Geology of Gjelsvikfjella and Western Muhlig- Hofmannfjella, Dronning Maud Land, East Antarctica
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Geology of Gjelsvikfjella and western Muhlig- Hofmannfjella, Dronning Maud Land, east Antarctica Y. OHTA, B. 0. TBRUDBAKKEN AND K. SHIRAISHI Ohta, Y., Terudbakken, B. 0. & Shiraishi, K. 1990: Geology of Gjelsvikfjella and western Miihlig- Hofmannfjella, Dronning Maud Land, east Antarctica. Polar Research 8, 99-126. As a part of the Norwegian Antarctic Research Expedition 1984185, geological mapping was performed in Gjelsvikfjella and western Miihlig-Hofmannfjella, Dronning Maud Land. The northern part of Gjelsvikfjella is dominated by the Jutulsessen metasupracriistals which have been intruded by a major gabbroic body and several generations of dykcs. To the south the metasupracrustals gradually transform into the Risemedet migmatites. In western Miihlig-Hofmannfjella the bedrock is dominated by the large Svarthamaren Charnockite batholith. The batholith is bordered by the Sn0toa metamorphic complex outcropping to the south and west in Miihlig-Hofmannfjella and it is characterized by a high content of partly assimilated country rock inclusions. Mineral paragenesis and geothermometry/geobarometry suggest a two-stagc tectonothermal-igneous history with an initial intermediate pressure, upper amphibolite to granulite facics metamorphism followed by high temperature transformations related to the charnockite intrusion. Thc age of the initial tectonothcrmal event is probably about 1,100 Ma. Geochronological work in the present study (Rb/Sr whole rock) gave an age of 500 2 24 Ma for the Svarthamaren Charnockite, interpreted to record the age of crystallization. Late brittle faulting and undeformed dolerite dykes outcropping in Jutulscssen are believed to be related to Mesozoic crustal stretching in the Jutulstraumen- Pencksokket Rift Zone to the west. Y. Ohta, Norsk Polarinstitutt, P.0. Box 158, N-1330 Oslo Lufthaon, Norway; B.O. T@rudhakken, Saga Petroleum AIS, Kj@rboueien 16, N-1301 Sanduika, Norway; K. Shiraishi, Nationul lnsritute of Polar Research, Tokyo, Japan; April 1990 (rewised August 1990). The studied area is located to 2"-5"35'E and metamorphosed supracrustals) extend into the 71"46'-72"15'S, on the eastern side of the present area. Jutulstraumen-Pencksokket Rift Zone (J-P RZ) Grantham et al. (1988) have described (Neethling 1972) which separates a Proterozoic the geology and petrology of northern H.U. platform to the west and high-grade metamorphic Sverdrupfjella in detail. They separated various areas to the east (Fig. 1). The J-P RZ is a key igneous rocks from Hjelle's lithostratigraphic tectonic structure in correlating this part of formations and carried out some age deter- Antarctica with the southeastern part of Africa minations. The oldest obtained age is about (Grantham et al. 1988). 900 Ma (Rb-Sr whole rock) from conformable Metamorphic rocks in the study area were first granitoids in the gneisses. Late tectonic granites described by Roots (1953) and widespread are about 470 Ma (Rb-Sr whole rock). The highest reconnaissance mapping was undertaken by grade metamorphism, possibly a late magmatic Soviet geologists (Ravich & Soloviev 1966), who stage, is determined to about 850°C and 9-11 kb. also carried out radiometric dating on the rocks Most rocks were metamorphosedunder conditions (Ravich & Krylov 1964). A 1: 1.5 million scale of about 560"-690"C and 5-6 kb, followed by a geological map has been edited by Roots (1969) retrograde overprinting. An alkaline complex in the Antarctic Map Folio Series. near the J-P RZ has been dated to about 182 Ma The H.U. Sverdrupfjella area to the southwest (40Ar-39Ar) and 170 Ma (Rb-Sr, Allen 1990), has been described by Hjelle (1972). He indicating young extensional activity along the recognized three lithological units, of which the rift zone. Sveabreen Formation (granitized gneisses and According to Ravich & Krylov (1964), western migmatites of upper amphibolite facies) and Muhlig-Hofmannfjella consist of high-grade the Rootshorga Formation ( psammo-pelitic, metasupracrustals of pre-Riphean ages and a 100 Y. Ohta, B. 0. Torudbakken & K. Shiraishi Fig. 1. Distribution of exposures in western Dronning Maud Land. The study area is in the eastern part of the map. Numhcrs: radiometric ages in million years (Ma) obtained hy various methods (Kavich & Krylov 1Y64; Krylov 1972: Wolmarans & Kcnt 1982; Moycs 1989). Analytical methods: P: Pb/Pb, U: U/Ph. R: Kh/Sr, S: Sm/Nd, A: 4UAr/3YAr. K: K/Ar. Analyscd samples: w: whole rock, h: biotite. m:muscovite, p: phengite, c: chlorite, z: zircon, f feldspar, wm: whole rock-minerdl. granite-granosyenite complex. Their K/Ar and made from Terningskarvet towards these areas Rb/Sr whole rock ages range from 400 to 480 Ma, (Fig. 2). with a 510 Ma age from