Rb–Sr geochronology of the Coldwell Complex, northwestern Ontario, Canada

Abstract

The Coldwell Complex of Northwestern Ontario is North America's largest structurally and petrologically complex alkaline intrusion. Situated on the north shore of Lake Superior, it consists of at least three intrusive centres and is cross-cut by a diverse suite of coeval–cogenetic dikes. The main intrusive rocks range from gabbros to ferroaugite syenites, nepheline syenites, and quartz syenites. The dikes are predominantly lamprophyric. A seventeen point whole rock Rb–Sr isochron (MSWD 2.22) gives an age of 1044.5 ± 6.2 Ma (2σ) and an initial ratio of 0.70354 ± 0.00016 (2σ). The age is late Neohelikian and is younger than the bulk of igneous activity (Keweenawan activity) prevalent in the Lake Superior Basin during the Neohelikian. The low initial ratio indicates an upper mantle origin for the parental magma of the complex.