Correlation of Major Aphebian Rock Units in the Northeastern Canadian Shield

Abstract

Several groups of Aphebian layered rocks in the northeastern Canadian Shield have been correlated because of lithologic and stratigraphic similarities and alignment of groups and structural trends. Most of these layered rocks lie in three distinct fold belts which from south to north have been named the Dorset, Foxe, and the Committee Fold Belts.The widespread occurrence of Aphebian outliers between the fold belts indicates that Aphebian strata probably originally covered the entire area from the Circum–Ungava Geosyncline or Fold Belt east to the Dorset Fold Belt and north to the Committee Fold Belt. The name Baffin Geosyncline is proposed for this depositional zone. Aphebian layered rocks in the two last-named fold belts were probably deposited in marginal mio-eugeosynclinal zones of the main geosyncline and are mainly meta-shale, meta-graywacke, and metamorphosed basic volcanic rocks and associated basic and ultrabasic intrusions. The Aphebian rocks of the Dorset and Foxe Fold Belts were deposited in the central shelf zone of the Baffin Geosyncline and are mainly meta-shale, meta-graywacke, rusty quartz-rich gneiss, marble, and quartzite.The Aphebian layered rocks have been intruded by large granitic plutons and have been metamorphosed to amphibolite and granulite facies of regional metamorphism. Age determinations and structural data indicate that a mid-Aphebian orogeny affected much of the northern part of this region 2000–2200 m.y. ago, and that the whole region was strongly affected by the Hudsonian orogeny.

The Quaternary History of Cumberland Sound, Southeastern Baffin Island: The Marine Evidence

“…2). Onshore, Precambrian granite and granitic gneiss are the dominant lithologies (Riley, 1960;Jackson and Taylor, 1972).…”

“…They contain more than 85% calcite and no dolomite (Riley, 1960;Blackadar, 1967). Paleozoic limestone crops out on southern Baffin Island, in Foxe Basin and near the head of Frobisher Bay (Jackson and Taylor, 1972).…”

Sedimentological and geochemical basin analysis of the Paleoproterozoic Penrhyn and Piling groups of Arctic Canada

“…Here, we present the geochemical, geochronological, and stratigraphic framework of the Penrhyn and Piling groups of Melville Peninsula and Baffin Island, respectively. The data are used to test the proposed lithostratigraphic correlation between the Penrhyn and Piling groups (Jackson and Taylor, 1972;Hoffman, 1988), and are integrated into a basin evolution model. Specifically, we present new depositional age constraints for the Penrhyn Group, and use detrital zircon U-Pb age spectra, whole rock major and trace element geochemistry of sandstones, shales, and volcanic rocks, and whole-rock Sm-Nd data to identify and compare sedimentary provenance of the Penrhyn and Piling groups.…”

The late Quaternary development of three ancient tarns on southwestern Cumberland Peninsula, Baffin Island, Arctic Canada: paleolimnological evidence from diatoms and sediment chemistry

“…2). Surficial materials include thin patches of ancient (pre-Foxe) till, blockfields (felsenmeer), and highly weathered bedrock (grus), which is dominantly Archean granite, gneiss and quartz monzonite (Jackson & Taylor, 1972). Despite potential subaerial exposure for >70 ka, soils are coarse-grained, granular, shallow (<75 cm), and moderately acidic; these soils have been classified as Polar Desert-Arctic Brown intergrades (Bockheim, 1979).…”