Two komatiitic pyroclastic units, Superior Province, northwestern Ontario: their geology, petrography, and correlation

1991 ◽  
Vol 28 (9) ◽  
pp. 1455-1470 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J. Schaefer ◽  
Penelope Morton
Keyword(s):  
Explosive Volcanism ◽  
Pyroclastic Rock ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
The North ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Volcanic Breccia ◽  
Metavolcanic Rocks ◽  
Volcaniclastic Rocks ◽  
Lapilli Tuff

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.

Age and isotopic composition of late Archean leucogranites: implications for continental collision in the western Superior Province

1999 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 495-510 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y Larbi ◽  
R Stevenson ◽  
F Breaks ◽  
N Machado ◽  
C Gariépy
Keyword(s):  
Rare Metal ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Similar Data ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Metavolcanic Rocks ◽  
Abitibi Subprovince ◽  
Winnipeg River ◽  
Rare Metal Mineralization ◽  
Mantle Component

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.

Nature of the Quetico–Wabigoon boundary in the de Courcey – Smiley Lakes area, northwestern Ontario

1976 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 737-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Manfred M. Kehlenbeck
Keyword(s):  
Regional Metamorphism ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Metamorphic Grade ◽  
Boundary Zone ◽  
Present Level ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
The North ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Multiple Phase ◽  
Mineral Assemblages

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.

Variable unroofing in the western Superior Province - metamorphic evidence and possible origin

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (7) ◽  
pp. 805-819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Hynes ◽  
Zixin Song
Keyword(s):  
Superior Province ◽  
Surface Distribution ◽  
Seismic Line ◽  
The North ◽  
Metavolcanic Rocks ◽  
Limited Support ◽  
Greenstone Belts ◽  
Rotation Motion ◽  
East West ◽  
Broad Region

Western Superior Lithoprobe seismic-reflection line 1 exhibits a broad region of northward-dipping reflectors in the Uchi subprovince, which gives way to southward-dipping reflectors farther north in the Berens River sub province. Mafic metavolcanic rocks across the region of northward-dipping reflectors exhibit a decline in metamorphic pressure, from pressures of 6 kbar (1 kbar = 100 MPa) in the south to only 2 kbar 80 km to the north. This indicates that the southern edge of the Uchi subprovince has undergone significantly more unroofing than regions farther north. The differential unroofing is not consistent with a doubly vergent thrusting origin for the northward- and southward-dipping reflector pattern. It could result from a crustal-scale synform, of which the region of northward-dipping reflectors would make up the southern limb. Metamorphic pressures from samples off the seismic line, however, provide only limited support for a regional synform, and suggest that much of the pressure variation may result from deformation associated with motion on late faults that are widespread in the western Superior Province. These faults occur in a WNW-striking set with dextral offsets and an ENE-striking set with sinistral offsets. They could result from north–south compression and east–west extension, provided the faults have rotated towards the east–west direction during deformation. Regional tilting and (or) jostling of crustal blocks is attributed to deformation associated with the fault rotation. Motion on the faults and the associated deformation of intervening fault blocks may be important contributors to the present crustal architecture of the western Superior Province, including the surface distribution and form of the greenstone belts.

Orthoquartzite pebbles in Archean conglomerate, North Spirit Lake, northwestern Ontario

1977 ◽  
Vol 14 (9) ◽  
pp. 1980-1990 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. A. Donaldson ◽  
Richard W. Ojakangas
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Canadian Shield ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Lake Area ◽  
Definite Evidence ◽  
The North ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Form Part ◽  
Quartz Grains

An Archean conglomerate in the North Spirit Lake area of northwestern Ontario contains rare orthoquartzite pebbles. Detailed study of these pebbles shows that mineralogically they are very mature, consisting of as much as 99.8 percent quartz and a heavy mineral suite of zircon, tourmaline, and apatite. Textures are typically bimodal, characterized by rounded sand-sized quartz grains set in a 'matrix-cement' of thoroughly recrystallized finer quartz grains. These orthoquartzite pebbles provide the first definite evidence for local tectonic stability of the Canadian Shield before deposition of the immature sedimentary rocks that form part of an Archean (>2.6 Ga) greenstone belt of the Superior Province.

U–Pb zircon ages of volcanism and plutonism in the Mishibishu greenstone belt near Wawa, Ontario

1990 ◽  
Vol 27 (5) ◽  
pp. 649-656 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Turek ◽  
R. Keller ◽  
W. R. Van Schmus
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Calc Alkaline ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Metavolcanic Rocks ◽  
Volcanic Pile ◽  
Archean Greenstone Belt

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.

