Possible cryptic tectono-magnetic fabrics in ‘post-tectonic’ granitoid plutons of the Canadian Shield

Abstract

Two late Archean granitic plutons forcefully intruded and thermally metamorphosed Archean schists. Feldspar magacrysts aligned concentrically with the margins during inflation. Substantial tectonic deformation never affected the plutons. Nevertheless, both plutons show the same, consistently oriented, cryptic magnetic fabric revealed by anisotropy of low field susceptibility (AMS) from 134 samples. They have an NE-SW vertical magnetic foliation and a magnetic lineation trending 060/15. Eigenvalues of the orientation distribution of principal susceptibilities show that the magnetic fabrics have almost identical strengths, orientations and symmetry in both plutons. We propose a post-magmatic reactivation of the earlier regional tectonic shortening. This imparted a ‘cryptic tectonic’ magnetic fabric on the plutons that overprinted the magmatic AMS fabric in most outcrops. The plutons' AMS fabrics are subparallel to the much older schistosity of the country rocks. Because multidomain magnetite provides > 99% of the low field susceptibility of the rocks, it controls the AMS. However, we see no alignment of the magnetite grains. Thus, magnetic anisotropy may be due to stress alignment of intragranular domain walls and not controlled by grain shape, as usually assumed for magnetite.