Archaean and Proterozoic crustal evolution in Lofoten–Vesterålen, N Norway

Abstract

The region exposes an unusually deep section through the continental crust. Gravity and seismic surveys show a ridge-like NE-SW up-warping of the Moho to within 25 km of the surface. The oldest rocks are migmatitic gneisses of generally intermediate composition, probably largely of supracrustal origin; these were intruded by a granodiorite/granite pluton at about 2600 Ma. Pb isotope data indicate that the migmatites formed c. 2700 Ma ago, and the isotopic systems in some rocks have been disturbed by Proterozoic granulite-facies metamorphism. A Proterozoic supracrustal series is composed dominantly of felsic metavolcanic gneisses but includes marble, quartzite, graphite schist and iron formations. An Rb-Sr whole-rock isochron age of 1830 ±35 Ma is interpreted as the age of a metamorphism which reached intermediate-pressure granulite facies in the western part of the area. An early low-P, high-T event was followed by PT conditions near 900°C and 10 kbar at the metamorphic maximum. This thermal peak was essentially post-tectonic and coincided with the intrusion of gabbro, anorthosite and huge volumes of mangeritic to charnockitic magma between c. 1800 and c. 1700 Ma ago. A swarm of alkali-olivine dolerites was intruded shortly after the mangerites. The Lefdingen granitic batholith gives an Rb-Sr isochron age of 1380 ±80 Ma and may represent remobilized basement rocks. Pelitic schists of the Leknes Group were tectonically emplaced against the mangerites and gneisses, and metamorphosed in amphibolite facies 1140 ±135 Ma ago. Rb-Sr and K-Ar mineral ages suggest that the extensive retrograde metamorphism observed in the older rocks occurred at this time. Small granitic pegmatites were also emplaced during this episode. The Caledonian orogeny is recorded by some K-Ar mineral ages, the development of local W-dipping thrust zones, and the local intrusion of large pegmatites. Lofoten-Vesteralen was probably part of the Baltic plate during the Caledonian orogeny, but escaped deformation because it lay at a high tectonic level and consisted largely of massive granulite-facies rocks.

New high-resolution aeromagnetic and radiometric surveys in Finnmark and North Troms: linking anomaly patterns to bedrock geology and structure

“…This is very well defined by the dark colour in the ternary map and in the individual concentration maps of Th, K and U. The WTBC is bordered to the southwest -outside our study area -by the anorthosite-mangerite-charnockitegranite suite of Vesterålen and Lofoten (Griffin et al, 1978).…”

“…2), whilst the a cover sequence dating to 2.4-2.2 Ga on one of the islands (Bergh et al, 2007). The WTBC is bordered to the southwest -outside the study area -by the anorthositemangerite-charnockite-granite suite of Vesterålen and Lofoten (Griffin et al, 1978).…”

Was the Precambrian Basement of Western Troms and Lofoten-Vesterålen in Northern Norway Linked to the Lewisian of Scotland? A Comparison of Crustal Components, Tectonic Evolution and Amalgamation History"

“…These basement outliers are believed to be part of the Archean-Palaeoproterozoic Fennoscandian Shield [1, 11,13] that stretches from NW Russia, through Finland and Sweden (Figure 1a). Similarly, a pronounced magmatic suite in the Lofoten area [9,10] corresponds in age (1.80-1.78 Ga) and structural position with the NNW-trending Transscandinavian igneous belt of Sweden [14,15]. In spite of the internal position relative to the Caledonides, and in great contrast to the basement inliers in southern Norway where Caledonian high-grade metamorphic reworking is widespread, the geotransect in western Troms and Lofoten displays only modest Caledonian reworking and, thus, provides a reliable framework for regional correlation of Neoarchaean and Palaeoproterozoic crust [9,10,16,17].…”

“…Such a framework is well established for the Fennoscandian Shield of Finland, Sweden and northwestern Russia [1][2][3][4], for Greenland/Laurentia [5,6] and for the Lewisian of NW Scotland [7,8] [9][10][11] and to the west by offshore Mesozoic basins [12]. These basement outliers are believed to be part of the Archean-Palaeoproterozoic Fennoscandian Shield [1, 11,13] that stretches from NW Russia, through Finland and Sweden (Figure 1a).…”

Brines at high pressure and temperature: Thermodynamic, petrologic and geochemical effects

“…Several high-grade terranes exhibit unusually high oxidation states (Griffin et al, 1978;Currie and Gittins, 1988;Harlov, 1992Harlov, , 2000Harlov and Förster, 2002a,b;Harlov et al, 1997). This may result from interaction with brines carrying SO 2 exsolved from underplated magmas (Cameron and Hattori, 1994;Harlov et al, 1997).…”