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In orogenic gold systems, the source of the fluids and the processes leading to mobilization, transport, and deposition of gold remain debated. Most studies focus on endowed rather than on gold-poor orogenic systems to unravel the 'key' parameters of gold mineralizing processes. Here, we present stable isotope (O, H) data from the Moly-Desgagne--Guercheville fault system (gold-free to low gold endowment) in the Chibougamau area, Abitibi greenstone belt, Canada. The gold-free Moly-Desgagne showing and nearby poorly endowed Hazeur showing and Monster Lake deposit share similar features typical of orogenic systems. The stable isotope compositions of tourmaline and quartz from the Moly-Desgagne--Guercheville fault system also display similar characteristics, such as (1) temperature of vein formation of 345 [+ or -] 86 [degrees]C (1[sigma]); (2) fluid mixing between an upper crustal reservoir (low T - high [delta]D - low [delta][.sup.18]O) and a metamorphic water reservoir (high T - low [delta]D - high [delta][.sup.18]O); and (3) positive [delta][D.sub.fluid] values consistent with multiple boiling-condensation cycles related to fault-valve processes. These characteristics are similar to those from the gold-endowed Val-d'Or vein field. The difference in gold endowment between the Moly-Desgagne--Guercheville and Val-d'Or vein fields may be related to the nature of the fault system (i.e., terrane-bounding or 'intragreenstone belt') and the volume and (or) composition (i.e., gold, its ligands, C[O.sub.2]) of the fluid source rocks. Key words: Abitibi greenstone belt, Chibougamau, orogenic vein systems, mineralizing processes, hydrothermal fluid, stable isotopes (O, H) La source des fluides et les processus menant à la mobilisation, au transport et au dépôt de l'or dans les systèmes aurifères orogéniques font toujours débat. La plupart des études s'intéressent aux systèmes orogéniques riches en or plutôt qu'aux systèmes pauvres en or afin de cerner les paramètres << clés >> des processus de minéralisation. Nous présentons des données sur les isotopes stables (O, H) du système de failles Moly-Desgagné--Guercheville (sans or ou à faible teneur) dans la région de Chibougamau de la ceinture de roches vertes de l'Abitibi (Canada). L'indice exempt d'or de Moly-Desgagné et l'indice Hazeur et le gisement du lac Monster, tous deux à faible teneur, situés à proximité, présentent tous des caractères semblables typiques de systèmes orogéniques. Les compositions d'isotopes stables de la tourmaline et du quartz du système de failles Moly-Desgagné--Guercheville présentent également des caractéristiques semblables telles que 1) des températures de formation de veines de 345 [+ or -] 86 [degrees]C (1[sigma]), 2) le mélange de fluides provenant d'un réservoir dans la croûte supérieure (faible T - [delta]D élevé - [delta][.sup.18]O faible) et d'un réservoir d'eau métamorphique (haute T - [delta]D faible - [delta][.sup.18]O élevé) et 3) des valeurs positives du [delta][D.sub.fluide] concordant avec plusieurs cycles d'ébullition-condensation associés à des processus de << soupape de faille >>. Ces caractéristiques sont semblables à celles du champ filonien riche en or de Val-d'Or. La diférence des teneurs en or entre les champs filoniens de Moly-Desgagné--Guercheville et de Val-d'Or pourrait être reliée à la nature du système de failles (c.-à-d. bordant des terranes ou à l'intérieur d'une ceinture de roches vertes) et au volume ou à la composition (c.-à-d. or, ligands de l'or et C[O.sub.2]) des roches sources des fluides. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés : ceinture de roches vertes de l'Abitibi, Chibougamau, champs filoniens orogéniques, processus de minéralisation, fluide hydrothermal, isotopes stables (O, H), 1. Introduction The term 'orogenic gold deposit' (or orogenic vein system) was introduced by Groves et al. (1998) to designate quartzcarbonate lode gold deposits formed in active convergent (synorogenic) tectonic [...]

