Late Proterozoic tectonic events in southern Finland, constrained by 40Ar/39Ar incremental heating and single spot fusion experiments on K‐feldspars

Abstract

The post‐Svecofennian tectonic development of southern Finland is controlled by intrusion of rapakivi granites (and associated rocks), reactivation of Svecofennian wrench zones, formation of sedimentary basins and successive intrusion of olivine dolerite dykes and sills. Relative age determinations have revealed that fault reactivation acted before, simultaneously and after intrusion of the rapakivi granites. Results of 40Ar/39Ar geochronometry of the Porkkala–Mäntsälä fault (30 km west of Helsinki) reveal ages predominantly in the range 950–1300 Myr. These ages are all significantly younger than the intrusion age of the rapakivi granites. It is suggested that these ages represent tectonic events related to the intrusion of olivine dolerite dykes and sills in SW Finland and the Sveconorwegian Orogeny active further west. 40Ar/39Ar ages of a sample taken from the Obbnäs granite (U–Pb zircon ages of 1645 ± 5 Myr) show ages predom‐inantly in the range of 1400–1550 Myr. These ages are suggested to represent either cooling ages of the granite or ages associated with the formation of the sedimentary grabens.