Archean and Paleoproterozoic cratonic rocks of Baffin Island

• Main Authors: St-Onge, M R, Scott, D J, Rayner, N, Sanborn-Barrie, M, Skipton, D R, Saumur, B M, Wodicka, N, Weller, O. M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Natural Resources Canada 2020
• Subjects: 05 - Petrology - Igneous; Metamorphic and Volcanic Studies; Baffin Island; Cumberland Peninsula; Hoare; Hoare Bay; Hudson; Lake Harbour; Baffin
• Online Access: http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/4750/; http://eprints.esc.cam.ac.uk/4750/1/gid_321824.pdf; https://doi.org/10.4095/321824

Archean and Paleoproterozoic cratonic rocks of Baffin Island define four stacked structural levels that are juxtaposed within the middle Paleoproterozoic Trans-Hudson Orogen. From north to south, and highest to lowest structural level, these comprise:1) the Archean Rae Craton, unconformably overlain along its southern margin by middle Paleoproterozoic supracrustal cover (Piling Group) and stratigraphically similar units of the Hoare Bay Group on Cumberland Peninsula; 2) Archean to middle Paleoproterozoic metaplutonic units and middle Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary cover (Lake Harbour Group), collectively termed the 'Meta Incognita microcontinent'; 3) middle Paleoproterozoic orthogneiss, interpreted as a deformed arc-magmatic terrane (Narsajuaq terrane) or alternatively as Narsajuaq-age intrusions emplaced in the Meta Incognita microcontinent; and 4) Archean orthogneiss, interpreted as the northern continuation of the lower-plate Superior Craton, and associated middle Paleoproterozoic continental-margin supracrustal cover (Povungnituk Group).