundland, including the La Poile Group and the Port aux Basques gneiss. Together with other occurrences of Late Ordovician to Early Silurian volcanic-arc units, they indicate that subduction-related compressional tectonics continued into the Silurian in parts of the northern Appalachian Orogen. The complex Late Silurian – Devonian tectonic history of the Aspy terrane may reflect collision with the southeastern edge of a Grenvillian crustal promentory.


1988 ◽  
Vol 25 (10) ◽  
pp. 1674-1686 ◽  
Author(s):  
Les Fyffe ◽  
Sandra M. Barr ◽  
Mary Lou Bevier

The Miramichi Highlands of New Brunswick are underlain by subgreenschist- to greenschist-facies sedimentary and volcanic rocks of the Cambro-Ordovician Tetagouche Group and by amphibolite-facies paragneisses, amphibolites, and felsic orthogneisses of the Trousers Lake and Sisson Brook suites. New field, geochemical, and geochronologic data for the amphibolites and felsic orthogneisses suggest that they are high-grade metamorphic equivalents of the Tetagouche volcanic rocks and their associated intrusions.Amphibolites in the Miramichi Highlands occur as striped and unstriped varieties that possess chemical characteristics indicative of an igneous origin. However, the two types are compositionally distinct: the striped amphibolites resemble volcanic-arc tholeiites, whereas the unstriped amphibolites are like within-plate tholeiites. The geochemically inferred tectonic origin of these amphibolites is compatible with a recently proposed intracontinental back-arc tectonic setting for the Tetagouche Group.Felsic orthogneisses (Fox Ridge augen granite and Trousers Lake felsic orthogneiss) exhibit concordant contacts with the unstriped amphibolites. U–Pb zircon ages for the Fox Ridge augen granite [Formula: see text] and Trousers Lake felsic orthogneisses [Formula: see text] indicate a Late Ordovician intrusive event. Thus, there is no evidence for Precambrian granite and orthogneiss in the Miramichi Highlands, as had been previously inferred from a correlation with purported Precambrian rocks in the Gander Zone of Newfoundland. The age of the unstriped amphibolites is interpreted as being the same as that of the felsic orthogneisses because these two rock types always exhibit close relationships in the field. The age of the striped amphibolites is less certain, although a correlation with Ordovician basalts of the Tetagouche Group is consistent with their field relationships and tectonic setting.


2007 ◽  
Vol 13 ◽  
pp. 41-44 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christian Knudsen ◽  
Jeroen A.M. Van Gool ◽  
Claus Østergaard ◽  
Julie A. Hollis ◽  
Matilde Rink-Jørgensen ◽  
...  

A gold prospect on central Storø in the Nuuk region of southern West Greenland is hosted by a sequence of intensely deformed, amphibolite facies supracrustal rocks of late Mesoto Neoarchaean age. The prospect is at present being explored by the Greenlandic mining company NunaMinerals A/S. Amphibolites likely to be derived from basaltic volcanic rocks dominate, and ultrabasic to intermediate rocks are also interpreted to be derived from volcanic rocks. The sequence also contains metasedimentary rocks including quartzites and cordierite-, sillimanite-, garnet- and biotite-bearing aluminous gneisses. The metasediments contain detrital zircon from different sources indicating a maximum age of the mineralisation of c. 2.8 Ga. The original deposition of the various rock types is believed to have taken place in a back-arc setting. Gold is mainly hosted in garnet- and biotite-rich zones in amphibolites often associated with quartz veins. Gold has been found within garnets indicating that the mineralisation is pre-metamorphic, which points to a minimum age of the mineralisation of c. 2.6 Ga. The geochemistry of the goldbearing zones indicates that the initial gold mineralisation is tied to fluid-induced sericitisation of a basic volcanic protolith. The hosting rocks and the mineralisation are affected by several generations of folding.


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-32 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fernando Velasco-Tapia

Magmatic processes have usually been identified and evaluated using qualitative or semiquantitative geochemical or isotopic tools based on a restricted number of variables. However, a more complete and quantitative view could be reached applying multivariate analysis, mass balance techniques, and statistical tests. As an example, in this work a statistical and quantitative scheme is applied to analyze the geochemical features for the Sierra de las Cruces (SC) volcanic range (Mexican Volcanic Belt). In this locality, the volcanic activity (3.7 to 0.5 Ma) was dominantly dacitic, but the presence of spheroidal andesitic enclaves and/or diverse disequilibrium features in majority of lavas confirms the operation of magma mixing/mingling. New discriminant-function-based multidimensional diagrams were used to discriminate tectonic setting. Statistical tests of discordancy and significance were applied to evaluate the influence of the subducting Cocos plate, which seems to be rather negligible for the SC magmas in relation to several major and trace elements. A cluster analysis following Ward’s linkage rule was carried out to classify the SC volcanic rocks geochemical groups. Finally, two mass-balance schemes were applied for the quantitative evaluation of the proportion of the end-member components (dacitic and andesitic magmas) in the comingled lavas (binary mixtures).


1996 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 85-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. V. Mikhalsky ◽  
J. W. Sheraton ◽  
A. A. Laiba ◽  
B. V. Beliatsky

Fisher Massif consists of Mesoproterozoic (c. 1300 Ma) lower amphibolite-facies metavolcanic rocks and associated metasediments, intruded by a variety of subvolcanic and plutonic bodies (gabbro to granite). It differs in both composition and metamorphic grade from the rest of the northern Prince Charles Mountains, which were metamorphosed to granulite facies about 1000 m.y. ago. The metavolcanic rocks consist mainly of basalt, but basaltic andesite, andesite, and more felsic rocks (dacite, rhyodacite, and rhyolite) are also common. Most of the basaltic rocks have compositions similar to low-K island arc tholeiites, but some are relatively Nb-rich and more akin to P-MORB. Intermediate to felsic medium to high-K volcanic rocks, which appear to postdate the basaltic succession, have calc-alkaline affinities and probably include a significant crustal component. On the present data, an active continental margin with associated island arc was the most likely tectonic setting for generation of the Fisher Massif volcanic rocks.


