Rae Craton As the Backstop for Proto-Laurentian Amalgamation by Slab Suction Paul F
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Document generated on 09/26/2021 5:28 p.m. Geoscience Canada Journal of the Geological Association of Canada Journal de l’Association Géologique du Canada The Origin of Laurentia Rae Craton as the Backstop for Proto-Laurentian Amalgamation by Slab Suction Paul F. Hoffman Volume 41, Number 3, 2014 Article abstract Proto-Laurentia (i.e. pre-Grenvillian Laurentia) is an aggregate of six or more URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1027247ar formerly independent Archean cratons that amalgamated convulsively in geons 19 and 18 (Orosirian Period), along with non-uniformly distributed areas See table of contents of juvenile Paleoproterozoic crust. Subduction polarities and collision ages have been provisionally inferred between the major cratons (and some minor ones), most recently between the Rae and Hearne cratons. The oldest Orosirian Publisher(s) collisions bound the Rae craton: 1.97 Ga (Taltson- Thelon orogen) in the west, and 1.92 Ga (Snowbird orogen) in the southeast. All other Orosirian collision The Geological Association of Canada ages in proto-Laurentia are < 1.88 Ga. The Rae craton was the upper plate during (asynchronous) plate convergence at its western and, tentatively, ISSN southeastern margins. Subsequent plate convergence in the Wopmay and Trans-Hudson orogens was complex, with the Rae craton embedded in the 0315-0941 (print) lower plate prior to the first accretion events (Calderian, Reindeer and Foxe 1911-4850 (digital) orogenies), but in the upper plate during major subsequent convergence and terminal collisions, giving rise to the Great Bear and Cumberland magmatic Explore this journal arcs, respectively. The ‘orthoversion’ theory of supercontinental succession postulates that supercontinents amalgamate over geoidal lows within a meridional girdle of mantle downwellings, orthogonal to the lingering Cite this article superswell at the site of the former supercontinent. If the downwelling nodes develop through positive feedback from the descent of cold oceanic slabs, then Hoffman, P. F. (2014). The Origin of Laurentia: Rae Craton as the Backstop for viscous traction should contribute to drawing the cratons together over the Proto-Laurentian Amalgamation by Slab Suction. Geoscience Canada, 41(3), downwelling node. Viewed in this way, the Rae craton was the first to settle 313–320. over the downwelling node and became the backstop for the other cratons that were drawn towards it by subduction. It was, literally, the origin of Laurentia. Whether the Rae craton was also the origin of Nuna, the hypothetical cogenetic supercontinent, depends on ages and subduction polarities of Orosirian sutures beyond proto-Laurentia. All Rights Reserved © The Geological Association of Canada, 2014 This document is protected by copyright law. Use of the services of Érudit (including reproduction) is subject to its terms and conditions, which can be viewed online. https://apropos.erudit.org/en/users/policy-on-use/ This article is disseminated and preserved by Érudit. Érudit is a non-profit inter-university consortium of the Université de Montréal, Université Laval, and the Université du Québec à Montréal. Its mission is to promote and disseminate research. https://www.erudit.org/en/ GEOSCIENCE CANADA Volume 41 2014 313 HAROLD WILLIAMS SERIES east. All other Orosirian collision ages moins six cratons archéens indépen- in proto-Laurentia are < 1.88 Ga. dants qui se sont amalgamés convul- The Rae craton was the upper sivement durant les géons 19 et 18 plate during (asynchronous) plate con- (Orosirien), le long de zones de croûtes vergence at its western and, tentatively, juvéniles paléoprotérozoïques réparties southeastern margins. Subsequent plate de manière hétérogène. Les polarités convergence in the Wopmay and de subduction et les âges de collision Trans-Hudson orogens was complex, entre les grands cratons (et d’autres with the Rae craton embedded in the moins grands) ont été provisoirement lower plate prior to the first accretion déduits, le plus récemment entre le cra- events (Calderian, Reindeer and Foxe ton de Rae et le craton de Hearne. Les orogenies), but in the upper plate dur- plus anciennes collisions orosiriennes The Origin of Laurentia: ing major subsequent convergence and ont soudé le craton de Rae : 1,97 Ga Rae Craton as the terminal collisions, giving rise to the (orogène de Taltson-Thelon) dans Great Bear and Cumberland magmatic l’ouest, et 1,92 Ga (orogène de Snow- Backstop for Proto- arcs, respectively. bird) dans le sud-est. Tous les autres Laurentian Amalgamation The ‘orthoversion’ theory of âges de collision en proto-Laurentie by Slab Suction supercontinental succession postulates sont inférieurs à 1,88 Ga. that supercontinents amalgamate over Le craton de Rae constituait la geoidal lows within a meridional girdle plaque supérieure durant la conver- Paul F. Hoffman of mantle downwellings, orthogonal to gence de plaque (asynchrone) à sa the