TH 1772 THE GEOLOGY AND PETROLOGY OF A PORTION OF THE BELL RIVER COMPLEX IN BOURDAUX TOWNSHIP, QUEBEC THE GEOLOGY AND PETROLOGY OF A PORTION OF THE BELL RIVER COMPLEX ,IN BOURBAUX TOWNSHIP, QUEBEC
A Thesis submitted in conformity with the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science at the University of Toronto,
Q Randolph Walter Scott 1980 ABSTRACT ~
The Bell River Complex is a large layered gabbro intrusion of Archean age within the Abitibi orogenic belt. After intrusion into the Lac Watson and Wabassee volcanics it underwent regional greenschist metamorphism and was folded into an east-southeast trending anticline. Granitic and quartz dioritic plutonism separated the complex into eastern and western lobes and caused amphibolite grade meta- morphism of the eastern lobe. The Bell River Complex has an intrusive relation- ship with the lower part of the volcanic sequence. The presence of sill-like subsidiary intrusions of the com- plex in the upper volcanic sequence indicates that the complex acted as a differentiation chamber for these vol- canics. REE data for the upper volcanics do not eliminate this possibility, but the data could also reflect residual phases in a mantle source.
The exposed part of the Bell River Complex is mainly a medium to coarse grained metagabbro with 60-80% plagioclase and 20-40% uralitized clino-
pyroxene. A complete range of gabbros from pyroxen- ite to anorthosite is present along with minor dunite and peridotite. The western lobe of the complex can be divided into a felsic rich and magnetite poor lower zone about 10,000 ft. thick and an upper layered zone richer in mafics and magnetite that is about 15,000 ft. thick. In the eastern lobe of the complex this twofold division can also be recognized. Detailed field mapping and laboratory work was carried out on the transition zone between these two divisions. Cryptic variations within the cumulus plagioclase and clinopyroxene are recognized in this transition zone., The plagioclase compositions vary from Ab17 to Ah30 and the
compositions vary from pyroxene Wo48.6 En43.6 Fs7.7 to Wo 49.4 En34.8 Fs15.9 over an 8000 ft. stratigraphic interval. A small increase in the Cu/Cu+Ni ratio of the weakly mineralized pyroxenites is also recognized. The Bell River Complex has many characteristics in common with the Dore Lake Complex, and also appears to represent the upper portion of a "Bushveld" type layered intrusion.
ii. TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS v LIST OF FIGURES vi LIST OF TABLES x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Introduction Topography 1 Previous work 2 3 CHAPTER II REGIONAL GEOLOGY Volcanic rocks Sedimentary rocks 4 Bell River Complex 9 Granitic rocks 10 Diabase dykes 10 Age dates 12 Structure western lobe 12 Structure eastern lobe 13 15 CHAPTER III BELL RIVER COMPLEX GEOLOGY Western lobe geology Marginal zones 17 Core zone 17 Apophyses and subsidiary intrusions 22 Eastern lobe geology 22 General Grid area geology 23 Unit 1 27 Unit 2 and 2a 27 Unit 3 32 Unit 4 35 Unit 5 36 Granitic dykes 38 Structure within the eastern lobe 39 40 CHAPTER IV MAGNETOMETRY Regional magnetometry Grid area magnetometry 43 45 CHAPTER V PETROGRAPHY Gabbros Amphibole 49 Igneous plagioclase 49 Metamorphic plagioclase 58 60
iii page-
Minor minerals 60 Unit 1 63 Unit 2a 69 Lamprophyre dykes 74 Granitic intrusions 77 Diabase 78 Western lobe petrography 80 CHAPTER VI MINERAL CHEMISTRY AND METAMORPHISM Mineral chemistry 85 Plagioclase 86 Metamorphic plagioclase 92 Pyroxene 92 Olivine 101 Amphiboles 105 Sulfides and oxides 106 Western lobe metamorphism 109 Eastern lobe metamorphism 110 CHAPTER VII PETROCHEMISTRY Whole rock analyses 116 Rare earth elements 123 Wabassee volcanics and subsidiary intrusion samples 124 Bell River Complex samples 129 Lamprophyre dyke samples 132 Cu, Ni, Pt, Pd contents 132 CHAPTER VIII SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS Sequence of events 142 Eastern lobe structure 143 Rock types and stratigraphy of the Bell River Complex 144 Comparison of the Bell River Complex with other layered intrusions 148 LIST OF REFERENCES 153 APPENDIX I Modal data 164 APPENDIX II Electron microprobe procedure and results 176 APPENDIX III Petrochemistry 227 APPENDIX IV Magnetometer survey 244
iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I would like to thank Dr. A.J. Naldrett for his guidance and advice during this work. I would like to thank Dr. J.J. Brummer of Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd. for summer field support during 1976. Thanks are also due to Mr. N. Saracoglu and Mr. W. Holmstead for their support in the field. I appreciate the assistance given by Dr. J.C. Rucklidge and Dr. M.P. Gorton with respect to microprobe analysis. Review of an early version of the manuscript by Dr. Van Loon and Dr. Gittins is gratefully acknowledged. • I appreciate the financial support provided by a Connaught Scholarship, a University of Toronto Fellowship and Dr. Naldrett's NSERC grant.
