ARV69-07: Gunflint Iron Range in the Vicinity of Port
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SIXTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE ONTARIO DEPARTMENT OF MINES 1960 PART VII ONTARIO DEPARTMENT OF MINES HON.JAMBS A. MALONEY,Mi~ister H. C. RICKABY,Dewly Minister M. E. HURST,Provincial Gedogisl Gunflint lron Range in the Vicinity of Port Arthur BY W. W. MOORHOUSE Gunflint lron Formation of the Whitefish Lake Area BY A. M. GOODWIN Volume LXIX, Part 7,1960 TORONTO Printed and published by Frank Fogg, Acting Printer to the Queen's Most Excellent Majesty 1960 TABLE OF CONTENTS Volume LXIX. Part 7 GUNFLINTIRON RANGEIN THE VICINITY PAGE OF PORTARTHUR Gunflint Iron Formation-Continued PAGE Sedimentary Facies in the Gunflint ... 33 Basal Conglomerate Facies ......... 33 Abstract ............................ iv Algal Reef Facies ................. 33 Introduction ......................... 1 Taconite Facies ................... 33 Methods of Mapping ................ 1 Carbonate Facies .................. 35 Acknowledgments ................... 2 Chert-Carbonate Facies ............ 35 Means of Access .................... 3 Argillite-Tuff Facies ............... 36 Population ......................... 3 Chemical Composition ............... 36 Natural Resources .................. 3 Assays of Gunflint Iron Formaticn .... 36 Previous Work ..................... 3 Concentration of Iron in the Gunflint Selected Bibliography .............. 3 Iron Formation .................. 37 Topography ........................ 4 Economic Potential of the Gunflint General Geology ..................... 5 Iron Formation .................. 39 Table of Formations ............... 5 Keewa tin Type ..................... 5 GUNFLINTIRON FORMATIONS OF THE Algoman Type ..................... 6 WHITEFISHLAKE AREA Pre-Animikie Unconformity .......... 6 Introduction ......................... 41 Animikie Series..................... 7 Acknowledgements .................. 42 LowerGunflint ................... 7 Means of Access .................... 42 Argillite-Tuff Unit ................. 10 Previous Work ..................... 42 Upper Gunflint ................... 12 Topography ........................ 43 RoveFormation .................. 14 General Geology ..................... 43 Unconformity between the Rove and Table of Formations ............... 43 the Sibley ....................... 16 Precambrian ....................... 43 Keweenawan ....................... 17 Algoman Type .................... 43 Sediments........................ 17 Animikie ......................... 43 Sibley Formation ................ 17 Gunflint Iron Formation .......... 44 Intrusives ........................ 19 Rove Formation ................. 44 Logan Sills and Diabase Dikes .... 19 Keweenawan ..................... 44 Cenozoic .......................... 45 Structural Geology ................... 21 Pleistocene and Recent ............ 45 Faults ............................. 22 Structural Geology ................... 45 Gunflint Iron Formation .............. 23 Folds .............................. 45 Mineralogy ........................ 23 Faults ............................. 45 Silica Minerals .................... 23 Gunflint Iron Formation .............. 46 Quartz ......................... 23 Stratigraphy ....................... 46 Chert .......................... 24 Basal Conglomerate Member ....... 49 Chalcedony ..................... 24 Lower Algal Chert Member ......... 49 Oxides ........................... 24 Lower Shale Member .............. 49 Magnetite ...................... 24 Lower Taconite Member ........... 50 Hematite ....................... 24 Upper Algal Chert Member ........ 51 Goethite and Limonite ........... 24 Group 1 ........................ 52 Carbonates ....................... 25 Group 2 ........................ 52 Silicates .......................... 25 Group 3 ........................ 53 Greenalite ...................... 25 Upper Jasper Member ............. 53 Stilpnomelane ................... 25 Upper Shale Member .............. 54 Minnesotaite.................... 26 Upper Taconite Member ........... 55 Chamosi te ...................... 26 Upper Limestone Member .......... 58 Chlorite ........................ 26 Chemical Composition ............... 58 Other Minerals ................... 26 Economic Considerations............ 58 Texture and Sedimentary Structures . 26 Possibilities of Natural Concentra- Taconites ........................ 26 tions .......................... 59 Thin-Bedded Carbonate and Chert 32 Possibilities of Material Amenable to . Beneficiation .................. 60 Massive Carbonate Beds ........... 32 Lower Taconite Member .......... 60 Fragmental Beds .................. 32 Upper Taconite Member .......... 60 Chert and Jasper Beds ............. 32 Conclusio~~and Recommendations... 