The Shebandowan group: "Timiskaming-like" Archean rocks in northwestern Ontario

1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Borradaile ◽  
H. Brown

This group of Archean volcanic and metasedimentary rocks is generally considered to be younger than the Keewatin metavolcanic rocks. The metasedimentary rocks are disposed in tight to isoclinal folds with strong plunge variations that are mainly due to a primary tectonic event. The folds are accompanied by a single, penetrative tectonic microfabric and a coplanar magnetic fabric. The contacts of the group with the adjacent Keewatin rocks are unexposed but are inferred to be faulted, at least in part.


1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 1455-1470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Schaefer ◽  
Penelope Morton

Two Archean komatiitic pyroclastic rock units occur on opposite sides of the Quetico Fault in northwestern Ontario. The eastern unit, the Dismal Ashrock, is located 3 km north of Atikokan, Ontario, on the north side of the Quetico Fault within the Wabigoon Subprovince of the Superior Province. It is part of a suprascrustal sequence, the Steep Rock Group. The Grassy Portage Bay ultramafic pyroclastic rock unit (GUP) is located 100 km to the west, on the south side of the Quetico Fault, and is part of an overturned succession comprising mafic metavolcanic rocks, GUP, and metasedimentary rocks. The Dismal Ashrock dips steeply, is little deformed, has undergone greenschist metamorphism, and is divided into komatiitic lapilli tuff, komatiitic volcanic breccia, komatiitic volcaniclastic rocks, and a mafic pillowed flow. GUP outcrops form an arcuate fold interference pattern, are strongly deformed, and have undergone amphibolite metamorphism. GUP is divided into komatiitic lapilli tuff and komatiitic volcanic breccia. Both pyroclastic units contain cored and composite lapilli, evidence for explosive volcanism. Locally, some of the lapilli fragments are highly vesicular (up to 30% by volume), greater than reported for any other komatiites. Other fragments show no vesicularity. The low vesicularity of some of the pyroclasts and, in the case of the Dismal Ashrock, their association with pinowed lava flows may indicate explosive hydrovolcanic activity. The Dismal Ashrock and GUP are high in MgO, Cr, and Ni and are unusually enriched in Fe, Ti, Zr, Mn, P, Ba, Nb, Rb, and Sr compared with other komatiites. These unique geochemical compositions are not understood at this time.



1999 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Larbi ◽  
R Stevenson ◽  
F Breaks ◽  
N Machado ◽  
C Gariépy

U-Pb and Sm-Nd isotopic data are presented for leucogranites and pegmatites from the boundary zones of the English River, Winnipeg River, and Wabigoon subprovinces in the late Archean Superior Province of northwestern Ontario. The Ghost Lake batholith and the Separation Rapids pluton are posttectonic, rare-metal-bearing, S-type leucogranites that were generated during the final stages of the amalgamation of the Superior Province. U-Pb dating of monazites yields ages of 2650 ± 3 Ma for a pegmatite from the Dryden area and 2646 ± 2 Ma for the Separation Rapids pluton. Sm-Nd data from these granitoids are compared with similar data from late Archean intrusions and adjacent rocks from the same regions. Values of εNd range from 0 to +2 for pretectonic tonalites, from -2 to +2 for both the Ghost Lake batholith and the Separation Rapids pluton, from +1 to +3.5 for metavolcanic rocks, and from -0.5 to -1.5 for metasedimentary rocks. There is an overall trend of decreasing εNd values from pretectonic tonalites to the latest leucocratic pegmatites. This reflects the origin of more and more granitoids as a result of anatexis as the crust grew and thickened through accretion. The ranges of εNd values found among leucogranites from the two regions overlap with the isotopic values of the basalts and sediments. This suggests that the leucogranites were generated by similar processes involving both a crustal and a juvenile mantle component. Furthermore, the ages from this study and from pegmatites (2652-2643 Ma) in the Bird River greenstone belt provide the best estimate of the age of rare metal mineralization in the western Superior Province. Similar ages (2651-2639 Ma) for rare-metal-bearing leucogranites in southern Abitibi subprovince suggest a specific period of emplacement over a wide area.



Author(s):  
Mikael Vasilopoulos ◽  
Ferenc Molnár ◽  
Hugh O’Brien ◽  
Yann Lahaye ◽  
Marie Lefèbvre ◽  
...  

