Geochemical and isotopic discrimination of meta-volcanics from the Rowe-Hawley Zone of western New England: A discussion of along-strike translation of tectonic models

A variety of tectonic models for the Lower Paleozoic evolution of the Rowe-Hawley Zone (RHZ) in western New England describe the formation suprasubduction zone arc complexes and collision with Laurentia to produce the Taconic orogeny. Models developed for parts of the RHZ (e.g., western Massachusetts and Connecticut (Karabinos et al., 1998) and Newfoundland (van Staal et al., 2001)) have been translated along-strike. To test translation of various models along-strike across New England, geochemical data from major RHZ units in Vermont, Massachusetts, and Connecticut were compared for potential correlation. Element abundance data from previously analyzed meta-igneous rocks from the Mount Norris Intrusive Suite, North River Igneous Suite, and Barnard Gneiss from Vermont; Hawley Formation and Charlemont Mafic Intrusive Suite from Massachusetts; and Collinsville Formation of Connecticut were compiled; a set of meta-basalts from the Barnard Gneiss of Vermont were analyzed for their major and trace elements; and a set of 21 selected samples from these units were analyzed for Nd isotopes. These data were also compared to published data from units of the Bronson Hill Arc in central New England.