Geology, geochemistry, and cooling history of the Westcoast Crystalline Complex and related rocks, Meares Island and vicinity, Vancouver Island, British Columbia

1987 ◽  
Vol 24 (10) ◽  
pp. 2047-2064 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clark E. Isachsen

The Westcoast Crystalline Complex is a belt of plutonic rocks along the west coast of Vancouver Island. It is composed mainly of heterogeneous amphibolitic country rock (Westcoast amphibolite), granitoids of trondhjemitic to gabbroic composition (Westcoast diorite), and variable mixtures of these two components (Westcoast migmatite).Although the protolith of some deformed enclaves may be Paleozoic, most of these rocks were generated in a magmatic-arc setting and intruded in Jurassic time. Major- and trace-element chemistry of the Westcoast Crystalline Complex shows a sub-alkaline tholeiitic to calc-alkaline trend.The exponential cooling curves derived for Westcoast diorites are not consistent with in situ crustal magma genesis but instead indicate that these rocks intruded relatively cool country rock.Based on age and chemistry, the Westcoast Crystalline Complex can be interpreted as the deeper crustal equivalent of the more differentiated Island Intrusions and Bonanza Volcanics. Taken together, these rocks provide a disrupted and perhaps incomplete cross section of the magmatic arc of Vancouver Island.Reconnaissance of the Wark–Colquitz Complex of southern Vancouver Island shows it to be essentially indistinguishable in petrography, chemistry, and age from the Westcoast Crystalline Complex, and a similar history is inferred.A calc-alkaline chemistry and rapid initial cooling also characterize a Catface Intrusion dated at 41 Ma. This is again compatible with arc magmatism, but its proximity to the coeval trench is enigmatic.

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (9) ◽  
pp. 1341-1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alana M Hinchey ◽  
Sharon D Carr ◽  
Paul D McNeill ◽  
Nicole Rayner

The Thor–Odin dome of the Monashee complex, in the southeastern Canadian Cordillera, comprises Paleoproterozoic basement gneiss with infolds of unconformably overlying rocks of a supracrustal cover sequence and is the deepest exposed structural level in the Omineca belt. Orthogneiss and paragneiss of the basement are migmatitic and contain ubiquitous stromatic leucosome and discrete phenocrystic and pegmatitic vein-type leucosome, which are all interpreted to have formed as a result of in situ melting. The stromatic leucosome is infolded with the country rock (F2), contains a weakly developed foliation, and has a biotite-rich melanosome. The phenocrystic and pegmatitic vein-type leucosome crosscut the stromatic leucosome and the transposition foliation (S2). Evidence to support an igneous and anatectic source for the leucosome includes (i) petrography, (ii) major and trace element chemistry, (iii) zircon morphology, and (iv) peak pressure–temperature (P–T) conditions. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) 206Pb/238U zircon dates range from ca. 56 to 54 Ma and are interpreted to represent the age of leucosome crystallization. Zircon commonly contains discrete ca. 2.6-1.8 Ga cores that are interpreted as detrital grains inherited from the host paragneiss. Anatexis was ongoing by ca. 56 Ma, as a result of regional prograde metamorphism, and was coincident, at least in part, with the formation of the penetrative S2 transposition foliation and large recumbent F2 tight to isoclinal folds. Anatexis continued during F3 and F4 folding. Melting may have continued until ca. 51 Ma, driven by decompression reactions, and was concomitant with the D5 extensional deformation.


2004 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
pp. 558 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Mposkos ◽  
A. Krone

Pelitic rocks of the pre-Alpine "gneiss series" from the Voras Massif record a polymetamorphic history of three metamorphic events; a first HT event indicated by migmatitization phenomena, a subsequent LP-HT event (andalusite-sillimanite series) at 2.5-3 Kbar and 610-640°C, and a third medium-P event at ~11 Kbar and ~550°C. The LP-HT metamorphism is associated with intrusion of Variscan granitoid plutois in a magmatic arc setting. The medium-P metamorphism records an Alpine event (probably Early Cretaceous) indicated by kyanite, chlohtoid, garnet and staurolite formation replacing andalusite and cordierite. The Variscan granitoids and the overlying lithologies of the "schist series" are affected only by the medium-P metamorphism. Granitoids are transformed into phengite orthogneisses having the mineral assemblage phen (Si=3.35-3.47 a.p.f.u.)±Bt-Ab-Kfs- Qtz±Czo±Grt and high-alumina pelites into gamet-chloritoid schists with the mineral assemblage Grt-Ctd-Chl-Ms-Qtz-Rt±llm. The "schist series" which underlies the Late Triassic-Early Jurassic marbles and overlies lithologies of the "gneiss series" and metagranitoids represents protoliths of the Permo-Triassic volcanosedimentary series deposited at the eastern margin of the Pelagonian continental block


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Xuyang Meng ◽  
Jackie M. Kleinsasser ◽  
Jeremy P. Richards ◽  
Simon R. Tapster ◽  
Pedro J. Jugo ◽  
...  