AbstractThe Juomasuo Au–Co deposit, currently classified as an orogenic gold deposit with atypical metal association, is located in the Paleoproterozoic Kuusamo belt in northeastern Finland. The volcano-sedimentary sequence that hosts the deposit was intensely altered, deformed, and metamorphosed to greenschist facies during the 1.93–1.76 Ga Svecofennian orogeny. In this study, we investigate the temporal relationship between Co and Au deposition and the relationship of metal enrichment with protolith composition and alteration mineralogy by utilizing lithogeochemical data and petrographic observations. We also investigate the nature of fluids involved in deposit formation based on sulfide trace element and sulfur isotope LA-ICP-MS data together with tourmaline mineral chemistry and boron isotopes. Classification of original protoliths was made on the basis of geochemically immobile elements; recognized lithologies are metasedimentary rocks, mafic, intermediate-composition, and felsic metavolcanic rocks, and an ultramafic sill. The composition of the host rocks does not control the type or intensity of mineralization. Sulfur isotope values (δ34S − 2.6 to + 7.1‰) and trace element data obtained for pyrite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite indicate that the two geochemically distinct Au–Co and Co ore types formed from fluids of different compositions and origins. A reduced, metamorphic fluid was responsible for deposition of the pyrrhotite-dominant, Co-rich ore, whereas a relatively oxidized fluid deposited the pyrite-dominant Au–Co ore. The main alteration and mineralization stages at Juomasuo are as follows: (1) widespread albitization that predates both types of mineralization; (2) stage 1, Co-rich mineralization associated with chlorite (± biotite ± amphibole) alteration; (3) stage 2, Au–Co mineralization related to sericitization. Crystal-chemical compositions for tourmaline suggest the involvement of evaporite-related fluids in formation of the deposit; boron isotope data also allow for this conclusion. Results of our research indicate that the metal association in the Juomasuo Au–Co deposit was formed by spatially coincident and multiple hydrothermal processes.



1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 737-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred M. Kehlenbeck

In the de Courcey – Smiley Lakes Area, the boundary between the Quetico and Wabigoon Belts is expressed by a sequence of pelitic to semi-pelitic schists and gneisses. At the present level of erosion, these metasedimentary rocks are in contact with granodioritic gneisses, granites, and pegmatites, which are exposed to the south.To the north of this area, regional metamorphism of volcanic and sedimentary rocks has resulted in greenschist facies assemblages, which characterize the Wabigoon Belt in general. In the boundary zone, the metamorphic grade increases southward toward de Courcey and Smiley Lakes.Formation of three distinct foliation surfaces was accompanied by syn-tectonic as well as post-tectonic recrystallization, producing polymetamorphic schists.In the boundary zone, mineral assemblages comprising andalusile, sillimanite, cordierite, garnet. biotite, and muscovite form a facies series of the Abukuma type.The boundary between the Quetico and Wabigoon Belts in this area is a complex zone in which rocks of both belts have been reconstituted by multiple-phase metamorphism and partial melting.



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.



1977 ◽  
Vol 14 (3) ◽  
pp. 444-455 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric C. Syme ◽  
Richard W. Forester

The Aphebian Boundary intrusions are a group of lensoid, ultramafic to felsic rocks which occur in a N–NW trending zone 10 km long by 4 km wide centred on the town of Flin Flon. The intrusions were emplaced into Amisk metavolcanic rocks and Missi metasedimentary rocks. Field relationships, petrography, and chemical characteristics of the Boundary intrusions indicate that they are composed of three compositionally distinct, sequentially emplaced groups. From oldest to youngest, these are (1) a mafic augite- and biotite-bearing mela-dioritic group, (2) a felsic group ranging from leucodiorite to granodiorite, and (3) an olivine-bearing (wehrlite to olivine gabbro) group. The mafic group crystallized at relatively high [Formula: see text] and [Formula: see text], such that successive differentiates have increasing MgO/FeO ratios. Molar ratio diagrams clearly indicate that fractionation of augite, minor magnetite, and possibly subordinate olivine can account for the observed chemical variation of approximately 80% of this group, whereas the olivine-bearing group could only have formed by crystal fractionation of subequal amounts of olivine and clinopyroxene, and minor magnetite. The felsic group is chemically similar to the post-Missi granodioritic plutons and cannot represent SiO2-rich residual liquids produced solely by fractionation of augite and olivine from a basaltic magma.



2005 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 599-633 ◽  
Author(s):  
D Barrie Clarke ◽  
Andrew S Henry ◽  
Mike A Hamilton

