SHRIMP U–Pb Zircon Evidence for Age, Provenance, And
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Document generated on 09/29/2021 7:13 a.m. Atlantic Geology Journal of the Atlantic Geoscience Society Revue de la Société Géoscientifique de l'Atlantique SHRIMP U–Pb zircon evidence for age, provenance, and tectonic history of early Paleozoic Ganderian rocks, east-central Maine, USA Allan Ludman, John Aleinikoff, Henry N. Berry IV and John T. Hopeck Volume 54, 2018 Article abstract SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages from Ganderia in eastern Maine clarify the ages and URI: https://id.erudit.org/iderudit/1055421ar provenance of basement units in the Miramichi and St. Croix terranes and of DOI: https://doi.org/10.4138/atlgeol.2018.012 cover rocks in the Fredericton trough and Central Maine/Aroostook-Matapedia basin (CMAM). These new data constrain timing of orogenic events and help See table of contents understand the origin of the cover rock depocenters. Detrital zircon data generally confirm suggested ages of the formations sampled. Zircon grains with ages of ca. 430 Ma in both depocenters, only slightly older than their host Publisher(s) rocks, were probably derived from the earliest volcanic eruptions in the Eastport-Mascarene belt. Their presence indicates that unnamed CMAM Atlantic Geoscience Society sandstone units may be as young as Pridoli and their absence from the Appleton Ridge and Digdeguash formations suggests that these formations are ISSN older than initial Eastport-Mascarene volcanism. Detrital and volcanic zircon ages confirm a Late Cambrian to Middle Ordovician age for the Miramichi 0843-5561 (print) succession and date Miramichi volcanism at 469.3 ± 4.6 Ma. In the St. Croix 1718-7885 (digital) terrane, zircon grain with an age of 477.4 ± 3.7 Ma from an ashfall at the base of the Kendall Mountain Formation and age spectra and fossils from overlying Explore this journal quartz arenite suggest that the formation may span Floian to Sandbian time. The main source of CMAM and Fredericton sediment was recycled Ganderian basement from terranes emergent after Late Ordovician orogenesis, Cite this article supplemented by Silurian tephra. Zircon barcodes and lithofacies and tectonic models suggest little, if any, input from Laurentia or Avalonia. Zircon- and Ludman, A., Aleinikoff, J., Berry IV, H. & Hopeck, J. (2018). SHRIMP U–Pb zircon fossil-based ages indicate coeval Upper Ordovician deformation in the St. Croix evidence for age, provenance, and tectonic history of early Paleozoic (ca. 453 to 442 Ma) and Miramichi (ca. 453 to 446 Ma) terranes. Salinic folding Ganderian rocks, east-central Maine, USA. Atlantic Geology, 54, 335–387. in the southeastern Fredericton trough is bracketed between the 421.9 ± 2.4 Ma https://doi.org/10.4138/atlgeol.2018.012 age of the Pocomoonshine gabbro-diorite and 430 Ma detrital zircons in the Flume Ridge Formation. Zircon ages, lithofacies analysis, and paleontological evidence support the origin of the Fredericton trough as a Salinic foredeep. The CMAM basin cannot have been an Acadian foreland basin, as sedimentation began millions of years before Acadian subduction. All Rights Reserved ©, 2018 Atlantic Geology 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/ SHRIMP U–Pb zircon evidence for age, provenance, and tectonic history of early Paleozoic Ganderian rocks, east-central Maine, USA Allan Ludman1*, John Aleinikoff2, Henry N. Berry IV3, and John T. Hopeck4 1. School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Queens College (CUNY), Flushing, New York 11367, USA 2. United States Geological Survey, MS 973, Denver, Colorado 80225, USA 3. Maine Geological Survey, 93 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333, USA 4 Maine Department of Environmental Protection, 17 State House Station, Augusta, Maine 04333, USA *Corresponding author <[email protected]> Date received: 27 November 2017 ¶ Date accepted: 01 October 2018 ABSTRACT SHRIMP U–Pb zircon ages from Ganderia in eastern Maine clarify the ages and provenance of basement units in the Miramichi and St. Croix terranes and of cover rocks in the Fredericton trough and Central Maine/ Aroostook-Matapedia basin (CMAM). These new data constrain timing of orogenic events and help understand the origin of the cover rock depocenters. Detrital zircon data generally confirm suggested ages of the formations sampled. Zircon grains with ages of ca. 430 Ma in both depocenters, only slightly older than their host rocks, were probably derived from the earliest volcanic eruptions in the Eastport-Mascarene belt. Their presence indicates that unnamed CMAM sandstone units may be as young as Pridoli and their absence from the Appleton Ridge and Digdeguash formations suggests that these formations are older than initial Eastport-Mascarene volcanism. Detrital and volcanic zircon