U–Pb zircon geochronology in the southwestern Abitibi greenstone belt, Superior Province

1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 1747-1763 ◽  
Author(s):  
F. Corfu ◽  
T. E. Krogh ◽  
Y. Y. Kwok ◽  
L. S. Jensen
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Gold Mineralization ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Zircon Age ◽  
The Past ◽  
Sedimentary Sequences ◽  
Lake Region ◽  
Apparent Age ◽  
Stratigraphic Thickness

The Abitibi Belt is the largest continuous greenstone belt in the Superior Province of the Canadian Shield. It comprises several composite komatiitic–tholeiitic–calc-alkalic and sedimentary sequences that are folded, transected by major faults, and intruded by various generations of plutonic rocks. Precise U–Pb geochronology has been carried out in the belt for the past decade to solve chronostratigraphic and metallogenetic problems. This paper presents new zircon ages and reassesses previously published ones, now refined by the addition of abraded and concordant zircon analyses.Volcanic and subvolcanic units of the Timmins area yield the following ages: 2727 ± 1.5 Ma for a tuff of the upper Deloro Formation; 2703 ± 1.5 Ma for a tuff of the upper Tisdale Formation; and 2698 ± 4 Ma for the Krist fragmental, assigned to the top of the Tisdale Formation. The age of a dunite intrusive into the upper Deloro Formation is revised at 2707 ± 3 Ma, whereas the Aquarius diorite east of Timmins yields a poorly defined age of 2705 ± 10 Ma. In the Lake Abitibi – Kirkland Lake region, the following dates were obtained: 2713 ± 2 Ma for a porphyritic unit of the Hunter Mine Group; 2714 ± 2 Ma for a rhyolite at the base of the mainly tholeiitic to komatiitic Stoughton–Roquemaure Group; 2701 ± 2 Ma for porphyritic rhyolite of the Blake River Group; 2701 ± 2 Ma for a tuff of the Skead Group; and [Formula: see text] for a pyroclastic unit at the base of the Larder Lake Group. These data are generally consistent with the earlier proposed stratigraphic subdivisions and correlations. However, there are apparent age reversals, for example between the Larder Lake and Skead groups, that could support the concept of thrusting and tectonic thickening to explain particular lithologic relationships and the considerable stratigraphic thickness of the supracrustal sequences in the Abitibi Belt.One part of the study was dedicated to the problem of gold mineralization in the Timmins area. The zircon age of 2690 ± 2 Ma for the Paymaster porphyry, a less well defined but probably identical age for the Preston porphyry, and dates of 2689 ± 1 Ma for the Pearl Lake porphyry, 2691 ± 3 Ma for the Millerton porphyry, and 2688 ± 2 Ma for the Crown porphyry show that these intrusions were formed during a well-defined, short-lived episode unrelated to volcanism; furthermore, a date of [Formula: see text] for an albitite, which predates Au mineralization, demonstrates that Au is spatially but not genetically related to the porphyries.Finally, two ages are reported for late tectonic potassic intrusions: a refined age of 2678 ± 2 Ma for the Garrison stock east of Matheson and a precise zircon (and titanite) age of 2680 ± 1 Ma for the Otto stock near Kirkland Lake.

Geochronology of the North Caribou greenstone belt, Superior Province Canada: Implications for tectonic history and gold mineralization at the Musselwhite mine

2012 ◽  
Vol 192-195 ◽  
pp. 209-230 ◽  
Author(s):  
John Biczok ◽  
Pete Hollings ◽  
Paul Klipfel ◽  
Larry Heaman ◽  
Roland Maas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Gold Mineralization ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
The North ◽  
Tectonic History

Advances in the U–Pb zircon geochronology of the Michipicoten greenstone belt, Superior Province, Ontario

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 1154-1165 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Turek ◽  
R. P. Sage ◽  
W. R. Van Schmus
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Zircon Geochronology ◽  
Volcanic Centre ◽  
Volcanic Tuff ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Felsic Volcanism ◽  
Felsic Volcanic ◽  
Volcanic Cycle ◽  
Volcanic Cycles

The Michipicoten greenstone belt in the Superior Province in Ontario developed over a period of approximately 240 Ma, between 2900 and 2660 Ma. The belt is made up of supracrustal rocks consisting of mafic to felsic metavolcanic and associated metasedimentary rocks intruded and embayed by granitoids of various ages. Generally, the external granitic terrane, a mosaic of plutons of various ages, is younger than the greenstone belt and equivalent in age to the plutons in the belt. Three major volcanic cycles have been recognized, and the older internal plutonism is coeval with the volcanism.This study reports 10 new U–Pb concordia ages that enhance the existing geochronological framework of the area. The 2889 Ma age determined for the Judith volcanic tuff documents the existence of the oldest volcanic cycle. This age is close to that of the Murray–Algoma porphyry, dated in this study at 2881 Ma, and similar to a previously published age of 2888 Ma for the Regnery granite within the same area. These three ages establish coeval felsic volcanism and plutonism within the oldest volcanic cycle 1.The new ages for the Jubilee volcanic centre are 2746 Ma (volcanic flow) and 2742 Ma (porphyry intrusion). These ages agree with previously published cycle 2 felsic volcanic ages of 2744 and 2749 Ma and hence establish coeval felsic volcanism and plutonism for this volcanic cycle. The Goudreau felsic volcanic terrane yields ages of 2729 Ma at Goudreau and 2741 Ma at Alden, which probably represent different stratigraphic positions within the same cycle.At McCormick Lake the felsic volcanic crystal tuff is 2701 Ma and belongs to cycle 3 volcanism. U–Pb ages have been determined for three plutons: 2677 Ma for the internal Dickenson Lake syenite, 2662 Ma for the internal Lund Lake granodiorite, and 2686 Ma for the external Dubreuilville granodiorite. These ages fit into an established period of granitoid plutonism in the area.