AbstractMost known porphyry Cu deposits formed in the Phanerozoic and are exclusively associated with moderately oxidized, sulfur-rich, hydrous arc-related magmas derived from partial melting of the asthenospheric mantle metasomatized by slab-derived fluids. Yet, whether similar metallogenic processes also operated in the Precambrian remains obscure. Here we address the issue by investigating the origin, fO2, and S contents of calc-alkaline plutonic rocks associated with the Haib porphyry Cu deposit in the Paleoproterozoic Richtersveld Magmatic Arc (southern Namibia), an interpreted mature island-arc setting. We show that the ca. 1886–1881 Ma ore-forming magmas, originated from a mantle-dominated source with minor crustal contributions, were relatively oxidized (1‒2 log units above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz redox buffer) and sulfur-rich. These results indicate that moderately oxidized, sulfur-rich arc magma associated with porphyry Cu mineralization already existed in the late Paleoproterozoic, probably as a result of recycling of sulfate-rich seawater or sediments from the subducted oceanic lithosphere at that time.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Alexis P. Rodriguez ◽  
Kenneth L. Tanaka ◽  
Ali M. Bramson ◽  
Gregory J. Leonard ◽  
Victor R. Baker ◽  
...  

AbstractThe clockwise spiral of troughs marking the Martian north polar plateau forms one of the planet’s youngest megastructures. One popular hypothesis posits that the spiral pattern resulted as troughs underwent poleward migration. Here, we show that the troughs are extensively segmented into enclosed depressions (or cells). Many cell interiors display concentric layers that connect pole- and equator-facing slopes, demonstrating in-situ trough erosion. The segmentation patterns indicate a history of gradual trough growth transversely to katabatic wind directions, whereby increases in trough intersections generated their spiral arrangement. The erosional event recorded in the truncated strata and trough segmentation may have supplied up to ~25% of the volume of the mid-latitude icy mantles. Topographically subtle undulations transition into troughs and have distributions that mimic and extend the troughs’ spiraling pattern, indicating that they probably represent buried trough sections. The retention of the spiral pattern in surface and subsurface troughs is consistent with the megastructure’s stabilization before its partial burial. A previously suggested warm paleoclimatic spike indicates that the erosion could have occurred as recently as ~50 Ka. Hence, if the removed ice was redeposited to form the mid-latitude mantles, they could provide a valuable source of near-surface, clean ice for future human exploration.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Zen ◽  
Jan C. Thomas ◽  
Eric V. Mueller ◽  
Bhisham Dhurandher ◽  
Michael Gallagher ◽  
...  

AbstractA new instrument to quantify firebrand dynamics during fires with particular focus on those associated with the Wildland-Urban Interface (WUI) has been developed. During WUI fires, firebrands can ignite spot fires, which can rapidly increase the rate of spread (ROS) of the fire, provide a mechanism by which the fire can pass over firebreaks and are the leading cause of structure ignitions. Despite this key role in driving wildfire dynamics and hazards, difficulties in collecting firebrands in the field and preserving their physical condition (e.g. dimensions and temperature) have limited the development of knowledge of firebrand dynamics. In this work we present a new, field-deployable diagnostic tool, an emberometer, designed to provide measurement of firebrand fluxes and information on both the geometry and the thermal conditions of firebrands immediately before deposition by combining a visual and infrared camera. A series of laboratory experiments were conducted to calibrate and validate the developed imaging techniques. The emberometer was then deployed in the field to explore firebrand fluxes and particle conditions for a range of fire intensities in natural pine forest environments. In addition to firebrand particle characterization, field observations with the emberometer enabled detailed time history of deposition (i.e. firebrand flux) relative to concurrent in situ fire behaviour observations. We highlight that deposition was characterised by intense, short duration “showers” that can be reasonably associated to spikes in the average fire line intensity. The results presented illustrate the potential use of an emberometer in studying firebrand and spot fire dynamics.


Author(s):  
O. Mousis ◽  
D. H. Atkinson ◽  
R. Ambrosi ◽  
S. Atreya ◽  
D. Banfield ◽  
...  

AbstractRemote sensing observations suffer significant limitations when used to study the bulk atmospheric composition of the giant planets of our Solar System. This impacts our knowledge of the formation of these planets and the physics of their atmospheres. A remarkable example of the superiority of in situ probe measurements was illustrated by the exploration of Jupiter, where key measurements such as the determination of the noble gases’ abundances and the precise measurement of the helium mixing ratio were only made available through in situ measurements by the Galileo probe. Here we describe the main scientific goals to be addressed by the future in situ exploration of Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, placing the Galileo probe exploration of Jupiter in a broader context. An atmospheric entry probe targeting the 10-bar level would yield insight into two broad themes: i) the formation history of the giant planets and that of the Solar System, and ii) the processes at play in planetary atmospheres. The probe would descend under parachute to measure composition, structure, and dynamics, with data returned to Earth using a Carrier Relay Spacecraft as a relay station. An atmospheric probe could represent a significant ESA contribution to a future NASA New Frontiers or flagship mission to be launched toward Saturn, Uranus, and/or Neptune.


