U–Pb geochronology in the Trans-Hudson Orogen, northern Saskatchewan, Canada

Abstract

We have obtained U–Pb ages on zircons from volcanic and plutonic units in several lithotectonic domains of the southern Trans-Hudson Orogen in northern Saskatchewan. These data constrain the timing of early Proterozoic orogenic events in the region and enhance our understanding of both the relationships among local domains and the relationship of the Trans-Hudson Orogen to other early Proterozoic orogens in North America.With one exception, all units studied so far yield zircon ages of 1890–1835 Ma, most of which are systematically earlier than previously reported Rb–Sr isochron ages on the same or similar units, suggesting open-system behavior in the Rb–Sr systems. Five metarhyolites, from volcanic sequences in the La Ronge domain, Glennie domain, and Hanson Lake block, give ages ranging from 1888 to 1876 Ma. Most of the plutons we dated, ranging from gneissic syntectonic tonalites and granodiorites to less-deformed late intrusions such as the Wathaman batholith and other smaller bodies, yield ages of 1870–1850 Ma, apparently constraining peak plutonic activity to about 1860 ± 10 Ma ago. The youngest unit found is a small discordant pluton with an age of 1836 ± 7 Ma. The concordance of ages of volcanics on the one hand and of plutons on the other suggests that domainal distinctions are mainly lithotectonic rather than temporal.Zircons from the Sahli charnockitic granite in the Hanson Lake block yield equivocal results. Discordia upper and lower intercepts for the Sahli granite suggest that granitic rocks at least 2500 Ma old were subjected to high-grade metamorphism about 1800–1900 Ma ago, with substantial resetting of zircons. Reworked Archean basement is thus present in this domain, supporting previously reported Rb–Sr isochron data from the Sahli granite. No other indications of Archean basement in the Trans-Hudson Orogen are documented, although one sample from the adjacent Peter Lake domain shows that it consists of Archean continental crust.Zircon ages in the range 1890–1835 Ma from this part of the Trans-Hudson Orogen are similar to those obtained from igneous units of the Penokean and Wopmay orogens, in North America, and from the Svecofennian Orogen, suggesting essential synchroneity of igneous and tectonic events in these four major orogens during major Proterozoic continental assembly.