Contribution of Grenvillian events to the formation of most complete Riphean sedimentary successions in Northern Eurasia

Abstract

The Grenvillian orogeny (∼1250 to 980 Ma) was one of the most significant Riphean events. It determined the formation of many structures observable now in North and South America, northwestern Europe, South Africa, Western Australia, Antarctica, and other regions. Nevertheless, its reflections in the most complete and relatively well investigated Upper Precambrian sedimentary sections of northern Eurasia such as the Riphean stratotype (Bashkir meganticlinorium) and hypostratotype (Uchur-Maya region) still remain unknown. This is primarily true of the petrographic and chemical compositions of terrigenous rocks. This work is dedicated to the analysis of peculiar features in variations of the whole-rock chemical composition of sandstones and fine-grained clastic rocks (shales, mudstones, fine-grained clayey siltstones) that constitute Middle-Upper Riphean boundary layers of the Bashkir meganticlinorium, Kama-Belaya aulacogen, and Uchur-Maya region. The analysis reveals no tendency for the decrease in the degree of the chemical and, consequently, mineralogical maturity in the upward direction through the Middle-Upper Riphean sections in the above-mentioned regions. The whole-rock compositions of fine-grained clastic rocks associated with sandstones correspond mostly to that of “common” Upper Precambrian clayey rocks. The formation of practically the entire Yurmatinian-Karatavian succession in the Bashkir meganticlinorium proceeded under relatively stable TDM and ɛNd(T) values. The period of 1250 to 980 Ma in the central and eastern parts of the Siberian Platform was marked by repeated rifting episodes alternating with accumulation of mature platformal sediments, although repercussions of Grenvillian collisional processes are missing from this region as well. The performed analysis provides grounds for the conclusion that contribution of the Grenvillian events to the formation of most complete Riphean successions in northern Eurasia was insignificant.