U–Pb zircon ages and the evolution of the Michipicoten plutonic–volcanic terrane of the Superior Province, Ontario

1984 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 457-464 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Turek ◽  
Patrick E. Smith ◽  
W. R. Van Schmus
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Granitic Rocks ◽  
Tectonic Activity ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Metavolcanic Rocks ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Volcanic Cycles

The Archean Michipicoten greenstone belt of the Superior Province in Ontario is made up of supracrustal rocks divided into lower, middle, and upper metavolcanic rocks with associated metasedimentary rocks. The belt has been intruded by granitic rocks and is also surrounded by granitic terranes. Based on U–Pb zircon geochronology it appears that volcanism in the area extended from at least 2749 to 2696 Ma, and plutonism and tectonic activity extended from at least 2888 to 2615 Ma. The various granitic (and also one gabbroic) plutons, both internal and external to the greenstone belt, were emplaced concomitantly with the three volcanic cycles as well as before and after the formation of the volcanic rocks. Zircon ages reported here, together with previously published ages, show that the area evolved in six major volcanic and plutonic events: (I) 2888 Ma—plutonism, (II) 2743 Ma—volcanism and plutonism, (III) 2717 Ma—volcanism and plutonism, (IV) 2696 Ma—volcanism and plutonism, (V) 2668 Ma—plutonism, and (VI) 2615 Ma—plutonism. The oldest rock dated at 2888 ± 2 Ma belongs to the external granitic terrane and may be basement to the supracrustal rocks.

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

1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 185-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Borradaile ◽  
H. Brown
Keyword(s):  
Magnetic Fabric ◽  
Tectonic Event ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Metavolcanic Rocks

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.

Rb–Sr and U–Pb ages of volcanism and granite emplacement in the Michipicoten belt—Wawa, Ontario

1982 ◽  
Vol 19 (8) ◽  
pp. 1608-1626 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Turek ◽  
Patrick E. Smith ◽  
W. R. Van Schmus
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Granitic Rocks ◽  
Iron Formation ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Initial Ratio ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Granite Emplacement ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Metavolcanic Rocks ◽  
Volcanic Belts

The Michipicoten greenstone belt at Wawa, Ontario is typical of Archean volcanic belts in the Superior Province. The supracrustal rocks are divisible into lower, middle, and upper metavolcanic sequences, which are separated by iron formation and clastic metasedimentary rocks. These are intruded by granitic stocks and embayed by granitic batholiths.This study reports whole rock Rb–Sr and zircon U–Pb ages for the lower and upper metavolcanics, for the granitic rocks that are physically within the greenstone belt (internal granites), and for the granitic rocks that embay the greenstone belt (external granites). The apparent Rb–Sr ages for the lower metavolcanics are 2530 ± 90, 2285 ± 70, and 2680 ± 490 Ma. The U–Pb ages are 2749 ± 2 and 2744 ± 10 Ma. The internal granites give an Rb–Sr age of 2560 ± 270 Ma and a U–Pb age of 2737 ± 6 Ma. The external granite at Hawk Lake indicates an Rb–Sr age of 2550 ± 175 Ma and a U–Pb age of 2747 ± 7 Ma. It is possible that this unit contains elements older than 2812 Ma as it contains xenocrystic zircons. The upper volcanics give a U–Pb age of 2696 ± 2 Ma, which indicates that the belt evolved over a time period in excess of 53 Ma. The Rb–Sr ages are significantly younger than the U–Pb zircon ages and have very large uncertainties in age; hence it is unlikely that they have any stratigraphic significance. They probably reflect the Kenoran orogeny at about 2560 Ma. The 2285 ± 70 Ma Rb–Sr isochron age has an initial ratio of 0.7275 ± 0.0052, which is interpreted as a rotational isochron defining a younger post-Kenoran event in the area. The zircon ages appear to be correct chronostratigraphically. Furthermore, it appears that the granitic rocks are coeval and may also be cogenetic with the lower acid metavolcanic rocks.

LATE CRETACEOUS EXHUMATION OF UNDERPLATED METASEDIMENTARY ROCKS IN THE NORTH AMERICAN CORDILLERA

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
William A. Matthews ◽  
◽  
Marie-Pier Boivin ◽  
Kirsten Sauer ◽  
Daniel S. Coutts
Keyword(s):  
Late Cretaceous ◽  
North American ◽  
North American Cordillera ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
The North

INSIGHT INTO THE DEFORMATION AND MAGMATIC HISTORY OF A LONG-LIVED ARC: THE RECORD PRESERVED IN METASEDIMENTARY ROCKS OF THE NORTH CASCADES ARC, WA

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stacia M. Gordon ◽  
◽  
Kirsten B. Sauer ◽  
Ann E.H. Hanson ◽  
Robert B. Miller ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North Cascades ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
The North ◽  
History Of ◽  
Magmatic History ◽  
Insight Into
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