Abstract
Biotite-rich syenitic stocks in the Mont-Laurier area of the southwestern Grenville Province are shown to belong to the first recorded Proterozoic example of an ultrapotassic, K-rich alkaline and shoshonitic rock association with clear arc affinities. The plutons investigated were previously considered mostly syenitic, typical of nepheline syenite alkaline suites, slightly metamorphosed and late-tectonic with respect to the Grenville orogeny. We find that they postdate the regional metamorphism and comprise a felsic to ultramafic range of rock types belonging to two series: (1) a potassic-to-ultrapotassic, silica-undersaturated series of biotite-rich nepheline-bearing syenite, syenite, monzonite, diorite and pyroxenite, and (2) a shoshonitic, critically silicasaturated series of quartz syenite and amphibole-bearing syenite, with rare monzonite and diorite. The ubiquitous biotite, previously regarded as metamorphic, is reinterpreted as igneous and diagnostic of the potassic character. The shoshonitic and potassic series display the strong enrichment in Al, Ca, K and large-ion-lithophile elements relative to the high-field-strength elements (e.g. Ba/Nb≤722, La/YB∼45) and the low contents in Mg that are characteristic of arc-related magmas. The syenitic rocks consistently share the distinctive arc-related geochemical signature of their mafic counterparts. Syenites may thus represent a potential source of paleotectonic information for high grade terranes. Geochemical discriminants (NbN/TaN and HfN/TiN ratios) indicate that the shoshonitic and potassic series are unrelated by closedsystem fractionation processes. Rather, the chemical differences between the two series probably reflect differences in source characteristics and conditions of melting. Similar plutons occur throughout the Central Metasedimentary Belt of the southwestern Grenville Province. They define a 1089 to 1076 Ma, 450-km-long grenvillian potassic alkaline plutonic (PAP) province. The presence of this K-rich alkaline province indicates that the scarcity of K-rich rocks in the Precambrian could be only apparent and a consequence of misidentification of K-rich plutons in metamorphosed Precambrian terranes. These 1.1 Ga ultrapotassic to shoshonitic plutonic rocks are geochemically similar to shoshonites and leucitites of the Sunda arc. This similarity suggests that subduction-type enrichment processes were operating in the Proterozoic in ways similar to those of modern settings.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bachinski SW, Simpson EL (1984) Ti-phlogopites of the Shaw's Cove minette: a comparison with micas of other lamprophyres, potassic rocks, kimberlites, and mantle xenoliths. Am Mineral 69:41–56
Barnes S-J, Gorton MP (1984) Trace element analysis by neutron activation with a low flux reactor (Slowpoke-II): results for international reference rocks. Geostandard Newslett 8:17–23
Bartlett JR (1983) Stratigraphy, physical volcanology and geochemistry of the Belmont Lake metavolcanic complex, southeastern Ontario. MSc Thesis, Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada
Bartlett JR, Moore JM Jr (1985) Geology of the Belmont Lake, Marmora, and southern Methuen townships, Peterborough and Hastings counties. Ont Geol Surv Open File Rep 5537
Barton M, Hamilton DL (1982) Water-undersaturated melting experiments bearing upon the origin of potassium-rich magmas. Mineral Mag 45:267–278
Bergman SC (1987) Lamproites and other potassium-rich igneous rocks: a review of their occurrence, mineralogy and geochemistry. In: Fitton JG, Upton BGJ (eds) Alkaline rocks. Geol Soc London Spec Publ 30:103–190
Britton JM (1979) Late-tectonic syenite and granite plutons of the Grenville Province of southwest Quebec and southeast Ontario. Geol Surv Can Pap 79-1B:163–166
Brown PA, Thivierge R (1979) A preliminary report on the Mount Moriah syenite. At Energy Can Tech Rep TR-15
Corriveau L (1982) Physical conditions of the regional and the retrograde metamorphism in the pelitic gneiss of the Chicoutimi area. MSc Thesis Queen's University, Kingston, Canada
Corriveau L (1984) Account of field observations on rock units and structural features of the syenitic complexes of the Mont-Laurier area, Central Metasedimentary Belt, Grenville Province of Québec. Geol Surv Can Pap 84-1A:303–306
Corriveau L (1989) Potassi alkaline plutonism in the southwestern Grenville Province. PhD Thesis, McGill University, Montréal, Canada
Corriveau L (1990) Proterozoic subduction and terrane amalgamation in the southwestern Grenville Province, Canada: evidence from ultrapotassic to shoshonitic plutonism. Geology 15:614–617