Magmatism during the maturation phase of Archean greenstone belts produced voluminous tonalite--trondhjemite--granodiorite (TTG) suites, as well as a lesser amount of tonalite--trondhjemite--diorite (TTD) suites. Such TTD suites have recently been recognized in the Archean Abitibi greenstone belt, on the southern flank of the Superior Craton, Canada, but their source(s), differentiation processes, and depths of emplacement remain poorly constrained. The Neoarchean Eau Jaune Complex lies in the northeastern corner of the Abitibi greenstone belt and represents one of the most voluminous tonalite-dominated and diorite-bearing intrusive suites of the Chibougamau region. This TTD suite comprises six intrusive phases with distinct petrology and chemistry. All units were emplaced as laccolith-like intrusions injected along discontinuities within the volcanic succession at ca. 2724 Ma (U--Pb zircon dating), during the synvolcanic interval (i.e., construction and maturation phase), at a depth of approximately 7-8 km. The most heavy rare-earth element (HREE)-depleted phases (granodiorite, tonalite, and trondhjemite) correspond to magmas that fractionated amphibole and were likely produced by partial melting of a garnet- and titanate-bearing amphibolite, akin to TTG magmas. The least HREE-depleted phases are dioritic in composition and correspond to mantle-derived magmas that may have interacted with TTG melts. This indicates interaction between coeval mantle-derived and crustal melts during the maturation phase of the Abitibi greenstone belt. Models formulated to address the geodynamic evolution of greenstone belts must account for the coeval production of basalt-derived (TTG suites) and mantle-derived (tholeiitic magmatism) melts occasionally interacting to form TTD suites. Key words: Abitibi greenstone belt, Chibougamau, Eau Jaune Complex, igneous petrology, Neoarchean magmatism, structural geology, TTD suite, TTG suite, tonalite. Durant la phase de maturation des ceintures de roches vertes archéennes, l'activité magmatique a produit de volumineuses suites de type tonalite-trondhjémite-granodiorite (TTG) ainsi que de moindres quantités de suites de type tonalite-trondhjémite--diorite (TTD). De telles suites TTD ont récemment été découvertes dans la ceinture de roches vertes archéenne de l'Abitibi, située dans la partie sud du craton du Supérieur (Canada), mais leurs sources, leurs processus de différenciation et les profondeurs auxquelles elles ont été mises en place demeurent mal établis. Le complexe néoarchéen d'Eau Jaune est situé à l'extrémité nord-est de la ceinture de roches vertes de l'Abitibi et constitue l'une des plus volumineuses intrusions tonalitiques à composante dioritique de la région de Chibougamau. Cette suite TTD est constituée de six phases intrusives distinctes des points de vue pétrologique et géochimique. Toutes les unités ont été injectées sont forme de laccolithes le long de discontinuités dans la séquence volcanique vers 2724 Ma (datation U-Pb sur zircons), soit durant l'intervalle synvolcanique (correspondant aux phases de construction et de maturation), et à une profondeur de 7 à 8 km. Les phases les plus appauvries en terres rares lourdes (granodiorite, tonalite et trondhjémite) correspondent à des magmas apparentés aux magmas de type TTG, caractérisés par la cristallisation fractionnée d'amphiboles et qui sont probablement le produit de la fusion partielle d'une amphibolite à grenat et titanate. Les phases les moins appauvries en terres rares lourdes sont de composition dioritique et correspondent à des magmas dérivés du manteau qui pourraient avoir interagi avec des magmas de type TTG. Cela indique l'interaction de magmas dérivés du manteau et de la croûte durant la phase de maturation de la ceinture de roches vertes de l'Abitibi. Les modèles géodynamiques expliquant l'évolution des ceintures de roches vertes doivent donc inclure la production contemporaine de magmas dérivés de basaltes (suites de type TTG) et du manteau (magmatisme tholéiitique), pouvant occasionnellement interagir pour former des suites de type TTD. [Traduit par la Rédaction] Mots-clés : ceinture de roches vertes de l'Abitibi, Chibougamau, Complexe d'Eau Jaune, géologie structurale, magmatisme néoarchéen, pétrologieignée, suitede type TTD, suite de type TTG, tonalite., Introduction Tonalite--trondhjemite--granodiorite (TTG) suites are the main component of intrusive Archean rocks and can represent up to 50-70 vol.% of a craton (Condie 1993; Moyen and Stevens 2006; Hoffmann et [...]

