Volcanic environments of ore formation in the late Archaean Abitibi greenstone belt of Canada
The tectonic and petrological evolution of the late Archaean Abitibi greenstone belt indicate both emergent and submergent volcanism played a role in its metallogenesis. At approximately 2700 m.y. the southern volcanic zone (SVZ) of the Abitibi belt was dominated by a rift-related tectonic and volcanic evolution in a transcurrent (wrench) fault regime. The tholeiitic and komatiitic magmas and associated differentiated volcanic rocks had access to shallow crustal levels allowing the development of submarine hydrothermal systems and syngenetic Cu-Zn (Noranda type) massive sulfide ore bodies. These deposits formed along a 300 km. axis in submerging, fault bounded, basins. In contrast, the northern volcanic zone (the Chibougamau-Chapais area) formed at 2720 m.y and was characterized by emergent volcanoes emplaced on a continental crust and cored by coeval diorite-tonalite plutons. Mafic magma was inhibited from the crust by fractionated and contaminated magmas. This resulted in the emplacement of hydrous calc-alkaline magmas and associated porphyry-type epigenetic Cu(Au) massive sulfides. Au-lode deposits are predominantly located near major shear-zones in the SVZ. The are forming solutions were released as a result of burial due to wrench faulting. The dynamic regime of the rifted SVZ may have resulted in the syngenetic massive sulfides, the Au-lode deposits, metamorphism and sedimentation being synchronous on a regional scale, whilst on a local scale, Au-lodes superimpose and replace massive sulfides, iron formation and metamorphic isograds.
- Research Organization:
- Univ. of Montreal (Canada)
- OSTI ID:
- 6454315
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-8510489-
- Journal Information:
- Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States), Vol. 17; Conference: 98. annual meeting of the Geological Society of America, Orlando, FL, USA, 28 Oct 1985
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
CANADA
VOLCANIC ROCKS
GOLD ORES
PETROLOGY
PETROGENESIS
GEOLOGIC FORMATIONS
HYDROTHERMAL SYSTEMS
MAGMATISM
MINERALOGY
PETROGRAPHY
RIFT ZONES
SULFIDE MINERALS
TECTONICS
VOLCANIC REGIONS
VOLCANISM
ENERGY SYSTEMS
GEOLOGIC STRUCTURES
GEOLOGY
GEOTHERMAL SYSTEMS
IGNEOUS ROCKS
MINERALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORES
ROCKS
580300* - Mineralogy
Petrology
& Rock Mechanics- (-1989)