2017 ◽  
Vol 12 (S330) ◽  
pp. 148-151 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edouard J. Bernard

AbstractWe took advantage of the Gaia DR1 to combine TGAS parallaxes with Tycho-2 and APASS photometry to calculate the star formation history (SFH) of the solar neighbourhood within 250 pc using the colour-magnitude diagram fitting technique. We present the determination of the completeness within this volume, and compare the resulting SFH with that calculated from the Hipparcos catalogue within 80 pc of the Sun. We also show how this technique will be applied out to ~5 kpc thanks to the next Gaia data releases, which will allow us to quantify the SFH of the thin disc, thick disc and halo in situ, rather than extrapolating based on the stars from these components that are today in the solar neighbourhood.


2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (S359) ◽  
pp. 62-66
Author(s):  
Carlo Cannarozzo ◽  
Carlo Nipoti ◽  
Alessandro Sonnenfeld ◽  
Alexie Leauthaud ◽  
Song Huang ◽  
...  

AbstractThe evolution of the structural and kinematic properties of early-type galaxies (ETGs), their scaling relations, as well as their stellar metallicity and age contain precious information on the assembly history of these systems. We present results on the evolution of the stellar mass-velocity dispersion relation of ETGs, focusing in particular on the effects of some selection criteria used to define ETGs. We also try to shed light on the role that in-situ and ex-situ stellar populations have in massive ETGs, providing a possible explanation of the observed metallicity distributions.


2021 ◽  
Vol 83 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim I. Yilmaz ◽  
Fabian B. Wadsworth ◽  
H. Albert Gilg ◽  
Kai-Uwe Hess ◽  
Jackie E. Kendrick ◽  
...  

AbstractThe nature of sub-volcanic alteration is usually only observable after erosion and exhumation at old inactive volcanoes, via geochemical changes in hydrothermal fluids sampled at the surface, via relatively low-resolution geophysical methods or can be inferred from erupted products. These methods are spatially or temporally removed from the real subsurface and thus provide only indirect information. In contrast, the ICDP deep drilling of the Mt Unzen volcano subsurface affords a snapshot into the in situ interaction between the dacitic dykes that fed dome-forming eruptions and the sub-volcanic hydrothermal system, where the most recent lava dome eruption occurred between 1990 and 1995. Here, we analyse drill core samples from hole USDP-4, constraining their degree and type of alteration. We identify and characterize two clay alteration stages: (1) an unusual argillic alteration infill of fractured or partially dissolved plagioclase and hornblende phenocryst domains with kaolinite and Reichweite 1 illite (70)-smectite and (2) propylitic alteration of amphibole and biotite phenocrysts with the fracture-hosted precipitation of chlorite, sulfide and carbonate minerals. These observations imply that the early clay-forming fluid was acidic and probably had a magmatic component, which is indicated for the fluids related to the second chlorite-carbonate stage by our stable carbon and oxygen isotope data. The porosity in the dyke samples is dominantly fracture-hosted, and fracture-filling mineralization is common, suggesting that the dykes were fractured during magma transport, emplacement and cooling, and that subsequent permeable circulation of hydrothermal fluids led to pore clogging and potential partial sealing of the pore network on a timescale of ~ 9 years from cessation of the last eruption. These observations, in concert with evidence that intermediate, crystal-bearing magmas are susceptible to fracturing during ascent and emplacement, lead us to suggest that arc volcanoes enclosed in highly fractured country rock are susceptible to rapid hydrothermal circulation and alteration, with implications for the development of fluid flow, mineralization, stress regime and volcanic edifice structural stability. We explore these possibilities in the context of alteration at other similar volcanoes.


2020 ◽  
Vol 117 (35) ◽  
pp. 21125-21131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jing-Liang Guo ◽  
Zaicong Wang ◽  
Wen Zhang ◽  
Frédéric Moynier ◽  
Dandan Cui ◽  
...  

Zircons widely occur in magmatic rocks and often display internal zonation finely recording the magmatic history. Here, we presented in situ high-precision (2SD <0.15‰ for δ94Zr) and high–spatial-resolution (20 µm) stable Zr isotope compositions of magmatic zircons in a suite of calc-alkaline plutonic rocks from the juvenile part of the Gangdese arc, southern Tibet. These zircon grains are internally zoned with Zr isotopically light cores and increasingly heavier rims. Our data suggest the preferential incorporation of lighter Zr isotopes in zircon from the melt, which would drive the residual melt to heavier values. The Rayleigh distillation model can well explain the observed internal zoning in single zircon grains, and the best-fit models gave average zircon–melt fractionation factors for each sample ranging from 0.99955 to 0.99988. The average fractionation factors are positively correlated with the median Ti-in-zircon temperatures, indicating a strong temperature dependence of Zr isotopic fractionation. The results demonstrate that in situ Zr isotope analyses would be another powerful contribution to the geochemical toolbox related to zircon. The findings of this study solve the fundamental issue on how zircon fractionates Zr isotopes in calc-alkaline magmas, the major type of magmas that led to forming continental crust over time. The results also show the great potential of stable Zr isotopes in tracing magmatic thermal and chemical evolution and thus possibly continental crustal differentiation.


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