Selected Studies of Archean Gneisses and Lower Proterozoic Rocks, Southern Canadian Shield
Geology and Rb-Sr Age of Lower Proterozoic granitic rocks, northern Wisconsin
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Published:January 01, 1980
Granitic rocks ranging in composition from granite to tonalite and associated metavolcanic-metasedimentary rocks compose an east-trending belt as much as 180 km wide and 300 km long in northern Wisconsin. The granitic rocks have an initial 87Sr/86Sr of 0.7025 ± 0.0005 and a Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron age of 1,885 ± 65 m.y., which is interpreted as the time of crystallization of the granitic rocks. Rb-Sr whole-rock mineral secondary isochrons for two samples give ages of 1,655 ± 55 m.y. and 1,545 ± 55 m.y.; K-Ar ages of biotite from these samples are 1,615 ± 55 m.y. and 1,598 ± 54 m.y., respectively. These mineral ages are interpreted as resulting from isotopic resetting caused by a thermal event about 1,600 m.y. ago. The granitic rocks and associated metavolcanic-metasedimentary rocks constitute lower Proterozoic greenstone-granite complexes that are remarkably similar in pattern to the Archean greenstone-granite complexes in the Superior province of the Canadian Shield.
- absolute age
- age
- alkali metals
- Ashland County Wisconsin
- Bayfield County Wisconsin
- Canadian Shield
- chemical composition
- dates
- diorites
- geochronology
- granites
- Great Lakes region
- igneous rocks
- intrusions
- Iron County Wisconsin
- isotopes
- K/Ar
- metals
- North America
- Paleoproterozoic
- plutonic rocks
- plutons
- potassium
- Precambrian
- Proterozoic
- Rb/Sr
- Southern Province
- tonalite
- United States
- upper Precambrian
- Wisconsin
- Mercer
- Butternut