The Rottenstone Domain of the Trans-Hudson orogen is a 25-km-wide granitic–migmatitic belt lying between the La Ronge volcanic–plutonic island arc (1890–1830 Ma) to the southeast and the ensialic Wathaman Batholith (1855 Ma) to the northwest. The Rottenstone Domain consists of three lithotectonic belts parallel to the orogen: (i) southeast — gently folded migmatized quartzo-feldspathic metasedimentary and mafic metavolcanic rocks intruded by small concordant and discordant white tonalite–monzogranite bodies; (ii) central — intensely folded and migmatized metasedimentary rocks and minor metavolcanic rocks intruded by largely discordant, xenolith-rich, pink aplite-pegmatite monzogranite bodies; and (iii) northwest — steeply folded migmatized metasedimentary rocks cut by subvertical white tonalite–monzogranite sheets. Emplacement of granitoid rocks consists predominantly of contiguous, orogen-parallel, steeply dipping, syntectonic and post-tectonic sheets with prominent magmatic schlieren bands, overprinted by parallel solid-state deformation features. The white granitoid rocks have A/CNK (mol Al2O3/(mol CaO + Na2O + K2O)) = 1.14–1.22, K/Rb ≈ 500, ΣREE (sum of rare-earth elements) < 70 ppm, Eu/Eu* > 1, 87Sr/86Sri ≈ 0.7032, and εNdi ≈ –2. The pink monzogranites have A/CNK = 1.11–1.16, K/Rb ≈ 500, ΣREE > 90 ppm, Eu/Eu* < 1, 87Sr/86Sri ≈ 0.7031, and εNdi ≈ –2. The white granitoid rocks show a wider compositional range and more compositional scatter than the pink monzogranites, reflecting some combination of smaller volume melts, less homogenization, and less control by crystal–melt equilibria. All metavolcanic, metasedimentary, and granitic rocks in the Rottenstone Domain have the distinctive geochemical signatures of an arc environment. New sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) U–Pb geochronology on the Rottenstone granitoid rocks reveals complex growth histories for monazite and zircon, variably controlled by inheritance, magmatism, and high-grade metamorphism. Monazite ages for the granitoid bodies and migmatites cluster at ~1834 and ~1814 Ma, whereas zircon ages range from ~2480 Ma (rare cores) to ~1900–1830 Ma (cores and mantles), but also ~1818–1814 Ma for low Th/U recrystallized rims, overgrowths, and rare discrete euhedral prisms. These results demonstrate that at least some source material for the granitic magmas included earliest Paleoproterozoic crust (Sask Craton?), or its derived sediments, and that Rottenstone granitic magmatism postdated plutonism in the bounding La Ronge Arc and Wathaman Batholith. We estimate the age of terminal metamorphism in the Davin Lake area to be ~1815 Ma. Petrogenetically, the Rottenstone migmatites and granitoid rocks appear, for the most part, locally derived from their metasedimentary and metavolcanic host rocks, shed from the La Ronge Arc, Sask Craton, and possibly the Hearne Craton. The Rottenstone Domain was the least competent member in the overthrust stack and probably underwent a combination of fluid-present melting and fluid-absent decompression melting, resulting in largely syntectonic granitoid magmatism ~1835–1815 Ma, analogous to granite production in the High Himalayan gneiss belt.



1990 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 649-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Turek ◽  
R. Keller ◽  
W. R. Van Schmus

The Mishibishu greenstone belt, located 40 km west of Wawa, is a typical Archean greenstone belt and is probably an extension of the Michipicoten belt. This belt is composed of basic to felsic metavolcanic rocks of tholeiitic to calc-alkaline affinity and of metasedimentary rocks ranging from conglomerate to argillite. Granitoids, diorites, and gabbros intrude and embay supracrustal rocks as internal and external plutons.Six U–Pb zircon ages have been obtained on rocks in this area. The oldest is 2721 ± 4 Ma for the Jostle Lake tonalite. The bulk of the volcanic rocks formed by 2696 ± 17 Ma, which is the age of the Chimney Point porphyry at the top of the volcanic pile. The Pilot Harbour granite has a similar age of 2693 ± 7 Ma. The age of the Tee Lake tonalite is 2673 ± 12 Ma, and the age of the Iron. Lake gabbro is 2671 ± 4 Ma. The youngest age for volcanics in this part of the Superior Province is 2677 ± 7 Ma, obtained from, the David Lakes pyroclastic breccia. these ages agree with those reported for the adjacent Michipicoten and Gamitagama belts.



1975 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 1175-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. R. Van Schmus ◽  
K. D. Card ◽  
K. L. Harrower

The geology of the buried Precambrian basement under Manitoulin Island in northern Lake Huron, Ontario, has been re-evaluated on the basis of aeromagnetic data, well cuttings, core samples, and rubidium–strontium and uranium–lead geochronologic data on some of the subsurface samples. We conclude that the northern half of the island is underlain in part by Huronian metasedimentary rocks, but that these are absent from the southern part of the island, which is underlain by granitic, gneissic, and metavolcanic rocks. Granitic and gneissic rocks are also present under the northern half of the island.Geochronologic data show that rocks underlying major positive aeromagnetic anomalies are quartz-monzonitic composite plutons which are about 1500 ± 20 m.y. old. Surrounding metasedimentary. gneissic, and granitic rocks are at least 1700 m.y. old. No evidence was found for extrapolation of the pre-Huroman Archean basement beneath Manitoulin Island; if it is present it has been affected by younger metamorphic overprinting.The south west ward extension of the boundary zone between the Grenville Province and rocks to the west can he traced along the east end of Manitoulin Island on the basis of aeromagnetic data.



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.



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