1. Timing of sediment-hosted Cu-Ag mineralization in the Trans-Hudson orogen at Janice Lake, Wollaston Domain, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Author
-
John A. Clifford, Paula Cornejo, Alan J. Wilson, Victor A. Valencia, Greg Collins, and José Perelló
- Subjects
geography ,geography.geographical_feature_category ,010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences ,Archean ,Geochemistry ,Metamorphism ,Orogeny ,engineering.material ,010502 geochemistry & geophysics ,01 natural sciences ,Supercontinent ,Craton ,Geophysics ,Geochemistry and Petrology ,Titanite ,engineering ,Laurentia ,Economic Geology ,Foreland basin ,Geology ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences - Abstract
The Janice Lake Cu-Ag mineralization in the Wollaston Domain of northern Saskatchewan is hosted by a metasedimentary sequence in the upper part of the Wollaston Supergroup of the Trans-Hudson orogen. The Wollaston Supergroup was deposited between ~ 2070 and 1865 Ma in a foreland basin setting constructed over Archean basement of the Hearne craton. The Trans-Hudson orogen underwent final collision and peak metamorphism at ~ 1810 Ma, during consolidation of Laurentia and its amalgamation with the Columbia supercontinent. Titanite is a common constituent of the post-peak metamorphic assemblages of Trans-Hudson lithotectonic units and accompanied disseminated sediment-hosted Cu sulfide mineralization at Janice Lake. Titanite crystals, intergrown with chalcocite over a strike-length of ~ 2 km of Cu-bearing stratigraphy, were dated by the ID-TIMS and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb methods, returning an age range from 1780 to 1760 Ma and a weighted average age of 1775 ± 10 Ma. The titanite ages effectively date the associated chalcocite-dominated sediment-hosted Cu-Ag mineralization and its formation during initial post-orogenic uplift and cooling, ~ 30 myr after peak metamorphism. The age-range and tectonic setting of the Janice Lake mineralization confirms that sediment-hosted Cu mineralization was an integral part of the metallogenic endowment of Columbia and that its emplacement coincided with the continental-scale Trans-Hudson orogeny rather than with diagenesis and extensional basin development ~ 100 myr earlier.
- Published
- 2018
- Full Text
- View/download PDF