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Northwestern Baffin Island, Nunavut, Canada, preserves the stratigraphic record in the northern margin of the Foxe Basin. The Ordovician succession exposed on an unnamed peninsula west of Steensby Inlet, northwestern Baffin Island includes the Lower and Middle Ordovician Ship Point Formation and Upper Ordovician Frobisher Bay and Amadjuak formations. Nearly 7000 conodont specimens recovered from six sections on this peninsula allow the establishment of seven conodont zones throughout this succession: Rossodus manitouensis Taxon-range Zone, Acodus deltatus–Oneotodus costatus Assemblage Zone, Oepikodus communis Interval Zone, and Cooperignathus aranda–Jumudontus gananda Assemblage Zone in units 2 and 3 of the Ship Point Formation, correlative to the upper Tremadocian and Floian, Lower Ordovician; Phragmodus polonicus Taxon-range Zone confined to unit 4 of the Ship Point Formation, correlative to the middle Darriwilian, Middle Ordovician; and Appalachignathus delicatuluss–Belodina confluens and Belodina confluens–Periodon grandis Assemblage zones limited to the Frobisher Bay and Amadjuak formations, respectively, correlative to the lower Katian, Upper Ordovician. The establishment of these conodont zones proves that (1) the Ship Point Formation in the Foxe Basin is not a continuous stratigraphic unit but has a stratigraphic interval missing that is assignable to the Dapingian and lower Darriwilian, Middle Ordovician; (2) the base of the Ship Point Formation is diachronous in the Foxe Basin, which is correlated to the upper Tremadocian on northwestern Baffin Island but to the upper Floian on Melville Peninsula; and (3) the strata younger than lower Amadjuak Formation have been eroded in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic strata exposed along the northeastern margin of North America (Franklinian Basin) record a prolonged history of rifting and passive margin development. An episode of Ediacaran–Cambrian extension is potentially recorded in volcanic and sedimentary rocks of the Yelverton Formation, exposed on northern Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, Canada. Here, we present new whole-rock trace element and isotope geochemistry and hornblende 40Ar/39Ar geochronology from intrusive and extrusive rocks of the Yelverton Formation, along with isotope geochemistry from carbonate rocks underlying the volcanics and detrital zircon U–Pb and Lu–Hf isotopic data from the Yelverton Formation and overlying Grant Land Formation. The carbonate strata yielded an average 87Sr/86Sr value of 0.7076 (n = 6), constraining the overlying volcanics to the late Ediacaran–early Cambrian (ca. 570–530 Ma). Flows and dikes/sills show three distinct compositions: (1) a depleted, low La/YbPM and Th/Nb group, (2) an enriched, higher La/YbPM and low Th/Nb group, and (3) a low to moderate La/YbPM and high Th/Nb group. One of the high Th/Nb intrusions produced saddle-shaped 40Ar/39Ar hornblende spectra with ca. 482 ± 7 Ma age minima and Silurian–Devonian inverse isochron ages, highlighting a hitherto unknown suite of younger intrusions and volcanic rocks. The trace element geochemistry and 143Nd/144Nd(t) ratios of enriched and depleted volcanic rocks of the indisputable Yelverton Formation are consistent with decompression melting during rifting along a continental margin. We suggest that late Ediacaran–early Cambrian rifting recorded in the Yelverton Formation resulted in the separation of peri-Laurentian terranes, such as the North Slope subterrane and eventual development of the passive margin of northern Laurentia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structural geology of the northeastern Paleoproterozoic Amer belt, central Nunavut, has been evaluated in light of new field mapping combined with legacy data and independently acquired subsurface geophysics data. Proterozoic sequences Ps1–Ps4 of the Amer supergroup unconformably overlie Archean basement. Of these sequences, Ps1–Ps3 have been intensely deformed (D1) in association with the Snowbird Orogeny (2.05–1.865 Ga). Ps4 was deposited unconformably on the first three sequences and exhibits none of the D1 effects. Deformation within Ps4 is slight compared to the underlying sequences and is restricted to D2 folding that occurred in the 1.84–1.81 Ga Hudsonian Orogeny. Deformation of sequences Ps1–Ps3 forms the core of this study. D1 comprises imbricate thrusting, intersequence detachment, and three generations of isoclinal folding and transposition. The stratigraphic order is maintained in many areas by decoupling of sequence packages along incompetent units so as not to "mix" lithologies; there is a fundamental mechanical stratigraphy. Within sequences, transposition can be otherwise intense. The resultant architecture is a shallowly southwest-dipping sequence of tectonically rotated and transposed layering (primary and tectonic) similar in many ways in orientation regardless of whether preserved with original bedding features or completely transposed. D1 folding is characterized by recumbent folds, noncylindrical folds that are sometimes rooted in detachments, verging to the northeast. D2 folding is controlled by the pre-existing large-scale D1 fabric, resulting in the overturned synforms that parallel the belt. Post-D2 fault modification of northern side of the belt along northwest-trending faults is interpreted to relate to extension and exhumation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Amer Belt, hosting eleven informal formations of the Amer supergroup, is proposed as type area for four regional Paleoproterozoic sequences (Ps1–Ps4) in central Rae Craton, western Churchill Province. The ca. 1.9–1.865 Ga Snowbird orogeny (DP1) affected only Ps1–Ps3, whereas the ca. 1.87–1.81 Ga Hudsonian orogeny (DP2) affected all four. Sequence Ps1 Ayagaq Lake formation (<2.3 Ga quartzite) initiates as schistose basal polymict orthoconglomerate unconformably overlying paleoweathered Neoarchean rocks. It transitions upward to lower Ps2 Resort Lake formation: gossanous, recessive, graphitic, pyritic-metalliferous phyllite (Re–Os age: 2126 ± 24 Ma). Ps2 conductors beneath the <1.74 Ga Thelon formation have been drilled for unconformity-related uranium. Gradationally overlying siliceous dolomitic marble (Aluminium River formation) completes Ps2. The gradationally overlying lower Ps3 is either foliated calcareous tholeiitic basalt (Five Mile Lake formation) or grey phyllite (Three Lakes formation). These lateral equivalents host strong linear aeromagnetic markers. The Oora Lake formation foliated feldspathic calcareous sandstone gradationally overlies only the Three Lakes formation and underlies the upper Ps3 Showing Lake formation (interbedded phyllite and foliated calcareous arkose) whose two arkose members host laterally continuous disseminated uraninite + magnetite forming linear aeromagnetic markers. Pristine sequence Ps4 molasse, deposited and weakly deformed during DP2, comprises four formations of rhythmically interbedded, deep maroon to pink and green, feldspathic-lithic arenite, conglomerate, and mudstone that unconformably overlie and include clasts of DP1-deformed Ps1–Ps3 + Neoarchean basement. Ps4 detrital zircon (3.05–1.90 Ga) suggests local + distal provenance from south Rae and Slave Cratons, and Taltson–Thelon magmatic zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)