| Title | Deep transverse basement structural control of mineral systems in the southeastern Canadian Cordillera |
| Author | McMechan, M E |
| Source | Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences vol. 49, no. 5, 2012 p. 693-708, https://doi.org/10.1139/e2012-013 (Open Access) |
| Year | 2012 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20110294 |
| Publisher | Canadian Science Publishing |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper; on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | British Columbia; Alberta |
| NTS | 82F; 82G; 82J; 82K; 94A; 94B; 94G; 94H |
| Area | Canadian Cordillera |
| Lat/Long WENS | -118.0000 -114.0000 51.0000 49.0000 |
| Lat/Long WENS | -124.0000 -120.0000 57.5000 56.0000 |
| Subjects | structural geology; palinspastic interpretations; mineralization; mineral potential; faults; mineral deposits; intrusions; structural interpretations; structural controls; structural domains; Vulcan
Low; Red Deer zone; Hay River fault zone; Aley Carbonatite Complex; Proterozoic; Precambrian |
| Illustrations | cross-sections, structural; geological sketch maps |
| Program | Targeted
Geoscience Initiative (TGI-4), Intrusion/Porphyry Ore Systems |
| Abstract | Intermittent reactivation of deep Paleoproterozoic- and Archean-aged transverse structures in the North American cratonic basement beneath the southeastern Canadian Cordillera exerted an important
influence on the subsequent sedimentary, intrusive, deformation, and mineralization history. Two regional crossbelt transverse structural corridors recognized by recurrent episodic changes in sediment thickness and facies, and anomalous transverse
structural trends, occur within the thrust and fold belt. Palinspastic restoration of the exposed transported structural corridors showed that the northern and southern structural corridors are cover expressions of the Red Deer zone and Vulcan Low
structures in the cratonic basement, respectively. Transverse basement-controlled structural corridors enhanced the mineral potential and mineralization systems along them by localization of sedimentary facies favourable for mineralization,
hydrothermal flow, intrusions, and favourable structures for mineralization. Greatest enhancement of hydrothermal flow and mineralization occurred near the intersection of basin-parallel and transverse structures. Greater opportunity for
mineralization and intrusion occurred not only along the exposed corridors, but also in the west, above their undeformed "root" in the basement. The processes that intensified mineralization and localized intrusions along transverse
basement-controlled structural corridors in the southeastern Canadian Cordillera should have occurred in thrust and fold belts elsewhere. The niobium-bearing Aley carbonatite complex in the eastern Cordillera of northeastern British Columbia may be
an example of this. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 289631 |
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