Uranium and thorium in the Precambrian basement of western Canada. II. Petrologic and tectonic controls

1979 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 472-483 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. A. Burwash
Keyword(s):  
Granulite Facies ◽  
Western Canada ◽  
Precambrian Basement ◽  
Granulite Facies Metamorphism ◽  
Frequency Distributions ◽  
Peace River ◽  
Quartz Monzonite ◽  
Facies Metamorphism ◽  
Northeastern Alberta ◽  
Two Populations

Analyses of 182 basement cores, when plotted as log U and log Th, show bimodal frequency distributions. Cumulative frequency plots indicate an approximate 35–65% split between the two populations. Histograms of numbers of samples in various rock classes vs. log U fail to explain the bimodal distribution.A plot of log K vs. log U provides easy visual separation of rocks with varying K/U ratios and U contents. K/U values greater than 3 × 104 are ascribed principally to granulite facies metamorphism. K/U values less than 5 × 103 represent U-enrichment either in granitic melts or K-metasomatized gneisses. Factor analysis indicates a strong correlation between U, Th. Rb, Pb, and K.The geographic distribution of samples with K/U values greater than 3 × 104 can be related to relict Kenoran granulite facies terranes in the subsurface of northeastern Alberta and west central Saskatchewan similar to those mapped on the exposed Shield in northwestern Saskatchewan. These relict granulites could account for most of the samples in the smaller of the two sample populations.The U-enriched rocks are concentrated in three areas: (1) the epizonal, porphyritic granitic plutons of southwestern Saskatchewan, (2) linear quartz monzonite batholiths along the Kasba Lake – Edmonton gravity low, and (3) K-rich gneisses in the Peace River High of northwestern Alberta. In none of these areas is assimilation of large volumes of Aphebian sedimentary rocks indicated.

A Discussion on global tectonics in Proterozoic times - Late Proterozoic cratonization in southwest Saudi Arabia

1976 ◽  
Vol 280 (1298) ◽  
pp. 517-527 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Saudi Arabia ◽  
Volcanic Rocks ◽  
Sedimentary Rocks ◽  
Granulite Facies ◽  
Greenschist Facies ◽  
Arabian Shield ◽  
Granulite Facies Metamorphism ◽  
Quartz Monzonite ◽  
Facies Metamorphism ◽  
Global Tectonics

Early cratonal development of the Arabian Shield of southwestern Saudi Arabia began with the deposition of calcic to calc-alkalic, basaltic to dacitic volcanic rocks, and immature sedimentary rocks that subsequently were moderately deformed, metamorphosed, and intruded about 960 Ma ago by dioritic batholiths of mantle derivation (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7029). A thick sequence of calc-alkalic andesitic to rhyodacitic volcanic rocks and volcanoclastic wackes was deposited unconformably on this neocraton. Regional greenschistfacies metamorphism, intensive deformation along north-trending structures, and intrusion of mantle-derived (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7028) dioritic to granodioritic batholiths occurred about 800 Ma. Granodiorite was emplaced as injection gneiss about 785 Ma (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7028- 0.7035) in localized areas of gneiss doming and amphibolite to granulite facies metamorphism. Deposition of clastic and volcanic rocks overlapped in time and followed orogeny at 785 Ma. These deposits, together with the older rocks, were deformed, metamorphosed to greenschist facies, and intruded by calc-alkalic plutons (87Sr/86Sr = 0.7035) between 600 and 650 Ma. Late cratonal development between 570 and 550 Ma involved moderate pulses of volcanism, deformation, metamorphism to greenschist facies, and intrusion of quartz monzonite and granite. Cratonization appears to have evolved in an intraoceanic, island-arc environment of comagmatic volcanism and intrusion.

scholarly journals Contrasted types of metamorphism of basic intrusions in the Precambrian basement of the Tasîussaq area, South Greenland

1968 ◽  
Vol 71 ◽  
pp. 1-47
Author(s):  
P.R Dawes
Keyword(s):  
Granulite Facies ◽  
Amphibolite Facies ◽  
Precambrian Basement ◽  
Thermal Front ◽  
Granulite Facies Metamorphism ◽  
North West ◽  
Metamorphic History ◽  
Long Span ◽  
The North ◽  
Facies Metamorphism

