Post-Aphebian uplift deduced from remanent magnetization, Yellowknife area of Slave Province

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Authors: Schwarz, Erik J., Buchan, Kenneth L., Cazavant, Alain
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1985
• Subjects: Dogrib; Yellowknife
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e85-190; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e85-190

Remanent magnetization in five Indin, three Dogrib, two Archean, and one Mackenzie dyke contact zone(s) from the Yellowknife area of the Canadian Precambrian Shield has been studied in order to establish the ambient temperature of the host rock and the depth of burial of the present erosion surface at the time of intrusion. A positive baked-contact test for an Aphebian Indin dyke demonstrates the primary nature of the dyke magnetization. From this contact, eight individual specimen determinations of the ambient host-rock temperature at the time of intrusion yield an average of 211 °C, with a standard deviation of 18 °C and probable error of ± 36 °C. Assuming a paleogeothermal gradient of 44 °C/km (± 30%) the estimated depth of burial of the present erosion surface is [Formula: see text]. None of the remaining contacts yield estimates of the depth of burial. However, the results from the three Dogrib contacts illustrate complications such as chemical overprinting that must be considered when analysis is made of magnetization in igneous contact zones. Thus, only one spot reading of the depth of burial of the area has been obtained. Correlation of the Indin result with a result from the Matheson area of Ontario and with stratigraphic indicators is uncertain because of large intervening distances and the occurrence of younger structural zones.