Petrological and geochronological constraints on the metamorphic evolution of high-pressure granulites and eclogites of the Snowbird tectonic zone, Canada

This thesis examines the petrology and geochronology of high-pressure granulites and eclogites within the Snowbird tectonic zone of the western Canadian Shield. The focus of this study is the East Athabasca mylonite triangle (EAmt), a well-exposed terrane of granulite facies mylonitic rocks along the trace of the Snowbird tectonic zone in northern Saskatchewan. This study focuses on the 400 km² Southern Domain of the EAmt, which contains a spectacular suite of high- pressure granulites and eclogites that have been metamorphosed at conditions exceeding 1.5 GPa and 1000⁰C. Each chapter of this thesis focuses on a different lithology within the Southern Domain - mafic granulite, eclogite, sapphirine granulite, and felsic granulite. The approach that is taken in understanding each of these rock types is an integrated study of the petrological and geochronological constraints that yield important information about the metamorphic evolution of these unique rocks. The main discovery through these integrated studies is that the Snowbird tectonic zone records a significant Paleoproterozoic high-pressure metamorphism that was previously unrecognized. Petrological and geochronological studies of each of these rock types constrains the pressure-temperature-time path of these rocks from their initial formation to their ultimate exhumation. The granulites and eclogites of the Southern Domain are derived from Archean igneous and sedimentary protoliths.

Department dc:contributor.department

Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences

Grantor dc:publisher

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Year dc:date.issued

2003

Author dc:creator

• Baldwin, Julia A. (Julia Ann), 1974-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Samuel A.Bowring.

• Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences.

Statement dc:rights

• M.I.T. theses are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. See provided URL for inquiries about permission.

Licence dc:rights.uri

• http://dspace.mit.edu/handle/1721.1/7582

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/30126

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:dspace.mit.edu:1721.1/30126