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Background
Work along the Rivière aux Feuilles in Quebec (Percival and Card, 1994), and in three areas farther north (Percival et al., 1995, 1996, 1997) allowed Percival et al. (1992, 2001) to recognize a series of distinct geological and geophysical domains within the Minto Subprovince based on lithological, structural and aeromagnetic differences. Between 1997 and 2003, the work carried out by the Government of Québec under the Far North Program clarified the nature and boundaries of these areas. This work highlighted seven domains and two terranes within the Minto Subprovince.
Description
The Qalluviartuuq Domain is part of the Arnaud River Terrane. It is limited to the east by the Utsalik Domain, to the west by the Lac Minto Domain, to the south by the Goudalie Domain and to the north by supracrustal rocks of the Ungava Trough. The Qalluviartuuq Domain is the northern extension of the low magnetic extending along the central axis of the Minto Subprobvince to the Goudalie Domain in the south. Although these domains have a comparable geophysical signature, they consist of stratigraphic units belonging to separate magmatic events. In addition, Nd isotopic data (Mauritius, 2007) indicate that, unlike that of the Goudalie Domain, rocks of the Qalluviartuq Domain originated from a juvenile source.
Geology
The Qalluviartuq Domain is characterized by the presence of large, ancient volcano-sedimentary units (Qalluviartuq-Payne and Duquet complexes; 2.85-2.82 Ga) and a large tonalitic unit (Rochefort Suite) associated with a magmatic event between 2785 and 2775 Ma. Supracrustal rock units consist predominantly of tholeiitic basalt, komatiite and volcaniclastic rocks with lower amounts of rhyolite, iron formations and mafic to ultramafic subvolcanic intrusions (Percival et al., 1995b; Madore et al., 2002; Berclaz et al., 2003). These units are overlain by younger volcanic sequences (2.78-2.76 Ga; Percival and Skulski, 2000) consisting of tholeiitic basalt associated with gabbro, felsic volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks and iron formations. Metasedimentary rocks unconformably overlie volcanic sequences. They contain sandstones and conglomerates with clasts dated to 2768 and 2764 Ma (Percival and Skulski, 2000), indicating the maximum age of sedimentation. Synvolcanic tonalite-trondhjemite intrusions (2.85-2.76 Ga) are located within the different volcano-sedimentary units. The Qalluviartuq Domain also contains a series of relatively late plutons of granite and granodiorite (La Chevrotière Suite) and enderbite (MacMahon Suite). These plutons, ranging in age from 2735 to 2720 Ma, are found in several domains of the Northeastern Superior Province (NEPS; Leclair, 2008).
References
Publications available through Sigéom Examine
BERCLAZ, A., MAURICE, C., LACOSTE, P., DAVID, J., LECLERC, F., SHARMA, K.N.M., LABBE, J Y., GOULET, N., BEDARD, J., VALLIERES, J. 2003. GEOLOGIE DE LA REGION DU LAC ANUC (34O). MRN. RG 2002-14, 60 pages and 1 plan.
LECLAIR, A. 2008. CONTEXTE GÉOLOGIQUE RÉGIONAL DU NORD-EST DE LA PROVINCE DU SUPÉRIEUR. DANS : SYNTHESE DU NORD-EST DE LA PROVINCE DU SUPERIEUR. MRNF. MM 2008-02, 198 pages and 8 plans.
MADORE, L., LARBI, Y., LABBE, J Y., SHARMA, K.N.M., LACOSTE, P., DAVID, J. 2002. GEOLOGIE DE LA REGION DU LAC COUTURE (35B) ET DES LACS NUVILIK (35G, PARTIE SUD). MRN. RG 2002-04, 45 pages and 2 plans.
Other publications
Leclerc, F. 2004. Évolution tectonostratigraphique et métamorphique de la Ceinture volcano-sédimentaire de Qalluviartuuq-Payne, nord-est de la Province du Supérieur. Mster’s thesis, Université du Québec à Montréal.
Percival, J.A., Card, K.D. 1994. Geology, Lac Minto-Rivière aux Feuilles, Québec. Geological Survey of Canada, « A » Series Map 1854A, 1994, 1 sheet. doi:10.4095/194490
Percival, J.A., Mortensen, J.K., Stern, R.A., Card, K.D., Bégin, N.J. 1992. Giant granulite terranes of northeastern Superior Province: the Ashuanipi complex and Minto block. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences; volume 29, pages 2287-2308. doi:10.1139/e92-179
Percival, J.A., Skulski, T. 2000. Tectonothermal Evolution of the Northern Minto Block, Superior Province, Quebec, Canada. The Canadian Mineralogist; volume 38, pages 345-378. doi:10.2113/gscanmin.38.2.345
Percival, J.A., Skulski, T., Card, K.D., Lin, S. 1995a. Geology, Rivière Kogaluc-Lac Qalluviartuuq region (parts of 34J and 34-O), Quebec. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 3112, 1 sheet. doi:10.4095/205269
Percival, J.A., Skulski, T., Lin, S., Card, K.D. 1995b. Granite-greenstone terranes of the northern Goudalie domain, northeastern Superior Province, Quebec. Canadian Shield/Bouclier canadien; by Geological Survey of Canada; Geological Survey of Canada, Current Research no. 1995-C: 141-150. doi:10.4095/202913.
Percival, J.A., Skulski, T., Nadeau, L. 1996. Geology, Lac Couture, Quebec. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 3315, 1 sheet. doi:10.4095/208195
Percival, J.A., Skulski, T., Nadeau, L. 1997. Reconnaissance geology of the Pelican-Nantais Belt, northeastern Superior Province. Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 3525, 1 sheet. doi:10.4095/209271
Percival, J.A., Stern, R.A., Skulski, T. 2001. Crustal growth through successive arc magmatism: reconnaissance U–Pb SHRIMP data from the northeastern Superior Province, Canada. Precambrian Research; volume 109, pages 203-238. doi:10.1016/S0301-9268(01)00148-6