Corriveau L, Heaman LM, Marcantonio F, van Breemen O (1990) 1.1 Ga K-rich alkaline plutonism in the southwestern Grenville Province/U-Pb constraints for the timing of subduction-related magmatism. Contrib Mineral Petrol 105:473–485
Cox KG, Bell JD, Pankhurst RJ (1979) The interpretation of igneous rocks. Allen and Unwin London
Currie KL (1976) The alkaline rocks of Canada. Geol Surv Can Bull 239:198–201
de la Rue AE (1948) Nominingue and Sicotte map-areas, Labelle and Gatineau counties. Min Énergie Res Qué RG 23
de la Rue AE (1953) Kensington area, Gatineau and Labelle counties. Min Énergie Res Qué RG 50
de la Rue AE (1956) Trente-et-un Milles Lake area, Electoral districts of Papineau, Labelle and Gatineau. Min Énergie Res Qué RG 67
Dostal J (1975) Geochemistry and petrology of the Loon Lake pluton, Ontario. Can J Earth Sci 12:1331–1345
Dupuy C, Dostal J, Marcelot G, Bougault H, Joron JL, Treuil M (1982) Geochemistry of basalts from central and southern New Hebrides arc: implications for their source rock composition. Earth Planet Sci Let 60:207–225
Durocher ME (1977) Petrology of the Gracefield pluton. MSc Thesis, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario
Foley SF, Venturelli G, Green DH, Toscani L (1987) The ultrapotassic rocks: characteristics, classification, and constraints for petrogenetic models. Earth-Sci Rev 24:81–134
Fowler MB (1988) Elemental evidence for crustal contamination of mantle-derived Caledonian syenite by metasediment anatexis and magma mixing. Chem Geol 69:1–16
Francalanci L, Peccerillo A, Poli G (1987) Partition coefficients for minerals in potassium-alkaline rocks: data from Roman province (central Italy). Geochem J Geochem Soc Japan 21: 1–10
Friend CRL, Janardhan AS (1984) Mineral chemistry of coexisting phases from shonkinitic rocks, Salem, Tamil Nadu, India. Mineral Mag 48:181–193
Gauthier M (1982) Métallogénie du zinc dans la région de Maniwaki-Gracefield, Québec. Min Énergie Res Qué MM 82-03
Gorton MP (1977) The geochemistry and origin of Quaternary volcanism in the New Hebrides. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 41:1257–1270
Heaman LM, Davis DW, Krogh TE, Lumbers SB (1987) Geological evolution of the Central Metasedimentary Belt (CMB), Ontario: a U-Pb perspective. Geol Assoc Can/Mineral Assoc Can Prog Abstr 12:54
Hewitt DF (1968) Geology of the Madoc township and the north part of the Huntington township. Ont Dep Mines Geolog Rep 73
Hogarth DD (1981) Partie ouest de la région de Quinnville. Min Énergie Res Qué DPV-816
Indares A (1982) L'évolution des conditions de température et de pression pendant le métamorphisme catazonal dans la région de Maniwaki, province de Grenville, bouclier canadien. MSc Thesis, Université de Montréal, Montréal, Canada
Indares A, Martignole J (1984) Evolution of P-T conditions during a high-grade metamorphic event in the Maniwaki area (Grenville Province). Can J Earth Sci 21:853–863
Irvine TN, Baragar WRA (1971) A guide to the chemical classification of the common volcanic rocks. Can J Earth Sci 8:523–548
Jacoby R (1975) Région du réservoir Baskatong. Min Energie Res Qué RG 167
Kuehner SM, Edgar AD, Arima M (1981) Petrogenesis of the ultrapotassic rocks from the Leucite Hills, Wyoming. Am Mineral 66:663–677
Kwak TAP (1987) W-Sn skarn deposits and related metamorphic skarns and granitoids. In: Developments in economic geology 24. Elsevier, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, pp 82–84
Langworthy AP, Black LP (1978) The Mordor complex: a highly differentiated potassic intrusion with kimberlitic affinities in central Australia. Contrib Mineral Petrol 67:51–62
Larsen ES (1940) Petrographic province of central Montana. Geol Soc Am Bull 51:887–948
Leat PL, Thompson RN, Morrison MA, Hendry GL, Dickin AP (1988) Silicic magmas derived by fractional crystallization from Miocene minette, Elkhead Mountains, Colorado. Mineral Mag 52:577–585
Le Bas MJ (1987) Ultra-alkaline magmatism with or without rifting. Tectonophysics 143:75–84
Lumbers SB (1982) Summary of metallogeny Renfrew County area. Ont Geol Surv Rep 212
Lumbers SB, Heaman LM, Vertolli VM, Wu T-W (1990) Nature and timing of Middle Proterozoic magmatism in the Central Metasedimentary Belt, Grenville Province. Ontario Geol Soc Can Spec Pap 38:243–278
Luth WC (1967) Studies in the system KAlSiO4-Mg2SiO4-SiO2-H2O: I inferred phase relations and petrologic applications. J Petrol 8:372–416
Miller TP (1972) Potassium-rich alkaline intrusive rocks of western Alaska. Geol Soc Am Bull 83:2111–2128
Nakamura N (1974) Determination of REE, Ba, Mg, Na and K in carbonaceous and ordinary chondrites. Geochim Cosmochim Acta 38:757–775
Nash WP, Wilkinson JFG (1970) Shonkin Sag laccolith, Montana. I. Mafic minerals and estimates of temperature, pressure, oxygen fugacity and silica activity. Contrib Mineral Petrol 25:241–269
