Plutonism, deformation, and metamorphism in the Proterozoic Flin Flon greenstone belt, Canada: Limits on timing provided by the single-zircon Pb-evaporation technique

We have used the single-zircon Pb-evaporation technique to determine the age of granitoids in the western Flin Flon domain of the Trans-Hudson orogen in Canada and to constrain the timing of molasse sedimentation, deformation,metamorphism, and mesothermal gold mineralization. The plutons were intruded between 1860 and 1834 Ma, about 30 m.y. after volcanism, and provide further evidence of a major period of intrusive activity throughout the Trans-Hudson orogen at that time. The older plutons (1860 to 1848 Ma) are synchronous with P2 deformation and the early stages of peak metamorphism, whereas the younger plutons are synchronous with or postdate the P3 deformation event. Molasse sedimentary units are deformed and metamorphosed; thus, deposition must have begun at about 1860 Ma. Mesothermal gold mineralization postdates all plutons and may be related to high-grade peak metamorphism in adjacent terranes at about 1815 Ma. This study also provides further support for the use of the Pb-evaporation technique as a suitable method for dating single zircons and indicates that the ²⁰⁸Pb/²⁰⁶Pb ratio of zircons may be a useful tool in detecting the presence and source of xenocrystic zircons.