Faults and deformation zones are important features of Archean terranes because of their significance for structural evolution and the formation of large gold districts. In the Chibougamau area, northeastern portion of the Abitibi Subprovince, an Apogee Metal Earth seismic reflection survey identified an association between an exceptional shallow-dipping subsurface reflector zone and the Barlow Fault Zone visible at the surface. This fault zone is located adjacent to the Opatica Subprovince and shares many characteristics with well-documented major gold-bearing faults in the more gold-endowed southern portion of the Abitibi Subprovince. This study aimed to reconstruct the kinematic evolution of the Barlow Fault Zone, determine its position within the structural setting of this section of the Abitibi Subprovince, and evaluate its importance for gold potential in the northern part of the Chibougamau area. The fault zone can be divided into three segments that differ markedly in dip. Structural reconstruction and field observations are compatible with a reverse south-over-north movement related to a ductile north--south shortening event, which culminated with amphibolite metamorphism. A late normal movement is deduced at the final stage. Geothermobar-ometers indicate peak metamorphism conditions of 550 [+ or -] 50 [degrees]C and [+ or -] 6 1.2 kbar. Results from this study suggest that amphibolite facies metamorphism covers a much wider area within the Chibougamau region than previously documented. The Barlow Fault Zone shares similar geometric characteristics and evolutionary history with other gold-bearing structures in the Abitibi Sub-province, but ultimately it was unable to provide optimal conditions for channelling fluid and precipitating gold. High-grade metamorphism and the limited crustal extent of the fault likely prevented the tapping of deep metamorphic fluid and magma reservoirs. The Barlow Fault Zone is interpreted as a back-thrust fault that belongs to a more extensive south-dipping fault system encasing juxtaposed tectonic slivers. This system, with amphibolite facies metamorphism, is a defining feature of the northern portion of the Chibougamau area and developed during the accretion between the Opatica and Abitibi subprovinces. Key words: fault segmentation, Archean, Abitibi Subprovince, structural inheritance, metamorphic P-T conditions. Les failles et zones de deformation sont d'importants elements des terranes archeens en raison de leur role dans revolution structurale et dans la formation de grands districts auriferes. Dans la region de Chibougamau de la partie nord-est de la sous-province de l'Abitibi, un leve de sismique reflexion pour le projet Metal Earth du Fonds Apogee Canada a releve une association entre une zone exceptionnelle de reflecteurs souterrains faiblement inclines et la zone de la faille de Barlow exposee a la surface. Cette zone de faille est attenante a la sous-province d'Opatica et presente de nombreuses caracteristiques semblables a celles d'importantes failles auriferes bien documentees dans la portion meridionale plus riche en or de la sous-province de l'Abitibi. L'etude visait a reconstituer l'evolution cinematique de la zone de la faille de Barlow, determiner sa position dans le contexte structural de cette portion de la sous-province de l'Abitibi et evaluer son importance en ce qui concerne le potentiel aurifere de la partie nord de la region de Chibougamau. La zone de faille peut etre subdivisee en trois segments de pendages nettement distincts. La reconstitution structurale et les observations de terrain sont compatibles avec un deplacement inverse du bloc sud sur le bloc nord associe a un episode de raccourcissement ductile nord-sud, qui a culmine en un metamorphisme au facies des amphibolites. Un deplacement normal tardif est deduit pour la phase finale. Des geothermobarometres indiquent des conditions de pic du metamorphisme de 550 [+ or -] 50 [degrees]C et [+ or -] 6 1,2 kbar. Les resultats de l'etude donnent a penser que le metamorphisme au facies des amphibolites couvre un secteur beaucoup plus grand dans la region de Chibougamau que ce qui etait documente auparavant. Si la zone de la faille de Barlow presente des caracteristiques geometriques et une evolution semblables a celles d'autres structures auriferes dans la sous-province de l'Abitibi, elle n'a pas produit des conditions optimales pour la canalisation de fluides et la precipitation d'or. Des fluides metamorphiques et des magmas provenant de reservoirs profonds ne sont pas intervenus, vraisemblablement en raison du metamorphisme de forte intensite et de l'etendue limitee de la faille dans la croute. La zone de la faille Barlow est interpretee comme une faille de retrochevauchement faisant partie d'un systeme plus grand de failles a pendages vers le sud delimitant des lambeaux tectoniques juxtaposes. Ce systeme, accompagne d'un metamorphisme au facies des amphibolites, est un element essentiel de la partie nord de la region de Chibougamau et s'est developpe durant l'accretion entre les sous-provinces d'Opatica et de l'Abitibi. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: segmentation de failles, Archeen, sous-province de l'Abitibi, heritage structural, conditions metamorphiques de P et T., Introduction Archean greenstone belts around the world, and specifically that of the Abitibi Subprovince (Canada), are characterized by faults and shear zones that have a significant role in the structural [...]

