Detrital zircon evidence for Paleoproterozoic West African crust along the eastern North American continental margin, Georges Bank, offshore Massachusetts, USA

Abstract

Research Article| July 10, 2017 Detrital zircon evidence for Paleoproterozoic West African crust along the eastern North American continental margin, Georges Bank, offshore Massachusetts, USA Yvette D. Kuiper; Yvette D. Kuiper * 1Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 1516 Illinois Street, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA *E-mail: ykuiper@mines.edu Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Margaret D. Thompson; Margaret D. Thompson 2Department of Geosciences, Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Sandra M. Barr; Sandra M. Barr 3Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Chris E. White; Chris E. White 4Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 698, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2T9, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar J. Christopher Hepburn; J. Christopher Hepburn 5Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar James L. Crowley James L. Crowley 6Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725, USA Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Yvette D. Kuiper * 1Department of Geology and Geological Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, 1516 Illinois Street, Golden, Colorado 80401, USA Margaret D. Thompson 2Department of Geosciences, Wellesley College, 106 Central Street, Wellesley, Massachusetts 02481, USA Sandra M. Barr 3Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia B4P 2R6, Canada Chris E. White 4Department of Natural Resources, P.O. Box 698, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3J 2T9, Canada J. Christopher Hepburn 5Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Boston College, 140 Commonwealth Avenue, Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts 02467, USA James L. Crowley 6Department of Geosciences, Boise State University, 1910 University Drive, Boise, Idaho 83725, USA *E-mail: ykuiper@mines.edu Publisher: Geological Society of America Received: 04 Apr 2017 Revision Received: 11 May 2017 Accepted: 15 May 2017 First Online: 10 Jul 2017 Online Issn: 1943-2682 Print Issn: 0091-7613 © 2017 Geological Society of America Geology (2017) 45 (9): 811–814. https://doi.org/10.1130/G39203.1 Article history Received: 04 Apr 2017 Revision Received: 11 May 2017 Accepted: 15 May 2017 First Online: 10 Jul 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Yvette D. Kuiper, Margaret D. Thompson, Sandra M. Barr, Chris E. White, J. Christopher Hepburn, James L. Crowley; Detrital zircon evidence for Paleoproterozoic West African crust along the eastern North American continental margin, Georges Bank, offshore Massachusetts, USA. Geology 2017;; 45 (9): 811–814. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/G39203.1 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Basement rocks from the Continental Offshore Stratigraphic Test (COST) No. G-1 petroleum exploration well, Georges Bank, offshore Massachusetts, USA, show the first direct evidence for a fragment of Paleoproterozoic West African crust preserved along the eastern North American continental margin. Detrital zircon from two metawacke samples near the base of the core yielded ca. 3.05–1.90 Ga laser ablation–inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry dates, with a predominant 2.2–2.0 Ga population. This detrital zircon signature is consistent with that in the Taghdout Group of the Anti-Atlas region, which is part of the Paleoproterozoic passive margin rocks deposited directly on the Archean–Paleoproterozoic WAC shortly after its formation. African provenance has previously been recognized for the Suwannee and Meguma terranes in the southern and northern Appalachians, respectively. However, these areas represent Neoproterozoic–Paleozoic sedimentary basins, deposited well over a billion years after formation of the Paleoproterozoic WAC and cover rocks, including those in the COST No. G-1 well. The Paleoproterozoic rocks in the COST No. G-1 well were likely amalgamated with the North American margin during final closure of the Rheic Ocean and assembly of Pangea near the end of the Paleozoic. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.