Gjelsvikfjella. Three major lithologic units have been The Norwegian Antarctic Research Expedition recognized: 1984-85 mapped the main part of Gjelsvikfjella -Metagabbros in northeastern Jutulsessen and western Miihlig-Hofmannfjella. -Jutulsessen metasupracrustals -Risemedet migmatites Three subordinate dyke types were also recognized: Description of regional geology --4plite-pegmatite dykes -Metabask dykes Gjetsvikfjella -Mesozoic dolerite In Gjelsvikfjella the geological mapping covered Jutulsessen, Risemedet and Terningskarvet. Metagabbros The southwestern parts, including southwest Jutulsessen, Nupskammen and Von Essenskarvet The metagabbro in Jutulsessen occurs as an were not visited, but distant observations were intrusive body about 7 km long and 1km wide. Geology of Gjelsvikfjella and western Muhlig-Hofmannfjella 101 Fig. 2. Geological map of Gjelsvikfjella, including distant observations by binoculara on the northern sidc of the Fjellimcllom- Bakhallct glaciers, Nupskammcn, Gluvrekletten and Von Esscnskarvet. X and Y in circle: localities of the dated samples (ref. Tablc 8), BT-, YO-: localities of samples in Tables 2, 3 and 4. The rocks are medium-grained, melanocrafc, to white, aplite-pegmatite dykes, generally less hornblende-biotite gabbro, locally coarse- than 0.5 m thick. Most dykes show gentle dips to grained, with no preferred orientation of the the southeast, although some have steep dips. minerals. These rocks include fine-grained Similar dykes are closely associated with the cogenetic, rounded xenoliths with randomly gneisses and migmatites. oriented biotite, and are cut by numerous pink The main constituent minerals of the meta- 102 Y. Ohta, B. 0. Terudbakken & K. Shiraishi gabbro are green hornblende, often dusty with Table 1. Lithostratigraphy of the Jutulsessen metasupracrustals. opaques, and commonly including granular clinopyroxene grains. Fresh dark brown biotite Mesozoic dolerites flakes are sometimes bent. Plagioclase has normal Aplite - pegmatites zoning with andesine-oligoclase composition, and Metagabhro shows blocky and for wavy extinction. The coarse- Basic dykes and sheets grained gabbroic facies contains a large proportion -felsic, migmatitic of clinopyroxene and locally carries olivine. Small Upper succ. gneisses with biotite grains of apatite, sphene and opaques are the (700 m) rich and basic accessories. .paleosomcs The contact to the Jutulsessen meta- felsic gncisscs with supracrustals is intrusive and a wedge of the micaceous gneibsc\ and agmatites (500 m) metagabbro, about 100m wide, cuts the latter north of Stabben. Middlc succ. pink felsic gneiss and (2,200- agmatites (1,800 m) Fine-grained xenoliths, consisting of primary 2,600 m) prismatic plagioclase and granular clinopyroxene, may be a doleritic early facies of the metagabbro. felsic gneiss (300 m) three sequences of Pale green hornblende surrounds the clino- Jutulsessen metasupracrus- micaceous gneiss with pyroxene grains. Randomly oriented, over- thin biotite rich layers tals (400 m) growing dark brown biotite may be due to (c. 4,500m) secondary changes, when the rock was captured (lateral change micaceous handcd as xenoliths. into the gneisses (550 m) An ore-rich phase which is developed in Risemedct migmatites) felsic gneisses with connection with the later aplite-pegmatite dykes basic paleosomes consists of more than 80% magnetite and coarse- (1SOm) grained microcline, plagioclase and sub- dark biotitc gneisscs idiomorphic quartz. Small amounts of biotite and (150m) muscovite surround the ore grains. Lower succ. micaceous gneisses (1,300111) (80 m) Jutulsessen metasupracrustals dark biotite gneisses Micaceous and felsic gneisses are the main felsic gneisses (150 m) constituents of this lithological unit (Table 1). The gneisses are found in the northern half of Jutulsessen, and extend to the east, across the Slithallet glacier to Medmulen. The metagabbro plagioclase (An1523 with normal zoning) (Tables discordantly cuts these rocks in the north, whilst 2 and 3). The most biotite rich gneisses form thin on the southern side a gradational transition is layers and contain strongly pinitized cordierite observed to the Risemedet migmatites. A steep and hercynite, both occurring as inclusions in E-W trending fault, the Armlenet Fault, offsets later andalusite. Reddish brown biotite, with the rocks in northern Armlenet. Ti02 contents up to 4.4wt%, is stable in most rocks; locally it displays symplectite texture with fibrous sillimanite (Tables 2 and 3). Garnet- a) Lower succession biotite clusters of cm size in a plagioclase matrix An approximately 4.5 km thick succession of are often observed in the biotite rich gneisses. gneissose and schistose rocks is exposed in the The cores of the clusters are composed of flaky, cliffs of Grjotlia in western Jutulsessen. The lower brown biotite (TiOz approximately