Metamorphosed rocks of three distinct episodes of basic intrusion can be recognised in the Precambrian basement of the Tasiussaq area, South Greenland. The oldest intrusions, represented by sills and dykes, are pyriclasites and biotitepyriclasites; the second episode intrusions, in the form of dykes, are pyroxenemetadolerites and the third episode intrusions, represented by dykes and small bodies, are metagabbros, metadolerites, metanorites and amphibolites. The metamorphic nature of the rocks of the three episodes is a reflection of age. Chemical and modal analyses of rocks from the three episodes are presented. Fresh diorite sills and dolerite dykes represent later episodes of Precambrian basic intrusion. The basic rocks depict the varying types of metamorphic conditions which affected the area in Precambrian time, and these are seen to differ from the established metamorphic history in areas to the north-west in South Greenland. The pyriclasites and biotite-pyriclasites have been derived through granulite facies metamorphism; the pyroxene-metadolerites by dipsenic metamorphism under conditions corresponding to the amphibolite facies and the metagabbros, metadolerites, metanorites and amphibolites through amphibolitisation during amphibolite facies metamorphism. It is suggested that the metamorphism producing the pyroxene-metadolerites (Sanerutian in age) was controlled by dipsenic conditions inherited from earlier granulite facies metamorphism (Ketilidian in age). This implies that the Ketilidian and Sanerutian metamorphisms in the Tasiussaq area are not separated by a long span of time and that the break in plutonism marked by the pyroxene-metadolerites cannot be regarded as a significant cratogenic hiatus between two separate plutonisms. The importance of water in controlling trends in the metamorphism of dolerites is stressed. The 1st episode intrusions have undergone severe changes since intrusion and no palimpsest features indicative of primary texture or mineralogy remain. The majority of the 2nd episode intrusions display a granular texture, but some display sub-ophitic and relic sub-ophitic textures. The 3rd episode intrusions display a range from ophitic, sub-ophitic and microporphyritic textures to relic stages of these textures. The 1st episode intrusions were emplaced into a geosynclinal pile of sediments and were probably connected with the volcanicity which occurred at the end of sedimentation. The 2nd and 3rd episode intrusions were emplaced into granitic and metamorphic rocks at a later stage in the same 'geological cycle'. Both the 2nd and 3rd episode intrusions are considered to indicate trends in the crust towards brittle conditions marking temporary partial withdrawals of the thermal front. Their preserved ophitic and sub-ophitic textures are not indicative of emplacement and crystallisation in cratogenic conditions.

scholarly journals Mapping in the Fiskefjord area, southern West Greenland

1982 ◽  
Vol 110 ◽  
pp. 55-57
Author(s):  
A.A Garde ◽  
V.R McGregor
Keyword(s):  
Granulite Facies ◽  
Amphibolite Facies ◽  
Isotopic Age ◽  
Supracrustal Rock ◽  
Granulite Facies Metamorphism ◽  
West Greenland ◽  
Facies Metamorphism ◽  
Geological Work ◽  
Age Determinations

Previous geological work on the 1:100000 map sheet 64 V.l N (fig. 15) includes published maps of smaller areas by Berthelsen (1960, 1962) and Lauerma (1964), mapping by Kryolitselskabet Øresund A/S (Bridgwater et al., 1976) and mapping by GGU geologists for the 1:500000 map sheet Frederikshåb Isblink - Søndre Strømfjord (Allaart et al., 1977, 1978). The Amltsoq and Niik gneisses and Malene supracrustal rock units south and east of Godthåbsfjord have not so far been correlated with rocks in the Fiskefjord area. Godthåbsfjord separates the granulite facies gneisses in Nordlandet from amphibolite facies Nûk gneisses on Sadelø and Bjørneøen; the granulite facies metamorphism occurred at about 2850 m.y. (Black et al., 1973), while no published isotopic age determinations from the Fiskefjord area itself are available.

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