v LIST OF FIGURES Page 1. Location Map. i 2. Geologic map of the Abitibi orogenic belt. 5 3. Regional geologic setting of the 1;atagami area. 6 4. General geology-western end of the Bell River Complex. 8 5. Cross section through the western lobe of the Bell River Complex. 15 6. Geology within the western end of the Bell River Complex. 18 7. Larger scale layering within the Bell River Complex. 20 8. Rhythmic layering in the Bell River Complex. 20 9. General geology of the eastern lobe of the Bell River Complex. 24 10. Typical Bell River Complex rock types. 26 11. Geology map of the southern half of the claim area. 28 12. Geology map of the northern half of the claim area. 29
13. Gradational clinopyroxenite contact. 31 14. Sharp clinopyroxenite contact. 31 15. Inch scale layering in unit 2a. 34 16. Fafic rich layers in anorthos;.tic gabbro. 35 17. Cross bedding in anorthositic gabbro. 37 18. Lamprophyre dyke cutting anorthositic gabbro. 38 19. Aeromagnetic map of the Vatagami area. 44 20. Ground magnetic map of the southern half of the claim area. 46 21. Ground magnetic map of the northern half of the claim area. 47
vi Page
22. Clinopyroxene partially replaced by hornblende+ quartz. 50 23. Cumulus plagioclase within a large poikiblast of hornblende+quartz. 51 24. Hornblende+Quartz partially replaced by oriented hornblende. 53 25. Small oriented hornblende crystals. 53 26. Fibrous hornblende with euhedral hornblende. 54 27. Area of oriented hornblende crystals partially replaced by randomly oriented hornblende. 55 28. Plagioclase with finer grained, randomly oriented hornblende. 55 29. Plagioclase partially replaced by randomly oriented amphibole crystals. 57 30. Large subhedral to euhedral hornblende with plagioclase. 57 31. Adcumulus plagioclase. 59 32. Broken plagioclase crystal with metamorphic plagioclase and hornblende. 59
33. Fresh metamorphic plagioclase. 61 34. Metamorphic plagioclase and hornblende al- teration of igneous plagioclase. 61 35. Pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite mineralization in anorthosite. 62 36. Partially uralitized augite. 64 37. Pyrrhotite, containing exsolution flames of pentlandite, with chalcopyrite. 65 38. Adcumulus augite with poikilitic inverted pigeonite. 67 39. Augite with two sets of exsolution lamellae. 67 40. Cumulus olivine with intercumulus magnetite+ ilmenite. 70
vii Page Ilmenite grains and exsolutioris in magnetite. 70 42. Modal variation across unit 2a. 72 43, Intercumulus uralitized clinopyroxene with cumulus olivine and magnetite-filmenite. 74 14.4 • Lamprophyre dyke. 75 45. Medium grained diabase. 79 46. Cumulus plagioclase and uralitized hypersthene within a large augite oikocryst. 82 47. Intercumulus plagioclase and opaques with cumulus uralitized hypersthene. 82 48. Plagioclase compositions along line 204N. 88 49. Metamorphic plagioclase zoning. 94 50. Clinopyroxene compositions-unit 1 line 160N. 97 51. Clinopyroxene analyses plotted on a portion + of the Ca, Mg, (Fe +Fe++++Mn) diagram. 98 52. Olivine compositions across unLt 2a. 103 53. Amphibole analyses plotted in the trapezoid tremolite-tschermakite-pargasite-edenite. 106 54. Plot of % metamorphic plagioclase against p epidote in- the Bell River Complex gabbros. 113 55. Bell River Complex gabbros and lamprophyre dyke samples plotted on an MgO:FeO:(K20+Na20) diagram. 121 56. Volcanic samples and subsidiary gabbro in- trusion sample plotted on a Jensen Cation Plot. 122 57. Chondrite normalized plot. 126 58. Cu, Ni, Pt, and Pd histograms for the eastern lobe gabbros. 134 59. Contoured rock Cu results for trie southern half of the claim area. 138 60. Contoured rock Cu results for the northern half of the claim area. 139
viii
~ Page Cu/Cu+Ni plots across unit 1 pyroxenites. ► 61. 141 62. Schematic stratigraphic column for the marginal zone of the eastern lobe of the Bell River Complex. 146 63. General stratigraphic columns of several layered complexes. 149 64. Geologic map of the eastern lobe of the Bell River Complex showing the pace and compass traverses. 167 65. Location map for samples from the western lobe of the Bell River Complex. 168
ix LIST OF TABLES
Page
1. Table of formations. 7 2. Rock type classification. 25 3. Point count summary on lampropriyre dykes. 76 4. Primary plagioclase feldspar compositions. 87 5. Metamorphic plagioclase feldspar compositions. 93 6. Pyroxene compositions. 96 7. Olivine compositions. 102 8. Amphibole compositions. 105 9. Sulfide compositions. 107
10. Oxide compositions. 108 11. Whole rock analyses. 117 12. Rare earth element results.. 125 13. Summary of Cu, Ni, Pt, and Pd contents of gabbros. 137 14. Corrections to plagioclase analyses. 180 15. Initial oyroxene compositions on L160N. 208 16. REE elemental peaks, counters used, and counting times. 229
17. Rare earth element results with detection limits. 231 18. Rare earth element results for standards. 232
19. Cu and Ni results for standard samples. 234
x CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION
The Bell River complex is a layered gabbro intrusion located approximately 350 miles northwest of Montreal near Matagami, Quebec (Figure 1). The district is roughly bounded by latitudes 49°30'N and 49°55'N and by longitudes 76°45'W and 77°50'W. Matagami is easily accessible by route 61 from Amos, Quebec.