Nelson DR, Black LP, McCulloch MT (1989) Nd-Pb isotopic characteristics of the Mordor complex, Northern Territory: mid Proterozoic potassic magmatism from an enriched mantle source. Australian J Earth Sci 36: 541–551
O'Brien HE, Irving AJ, McCallum IS (1988) Complex zoning and resorption of phenocrysts in mixed potassic mafic magmas of the Highwood Mountains, Montana. Am Mineral 73: 1007–1024
Osborne FF (1935) Labelle-L'Annonciation map-area. Min Énergie Res Qué An Rep E
Pearce JA, Cann JR (1973) Tectonic setting of basic volcanic rocks determined using trace element analyses. Earth Planet Sci Lett 19: 290–300
Peccerillo A, Taylor SR (1976) Geochemistry of Eocene calc-alkaline volcanic rocks from the Kastamonu area, northern Turkey. Contrib Mineral Petrol 58: 63–81
Rive M (1976) Région de Sainte Véronique. Min Énergie Res Qué RG 182
Rivers T, Martignole J, Gower CF, Davidson A (1989) A new tectonic division of the Grenville Province, southeast Canadian Shield. Tectonics 8: 63–84
Rock NMS (1987a) The need for standardization of normalized multi-element diagrams in geochemistry: a comment. Geochem J 21: 75–84
Rock NMS (1987b) The nature and origin of lamprophyres: an overview. In: Fitton JG, Upton BGL (eds) Alkaline rocks. Geol Soc London Spec Publ 30: 191–226
Rock NMS (1991) Lamprophyres van Nostrand Reinhold New York
Rogers NW, Hawkesworth CJ, Parker RJ, Marsh JS (1985) The geochemistry of potassic lavas from Vulsini, central Italy and implications for mantle enrichment processes beneath the Roman region. Contrib Mineral Petrol 90: 244–257
Shaw DM (1962) Chandos township. Ont Dep Mines Geol Rep 11
Smith IE, White AJR, Chappel BW, Eggleton RA (1988) Fractionation in a zoned monzonite pluton: Mount Dromedary, southeastern Australia. Geol Mag 125: 273–284
Stolz AJ, Varne R, Wheller GE, Foden JD, Abbott MJ (1988) The geochemistry and petrogenesis of K-rich alkaline volcanics from the Batu Tara volcano, eastern Sunda arc. Contrib Mineral Petrol 98: 374–389
Sun S-S (1980) Lead isotopic study of young volcanic rocks from mid-ocean ridges, ocean islands and island arcs. Philos Trans R Soc London A 297: 409–445
Tabet Abdul-Malak V (1978) Le complexe alcalin de Sainte Véronique (Québec, Canada): pétrologie et géochimie. Thèse de 3ème cycle, Université Claude Bernard, Lyon, France
Themistocleous SG (1981) Geology of the Khartum area, Renfrew county. Ont Geol Surv Rep 211
Thompson RN (1982) Magmatism of the British Tertiary volcanic province. Scott J Geol 18: 50–107
Thompson RN, Fowler MB (1986) Subduction-related shoshonitic and ultrapotassic magmatism: a study of Siluro-Ordovician syenites from the Scottish Caledonides. Contrib Mineral Petrol 94: 507–522
Upton BGJ, Thomas JE (1973) Precambrian potassic ultramafic rocks: south Greenland. J Petrol 14: 509–534
Varne R, Foden JD (1986) Geochemical and isotopic systematics of eastern Sunda Arc volcanics: implications for mantle sources and mantle mixing processes. In: Wezel FC (ed) The origin of arcs. Elzevier, Amsterdam, pp 159–189
Wallace P, Carmichael ISE (1989) Minette lavas and associated leucitites from the western front of the Mexican Volcanic Belt: petrology, chemistry, and origin. Contrib Mineral Petrol 103: 470–492
Watson EB, Harrisson TM (1983) Zircon saturation revisited: temperature and composition effects in a variety of crustal magma types. Earth Planet Sci Lett 56: 405–421
Wheatley M, Rock NMS (1988) Spider: a Macintosh program to generate normalized multi-element “spidergrams”. Am Mineral 73: 919–921
Wheller GE, Varne R, Foden JD, Abbott MJ (1987) Geochemistry of Quaternary volcanism in the Sunda-Banda arc, Indonesia, and three-component genesis of island-arc basaltic magmas. J Volcan Geotherm Res 32: 137–160
Woolley AR (1987) Alkaline rocks and carbonatites of the world. Part I: North and South America. University of Texas Press, Austin
Wynne-Edwards HR (1967) Westport map-area, Ontario, with special emphasis on the Precambrian rocks. Geol Surv Can Mem 346
Wynne-Edwards HR (1972) The Grenville Province. Geol Assoc Can Spec Pap 11: 163–182
Wynne-Edwards HR, Gregory AF, Hay PW, Giovanella CA, Reinhardt EW (1966) Mont-Laurier and Kempt Lake map-areas, Québec. Geol Surv Can Pap 66-32
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Corriveau, L., Gorton, M.P. Coexisting K-rich alkaline and shoshonitic magmatism of arc affinities in the Proterozoic: a reassessment of syenitic stocks in the southwestern Grenville Province. Contr. Mineral. and Petrol. 113, 262–279 (1993). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00283233
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00283233