Geochronology of granitic and supracrustal rocks from the northern part of the East Greenland Caledonides: ion microprobe U–Pb zircon ages

Abstract

Granitoid rocks from different settings within the northern part of the East Greenland Caledonian fold belt have yielded U–Pb zircon dates between 2000 and 1730 Ma, confirming the Palaeoproterozoic origin of the crystalline basement. Widespread sandstone sequences occur both in the Caledonian fold belt and in the foreland to the west; all of these have been assigned to the Independence Fjord Group, and attributed a Mesoproterozoic age on geological maps. However, metarhyolitic rocks associated with the sandstones in the Caledonian fold belt have yielded an age of 1740 ± 6 Ma, significantly older than anticipated. Zircon ages for a sandstone sample in the same area suggest deposition after the end of Palaeoproterozoic orogenic events, but in part prior to emplacement of the rhyolitic rocks at 1740 Ma; sandstone from another locality may have been deposited before emplacement of the latest Proterozoic granite sheets. Field relations suggest that some granitic veins and sheets might be Caledonian in age, but, with one possible exception, all those analysed proved to be Proterozoic. The apparent absence of Caledonian granites in the northern part of the East Greenland Caledonides, despite regional high-grade metamorphism, may be related to the lack of major occurrences of pelitic supracrustal rocks within the crystalline basement complexes.