Regional implications of Upper Triassic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks on the Chilkat Peninsula, southeastern Alaska

1980 ◽  
Vol 17 (6) ◽  
pp. 681-689 ◽  
Author(s):  
George Plafker ◽  
Travis Hudson

A low-grade metamorphic sequence consisting of thick mafic volcanic rocks overlain by calcareous flysch with very minor limestone underlies much of the Chilkat Peninsula. Fossils collected from both units are of Triassic age, probably late Karnian. This sequence appears to be part of the Taku terrane, a linear tectono-stratigraphic belt that now can be traced for almost 700 km through southeastern Alaska to the Kelsall Lake area of British Columbia. The age and gross lithology of the Chilkat Peninsula sequence are comparable to Upper Triassic rocks that characterize the allochthonous tectono-stratigraphic terrane named Wrangellia. This suggests either that the two terranes are related in their history or that they are allochthonous with respect to one another and coincidentally evolved somewhat similar sequences in Late Triassic time.

1969 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 399-425 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Findlay

The Tulameen Complex is a composite ultramafic-gabbroic intrusion that outcrops over 22 sq. mi. (57 km2) in the Southern Cordillera of British Columbia. The complex intruded Upper Triassic metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks of the Nicola Group, and on the basis of geologic relations and a K–Ar age determination (186 m.y.) is tentatively dated as Late Triassic.The principal ultramafic units — dunite, olivine clinopyroxenite, and hornblende clinopyroxenite — form an elongate, non-stratiform body whose irregular internal structure is best explained by deformation contemporaneous with crystallization of the rocks. The derivation of the ultramafic rocks is attributed to fractional crystallization of an ultrabasic magma. The gabbroic mass, which consists of syenogabbro and syenodiorite, partly borders and partly overlies the ultramafic body and was apparently intruded by it.The ultramafic and gabbroic parts of the complex probably formed from separate intrusions of different magmas, but the two suites have sufficient mineralogical and chemical features in common to indicate an ultimate petrogenic affinity of the magmas. Comparison of the Tulameen rocks with nearby intrusions of the same general age, in particular the Copper Mountain stock, suggests that they are members of a regional suite of alkalic intrusions. The possibility is also raised that these intrusions may be comagmatic with the Nicola volcanic rocks.


2011 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
pp. 613-664 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher A. McRoberts

The Upper Triassic of the Williston Lake area of northeastern British Columbia is represented by a nearly continuous series of fossil-rich sediments that were deposited in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin in an offshore mid-paleolatitude setting on the western margin of cratonic Pangea. The fossils in this report come primarily from the upper Carnian–upper Norian Pardonet Formation, which has been the subject of numerous paleontologic studies on ammonoids and conodonts, yet has received little attention with regard to its bivalve fauna. Fossil bivalves belonging to the thin-shelled bivalve genera Halobia, Eomonotis, and Monotis dominate the benthic macrofauna and occur within unique shell accumulations that are interpreted to represent oxygen-controlled monospecific paleocommumities that have undergone little post-mortem transportation. Systematic analyses of more than 1,000 individual bivalve specimens resulted in the identification of 25 species-rank taxa, a majority of which belong to the pterioid genus Halobia and the pectinoid genera Eomonotis and Monotis. Of these, four new species are recognized, including 1) upper Carnian Halobia tozeri n. sp. characterized by a unique triangular outline; 2) lowermost Norian Halobia selwyni n. sp. closely related to H. beyrichi and first appearing with H. austriaca which is proposed as a potential datum for the Carnian–Norian boundary; 3) Norian Meleagrinella mclearni n. sp., a new name for previously identified species; and 4) upper Norian Otaparia norica n. sp. which has a delicate thin shell, unique outline, and fine ornament. A revised and refined biochronology of Upper Triassic Bivalvia (chiefly Halobiidae and Monotidae) integrated with conodont and ammonoid zones and standard Triassic stages is presented for the Upper Triassic of the Williston Lake area and permits enhanced correlation to coeval faunas elsewhere in the North American Cordillera, and to the Boreal, Panthalassan and Tethyan faunal realms.


1977 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 606-638 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. B. Read ◽  
Andrew V. Okulitch

