Two detrital zircon signatures for the Cambrian passive margin of northern Laurentia highlighted by new U-Pb results from northern Canada

Research Article| July 01, 2012 Two detrital zircon signatures for the Cambrian passive margin of northern Laurentia highlighted by new U-Pb results from northern Canada T. Hadlari; T. Hadlari † 1Geological Survey of Canada, 3303 33rd Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar W.J. Davis; W.J. Davis † 2Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar K. Dewing; K. Dewing † 1Geological Survey of Canada, 3303 33rd Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar L.M. Heaman; L.M. Heaman † 3Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Y. Lemieux; Y. Lemieux † 4Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, 4601-B 52nd Avenue, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories X1A 2R3, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar L. Ootes; L. Ootes † 4Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, 4601-B 52nd Avenue, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories X1A 2R3, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar B.R. Pratt; B.R. Pratt † 5Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar L.J. Pyle L.J. Pyle † 6VI Geoscience Services, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia V8M 1J8, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information T. Hadlari † 1Geological Survey of Canada, 3303 33rd Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada W.J. Davis † 2Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada K. Dewing † 1Geological Survey of Canada, 3303 33rd Street NW, Calgary, Alberta T2L 2A7, Canada L.M. Heaman † 3Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta T6G 2E3, Canada Y. Lemieux † 4Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, 4601-B 52nd Avenue, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories X1A 2R3, Canada L. Ootes † 4Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, 4601-B 52nd Avenue, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories X1A 2R3, Canada B.R. Pratt † 5Department of Geological Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5E2, Canada L.J. Pyle † 6VI Geoscience Services, Brentwood Bay, British Columbia V8M 1J8, Canada †E-mails: thomas.hadlari@nrcan.gc.ca; bill.davis@nrcan.gc.ca; keith.dewing@nrcan.gc.ca; larry.heaman@ualberta.ca; yvon_lemieux@gov.nt.ca; luke_ootes@gov.nt.ca; brian.pratt@usask.ca; lpyle@vigeoscience.com Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 15 Apr 2011 Revision Received: 16 Aug 2011 Accepted: 30 Aug 2011 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2674 Print ISSN: 0016-7606 © 2012 Geological Society of America GSA Bulletin (2012) 124 (7-8): 1155–1168. https://doi.org/10.1130/B30530.1 Article history Received: 15 Apr 2011 Revision Received: 16 Aug 2011 Accepted: 30 Aug 2011 First Online: 08 Mar 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation T. Hadlari, W.J. Davis, K. Dewing, L.M. Heaman, Y. Lemieux, L. Ootes, B.R. Pratt, L.J. Pyle; Two detrital zircon signatures for the Cambrian passive margin of northern Laurentia highlighted by new U-Pb results from northern Canada. GSA Bulletin 2012;; 124 (7-8): 1155–1168. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/B30530.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGSA Bulletin Search Advanced Search Abstract In Cambrian time, Laurentia was bounded on all sides by passive margins, providing an opportunity to establish a "Cambrian baseline" of detrital zircon provenance for the craton during a relatively quiescent tectonic stage. U-Pb detrital zircon ages from laser ablation–multicollector–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-MC-ICP-MS) and sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) analysis of seven Cambrian sandstone samples from northern Northwest Territories are consistent with generally local provenance. Samples from Mackenzie Mountains were most likely derived from the Proterozoic Mackenzie Mountains Supergroup and are dominated by detrital zircon ages of ca. 1020–1516 Ma, but also contain populations of ca. 1615–1692 Ma and ca. 2699–2752 Ma. Cambrian sandstones from south of Great Bear Lake have a complementary set of detrital zircon age populations dominated by ca. 1810–2010 Ma, with smaller relative probability peaks at 2100 Ma, 2300 Ma, and 2600 Ma, which are consistent with derivation from the Hottah terrane, Great Bear magmatic zone, and Slave craton. Comparison of the signatures from Mackenzie Mountains and Great Bear Lake south suggests that there were two distinct sources of detrital zircon available to the northern Northwest Territories during the Cambrian. Detrital zircon ages from Cambrian strata of Victoria Island appear to be a mixture of Shaler Supergroup, Slave craton–like, Taltson-Thelon orogen, and Wopmay orogen sources.Following the dichotomy of detrital zircon age spectra presented by Cambrian samples from Mackenzie Mountains and Great Bear Lake south allows subdivision of other published detrital zircon ages from across northern Laurentia into two groups: Laurentia Cambrian type 1 suite reflects the Archean cratons and Paleoproterozoic orogens of the Precambrian Shield. Laurentia Cambrian type 2 suite is dominated by Grenvillian and older ages (1000–1500 Ma) and includes relative probability peaks at 1600–1700 Ma and 2700–2750 Ma. We find, therefore, that this Cambrian baseline mirrors the Precambrian tectonic fabric of Laurentia from Archean cratonization and Paleoproterozoic through Mesoproterozoic orogenesis, culminating in assembly of the supercontinent Rodinia. Furthermore, the Neoproterozoic breakup of Rodinia and establishment of passive margins surrounding Laurentia provided little new zircon available to the Cambrian sedimentary system. The detrital zircon spectra for the Cambrian of northern Laurentia are intended to provide a reference to test the affinity of suspect terranes and potentially exotic detrital zircon within Paleozoic foreland basins. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.