A geophysical interpretation of the onshore and offshore geology of the southern Avalon Terrane, Newfoundland

Miller, Hugh G.

doi:10.1139/e87-006

Cited by 8 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Recent geophysical coverage of the offshore and onshore geology of the Avalon terrane (Miller et al, 1985;Miller, 1987) and outcrop studies (Smith & Hiscott, 1984) place important constraints on the tectonic setting of Conception Group sedimentation. Volcanic rock geochemistry of the subaerial and submarine suites of the underlying Harbour Main Group indicates an extensional tectonic setting without the development of oceanic crust (Strong et al, 1978;Nixon & Papezik, 1979;Papezik, 1980).…”

Section: Local Tectonic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Mafic and felsic volcanics typical of the central Avalon Peninsula were emplaced between about 620 and 570 Ma, with the earliest Conception Group sediments accumulating coevally with volcanism (Williams &King, 1979). Miller (1987) has shown that the Harbour Main volcanics are broken up into a series of grabens and horsts infilled by Conception Group sediments. Similarly, in the western Avalon, Smith & Hiscott (1984) identified a phase of extensional rifting in the Late Precambrian followed by regional downwarping as a result of thermal subsidence in the Early Palaeozoic.…”

Section: Local Tectonic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Glacially‐influenced deep‐marine sedimentation of the Late Precambrian Gaskiers Formation, Newfoundland, Canada

Eyles

1989

Sedimentology

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The Late Proterozoic Conception Group, exposed on the Avalon Peninsula in Newfoundland, Canada, is a 4 km thick turbidite succession containing a conformable 300 m thick sequence of diamictites (the Gaskiers Formation) near the base. Massive and crudely‐stratified diamictites form beds up to 25 m thick which have a tabular geometry with slightly erosive basal contacts and are interbedded with mudstones and fine‐grained, thin‐bedded turbidites. These diamictites are interpreted as submarine debris flow deposits. Disrupted diamictites form strongly deformed units that contain large, complexly folded rafts of mudstone and turbidite facies. These diamictite units are interpreted as submarine slumps. Diamictites contain glacially‐striated and faceted clasts; clasts and matrix are predominantly of volcanic provenance. One outcrop shows interbedded volcanic agglomerate and diamictite, and volcanic bombs can also be identified. The interbedding of diamictites with turbidites and the stratigraphic context provided by the thick sequences of turbidites below (Mall Bay Formation) and above (Drook Formation) indicate a deep marine slope setting of diamictite deposition. Diamictite facies record remobilization and downslope transfer of large volumes of unstable volcanic and glacial debris initially deposited in a shallower water marginal marine zone. The regional tectonic framework suggests the Conception Group accumulated in a deep, southward‐opening ensialic rift basin with active but waning volcanic centres to the north. The Gaskiers Formation may be representative of other Late Precambrian glacially‐influenced diamictite sequences that were deposited around the North Atlantic region and in Europe. These deep marine diamictite sequences characterized by debris flows, turbidites, and slump deposits, can be contrasted with more extensive shallow marine shelf diamictite sequences found in association with dolomites and tidally influenced shallow water facies in other basinal settings.

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Section: Local Tectonic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Local Tectonic Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Glacially‐influenced deep‐marine sedimentation of the Late Precambrian Gaskiers Formation, Newfoundland, Canada

Eyles

1989

Sedimentology

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“…McCartney (1969) discussed the presence of NW-trending tear faults on the Avalon Peninsula which were considered to have been post-Precambrian in age. Miller (1987Miller ( , 1988 investigated trends immediately offshore, which continue onshore through the Avalon Peninsula, and concluded that these NW-oriented faults are probably Carboniferous. Riveros et al (1994) further studied these features and confirmed a relatively young age.…”

Section: The Island O F Newfoundlandmentioning

confidence: 99%

NW-oriented features on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean: evidence for a Paleozoic collision that formed the Labrador-Biscay wrench fault zone?

Lefort

Miller

1999

atgeol

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Northwest-oriented features have been recognized for many years as fundamental components of the geology of the northwestern European continental shelves. Similarly oriented lineations and faults have been mapped throughout southwestern Britain, western France and across the English Channel. On land in Europe, similar trends are identified as far east as the Urals. Features of similar orientation, extending over a broad area on the North American continental shelf, have recently been identified from geophysical trends. On land in eastern Canada NW-SE faults have been mapped geologically and detected using geophysical and remote sensing data. A Mercator projection map on which the Atlantic Ocean has been restored to its pre-Mesozoic configuration, i.e. before the initiation of the most recent opening of the North Atlantic Ocean, shows that the features are similarly oriented. Although some of the trends showing this direction may be younger, the geological data from both sides of the Atlantic Ocean suggest that the event that led to the formation of these NW-SE features postdated the Variscan orogeny and may have been associated with the collision between Gondwana and Laurasia. The geometric patterns of the features interpreted as associated with the collision are consistent with patterns produced by a simple physical sandbox model of indentation with a rigid confinement to the west and a small lateral confinement to the east. This configuration is similar to that expected of Gondwana and Laurasia during the late Paleozoic. Faults considered younger than this collision may represent tectonic rejuvenations associated with the initiation of the opening of the North Atlantic Ocean. L'orientation observde du nord-est vers le sud-est des formations rocheuses est reconnue depuis de nombreuses ann6es comme une caractdristique gdologique fondamentale des plateaux continentaux du nord-ouest de l'Europe. Des structures lindaires et des failles d'orientation similaires ont 6t6 repertories dans tout le sud-ouest de FAngleterre, dans l'ouest de la France et k travers la Manche. Sur le continent europden, des tendances analogues ont pu etre observdes aussi loin k Test que dans la chaine de l'Oural. Ces caractdristiques orientdes qui recouvrent une vaste rdgion du plateau continental de l'Amdrique du Nord ont rdcemment dtd observdes a partir de tendances gdophysiques. Dans l'Est canadien, des failles orientdes NOSE ont dtd portdes sur des cartes gdologiques et ddtectdes k l'aid.e de donndes gdophysiques et de tdldddtection. Ces caractdristiques observdes ont dtd portdes sur une carte k projection de Mercator ou figure l'ocdan Atlantique dans sa configuration d'origine pendant l'dre prd-mdsozo'fque, soit avant que ne s'amorce l'ouverture la plus rdcente de l'Atlantique Nord. Ces caractdristiques reproduisent la meme orientation lorsqu'elles sont portdes ainsi sur la carte. Bien que certaines des tendances qui signalent cette orientation semblent d'apparition plus rdcente, les donndes gdologiques des deux cotds de l'Atlantique por...

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Basement Extension on the Newfoundland Continental Margin (Canadian East Coast)

Enachescu

1992

Proceedings of the International Conferences on Basement Tectonics

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A geophysical interpretation of the onshore and offshore geology of the southern Avalon Terrane, Newfoundland

Cited by 8 publications

References 9 publications

Glacially‐influenced deep‐marine sedimentation of the Late Precambrian Gaskiers Formation, Newfoundland, Canada

Glacially‐influenced deep‐marine sedimentation of the Late Precambrian Gaskiers Formation, Newfoundland, Canada

NW-oriented features on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean: evidence for a Paleozoic collision that formed the Labrador-Biscay wrench fault zone?

Basement Extension on the Newfoundland Continental Margin (Canadian East Coast)

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