At five localities investigated in south-central British Columbia, Upper Triassic rocks are observed or inferred to unconformably overlie upper Paleozoic and older rocks. Paleozoic rocks beneath the unconformity show polyphase deformation and low-grade regional metamorphism which are absent in overlying rocks. Data from these and other localities define a regional angular unconformity of Late Permian or Early Triassic age on the western and southern margins of the Shuswap Metamorphic Complex. Permian and Triassic rocks preserve evidence of structural, sedimentary, and metamorphic events which permits separation of Triassic rocks into three fault-bounded tectonostratigraphic belts. The Eastern Belt contains the transition from miogeoclinal sedimentation throughout Triassic time in the Canadian Rockies to island arc volcanism in the Late Triassic to the west. Basal beds of the Triassic sequence become younger southwest-ward from the axis of the Early to Middle Triassic depocentre lying west of the Rockies. Rocks preserving Early Triassic deformation and metamorphism are restricted to the southwest corner of the belt and are truncated by the Pasayten Fault. The Central Belt, dominated by the products of Late Triassic volcanism in northern and central British Columbia, consists mainly of Middle (?) and Upper Triassic sediments in the south. Meagre evidence indicates that widespread deformation and low-grade regional metamorphism occurred just prior to the Late Triassic. Evidence for these events is not found beyond the faulted margins of the Central Belt. In the Western Belt, an Upper Triassic sequence of tholeiitic basalt and overlying calcareous sediments disconformably overlies Permian rocks. In the western Cordillera, low-grade regional metamorphism and minor plutonism characterize Triassic orogenies. Early Triassic orogenesis in the southwestern corner of the Eastern Belt is coeval with the Sonoma Orogeny and the Middle–Late Triassic orogenesis of the Central Belt represents the Tahltanian Orogeny.


1984 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 731-736 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan L. Green ◽  
Paul Henderson

A suite of hy-normative hawaiites, ne-normative mugearite, and calc-alkaline andesitic rocks from the Garibaldi Lake area exhibits fractionated, slightly concave-upward REE patterns (CeN/YbN = 4.5–15), heavy REE contents about 5–10 times the chondritic abundances, and no Eu anomalies. It is unlikely that the REE patterns provide information concerning partial melting conditions beneath southwestern British Columbia because they have probably been modified substantially by upper crustal processes including crustal contamination and (or) crystal fractionation. The REE contents of the Garibaldi Lake lavas are not incompatible with previous interpretations that (1) the hawaiites have undergone considerable fractionation of olivine, plagioclase, and clinopyroxene; and (2) the individual andesitic suites were derived from separate batches of chemically distinct magma that evolved along different high-level crystallization trends. In general, however, the andesites are characterized by lower light REE contents than the basaltic andesites. These differences in LREE abundances may reflect different amounts of LREE-rich accessory phases, such as apatite, sphene, or allanite, assimilated from the underlying quartz diorites.


1998 ◽  
Vol 35 (5) ◽  
pp. 556-561 ◽  
Author(s):  
P J Patchett ◽  
G E Gehrels ◽  
C E Isachsen

Nd isotopic data are presented for a suite of metamorphic and plutonic rocks from a traverse across the Coast Mountains between Terrace and Prince Rupert, British Columbia, and for three contrasting batholiths in the Omineca Belt of southern Yukon. A presumed metamorphic equivalent of Jurassic volcanic rocks of the Stikine terrane gives epsilon Nd = +6, and a number of other metaigneous and metasedimentary rocks in the core of the Coast Mountains give epsilon Nd values from +3 to +7. A single metasedimentary rock approximately 3 km east of the Work Channel shear zone gives a epsilon Nd value of -9. Coast Belt plutons in the traverse yield epsilon Nd from -1 to +2. The Omineca Belt plutons give epsilon Nd from -10 to -17. All results are consistent with published data in demonstrating that (i) juvenile origins for both igneous and metamorphic rocks are common in the Coast Belt; (ii) representatives of a continental-margin sedimentary sequence with Precambrian crustal Nd are tectonically interleaved in the Coast Mountains; (iii) Coast Mountains plutons can be interpreted as derived from a blend of metamorphic rocks like those seen at the surface, or as arc-type melts contaminated with the older crustal component; and (iv) Omineca Belt plutons are dominated by remelted Precambrian crustal rocks.


2020 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Mehrdad Darijani ◽  
Colin G. Farquharson

Canadian Malartic is an Archean low-grade bulk tonnage native gold deposit. The deposit is mostly located in altered clastic metasedimentary rocks, mafic–ultramafic dykes, and monzodioritic porphyry intrusions. Airborne magnetic and frequency-domain electromagnetic (EM) data were inverted to reconstruct the geological units associated with the mineralization, especially the intrusive masses. The 3-D inversion of magnetic data, which used a tetrahedral mesh to a depth of 2.4 km, shows that mafic volcanic rocks and iron formation rocks extend to depth in the area, more so than diabase dykes. The magnetic inversion also shows that the diorite and monzodiorite rocks of the Lac Fournière A pluton are dipping toward the south on its northern edge at the contact with the metasedimentary rocks. The 1-D inversion of the frequency-domain EM data, for both electrical conductivity and magnetic susceptibility, is able to reconstruct geological structures to a depth of approximately 100 m, providing more details and information about these features. The intrusive masses such as diabase dykes, diorite and monzodiorite rocks, and mafic volcanic rocks are reconstructed as electrically conductive structures in the inversion results. The metasedimentary rocks are resistive, and the overburden is conductive in most of the area. The geophysical data and inversion results suggest the presence of some features (such as diabase dykes and monzodiorite rocks) that are not yet present on some parts of the geology map. A comparison of the EM-derived susceptibility and the magnetic-derived susceptibility over the iron formations can reveal the effect of remanent magnetization.


