Pb-Pb age of Jatulian carbonate rocks: The Tulomozero Formation of southeast Karelia

Abstract

The U-Pb systematics of 25 carbonate samples collected from the Upper Jatulian Tulomozero Formation in southeastern area of the Baltic shield has been studied. The U-Pb systems of Jatulian carbonates metamorphosed here under conditions of the greenschist facies likely have not been reset completely. Samples have been collected from core sections recovered by drilling 60 to 70 km apart from each other in western and eastern areas of the Onega Lake region. In majority, the rocks sampled characterize a thick upper member of the Tulomozero Formation, and a few samples have been collected in addition from its middle and lower members. The analyzed dolomitic rocks (Mg/Ca=0.60–0.68) have variable Mn (54–1450 ppm) and Sr (31–438 ppm) concentrations. Powdered dolomite samples have been treated preliminary in 1 N solution of ammonium acetate in order to get material for analysis enriched in pre-metamorphic carbonate phases in terms of U-Pb systematics. Five samples have been subjected to stepwise dissolution in 0.5 N HBr to analyze their carbonate phases L-1, L-2, L-3 and siliciclastic fraction for getting a deeper insight into the U-Pb systematics. The U-Pb characteristics of carbonate and siliciclastic fractions suggest deposition of studied carbonate sediments in two different paleobasins. In addition, they show for same samples the partial Pb redistribution between carbonate and siliciclastic components in the course of metamorphism and Pb gain from allogenic metamorphic fluids. The Pb-Pb date of 2090 ± 70 Ma (MSWD = 2.0) is estimated for the least altered dolomite samples from upper member of the Tulomozero Formation, which represent marine sediments of a paleobasin and contain a minimum of siliciclastic material, being the least-contaminated by gained Pb. The date obtained is well consistent with U-Pb and Sm-Nd ages established for the Jatulian volcanogenic rocks in northern and western areas of the Baltic shield.