Unravelling the petrogenesis and stratigraphy of Archean maficlava flows is essential to our comprehension of the early geodynamic evolution and economic potential of greenstone belts. This study focuses on one of the oldest and thickest sequences of lava flows observed in the Neoarchean Abitibi Subprovince (greenstone belt), that is, the Obatogamau Formation. The undated formation extends for more than 100 km in an E-W direction and consists mostly of aphyric and feldspar megacryst-bearing basaltic-andesite lava flows. These lava flows are tholeiitic, mostly Fe-rich, and have nearly homogeneous chemistry. Petrogenetic modelling carried out using MELTS software points to limited magmatic differentiation as most samples of maficlava flows did not reach Fe-Ti-oxide saturation. Zircon U-Pb dating establishes a crystallization age of 2726.2 [+ or -] 1.6 Ma for a felsic unit located at an intermediate stratigraphic position in the sequence of lava flows. Constraints from stratigraphically overlying volcanic units suggest that the Obatogamau Formation was likely emplaced rapidly, possibly within a few million years and as a consequence of frequent replenishment of shallow magma accumulations. High eruption rates are consistent with short episodes of volcanic quiescence deduced from field observations, indicating non-optimal conditions for volcanogenic massive sulfide systems. The pressure and temperature of peak metamorphism deduced from amphibole chemistry, however, points to favorable conditions for the release of metamorphic fluids. The study area may thus be prospective for orogenic gold mineralization, provided that fluids had access to a source of gold and that structural conduits allowed for the channeling of hydrothermal fluids. Key words: greenstone belt, Abitibi greenstone belt, stratigraphy, lava plain geochemistry, volcanology, geochronology, economic potential, volcanogenic massive sulfides (VMS). La caracterisation petrogenetique et stratigraphiquee de coulees de lave mafiques archeennes est un aspect cle de la comprehension de l'evolution geodynamique precoce et du potentiel economique des ceintures de roches vertes. L'etude se penche surune des plus anciennes et epaisses sequences de coulees de lave observees dans la sous-province (ceinture de roche verte) neoarcheenne de l'Abitibi, la Formation d'Obatogamau. Cette formation non datee s'etend sur plus de 100 km en direction E-O et est principalement constituee de coulees d'andesites basaltiques aphyriques et a megacristaux de feldspath. Ces coulees sont tholeitiques, riches en Fe pour la plupart, et leur chimie est quasi uniforme. La modelisation petrogenetique realisee avec le logiciel MELTS indique une differentiation magmatique limitee, la plupart des echantillons de coulees mafiques n'ayant pas atteint la saturation en oxydes de Fe-Ti. La datation U-Pb sur zircons permet d'etablir un age de cristallisation de 2726,2 [+ or -] 1,6 Ma pour une unite felsique occupant une position stratigraphique intermediaire dans la sequence de coulees. Des observations obtenues d'unites volcaniques stratigraphiquement sus-jacentes indiqueraient que la Formation d'Obatogamau s'est probablement mise en place rapidement, possiblement en l'espace de quelques millions d'annees et en reponse au reapprovisionnement frequent d'accumulations de magma a faible profondeur. Des eruptions frequentes concordent avec de courts episodes de quiescence volcanique deduits d'observations de terrain, ce qui indique des conditions non optimales pour la production de systemes de sulfures massifs volcanogenes. La pression et la temperature du pic du metamorphisme obtenues a la lumiere de la chimie des amphiboles indiqueraient toutefois des conditions favorables a la liberation de fluides metamorphiques. Si de tels fluides avaient acces a une source d'or et que des conduits structuraux en ont permis la canalisation, la region pourrait etre l'hote d'une mineralisation aurifere d'origine orogenique. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: ceinture de roches vertes, ceinture de roches vertes de l'Abitibi, stratigraphie, geochimie des plaines de lave, volcanologie, geochronologie, potentiel economique, sulfures massifs volcanogenes (SMV)., Introduction Maficlava flows are essential components of Archean greenstone belts. These belts generally host significant amounts of gold and base metals mineralization, including synvolcanic volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) and syn- [...]