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The complex consists of eastern and western lobes
separated by granitic intrusions. The current research is centered on the eastern lobe which lies about 38
miles southeast of Matagami. The area is accessible
from Matagami by float plane or helicopter.
The present research began with field work for
Canadian Occidental Petroleum Ltd. during the summer of
1976. Geological mapping of the eastern lobe was
completed on a scale of 1" = 1000' by pace and compass
traverses. A part of this area (about 1.5 miles by
4.0 miles) was also grid mapped on a scale of 1" = 400'.
During a two week period in the fall of 1977, reconnai-
ssance mapping was completed of outcrops in the western lobe of the complex along the Bell River. In addition the grid area was revisited to complete more intensive samping of several rock units.
Topography
The eastern lobe of the Bell River complex lies within the Dalhousie Hills which rise as much as 500 ft. above the surrounding area. Exposures are common near the tops of individual hills underlain by Bell River rocks, but become very rare in the surrounding granites and volcanics. The best exposed part of the grid area
(up to 15% outcrop) is in the northwest. The majority of the grid area, however, contains only a few percent of. 3
outcrop. The western lobe of the complex is very poorly
exposed. The best exposures occur at the rapids along
the Bell River.
Previous work
Previous work in the Matagami area has concentrated
on the area around the Bell River. This situation was
initially due to the easier access in that area and
later to active exploration associated with the volcano-
genic massive sulfide deposits around Matagami.
The Bell River complex has been mentioned in various.
reports on the Matagami area including Longley (1943),
Claveau (1951), Beland (1953), and Jenny (1961). The
first evaluations of the complex itself were by Freeman
(1939) and Freeman and Black (1.944). Sharpe (1968)
investigated the area around Matagami in some detail.
He provides some of the most detailed work on the western
lobe of the complex. The eastern lobe of the complex was mentioned in reports by Freeman (1939), Freeman and Black (1944) , and Claveau (1951). 4
CHAPTER II REGIONAL GEOLOGY
The Bell River Complex lies near the north central margin of the Abitibi Orogenic Belt (Figure 2). It is one of three large mafic igneous complexes within the belt which also include the Dore Lake Complex near Chibougamou, Quebec and the Kamiskotia Complex near Timmins, Ontario. Figure 3 shows the regional geology in more detail. The western lobe of the complex is seen as a 25 mi. x 10 mi. body separated from the 8 mi x 8 mi. eastern lobe by granitic intrusions. The pre-granitic strike length of the complex was at least 40 miles. Volcanic rocks to the north and south of the complex merge into one belt west of Matagami. Sedimentary rocks are inter- calated with these volcanics near Matagami Lake and along the southern margin of the area. A large area of granitic rocks and migmatite occurs along the northern margin of the area. The general sequence for the area is shown in Table 1.
Volcanic Rocks
The volcanic rocks in the Matagami area have been divided into the Watson Lake and Wabassee Groups (Sharpe, 1968) . The older Watson Lake group contains mainly rhyolitic [tanin
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ABITIBI OROGENIC BELT .. M.»
'Ca. ONTARIO AND QUEBEC
Figure 2 Geologic map of Abitibi orogenic belt. Omitted from the map for cartographic reasons are diabase dikes and some thin pyritifetoua carbonaceous (± chert) zones in the Noranda-Val d'Or-Senneterre area. The latter are shown in Figure 2 as sulphide facies iron formation. (Goodwin and Hid 1er,1970