The north–northwest-striking Bathurst fault in the northeastern Slave craton displaced the 1.9 Ga Kilohigok basin and the ca. 2.02–1.96 Ga Thelon tectonic zone, and projects beneath the 1.7 Ga Thelon basin where unconformity-associated uranium deposits are spatially associated with basement faults. Here we investigate the deformation–temperature–time history of the Bathurst fault rocks using structural and microstructural observations paired with U–(Th–)Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology. Highly strained hornblende-bearing granitoid rocks, the predominant rock type on the northeastern side of the Bathurst fault in the study area, show ambiguous sense of shear suggesting flattening by coaxial deformation. Quartz and feldspar microstructures suggest ductile deformation occurred at ≥500 °C. Along the main fault trace, brittle features and hydrothermal alteration overprint the pervasive ductile flattening fabric. In situ U–Th–Pb dating of synkinematic monazite suggests ductile fabric formation at ca. 1933 ± 4 Ma and ca. 1895 ± 11 Ma, and zircon from a cross-cutting dyke constrains the brittle deformation to ≤1839 ± 14 Ma. 40Ar/39Ar dating of fabric-defining minerals yield cooling ages of ca. 1920–1900 Ma and ca. 1900–1850 Ma for hornblende and muscovite, respectively, and a maximum cooling age of ca. 1840 Ma for biotite. We suggest the ca. 1933–1895 Ma ductile flattening fabric developed during orthogonal collision and indentation of the Slave craton into the Thelon tectonic zone and Rae craton. Brittle deformation on the Bathurst fault was localised parallel to the ductile flattening fabric after ca. 1840 Ma and preceded Thelon basin deposition. Brittle deformation features in Bathurst fault rocks preserve evidence for fluid–rock interaction and enhanced basement permeability, suggesting the fault is a possible conduit structure for mineralising fluids.
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Research Article|
October 16, 2019
Localisation of the brittle Bathurst fault on pre-existing fabrics: a case for structural inheritance in the northeastern Slave craton, western Nunavut, Canada
Svieda M. Ma;
a
Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.Corresponding author: Svieda Ma (email: [email protected]).
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Dawn A. Kellett;
Dawn A. Kellett
b
Geological Survey of Canada – Atlantic, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B3Y 4A1, Canada.
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Laurent Godin;
Laurent Godin
a
Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
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Michael J. Jercinovic
Michael J. Jercinovic
c
Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.
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a
Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
Dawn A. Kellett
b
Geological Survey of Canada – Atlantic, 1 Challenger Drive, Dartmouth, NS B3Y 4A1, Canada.
Laurent Godin
a
Department of Geological Sciences and Geological Engineering, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON K7L 3N6, Canada.
Michael J. Jercinovic
c
Department of Geosciences, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003, USA.Corresponding author: Svieda Ma (email: [email protected]).
Publisher: Canadian Science Publishing
Received:
02 Jun 2019
Accepted:
01 Oct 2019
First Online:
09 Jun 2020
Online ISSN: 1480-3313
Print ISSN: 0008-4077
Published by NRC Research Press
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences (2020) 57 (6): 725–746.
Article history
Received:
02 Jun 2019
Accepted:
01 Oct 2019
First Online:
09 Jun 2020
Citation
Svieda M. Ma, Dawn A. Kellett, Laurent Godin, Michael J. Jercinovic; Localisation of the brittle Bathurst fault on pre-existing fabrics: a case for structural inheritance in the northeastern Slave craton, western Nunavut, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 2019;; 57 (6): 725–746. doi: https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2019-0100
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Index Terms/Descriptors
- absolute age
- Ar/Ar
- Canada
- Canadian Shield
- electron probe data
- fabric
- faults
- lateral faults
- left-lateral faults
- metal ores
- microstructure
- mineralization
- monazite
- nesosilicates
- North America
- Nunavut
- orthosilicates
- Paleoproterozoic
- petrography
- phosphates
- Precambrian
- Proterozoic
- silicates
- Slave Province
- tectonics
- U/Pb
- U/Th/Pb
- upper Precambrian
- uranium ores
- zircon
- zircon group
- Bathurst Fault
Latitude & Longitude
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