ages confirm a Late Cambrian to Middle Ordovician age for the Miramichi succession and date Miramichi volcanism at 469.3 ± 4.6 Ma. In the St. Croix terrane, zircon grain with an age of 477.4 ± 3.7 Ma from an ashfall at the base of the Kendall Mountain Formation and age spectra and fossils from overlying quartz arenite suggest that the formation may span Floian to Sandbian time. The main source of CMAM and Fredericton sediment was recycled Ganderian basement from terranes emergent after Late Ordovician orogenesis, supplemented by Silurian tephra. Zircon barcodes and lithofacies and tectonic models suggest little, if any, input from Laurentia or Avalonia. Zircon- and fossil-based ages indicate coeval Upper Ordovician deformation in the St. Croix (ca. 453 to 442 Ma) and Miramichi (ca. 453 to 446 Ma) terranes. Salinic folding in the southeastern Fredericton trough is bracketed between the 421.9 ± 2.4 Ma age of the Pocomoonshine gabbro-diorite and 430 Ma detrital zircons in the Flume Ridge Formation. Zircon ages, lithofacies analysis, and paleontological evidence support the origin of the Fredericton trough as a Salinic foredeep. The CMAM basin cannot have been an Acadian foreland basin, as sedimentation began millions of years before Acadian subduction. RÉSUMÉ Le système de datation U-Pb sur zircon au moyen du SHRIMP de Ganderia dans l’est du Maine clarifie la datation et la provenance d’unités souterraines des terranes de Miramichi et St. Croix et des rochers de la dépression de Frédéricton au bassin du centre du Maine et d’Aroostook-Matapédia (CMAM). Ces nouvelles données limitent l’échelonnement des phénomènes orogéniques et facilitent la compréhension de l’origine des zones de dépôt du rocher. Les données sur le zircon détritique confirment généralement la datation suggérée des formations échantillonnées. Les grains de zircon datant d’environ 430 Ma dans les deux zones de dépôt, à peine plus anciens que leurs roches hôtes, provenaient probablement des premières éruptions volcaniques de la région d’Eastport- Mascarene. Leur présence indique que les unités sans noms de grès du CMAM pourraient être aussi jeunes que Pridoli et leur absence des formations d’Appleton Ridge et Digdeguash suggère que ces formations sont plus anciennes que le volcanisme d’origine d’Eastport-Mascarene. La datation du zircon détritique et volcanique confirme l’âge avancé du Cambrien au milieu de l’âge du Ordovicien pour la succession de Miramichi et évalue l’âge du volcanisme de Miramichi à 469,3 ± 4,6 Ma. Dans la terranne de St. Croix, le grain de zircon datant de 477,4 ± 3,7 Ma à partir d’une chute de cendre à la base de la formation de la Kendall Mountain et d’un spectre d’âge et de fossiles aérnite de quartz superposé suggère que la formation traverse la période de Floian à Sandbian. La source principale de sédiment du CMAM et de Frédéricton provenait de recyclage souterrain de Ganderian à ATLANTIC GEOLOGY 54, 335–387 (2018) doi:10.4138/atlgeol.2018.012 Copyright © Atlantic Geology, 2018 0843-5561|18|0335–0387$8.95|0 ATLANTIC GEOLOGY · VOLUME 54 · 2018 336 partir des terrannes émergentes à la suite de l’orogenèse tardive d’Ordovician, complétés par le tephra Silurien. Les codes à barres et lithofaciès de zircon et les modèles tectoniques suggèrent peu, voir aucune donnée de Laurentia ou d’Avalonia. La datation selon le zircon et le fossile indique le même âge que la déformation de l’Ordovicien supérieur dans les terrannes de St. Croix (environ de 453 à 442 Ma) et Miramichi (environ de 453 à 446 Ma). Le pli salinique au sud-est de la dépression de Frédéricton se trouve dans une fourchette d’âge entre l’âge du gabbro-diorite de Pocomoonshine 421,9 ± 2,4 Ma et 430 Ma de zircons détritiques dans la Formation de Flume Ridge. La datation du zircon, les analyses de lithofaciès et les preuves paléontologiques soutiennent l’origine de la dépression de Frédéricton en tant qu’avant-fosse salinique. Le bassin du CMAM ne peut pas avoir été un bassin d’avant-pays acadien puisque la sédimentation a commencé des millions d’années avant la subduction acadienne. [Traduit par la redaction] INTRODUCTION eny completed the accretion of Ganderia to Laurentia. Emergent highlands composed of Ganderian basement This study was undertaken to address problematic strati- rocks supplied sediment to the adjacent Fredericton and graphic and tectonic interpretations in east-central and CMAM depocenters from the Late Ordovician through Late eastern Maine that could not be resolved by mapping and Silurian (Ludman et al. 2017). These sedimentary rocks were lithofacies analysis. The goals of this study are to use ages of subsequently folded during the Salinic orogeny, and again detrital, volcanic, and plutonic zircon to (1) constrain the during Early Devonian (Acadian) accretion of Avalonia stratigraphic ages of mostly unfossiliferous sandstone units (Fyffe et al.