63 Metamorphism of the Gunflint Iron orm mat ion.. .................... 33 1 Index .............................. 65 PHOTOGRAPHS PAGE Mount McKay. a butte capped by diabase ........................................... 4 Kakabeka conglomerate. Kakabeka Falls ............................................. 9 Iron-formation outcrops. Current River .............................................. 9 Regular1 bedded chert.carbonate. Highway No . 17. west of Pass Lake Road ............. 10 Folded txin-bedded chertcarbonate. west of Blende River Bridge ....................... 13 Concretion in quarry of Rove Argillite. Pass Lake Road ................................ 14 Sibley conglomerate. carbonate matrix ............................................... 19 Diabase outcrops. Oliver Lake. west of Fort William ................................... 20 Taconite with granules of iron oxide and chert ........................................ 27 Taconite showing hematite granules with blades of hematite ............................ 27 Hematite granules. showing flattened character. enclosed in chert ........................ 28 Oiilite of chert and hematite with ranules of chert and hematite ........................ 28 Granules of carbonate veined wita chert. and granules of chert. replacing carbonate. and retaining traces of veins. which cut carbonate. before replacement by chert ............ 29 Taconite showin granules of iron silicate. silicate and chert. and chert. in a matrix of re- crystallized cfert ............................................................... 29 Taconite with angular. shard-like fragments .......................................... 30 Shaly iron silicate with spherulitic carbonate grains from layer between taconite lenses ..... 30 Thin-bedded chert-carbonate; opaque bands are oxidized carbonate ...................... 31 Intraformational conglomerate. Upper Gunflint. Current River .......................... 31 Volcanic fragments in a carbonate matrix ............................................. 35 Typical cuesta topography formed by gently-dipping diabase sills ........................ 41 The north-facing escarpment of Divide Ridge ......................................... 44 Reef-like mound of algal chert resting on granite basement ............................. 49 Typical algal structures of the Lower Algal chert member .............................. 50 Shingly granular rocks of the Lower Taconite member ................................. 51 Upper part of Upper Shale member .................................................. 54 Lenticular chert beds with their shaly partings ........................................ 55 SKETCH MAPS. SKETCHES. AND SECTIONS FIGURE PAGE 1-Key map showing the locations of the map areas .................................. 2 2-Columnar Sections from Selected Areas and Drill Holes ............................ 11 3-Sketch illustrating argillite and carbonate-chert iron formation in fault contract. Current River ........................................................................ 12 4-Sketch of various types of concretions. Rove argillite on Slate River ................. 15 5-Irregular. lenticular bedding in taconites. McIntyre River. showing elongated "Wind- rows" of granules appearing in outcrop ........................................... 16 6-Irregular. lenticular bedding in taconites. McIntyre River .......................... 17 7-Sketch showing unconformity between Rover argillite and Sibley conglomerate ........ 18 8-Sketch of folding in thin-bedded chert and carbonate. west of Blende River Bridge .... 22 9-Cross-section showing distribution of principal facies. from Mink Mountain to Blende Lake ........................................................................34 10-Sketch map showing location of diamond-drill holes ................................ 47 MAPS OF THE GUNFLINT IRON RANGE MAP NO . 1960i -Whitefish Lake Area ...............................................in a case 1960j -Silver Mountain Area ............................................... R 1960k -KakabekaFallsArea ................................................ 9, 19601 -Hymers-Stanley Area ................................................ ,, 1960m -McIntyre Area ..................................................... ,9 196011 -Neebing Area ....................................................... 9 9 19600 -Port Arthur Area ................................................... 9 ? 1960p -LoonLakeArea .................................................... 11 iii The gently-dipping Animikie rocks of the Port Arthur region unconformably overlie the greenstones, tuffs, greywackes, and granites of the Archean. The Gunflint iron formation, the lower part of the Animikie, is separated into three subdivisions on the accompanying maps. The Lower Gunflint, beginning locally with ravelly conglomerate,