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Geology and Thermal History of an Area Near Okanagan Lake, Southern British Columbia

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Geology and Thermal History of an Area Near Okanagan Lake, Southern British Columbia GEOLOGY AND THERMAL HISTORY OF AN AREA NEAR OKANAGAN LAKE, SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA. by Gary Allan Medford B.Sc.(Hon.) McGill University 1968 M.Sc. McGill University 1970 A THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the Department of Geological Sciences We accept thi.s thesis as conforming to the required standard. THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA January, 1976 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the Head of my Department or by his representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Depa rtment The University of British Columbia Vancouver 8, Canada Date i ABSTRACT Five phases of deformation are recognized in Shuswap (Monashee Group) gneiss in an area east of Okanagan Lake, southern British Columbia.. The first is delineated by north trending mesoscopic structures. The second comprises a south closing megascopic synform with a horizontal ESE axial direction. This structure has in turn been coaxially refolded into a more open phase 3 synform. The second deformation was associated with extensive introduction of synkinematic quartz monzonite and granodiorite that comprises much of the area, and culminated with amphibolite grade metamorphism. Phase 3 deformation was followed by extensive local recrystal1ization and meta• somatism which destroyed earlier fabric elements of the gneisses. Phases 1 to 3 are pre-mid-Carboniferous based on poor fossil evidence whereas phases 4 and 5 are Tertiary. Phase 4 comprises open flexural slip folding about NE trending axes and Phase 5 consists of broad warps about horizontal ESE axes. These deformational events were associated with high level thermal and hydrothermal activity which appears to be most intense in areas of high grade Shuswap gneiss, where it has reset K-Ar dates to about 50 million years (paper no. 1). Thermally sensitive fission track apatite dates indicate that the high thermal gradients can be traced into the plutonic rocks west of the Okanagan Valley in which K-Ar dates have been much less affected and range between 130 and 200 million years. Thus perhaps only the oldest dates represent minimum emplacement dates. The statistical methods used in acquiring the apatite dates are discussed and developed beyond that available in the literature (paper no. 2). i i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT i TABLE OF CONTENTS ii LIST OF FIGURES: GEOLOGY OF THE OKANAGAN MOUNTAIN AREA v LIST OF TABLES: GEOLOGY OF THE OKANAGAN MOUNTAIN AREA vii LIST OF PLATES: GEOLOGY OF THE OKANAGAN MOUNTAIN AREA vii LIST OF TABLES: PAPER NO. 1 vii LIST OF PLATES: PAPER NO. 1 vii LIST OF TABLES: PAPER NO. 2 vii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS vi i i A. GEOLOGY OF THE OKANAGAN MOUNTAIN AREA 1 1 - INTRODUCTION TO THE FIELD STUDY AND RELATED PAPERS 1. General Introduction 1 General Geology 8 2 - STRUCTURAL SUCCESSION 14 Unit 1: Laminated Amphibolite 16 Unit 2: Hornblende (biotite)Granitoid Gneiss 18 Unit 3: Augen Gneiss 19 Unit 4: Undifferentiated Granitoid Paragneiss 21 Unit A: Leuco-quartz Monzonite 21 Unit B: Foliated Granodiorite 23 Unit C: Diorite 25 Unit D: Unfoliated Granodiorite 25 Unit E: Quartz Monzonite Dikes 28 Unit F: Protoclastic Quartz Monzonite 28 Breccias and Ultramylonites 30 i i i Page 3 - STRUCTURE 31 Phase 1 (earliest) 34 Phase 2 37 Phase 3 43 Subset 3a 45 Subset 3b 54 Phase 4 54 Phase 5 62 Summary 67 4 - METAMORPHISM AND THE EMPLACEMENT OF IGNEOUS ROCKS 63 Early metamorphism 68 Phase 3 metamorphism 70 Late or post phase 3 metamorphism Tertiary metamorphism 72 5 - DISCUSSION 77 Correlation with nearby areas 77 Timing of deformation and metamorphism 80 Origin of sediments 82 Regional interpretation 83 B. PAPER NO. 1: K-Ar AND FISSION TRACK GEOCHRONOMETRY OF AN EOCENE THERMAL EVENT IN THE KETTLE RIVER (WEST HALF) MAP AREA, SOUTHERN BRITISH COLUMBIA 86 Abstract 87 Introduction 88 Analytical techniques 88 Distribution of K-Ar dates 89 Fission track analysis 92 Correlation of the Tertiary event with geophysical evidence 96 Regional aspects 98 Summary 99 iv Page C, PAPER NO, 2; ON THE COMPUTATION OF STATISTICAL ERROR IN FISSION TRACK ANALYSIS 101 Introduction 101 Fission track age equation 102 Techniques of