Geology of a Portion of the Contwoyto Lake Area, Northwest Territories: ABSTRACT

Abstract

Approximately 24 square miles of Archean (?) igneous and metamorphic rocks have been mapped at a scale of 1 inch equals 1,000 feet in an area centered 5 miles south of the central part of Contwoyto Lake, N.W.T. The oldest rock unit is apparently a quartz-plagioclase-biotite-K-feldspar paragneiss containing numerous pegmatitic segregations of quartz, plagioclase, K-feldspar, and minor amounts of muscovite, tourmaline, and apatite. A sequence of low- to medium-grade meta-sediments overlies the paragneiss. In the northern part of the area, these rocks are largely quartz-chlorite-muscovite phyllites. As the grade of metamorphism increases southward, biotite, almandite, andalusite, cordierite, and staurolite become common. Approximately 20 beds of quartz-hornblende-almandite amphibolite up to 10 feet in width have been mapped in the schist sequence. The phyllites, schists, and amphibolites are believed to be correlative with the Yellowknife group. Two biotite granite bodies approximately one mile in diameter intrude the Yellowknife group metasediments. The sediments are also cut by diabase dikes 20-100 feet in width, and a gabbro stock 3/8 mile in diameter. Pyrrhotite, pyrite, and arsenopyrite are found locally in a few of the amphibolite beds. Gold mineralization is locally present in some of the tightly folded pyrrhotite and arsenopyrite-bearing amphibolites. End_of_Article - Last_Page 520------------