Juvenile Middle Proterozoic crust in the Adirondack Highlands, Grenville province, northeastern North America

• Published in: Geology (Boulder) 1991-02, Vol.19 (2), p.119-122
• Main Authors: Daly, J S, McLelland, J M
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• ISSN: 0091-7613
• DOI: 10.1130/0091-7613(1991)0192.3.CO;2

Nd isotope data indicate that minimal amounts of significantly older crust have contributed to the genesis of the oldest (ca. 1.3-13.5 Ga) plutons in the Adirondack Highlands. These are magmatic arc tonalites with positive initial epsilonNd values and Sm-Nd depleted mantle model ages (tDM) that are within 70 m.y. of the time of their crystallization. Granitoids of the anorthosite-mangerite-charnockite-granite suite, dated at 1156-1134 Ma, as well as the 1100-1050 Ma plutons, associated with the Ottawan phase of the Grenvillian orogenic cycle, also have positive initial epsilonNd values and tDM ages similar to the tonalites. Derivation of both groups of granitoids by crustal melting of the magmatic arc is consistent with the available isotopic and geochemical data. Juvenile late Middle Proterozoic crust that formed during or just prior to the Grenville cycle appears to dominate the southwestern Grenville province as well as the Grenville inliers to the south. In contrast, most of the contiguous Grenville province in Canada comprises largely reworked older crust.