The Piche Structural Complex (PSC) extends over 150 km within the Cadillac-Larder Lake Fault Zone (CLLFZ), a gold-endowed, east-trending, and high-strain corridor located along the southern edge of the Archean Abitibi Subprovince. The PSC consists of discontinuous units of volcanic rocks (2676 Ma). The abundant ultramafic rocks located within the CLLFZ may have focused strain, thereby facilitating the nucleation of the fault as well as the displacements along this crustal-scale structure. Le Complexe structural de Piche (CSP) s'etend sur 150 km dans la Zone de faille de Cadillac-Larder Lake (ZFCLL), un corridor aurifere hautement deforme d'orientation est-ouest situe le long de la bordure sud de la Sous-province archeenne de l'Abitibi. Le CSP est constitue d'unites discontinues de roches volcaniques (2676 Ma). Les abondantes roches ultramafiques dans la ZFCLL pourraient avoir concentre la deformation, facilitant du coup la nucleation de la faille ainsi que les deplacements le long de cette structure d'echelle crustale. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Crustal-scale faults, or tectonic zones, are a critical feature of collisional tectonic settings and exert major controls on sedimentation, magmatism, and mineralization. They commonly contain slivers of rock units [...]

Two high-resolution seismic reflection profiles acquired north and south of Chibougamau, located in the northeast of the Abitibi subprovince of Canada, help understand historic volcanically hosted massive sulfide (VMS) deposits and hydrothermal Cu–Au mineralization found there. Major faults crossed by the profiles include the Barlow fault in the north and the Doda fault and the Guercheville fault in the south, all targets of this study that seeks to determine spatial relationships with a known metal endowment in the area. Common-offset DMO corrections and common-offset pre-stack time migrations (PSTMs) were considered. Irregularities of the trace midpoint distribution resulting from the crooked geometry of both profiles and their relative contribution to the DMO and PSTM methods and seismic illumination were assessed in the context of the complex subsurface architecture of the area. To scrutinize this contribution, seismic images were generated for offset ranges of 0–9 km using increments of 3 km. Migration of out-of-plane reflections used cross-dip element analysis to accurately estimate the fault dip. The seismic imaging shows the thickening of the upper-crustal rocks near the fault zones along both profiles. In the northern seismic reflection section, the key geological structures identified include the Barlow fault and two diffraction sets imaged within the fault zone that represent potential targets for future exploration. The south seismic reflection section shows rather a complicated geometry of two fault systems. The Guercheville fault observed as a subhorizontal reflector connects to a steeply dipping reflector. The Doda fault dips subvertical in the shallow crust but as a steeply dipping reflection set at depth. Nearby gold showings suggest that these faults may help channel and concentrate mineralizing fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two high-resolution seismic reflection profiles acquired north and south of Chibougamau, located in the northeast of the Abitibi subprovince of Canada help understand historic volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VMS) deposits and hydrothermal Cu-Au mineralization found there. Major faults crossed by the profiles include the Barlow fault in the north and the Doda fault and the Guercheville fault in the south, all targets of this study that seeks to determine spatial relationships with known metal endowment in the area. Common-offset DMO corrections and common-offset pre-stack time migrations (PSTM) were considered. Irregularities of the trace midpoint distribution resulting from the crooked geometry of both profiles and their relative contribution to DMO and PSTM method and seismic illumination were assessed in the context of the complex subsurface architecture of the area. To scrutinize this contribution, seismic images were generated for offset ranges of 0 -9 km using increments of 3 km. Migration of out-of-plane reflections used cross-dip element analysis to accurately estimate the fault dip. The seismic imaging shows the thickening of the upper crustal rocks near the fault zones along both profiles. In the north seismic reflection section, key geological structure identified include the Barlow fault and two diffraction sets imaged within the fault zone that represent potential targets for future exploration. The south seismic reflection section shows rather a complicated geometry of two fault systems. The Guercheville fault observed as a subhorizontal reflector connects to a steeply dipping reflector. The Doda fault dips subvertical in the shallow crust but as a steeply dipping reflection set at depth. Nearby gold showings suggest that these faults may help channel and concentrate mineralizing fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copper‐gold magmatic‐hydrothermal systems dominate in the Chibougamau area of the Neoarchean Abitibi subprovince (greenstone belt) of the Superior Province (craton), whereas orogenic gold mineralization is more common in the rest of the Abitibi. Understanding differences in metal endowment within the Abitibi greenstone belt requires insights into the geodynamic evolution of the Chibougamau area. This was addressed by imaging the crust using seismic reflection profiling acquired as part of the Metal Earth project. Seismic reflection sections display shallowly south‐dipping reflectors located within the upper crust (e.g., a possible deep continuation of the Barlow fault) and