First U–Pb zircon ages of granitoid plutons from the La Grande greenstone belt, James Bay area, New Quebec

1989 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 1068-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen St. Seymour ◽  
Andrew Turek ◽  
Ronald Doig ◽  
Stephen Kumarapeli ◽  
Robert Fogal
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
The Other ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Present Level ◽  
James Bay ◽  
Zircon Age ◽  
Maximum Deformation ◽  
The Third ◽  
Bay Area ◽  
Greenstone Belts

Zircon ages from three granitoid plutons are the first to be reported from the La Grande greenstone belt. Two of the dated samples are from highly tectonized, early tectonic plutons that at the present level of erosion are just outside the greenstone belt proper. Their zircon ages of ca. 2740 Ma are emplacement ages or alternatively represent the age of maximum deformation of the greenstone belt. The third sample is from a mildly deformed late tectonic pluton within the greenstone belt. Its zircon age of ca. 2670 Ma probably represents the emplacement age. The above dates and the relationships of the dated plutons to the greenstone belt as a whole suggest that the bulk of the volcanism in the La Grande belt is older than 2.7 Ga. This limiting age indicates that the age of the La Grande "supracrustals" is similar to those of the other greenstone belts in the Superior Province.

U–Pb zircon ages for rocks from the Island Lake greenstone belt, Manitoba

1986 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 92-101 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Turek ◽  
T. M. Carson ◽  
Patrick E. Smith ◽  
W. R. Van Schmus ◽  
W. Weber
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Quartz Diorite ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Intrusive Complex ◽  
Quartz Porphyry ◽  
Zircon Age ◽  
Metasedimentary Rocks ◽  
Intrusive Rocks ◽  
Granitoid Rocks

The Archean Hayes River Group of the Island Lake greenstone belt (Superior Province, Sachigo Subprovince) comprises mafic to felsic metavolcanics, subvolcanics, and associated metasedimentary rocks. The Hayes River Group is intruded by granitoid rocks belonging to the early intrusive complex. One such pluton, the Bella Lake tonalite, is intrusive into the metabasalt of the Hayes River Group and has a U–Pb zircon age of 2886 ± 15 Ma. Similar intrusives of this complex, either internal or marginal to the greenstone belt, yield zircon ages of 2801 ± 8 Ma (Pipe Point tonalit) and 2768 ± 22 Ma (Linklater Island prophyry). This suggests that the early intrusive complex was emplaced over an ~ 120 Ma long interval by at least three separate intrusive episodes.Subsequent to the emplacement of the early intrusive complex, the isoclinally folded Hayes River Group and the early intrusive complex were uplifted, eroded, and followed by the unconformable deposition of the Island Lake Group, comprising fluvial to marine metasedimentary rocks. The stratigraphically lower part of the Island Lake Group is bracketed by the 2768 ± 22 Ma age of the Linklater Island porphyry and the 2729 ± 3 Ma age obtained for the late tectonic suite—the Pipe Point quartz diorite and feldspar porphyry. A feldspar quartz porphyry belonging to the post-tectonic intrusive rocks intrudes higher stratigraphic levels and has been dated at 2699 ± 4 Ma (Horseshoe Island quartz feldspar porphyry).

An isotopic study of the Island Lake Greenstone Belt, Manitoba: crustal evolution and progressive cratonization in the late Archean

1992 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 2200-2210 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. K. Stevenson ◽  
A. Turek
Keyword(s):  
Greenstone Belt ◽  
Metamorphic Event ◽  
Superior Province ◽  
Crustal Evolution ◽  
Isotopic Study ◽  
Volcanic Arc ◽  
Lake Region ◽  
Depleted Mantle ◽  
Intrusive Rocks ◽  
Intrusive Suite

Three new U–Pb zircon ages are reported for units within the Island Lake Greenstone Belt in northern Manitoba: the Jubilee Island dacite (2761 ± 12 Ma), the Chapin Bay tonalite (2748 ± 3 Ma), and the Wassagomach tonalité (2778 ± 5 Ma). Rb–Sr data suggest a mild metamorphic event about 2736 ± 67 Ma ago. Basalts within the basal Hayes River Group (2860–2900 Ma) appear to be derived from a time-averaged, Nd-depleted mantle with εNd values between +0.78 and +2.1. Lower εNd values (< +0.31) are found in volcanic and intrusive rocks of the same age, implying contamination by or remelting of preexisting crust to form the more felsic derivatives. εNd values of early tonalitic, trondhjemitic, and granitic plutons (2729–2900 Ma) decrease from +0.31 to −1.8 as the plutons become younger, and are indicative of a period of dominantly intracrustal recycling processes in the Island Lake region. It is suggested that this trend records the evolution of the Island Lake region through extensive intracrustal melting and recycling from a variably contaminated volcanic arc to a small mature craton. Uplift associated with the plutonism resulted in sedimentation of the Island Lake Group (2729–2749 Ma), followed by renewed granitic plutonism of the Late Intrusive Suite (2699–2729 Ma). εNd values of these units range from +3 to −3, suggesting renewed interaction of depleted mantle with the Island Lake crust. This possibly resulted from magmatism associated with the accretion of the Island Lake Terrane to the rest of the Superior Province.

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.

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