Petrology and Evolution of an Archaean Metamorphic Aureole in the Slave Craton, Canada

In the Slave Craton of northern Canada, extensive areas weremetamorphosed in broad aureoles (typically ca. 10–15 kmwide) around granitie batholiths emplaced about 2575 m.y. ago.Meta-greywackes and meta-pelites from two areas traversing oneof these aureoles near Yellowknife have been studied. New petrographicdata are given and integrated with previously published mineralogicaldata to elucidate the metamorphic history of the area. Metasedimentsin the aureole contain the concentrically zoned succession ofindex minerals chlorite, biotite, cordierite, gedrite, andalusite,sillimanite. In addition, garnet, staurolite, and parageneticallylate andalusite occur more irregularly, and cummingtonite characterizessubordinate calcic rock-types. The chemistry of all these mineralsis given and their origins discussed. The aureole evolved by the development and decay of a thermaldome. This was a continuous process, but three recognizablemetamorphic phases can be correlated as follows with establisheddeformational phases. The cycle began with a deformation phase(D₁) unaccompanied by metamorphism. This evolved into D₂ whichwas accompanied by broad regional metamorphism M₂ (characterizedby the index succession chlorite, biotite, garnet, staurolite)as thermal doming began. With continued updoming of the isotherms,the third phase (D₃) produced only minor folding but causedmajor metamorphic recrystallization (M₃), culminating in theemplacement of granite at the core of the thermal dome. A concentriczonation of the metamorphic index minerals biotite, cordierite,gedrite, andalusite+sillimanite was superimposed on earlierassemblages. This M₃ phase occurred at lower pressure (2.5–3.5kb) than M₂ because of erosional unloading, but the temperatureswere more extreme, ranging up to about 700 °C. With deformationthen complete, the thermal dome decayed, and minor mineralogicalchanges occurred in this (M₄) decay phase. The region has sincebeen effectively stable.