Age of authigenic K-feldspar in Lower Paleozoic and uppermost Precambrian rocks of the Mississippi Valley area
- Univ. of Illinois, Urbana, IL (United States). Dept. of Geology
- Inst. of Human Origins, Berkeley, CA (United States). Geochronology Center
- Univ. of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon (Canada). Dept. of Geology
Published K-Ar dates of authigenic K-feldspar in Cambrian and Ordovician rocks of the Mississippi Valley area range from 448 to 375 Ma (Late Ordovician to Middle Devonian), suggesting a lengthy episode of K-feldspar authigenesis. Here the authors report an age span of [approximately]464--400 Ma (Middle Ordovician to Early Devonian) for authigenic K-feldspar of two samples from the alteration profile widely developed over Precambrian rocks at the unconformity with Cambrian deposits. This dating was done on 42 to 48 mesh grains of K-feldspar by the laser incremental-heating [sup 40]Ar/[sup 39]Ar method. One sample, from west-central Wisconsin, is from an 8-mm-thick vein formed along a fracture in kaolinitic altered granite. Three grains nearest the fracture yielded plateau ages with a range of [approximately]9 Ma and an average of 430 Ma. Three grains distant from the fracture yielded a similar range of 10 Ma but with an average age of 397 Ma. Thus the grains grew over an extended period from at least [approximately]430 to 400 Ma. A K-Ar date of 411 Ma was obtained from a sample representing the entire thickness of the vein. The other sample, from the St. Francois Mts. of Missouri, is of diabase replaced by K-feldspar. Three grains yielded plateau ages ranging from [approximately]444 to 464 Ma. Oxygen-isotope values of authigenic K-feldspar from lower Paleozoic and uppermost Precambrian rocks range from +19.8 to +22.2[per thousand] and average 21.4[per thousand] (n = 11). These values are compatible with formation of the K-feldspar from similar fluids and comparable temperatures.
- OSTI ID:
- 5011532
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-9303210-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 25:3; Conference: 27. annual Geological Society of America (GSA) North-Central Section meeting, Rolla, MO (United States), 29-30 Mar 1993; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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