Chronology of Avalonian events on Presqu'île du Cap Miquelon (Le Cap), Saint-Pierre et Miquelon (France)

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Authors: Dunning, G.R., Lepvrier, C., O'brien, S.J., Colman-Sadd, S.P., Maluski, H.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1995
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e95-080; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e95-080

U/Pb geochronology and field studies on Presqu'île du Cap Miquelon demonstrate that amphibolite-grade metamorphism, ductile deformation, and subsequent plutonism in this part of the Appalachian Avalon Zone are of Proterozoic age. Clear, crosscutting relationships between a dated granite dyke (part of the Cap Blanc granite) and foliated, amphibolite-grade metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks provide a younger age limit of [Formula: see text] Ma for tectonism. Proterozoic titanite and hornblende ages indicate that no significant younger thermal overprint occurred such as those recorded in nearby southern Newfoundland. Deformation and metamorphism of the country rocks and intrusion of the Cap Blanc granite are at least 30 Ma older than the onset of deposition of the youngest Proterozoic volcano-sedimentary successions in adjacent insular Newfoundland. Possible equivalents of these younger sequences occur near Cap Blanc, and contain what may be interpreted as clasts of granite, dated at 620 ± 3 Ma. The Miquelon metamorphic sequence is unique with respect to the southern Newfoundland Appalachians in representing a significant area of Proterozoic migmatite, not observably affected by tectonothermal events after 580 Ma.