1977 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 318-326 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. H. Monger ◽  
B. N. Church

The Takla Group of north-central British Columbia as originally defined contained volcanic and sedimentary rocks of Late Triassic and Jurassic ages. As redefined herein, it consists of three formations in the McConnell Creek map-area. Lowest is the Dewar Formation, composed of argillite and volcanic sandstone that is largely the distal equivalent of basic flows and coarse volcaniclastic rocks of the Savage Mountain Formation. These formations are overlain by the volcaniclastic, basic to intermediate Moosevale Formation. These rocks are Upper Triassic (upper Karnian and lower Norian). They are unconformably overlain by Lower Jurassic rocks of the Hazelton Group.


1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 486-498 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Cole ◽  
R. F. Butler ◽  
G. E. Gehrels

The Cache Creek terrane is exposed along the length of the Canadian Cordillera and is composed of oceanic strata that are probably, at least in part, exotic to North America. In the northern portion of the Cache Creek terrane near Atlin, British Columbia, paleomagnetic samples were collected from layered Paleozoic rocks at 22 sites (≥ 6 samples/site) on Alfred Butte. Principal component analysis of detailed thermal demagnetization data allowed clear isolation of a characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) from 17 of these sites. Blocking temperatures to 680 °C indicate that this magnetization is carried by hematite, and site-mean ChRM directions are determined with α95 < 10° for the majority of sites. On Sentinel Mountain, samples were collected from 16 sites in layered Paleozoic volcanic and chert rocks and from a diabase sill. Thermal demagnetization revealed a ChRM in the chert and volcanic rocks with blocking temperatures to 680 °C, whereas alternating-field demagnetization to 40 mT successfully isolated ChRM in the diabase sill. ChRM directions from four sites involved in a mesoscopic S-fold at Alfred Butte fail the fold test, indicating that the ChRM is a postfolding secondary remagnetization. Tests for relative age of structural tilting and remagnetization are ambiguous, with attendant uncertainties in tectonic interpretations. However, rock-magnetic and geologic constraints argue for a chemical remagnetization of these Paleozoic rocks in Late Triassic to Middle Jurassic time, possibly associated with structural juxtaposition of the Cache Creek and Stikine terranes along the Nahlin fault zone. Although certainly nonunique and speculative, the simplest tectonic interpretation of these paleomagnetic data involves postfolding and posttilting remagnetization during the Early Jurassic in a paleolatitudinal position that approximately agrees with predicted North American paleolatitudes for this time.


Geophysics ◽  
1972 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 142-159 ◽  
Author(s):  
David K. Fountain

The growth of the mining industry in British Columbia in recent years has been mainly due to the development of large low‐grade disseminated sulfide deposits. The two problems faced by the geophysicist in the exploration for deposits of this nature are the difficulty of, one, detecting large volumes of rock containing a low‐percentage content of total sulfide mineralization and, two, obtaining some idea of the economic significance of the mineralization. Although the standard geophysical methods used in the search for disseminated sulfide deposits have been successfully applied, there are some aspects of the British Columbia deposits which create additional problems for the geophysicist. As illustrated by the Brenda, Valley Copper, and Lornex deposits, the lack of appreciable pyrite associated with the economic mineralization results in a low total sulfide content; this in turn makes it difficult to obtain a diagnostic anomalous geophysical response. Because of the rugged terrain and generally heavy forest growth, the more powerful geophysical methods, such as induced polarization, are high‐cost techniques. However, alteration and fracturing associated with the disseminated mineralization (Babine Lake area) may lower the overall resistivity of a deposit sufficiently to allow detection with electromagnetic (EM) methods. Although limited in application, the lower cost of EM methods in many situations renders their use practical, especially if airborne techniques can be employed.


2020 ◽  
pp. 289-311
Author(s):  
Warwick S. Board ◽  
Duncan F. McLeish ◽  
Charles J. Greig ◽  
Octavia E. Bath ◽  
Joel E. Ashburner ◽  
...  

Abstract The Brucejack intermediate-sulfidation epithermal Au-Ag deposit, located 65 km north of Stewart, BC, forms part of a well-mineralized, structurally controlled, north-south gossanous trend associated with Early Jurassic intrusions straddling the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic Stuhini-Hazelton Group unconformity in the Sulphurets mineral district. Mining of the deposit commenced in mid-2017 after a long history of exploration dating back to the 1880s. Mineralization is hosted in deformed Lower Jurassic island-arc volcanic rocks of the Hazelton Group exposed on the eastern limb of the Cretaceous McTagg anticlinorium. High-grade Au-Ag mineralization was formed from ~184 to 183 Ma in association with a telescoped, multipulsed magmatic-hydrothermal system beneath an active local volcanic center. Precious metal mineralization occurs as coarse aggregates of electrum and silver sulfosalts in steeply dipping, E- to SE-trending quartz-carbonate vein stockwork zones cutting low-grade intrusion-related phyllic alteration. Epithermal vein development is interpreted to have occurred during the waning stages of Early Jurassic sinistral transpression in a compressive arc environment, followed by a limited Cretaceous deformation overprint.


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