fission track analysis 103 D. REFERENCES 116 E. APPENDIX 1: Fission-track and K-Ar analytical techniques 122 APPENDIX 2: Cooling-rate calculations 126 V LIST OF FIGURES; GEOLOGY OF OKANAGAN MOUNTAIN Page 1-1 Generalized geology of southeastern B.C. 2 1-2 Structural elements of the Canadian Cordillera 3 1-3 Location map of areas of study 9 1- 4 General geology of the Okanagan Valley 11 2- 1 Unit 1. Photo of hand specimen 17 2-2 Unit 2. Photo of hand specimen 17 2-3 Unit 3. Photo of hand specimen 20 2-4 Unit 3. Photo of hand specimen 20 2-5 Unit A. Photo of hand specimen 22 2-6 Unit A. Photo of hand specimen 22 2-7 Unit B. Photo of outcrop 24 2-8 Unit B. Photo of outcrop 24 2-9 Unit C. Photo of hand specimen 26 2-10 Unit D. Photo of outcrop 27 2-11 Unit D. Photo of hand specimen 27 2- 12 Unit E. Photo of hand specimen 29 3- 1 Structural domains, south part of map area 35 3-2 Photo of phase 1 fold deformed by phase 2 fold. Phase 3 cleavage 36 3-3 Photo of phase 1 fold in unit 2 36 3-4 Photo of hand specimen of a phase 2 fold 38 3-5 Thin section of nose of Fig. 3-4 39 3-6 Thin section of nose of Fig. 3-5 39 3-7 Stacked rootless phase 2 isoclines in outcrop of unit 2 40 3-8 Phase 2 folds in laminated amphibolite. Hand specimen 40 3-9 Phase 2 folds developed in unit 3 42 3-10 Stereoplot of phase 1 and 2 structures 44 3-11 Isometric view of phase 2 and 3 megastructures 46 3-12 Stereoplot of phase 3 structures 47 3-13 Synopsis of phase 2 and 3 axial directions 48 vi Page 3 -14 Photo of phase 3a folds in mylonitized unit 3, Outcrop 50 3 -15 Photo. Detail of fold in Fig, 3-14 50 3 -16 Photo of phase 3a fold in augen gneiss. Unit 3 51 3; -17 Detail of phase 3a fold illustrating cleavage F3a 51 3--18 Photo of phase 2 fold deformed by phase 3 fold in outcrop of unit 1 52 3--19 Photo of fold mull ion in amphibolite (unit 1) outcrop 52 3--20 Photo of phase 3a fold in unit B 53 3--21 Photo of phase 3 fold in unit B 53 3--22 Photo of subset 3b fold in laminated amphibolite 54 3--23 Photo of phase 3 slide in laminated amphibolite 55 3--24 Stereoplot of poles to F2 and compositional layering 56 3--25 Schematic illustration of phase 3 structures in unit 1 57 3--26 Photo of phase 4 fold 58 3-•27 Stereoplot of phase 4 distortion of phase 2 elements 60 3-•28 Stereoplot of phase 4 structural elements 61 3-•29 Stereoplot of measured fractures 63 3-•30 Photo of a phase 5 fold 64 3-•31 Photo of protoclastic dike (unit F) cutting phase 4 fold 64 3-•32 Stereoplot of phase 5 dikes 65 3-•33 Cross-section illustrating phase 5 structures 66 4- •1 Photomicrograph of amphibolite grade assemblage in unit 1 69 4- •2 Photomicrograph of hornblende alignment parallel to l_2 69 4- •3 Photomicrograph of diopside alignment parallel to L2 71 4- •4 Photo of quartz monzonite sill, unit A, intruding gneiss 71 4- •5 Photomicrograph of strained quartz caused by phase 2 73 4- •6 Photomicrograph of F3 strain pattern in quartz in nose of fold of unit 3 73 4- •7 Photomicrograph of F3 strain pattern in quartz in granodiorite, unit A 74 4- •8 Photomicrograph of chlorite veining and sericite alter• ation caused by Tertiary hydrothermal activity 74 4- 9 Photomicrograph of sensitization of feldspar caused by Tertiary hydrothermal activity 75 5- 1 Correlation of structure in the south Okanagan. Cross- section 79 VI 1 LIST OF TABLES: GEOLOGY OF OKANAGAN MOUNTAIN 3-1 Nomenclature of structural elements LIST OF PLATES: GEOLOGY OF OKANAGAN MOUNTAIN (in pockot) Map Gb. 1 Geology of the Okanagan Mountain area 2 Vertical cross-section of the south portion of the Okanagan Mountain area LIST OF TABLES: PAPER NO. 1 1 Potassium-argon analytical data 2 Fission track analytical data LIST OF PLATES: PAPER NO. 1 (4n pocket) flu? C*b > S" 1 Geochronology of the Kettle River (west half) map sheet LIST OF FIGURES: PAPER NO. 2 1 Track density ratios + 3 standard deviations 2 Observed versus expected track frequencies LIST OF TABLES: PAPER NO. 2 1 Computed errors using Poisson model and equation 11 2 Comparison of errors determined in this paper with those stated in the literature 3 Suggested error values for data presented in the 1iterature vi i i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The author would like to thank Dr. J.V. Ross for suggesting the field problem and supplying funds through National Research Council of Canada Grant A-2134. Thanks are also extended to Mrs. V. Bobik and Mr. J. HarakaT for assistance with the K-Ar analyses, and to Dr.
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