Age, provenance, and regional correlation of the Athabasca Group, Saskatchewan and Alberta, constrained by igneous and detrital zircon geochronology
Citations Over Time
Abstract
Detrital zircons in five sandstone samples from the Athabasca Group were dated (U-Pb) in the GSC SHRIMP II laboratory. These data, when integrated into the well established depositional framework for the Athabasca Group, provide important insights into the provenance of the succession. The Fair Point Formation yielded a substantial population of 2.61 - 2.52 Ga zircons and a second group that formed ca. 1.9 Ga, suggesting provenance from the western Rae Province, Sask Craton, and Trans-Hudson Orogen. Two samples fromtheManitou Falls Formation, Bird and Dunlop members, yielded bimodal age groups at ca. 2.58 Ga and ca. 1.85 - 1.83 Ga, suggesting provenance from the Hearne Province and Trans-Hudson Orogen, respectively. Wolverine Point Formation (Brule Member) zircons have similar provenance, but seven zircons ca. 1.77 - 1.65 Ga are enigmatic, possibly derived via long-distance fluvial transport from the Yavapai and Mazatzal orogens, over 1000 km south of Athabasca Basin. Detrital zircon ages for the Douglas Formation emulate those of the Wolverine Point Formation, supporting common provenance and reworking of underlying units, despite lacking ca. 1.77 - 1.65 Ga zircons. Zircons in intraclasts, interpreted to be locally reworked tuff layers from the Wolverine Point Formation (Brule Member), are herein dated at 1644 ± 13 Ma (U-Pb).