2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stefan Bergman ◽  
Pär Weihed

AbstractTwo lithotectonic units (the Norrbotten and Överkalix units) occur inside the Paleoproterozoic (2.0–1.8 Ga) Svecokarelian orogen in northernmost Sweden. Archean (2.8–2.6 Ga and possibly older) basement, affected by a relict Neoarchean tectonometamorphic event, and early Paleoproterozoic (2.5–2.0 Ga) cover rocks constitute the pre-orogenic components in the orogen that are unique in Sweden. Siliciclastic sedimentary rocks, predominantly felsic volcanic rocks, and both spatially and temporally linked intrusive rock suites, deposited and emplaced at 1.9–1.8 Ga, form the syn-orogenic component. These magmatic suites evolved from magnesian and calc-alkaline to alkali–calcic compositions to ferroan and alkali–calcic varieties in a subduction-related tectonic setting. Apatite–Fe oxide, including the world's two largest underground Fe ore mines (Kiruna and Malmberget), skarn-related Fe oxide, base metal sulphide, and epigenetic Cu–Au and Au deposits occur in the Norrbotten lithotectonic unit. Low- to medium-pressure and variable temperature metamorphic conditions and polyphase Svecokarelian ductile deformation prevailed. The general northwesterly or north-northeasterly structural grain is controlled by ductile shear zones. The Paleotectonic evolution after the Neoarchean involved three stages: (1) intracratonic rifting prior to 2.0 Ga; (2) tectonic juxtaposition of the lithotectonic units during crustal shortening prior to 1.89 Ga; and (3) accretionary tectonic evolution along an active continental margin at 1.9–1.8 Ga.


2002 ◽  
Vol 39 (5) ◽  
pp. 731-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
G S Sinclair ◽  
S M Barr ◽  
N G Culshaw ◽  
J W.F Ketchum

The Aillik domain of the Makkovik Province is dominated by deformed and metamorphosed sedimentary and bimodal volcanic rocks of the redefined Aillik Group and abundant unfoliated late- to post-orogenic plutonic rocks. Mapping and petrological studies in the Makkovik Bay area of the Aillik domain showed that the upper part of the group, in addition to felsic volcanic rocks, also includes extensive areas of hypabyssal, foliated granitic rocks (Measles Point Granite). Although petrochemically similar to the spatially associated felsic volcanic rocks, a new U–Pb (zircon) age of 1929 Ma suggests that the Measles Point Granite may be about 70 million years older than the volcanic rocks of the Aillik Group, based on published U–Pb dates for the latter unit. The volcanic and granitic rocks show similar structural and metamorphic history, and both have characteristics of crust-derived A-type felsic rocks, although the granite shows less chemical variation than the felsic volcanic rocks. A within-plate setting is postulated, although the associated mafic metavolcanic rocks and amphibolite dykes show evidence of a volcanic-arc influence. Possible solutions of the paradox presented by the U–Pb ages imply that the Measles Point Granite either represents the juvenile basement to the Aillik Group or was derived from a basement with a large juvenile component. The setting for deposition of the Aillik Group that is consistent with current tectonic models for the Makkovik Province is a rifted arc built on a juvenile terrane accreted to Archean crust.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhongmei Wang ◽  
Chunming Han ◽  
Wenjiao Xiao ◽  
Patrick Asamoah Sakyi

&lt;p&gt;&amp;#160; Paleoproterozoic is a pivotal time for understanding the geochronological framework of the Tarim Craton. Located on the southeastern margin of the Tarim Craton, the northern Altyn Tagh is the main exposed region for Paleoproterozoic magmatic-metamorphic rocks. These rocks are diverse, diachronous and modified by multiple magmatic and/or metamorphic events. In this study, we performed systematic analyses on the amphibolite, felsic gneisses, and metasedimentary rocks in the Aketashitage area, southeastern Tarim Craton, including petrography, mineral chemistry, and whole-rock geochemistry, as well as in-situ zircon U-Pb ages and Hf isotopes, to examine the Paleoproterozoic magmatic-metamorphic events in the northern Altyn Tagh. Geochemically, the amphibolite and felsic gneisses in the Aketashitage area seemingly represent the typical bimodal associations of mafic and acidic volcanic rocks. In addition, the felsic gneisses are characterized by high Sr and low Y contents, with high Sr/Y and La&lt;sub&gt;N&lt;/sub&gt;/Yb&lt;sub&gt;N&lt;/sub&gt; ratios, and indistinctive Eu anomalies, closely resembling high-SiO&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; adakites derived from subducted basaltic slab-melt. The palimpsest textures and geochemical features of the Aketashitage metasedimentary rocks suggest that their protoliths are argillaceous rocks. The amphibolite has a metamorphic age of 1.96 Ga, and the felsic gneisses yield crystallization ages of 2.54-2.52 Ga. For the metasedimentary rocks, the major age peaks of 2.72 Ga, 2.05 Ga and 1.97 Ga are consistent with the magmatic and/or metamorphic events in the study area. The minimum age peak suggests that the depositional age is no earlier than 1.97 Ga. The geochemical and geochronological evidences documented by the exposed rock associations in the Aketashitage area suggest a subduction-related tectonic setting in the Paleoproterozoic. Our new data combined with the previous studies indicate that the Paleoproterozoic magmatism and metamorphism in the northern Altyn Tagh area are nearly synchronous, and both are likely related to oceanic subduction.&lt;/p&gt;


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