a northward‐dipping midcrust imbricated with older crust (Opatica subprovince) to the north. Multiple reflectors characterize the upper part of the midcrust, interpreted as faults superimposed on a major lithological boundary. These structures likely formed during terrane accretion prior to craton stabilization. Combining the new seismic data with known stratigraphic, structural, and magmatic records, we propose that the study area was initially a normal (i.e., thick) Archean oceanic crust that formed at or before 2.80 Ga and that evolved through terrane imbrication at 2.73–2.70 Ga. Shortening caused rapid burial, devolatilization, and partial melting of hydrated mafic rocks to produce tonalite magmas that may have mixed with mantle‐derived melts to produce the diorite‐tonalite suite associated with observed Cu‐Au magmatic‐hydrothermal mineralization. Key Points: A seismic reflection survey of the Chibougamau area, Abitibi greenstone belt, is performed by the Metal Earth projectThe Metal Earth and Lithoprobe seismic surveys reveal that the northern part of the Abitibi greenstone belt has a consistent architectureThe Chibougamau area is an Archean oceanic crust evolved through terrane imbrication and not through plume activity and subduction processes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gold deposits are not uniformly distributed along major faults due to complex (and long-debated) interactions between seismicity, hydrothermalism, and structural heterogeneities. Here, we use static stress modelling (SSM) to quantitatively investigate these interactions, by exploring the role of Cadillac-Larder Lake Fault (CLLF) Archean seismicity in the genesis of the regional goldfields. Various rheological factors are evaluated for optimizing the models’ ability to reproduce known gold occurrences, regarded as the fossil primary markers of synkinematic hydrothermal systems. We propose that the marked structural heterogeneities of the CLLF induced persistent seismic segmentation and recurrent ruptures of the same fault windows that arrested on robust node points. These ruptures favour repeated occurrences of seismically triggered hydrothermalism along long-existing fluid pathways having an enhanced permeability and iterative ore formation into supracrustal discharge zones by means of episodic drops and build-ups of pressure. Two-dimensional SSM permits the predictive mapping of these high-potential zones. These modelled zones correlate positively with the actual observed gold distribution. We demonstrate that (1) the ruptures along the Joannes Segment arresting on the Davidson Fault and Lapa’s bend can explain the occurrence and location of the Rouyn and Malartic goldfields; (2) the models’ validity is improved by implementing regional geological constraints; and (3) the distant gold occurrences from the CLLF, including the Bourlamaque field, can be explained by doublet seismic events along the Rivière-Héva and Lapause subsidiary faults. Our results provide new perspectives from a fundamental standpoint and for exploration purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cadillac Fault Zone (CFZ) is a 250 km-long east-trending crustal discontinuity associated with numerous world-class gold deposits in the Archean Abitibi Subprovince. In Quebec, the fault follows the boundary between the Abitibi and the Pontiac Subprovinces and can be divided into four segments: 1) Rouyn, 2) Joannes, 3) Malartic, and 4) Val-d’Or. Each displays different attitudes and structural styles. The Malartic segment strikes SE, whereas the other segments are E-trending. Abrupt changes in strike or smaller-scale faults represent limits between the segments. Structural styles include four generations of foliation with numerous shear sense indicators and folding specifically related to each foliation. Structural features can be correlated from one segment to another, but display clear variations in attitude or expression. A stretching lineation signature is definitely associated with each segment. In the Malartic segment, the predominant E-trending schistosity displays an angular relationship with the contact between groups and bedding, suggesting that the SE-trending architecture of this segment was already emplaced prior to ductile deformation. The evidence suggests a model where the CFZ originates from several independent structures inherited from volcanism prior to Timiskaming deformation and Abitibi-Pontiac accretion. The proto-CFZ was then linked up during the Timiskaming deposition, forming high-strain zones. Inherited structures form the frame on which each deformation event was overprinted with different responses depending on segmentation. The structural styles of each segment can be integrated in a structural evolution model for the CFZ. The N-S shortening led to the development of a dominantly E-striking penetrative foliation and folding. During the subsequent extensional stage, the CFZ was reactivated with normal kinematics during the Pontiac uplift. A third deformation event is represented by the local development of NW-trending cleavage axial planar to the “S”-shaped minor folds. Finally, a late NW-SE shortening event produced a dextral strike-slip movement, with NE-striking vertical foliation and development of “Z”-shaped folds on bedding surfaces and anterior fabrics. Linkage of the CFZ had a major impact on hydrothermal activity in the southern Abitibi as it channeled fluids along large-scale pathways. Distribution of gold-bearing intrusions can also be related to segmentation and inherited structures of the CFZ. This association is expressed by gold mineralization styles present in several longitudinal fields reflecting fault segmentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]