The tectonic controls on the Paleoproterozoic volcanism and the associated metallogeny in the South Amazonian craton, Brazil: Sr–Nd–Pb isotope constraints
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SUMMARY Field, petrographic and chemical studies on the Silurian volcanic rocks of the Mendip Hills show that there are probably 15 or more rock units in the series including andesite and rhyodacite lavas, rhyodacite tuffs, agglomerates, and a dolerite dyke. The predominant rock type is rhyodacite which may be as much as 80 percent of the volcanics. Volcanics of Silurian age from the Tortworth area, Gloucestershire, are of latite-andesite composition. The Mendip rocks have been deuterically altered. Calcite-quartz-laumontite veins are common in fractures in these rocks. The agglomerates are particularly susceptible to weathering and some bombs are extensively altered to clays. Twelve rocks were chemically analysed for 36 elements each. No anomalous base metal concentrations were found in the volcanics although Pb, Zn, and Cu mineralisation is known in the area. K/Rb varies from 202 to 909 in these calc-alkaline rocks.
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Constraints on models of the evolution of the Zimbabwe Archaean Craton are derived primarily from geological mapping of the exposed and well-preserved supracrustal successions in the granite-greenstone terrain of the south-central part of the Craton (Fig. 1; Wilson et al., 1978). The gross geology of the area also has important implications for the development of the Archaean trust in general. We analyse gravity and aeromagnetic data from the region to study the granite-greenstone relationship and for crustal structure and tectonic interpretation.
Greenstone belt
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<p>In a geodynamic, geological and geophysical review of global Archean cratons, we find that the survival of Archean cratons depends on the initial conditions of their formation, as well as the tectonic processes to which they were exposed.&#160; In a sense, we must consider both their nature and how they were nurtured.&#160; In a review of existing literature and models, we use stability regime diagrams to understand the factors that contribute to the intrinsic strength of a craton: buoyancy, viscosity, and relative integrated yield strength. We find that cratons formed in the Archean when thermal conditions enhanced extraction of large melt fractions and early cratonization promoted the formation of stable Archean cratonic lithosphere.&#160; In terms of the cratons' nurturing, processes that may have modified and weaken cratonic lithosphere include subduction and slab rollback, rifting, and mantle plumes, as these processes introduced materials and conditions that warmed and metasomatized the lithosphere.&#160; Examining four Archean cratons that are more stable, and four that are categorized as modified or destroyed, we note that continental lithosphere that was cratonized prior to the end of the Archean has more potential to survive deformation during the last 500 My. Although, the survivability of these cratons is highly dependent on their unique positions relative to larger scale tectonic processes, such as subduction.&#160;&#160; We also observe that once an Archean craton begins to undergo even a small amount of modification, it is more likely to continue to be modified, as it loses the preservation advantage that it had upon birth.<br><br></p>
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The original connections of Archean cratons are becoming traceable due to an increasing amount of paleomagnetic data and refined magmatic barcodes. The Uauá block of the northern São Francisco craton may represent a fragment of a major Archean craton. Here, we report new paleomagnetic data from the 2.62 Ga Uauá tholeiitic mafic dyke swarm of the Uauá block in the northern São Francisco craton, Eastern Brazil. Our paleomagnetic results confirm the earlier results for these units, but our interpretation differs. We suggest that the obtained characteristic remanent magnetization for the 2.62 Ga swarm is of primary origin, supported by a provisionally-positive baked contact test. The corresponding paleomagnetic pole (25.2°N, 330.5°E, A95 = 8.1°, N = 20) takes the present northern part of the São Francisco craton to moderate latitudes. Based on the comparison of the paleolatitudes of cratons with high-quality paleomagnetic data and magmatic barcodes, we suggest that the northern part of the São Francisco craton could have been part of the proposed Supervaalbara supercraton during the Archean. Supervaalbara is proposed as including (but not limited to) the part of the São Francisco craton as well as the Superior, Wyoming, Kola + Karelia, Zimbabwe, Kaapvaal, Tanzania, Yilgarn, and Pilbara cratons.
Yilgarn Craton
Greenstone belt
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Radiogenic nuclide
Indian Shield
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Supercontinent
Dharwar Craton
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Southern Superior Province of the Canadian Shield contains cratonic and basinal elements arranged in high- to low-grade metamorphic terranes such that higher grade gneissic cratons are interpreted to represent primary infrastructure to lower grade volcanic-rich (greenstone) basins. Ensimatic accumulation of volcanic components is favoured with derivation of gneissic (granitic) components by ensuing metamorphic differentiation and granitization processes. Such vertically reconstructed basin–craton complexes which are tentatively ascribed to initial Archean mantle convection, are viewed as building units of growing Precambrian shields.Globally, twenty-seven identified Archean cratons belong to three main age groups based on maximum recorded ages as follows: 3.5–3.8 Ga, 2.9–3.1 Ga, and 2.6–2.7 Ga. The three age groups that correspond to major periods of Archean orogeny may represent accretion superevents (after Moorbath).Most cratons as presently exposed display lithologic characteristics of lower superstructure–upper infrastructure of typical basin–craton complexes thereby suggesting a common degree of crustal buoyancy, hence level of erosion. Archean belts of southern Superior Province provide unique opportunity for reconstruction of the typical basin–craton complex.
Orogeny
Basement
Supercontinent
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Seismic anisotropy from the southern African mantle has been inferred from shear‐wave splitting measured at 79 sites of the Southern African Seismic Experiment. These data provide the most dramatic support to date that Archean mantle deformation is preserved as fossil mantle anisotropy. Fast polarization directions systematically follow the trend of Archean structures and splitting delay times exhibit geologic control. The most anisotropic regions are Late‐Archean in age (Zimbabwe craton, Limpopo belt, western Kaapvaal craton), with delay times reduced dramatically in off‐craton regions to the southwest and Early‐Archean regions to the southeast. While thin lithosphere can account for weak off‐craton splitting, small or vertically incoherent anisotropy is a more likely explanation for the Early‐Archean region. We speculate that this difference in on‐craton anisotropic structure is the result of two different continent‐forming processes operating.
Seismic anisotropy
Shear wave splitting
Greenstone belt
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