Stratigraphy, structure, and geochronology of the Anyox Pendant, northwest British Columbia, and implications for mineral exploration

Abstract

Anyox Pendant contains complexly deformed greenschist-facies volcanic strata overlain by a thick succession of turbidite sedimentary rocks. At the contact between the two are well-studied copper-rich volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits; however the age and correlation of the volcanic strata, including the ore horizon, are poorly known. New stratigraphic, structural, and geochronology studies elucidate the regional stratigraphic, tectonic, and metallogenic settings and significance of these strata. The thick turbidite succession is correlated with Bowser Lake Group and conformably overlies the volcanic succession. Volcanogenic units include pillowed basalt, volcaniclastic rocks, chlorite phyllite, tuffaceous siltstone, and abundant gabbroic sills and dykes. Strained leucocratic intrusions yielded U–Pb zircon crystallization ages of 176.9 ± 0.2 Ma and 185.6 ± 0.3 Ma. Volcaniclastic rocks yielded detrital zircons that constrain the maximum ages of the volcanic succession. The youngest zircon grains from four samples in different structural segments limit strata to younger than ca. 186 Ma, ca. 178 Ma, ca. 183 Ma, and ca. 186 Ma. The results, combined with the regional oldest age limit of Bowser Lake Group, constrain the volcanic succession to late Early Jurassic(?) and early Middle Jurassic age, and support correlation with Hazelton Group of Stikinia. Furthermore, they enable comparisons with the coeval Au-Ag-rich stratiform Eskay Creek deposit, expanding southward the zone of extension in western Stikinia, which tapped primitive mafic magmas and accompanied the last vestiges of Stikinian volcanism in the early Middle Jurassic.