U–Pb geochronology of Paleoproterozoic gneiss from southeastern Ellesmere Island: implications for displacement estimates on the Wegener fault

Jane Gilotti; William McClelland; Karsten Piepjohn; Werner von Gosen

doi:10.1007/s41063-018-0047-x

Back

Journal article

U–Pb geochronology of Paleoproterozoic gneiss from southeastern Ellesmere Island: implications for displacement estimates on the Wegener fault

Jane Gilotti, William McClelland, Karsten Piepjohn and Werner von Gosen

arktos, Vol.4(1), pp.1-18

12/2018

DOI: 10.1007/s41063-018-0047-x

View Online

Abstract

The Wegener fault is a sinistral transform in Nares Strait, which lies between Greenland and Ellesmere Island; it connects the opening of the Eurasian Basin with spreading in Baffin Bay after ≈ 56 Ma (magnetic anomaly 24) and before 36 Ma (magnetic anomaly 13). The amount of horizontal slip on the Wegener fault system can be estimated from the offset of the boundary between the Archean Rae craton to the south and Paleoproterozoic gneisses of the Thelon Tectonic Zone to the north. This boundary is best defined in Greenland due to recent U–Pb zircon geochronology, but is less well known on Ellesmere Island. We have dated zircon in five samples of Precambrian granitic to tonalitic gneiss from southeastern Ellesmere Island using secondary ion mass spectrometry. Cathodoluminescence images reveal complex zircons with oscillatory zoning that lack evidence of xenocrystic cores and are commonly overprinted by recrystallization and surrounded by homogeneous rims. Trace-element patterns show the range of disturbance in zircon. The intrusive age is Paleoproterozoic and ranges from 2007 ± 14 to 1958 ± 14 Ma. In one sample, a well-defined lower intercept age of 357 ± 16 Ma on late overgrowths corresponds to a disturbance during the Ellesmerian orogeny. The results enhance the sparse data set of U–Pb ages in southeast Ellesmere Island and corroborate the previous placement of the boundary with Archean gneiss to the south near Devon Island. The boundary is offset by a minimum of 215 km across Nares Strait, corresponding to the minimum offset on the Wegener fault.

Earth Sciences

Wegener Fault

Geology

Thelon Tectonic Zone

Geochemistry

U–Pb geochronology

Earth Sciences, general

Oceanography

Nares Strait

Archean Rae craton

Paleontology

Zircon

Details

Title: Subtitle: U–Pb geochronology of Paleoproterozoic gneiss from southeastern Ellesmere Island: implications for displacement estimates on the Wegener fault
Creators: Jane Gilotti - 0000 0004 1936 8294 grid.214572.7 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Iowa Iowa City IA 52242 USA
William McClelland - 0000 0004 1936 8294 grid.214572.7 Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Iowa Iowa City IA 52242 USA
Karsten Piepjohn - 0000 0001 2155 4756 grid.15606.34 Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe Stilleweg 2 30655 Hannover Germany
Werner von Gosen - 0000 0001 2107 3311 grid.5330.5 Geozentrum Nordbayern Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg 91054 Erlangen Germany
Contributors: Riko Noormets (Editor)
Nina Kirchner (Editor)
Anne de Vernal (Editor)
Grigory Fedorov (Editor)
Colm Ó Cofaigh (Editor)
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: arktos, Vol.4(1), pp.1-18
Publisher: Springer International Publishing; Cham
DOI: 10.1007/s41063-018-0047-x
ISSN: 2364-9453
eISSN: 2364-9461
Grant note: 405/12-1 / Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100001659) 1549904 / National Science Foundation (http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/100000001)
Language: English
Date published: 12/2018
Academic Unit: Earth and Environmental Sciences
Record Identifier: 9983984524502771

Metrics

16 Record Views