Multistage growth and reworking of the Palaeoproterozoic crust in the Bergslagen area, southern Sweden: evidence from U–Pb geochronology

Abstract

The Svecofennian Domain of the Fennoscandian Shield constitutes a considerable volume of Palaeoproterozoic crustal growth, 2.1–1.86 Ga ago, in between the Archaean craton in the NE and the 1.85–1.65 Ga Transscandinavian Igneous Belt (TIB) in the south and west. The Bergslagen area is a classical ore province located in the southwestern part of the Svecofennian Domain of south-central Sweden. Its northern part is dominated by volcanic and plutonic rocks of a magmatic arc with continental affinity, while the SE part is made up by a sedimentary basin. The Bergslagen area shows a metamorphic zonation from lower to middle amphibolite facies in the north to upper amphibolite facies and locally granulite facies in the south; a small greenschist area exists in the west. Identifying the age spectra of inherited components, magmatic crystallization, as well as metamorphic episodes, provide important constraints on the geodynamic evolution of this centrally located piece of the Shield.U–Pb zircon SIMS data presented in this paper complement the previous, regionally scattered TIMS data from this area. Magmatic zircons from two felsic metavolcanic rocks and two amphibolites (metagabbros) yield 1888±12, 1892±7 and 1887±5, 1895±5 Ma, respectively; i.e. within the 1.91–1.86 Ga range previously obtained for Early Svecofennian magmatism in Bergslagen. An augen gneiss from southern Bergslagen, assigned to the earliest TIB generation, yield an intrusive age of 1855±6 Ma. Metamorphic monazites from the same rock indicate that deformation and elevated thermal activity prevailed 1.83–1.82 Ga ago (TIMS). Metamorphic zircons in high-grade metasedimentary rocks from the south and west yield ages of 1793±5 and 1804±10 Ma, in accordance with ages for regional peak metamorphism and migmatite formation found elsewhere in the southern Svecofennian province of Sweden. More importantly, a few zircon crystals and overgrowths in rocks from the north indicate an early metamorphic episode at c. 1.87 Ga, indicating that Bergslagen has experienced two major metamorphic events. Detrital and inherited zircons span the range 2.78–1.90 Ga, with an apparent gap at 2.45–2.1 Ga, which further emphasize previous observations of a major juvenile (<2.1 Ga) and a minor Archaean provenance. This, and in particular the 1.94–1.91 Ga crystals present in the c. 1.89 Ga amphibolites, support the suggestion of a former Palaeoproterozoic pre-1.91 Ga crust in the Bergslagen area.

Time constraints on magmatism, mineralisation and metamorphism at the Falun base metal sulphide deposit, Sweden, using U–Pb geochronology on zircon and monazite

“…The timing of igneous crystallization of the volcanic to sub-volcanic rocks is constrained between U-Pb (zircon) ages of c. 1.91 Ga and c. 1.89 Ga for a metamorphosed rhyolitic mass flow and an amphibolite, respectively (Andersson et al, 2006;Stephens et al, 2009). The Falun deposit, as well as several other base and precious metal sulphide and many iron oxide deposits, which together form the Bergslagen ore district (Fig.…”

“…1A), in the south-western part of the Fennoscandian Shield, using both U-Pb (zircon) and U-Pb (monazite) geochronology, have shown at least two episodes of high-grade metamorphism at around 1.86 Ga (M 1 ) and at 1.84-1.81 Ga (M 2 ), respectively (e.g. Andersson et al, 2006;Stephens et al, 2009;Högdahl et al, 2012;Stephens and Andersson, 2015). The U-Pb (monazite) ages obtained in this study (1831 ± 8 Ma and 1822 ± 5 Ma; Fig.…”

U-Th-Pb zircon geochronology on igneous rocks in the Toija and Salittu Formations, Orijärvi area, southwestern Finland: Constraints on the age of volcanism and metamorphism

“…Older underlying continental crust below these units is supported by initial ε Nd values close to zero in some magmatic rocks both in Sweden (Valbracht et al, 1994) and in Finland (Huhma, 1986;Lahtinen & Huhma, 1997). In addition, recent ion microprobe zircon results include Archaean and 2.1 − 1.92 Ga inherited zircons in younger intrusive rocks, indicating crustal sources of these ages Ehlers et al, 2004;Andersson et al, 2006b).…”

“…These features, among with other geochemical similarities, suggest that the gabbro is a synvolcanic intrusion. Synvolcanic plutonism is common in southern Svecofennia in Finland Ehlers et al, 2004;Peltonen, 2005) and in Bergslagen in Sweden (Allen et al, 1996;Andersson et al, 2006b). The sampled gabbro is a deformed and elongated, sill-like intrusion that is surrounded by sulphide-and graphite-bearing migmatitic mica gneisses, picrites and basalts.…”

“…Although controversial, some older hidden crust may have been involved with the formation of the early volcanism (Lahtinen & Huhma, 1997). The possible hidden crust has been referred to as "proto-Svecofennian" by Andersson et al (2006b). The volcanic arcs grew until about 1878 Ma when the tectonic regime turned to rifting .…”