lingering superswell at the site of marge ouest, et peut-être aussi à ses 1216 Montrose Ave the former supercontinent. If the marges sud-est. La convergence de Victoria, British Columbia downwelling nodes develop through plaque subséquente dans les orogènes V8T 2K4, Canada positive feedback from the descent of de Wopmay et Trans-Hudson a été E-mail: [email protected] cold oceanic slabs, then viscous trac- complexe, le craton de Rae étant encas- tion should contribute to drawing the tré dans la plaque inférieure avant les SUMMARY cratons together over the downwelling premiers événements d’accrétion Proto-Laurentia (i.e. pre-Grenvillian node. Viewed in this way, the Rae cra- (orogènes caldérienne, de Reindeer et Laurentia) is an aggregate of six or ton was the first to settle over the de Fox), puis dans la plaque supérieure more formerly independent Archean downwelling node and became the durant la grande convergence sub- cratons that amalgamated convulsively backstop for the other cratons that séquente et les collisions terminales, ce in geons 19 and 18 (Orosirian Period), were drawn towards it by subduction. qui a créé les arcs magmatiques de along with non-uniformly distributed It was, literally, the origin of Laurentia. Great Bear et de Cumberland respec- areas of juvenile Paleoproterozoic Whether the Rae craton was tivement. crust. Subduction polarities and colli- also the origin of Nuna, the hypotheti- La théorie de « l’orthoversion sion ages have been provisionally cal cogenetic supercontinent, depends » de la succession des supercontinents inferred between the major cratons on ages and subduction polarities of présuppose que les supercontinents s’a- (and some minor ones), most recently Orosirian sutures beyond proto-Lau- malgament au-dessus de creux géoï- between the Rae and Hearne cratons. rentia. daux en deça d’une gaine méridienne The oldest Orosirian collisions bound de convections mantéliques descen- the Rae craton: 1.97 Ga (Taltson- SOMMAIRE dantes, à angle droit d’un super-renfle- Thelon orogen) in the west, and 1.92 La proto-Laurentie (c.-à-d. la Laurentie ment persistant au site d’un ancien Ga (Snowbird orogen) in the south- pré-grenvillienne) est un agrégat d’au supercontinent. Si le nœud de convec- Geoscience Canada, v. 41, http://dx.doi.org/10.12789/geocanj.2014.41.049 © 2014 GAC/AGC® 314 Table 1. Estimated collision ages and subduction polarities for Orosirian sutures in proto-Laurentia Orogen Collision Upper plate Lower plate References Thelon - Taltson 1.97 Ga Rae Slave van Breemen et al. (1987); Bostock et al. (1987); James et al. (1988); van Breemen and Henderson (1988); Grotzinger and Royden (1990); Tirrul and Grotzinger (1990); Bowring and Grotzinger (1992); Thériault (1992); McDonough et al. (2000) Snowbird 1.92 Ga Rae Hearne Berman et al. (2007); Martel et al. (2008) Wopmay 1.88 Ga Hottah Slave Hildebrand et al. (2010); Hoffman et al. (2011) Foxe - Rinkian 1.88 Ga Rae Meta Incognita- Connelly et al. (2006); St-Onge et al. (2007) Disco Great Falls 1.87 Ga Medicine Hat Wyoming Mueller et al. (2002) Torngat - Nagssugtoqidian 1.86 Ga North Atlantic SE Churchill- Scott (1998); van Gool et al. (2002); Kolb (2014) Disco Penokean 1.85 Ga Marshfield Superior Schulz and Cannon (2007) Vulcan 1.84 Ga Medicine Hat Hearne Eaton et al. (1999) Wopmay 1.84(?) Ga Hottah Nahanni Cook (2011) Trans-Hudson (southern) 1.83 Ga Hearne Superior Corrigan et al. (2009); Maxeiner and Rayner (2011) New Quebec 1.82 Ga SE Churchill Superior Wardle et al. (2002) Trans-Hudson (northern) 1.82 Ga Rae Superior Machado et al. (1993); St-Onge et al. (2006, 2007); Berman et al. (2013) tion descendante s’établit par rétroac- called the North and South Keewatin Martel et al. 2008). tion positive de la descente de plaques cratons (Williams et al. 1991). With the Outside of largely ice-covered océaniques froides, la traction disappearance of the District of Kee- Greenland, the Snowbird tectonic zone visqueuse devrait contribuer à entraîner watin as a political entity, Hank’s cra- was the last of the major Orosirian les cratons ensembles au-dessus du tons reverted to their synonyms, the (2.05 – 1.80 Ga, Gradstein et al. 2012) nœud de convection descendante. Vu Rae and Hearne cratons respectively geosutures in proto-Laurentia to be de cette façon, le craton de Rae a été le (Hoffman 1988; Eglington et al. 2013). dated. The age sequence and inferred premier à s’établir au-dessus du nœud The collision zone between the two subduction polarity of sutures can now de convection descendante, ce qui en a cratons, originally inferred from recon- be tabulated (Table 1 and Fig. 1). Sub- fait la butée des autres cratons naissance geology, gravity gradient duction polarity refers to the time of entraînés par la subduction. Littérale- maps, aeromagnetic discontinuities, and large ocean closure leading to craton- ment, telle a été l’origine de la Lauren- seismic soundings (Taylor 1963; Sharp- craton collision, not to earlier arc- and tie. ton et al. 1987; Hoffman 1990; Ross et continental ribbon-accretion events Quant à savoir si c’est le cra- al.