Age of K-feldspar authigenesis 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 (n = 12) 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 465--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 Ar-40/Ar-39 method. One sample, from west-central Wisconsin, is from a vein formed along a fracture in kaolinitic altered granite. Three grains nearest the fracture yielded plateau ages with a range of 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 430 to 400 Ma. The other sample, from the St. Francois Mts. of Missouri, is of diabase replaced by K-feldspar. Three grains yielded plateau ages ranging over 20 Ma and apparently recording an extended history of K-feldspar growth. The average age of these grains is 454 Ma, compared to a K-Ar date of 444 [+-] 9 Ma obtained from a split of the same sample. The period(s) of K-feldspar authigenesis does not support its linkage with orogenic activity. Oxygen-isotope values of authigenic K-feldspar from lower Paleozoic and uppermost Precambrian rocks range from +19.8 to +23.0 [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:
- 5808073
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-921058-; CODEN: GAAPBC
- Journal Information:
- Geological Society of America, Abstracts with Programs; (United States), Vol. 24:7; Conference: 1992 annual meeting of the Geological Society of America (GSA), Cincinnati, OH (United States), 26-29 Oct 1992; ISSN 0016-7592
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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