Sedimentary geology and stromatolites of the Middle Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, Glacier National Park, Montana

The Belt Supergroup is a thick, dominantly fine-grained sequence of Middle Proterozoic strata occurring in western Montana, northern Idaho, and parts of Washington state, Alberta, and British Columbia. The sequence in Glacier National Park is located along the northeastern part of present exposures of the Belt Supergroup; it is 2.9 km thick, extremely well exposed, and for the most part structurally simple. Although it was subjected to lowermost greenschist-facies metamorphism, primary sedimentary structures are exceptionally well preserved.Subtidal, intertidal, alluvial and possibly deltaic depositional environments appear to be represented in the Belt sequence in Glacier National Park. The lowermost unit, the Altyn Limestone, is not entirely exposed in the park. A partial section, 150 m thick, consists of impure dolostones deposited largely in shallow subtidal and intertidal settings. This carbonate unit is overlain by terrigenous strata of the Appekunny and Grinnell Argillites. The Appekunny Argillite is 700 m thick, consists largely of green-colored, fine-grained terrigenous material and appears to have been deposited predominantly in offshore and/or deltaic settings. The overlying Grinnell Argillite is 605 m thick and consists of red-colored terrigenous material deposited largely on an alluvial plain. The overlying Siyeh Limestone is 780 m thick and consists largely of impure dolostones and dolomitic limestones deposited in shallow subtidal and intertidal settings. Overlying the Siyeh Limestone is the 385 m thick Snowslip Formation, which consists of slightly dolomitic, predominantly fine-grained terrigenous strata deposited largely in intertidal settings. The overlying Shepard Formation is not exposed in its entirety in the central part of Glacier National Park. A 270 m thick section, which excludes the uppermost part of the formation, consists of impure dolostones and argillites, and appears to have been deposited in subtidal and intertidal settings.Stromatolites are abundant, diverse and well preserved in Glacier National Park, with mound-shaped forms and columnar forms of the group Baicalia occurring in the Altyn Limestone and Siyeh Limestone, and mound-shaped stromatolite-like structures occurring in the Snowslip and Shepard Formations. Particularly prominent is a 24–32 m thick stromatolite unit in the upper Siyeh Limestone, which contains Baicalia and Conophyton and appears to represent a prograding stromatolite reef, with Baicalia originating in a moderate-energy reef-front setting, and Conophyton originating in a lower energy back-reef setting. Individual units in these cycles can be correlated for 90 km. Many of the Conophyton in these cycles are inclined, probably as a result of gentle wave action, and the direction of inclination is relatively constant for 90 km, with the axes trending SW-SSW and plunging 30–60° SW.     

Impressions of algal mats from the Middle Proterozoic Belt Supergroup, northwestern Montana, U.S.A.

Irregular, low relief bedding-plane markings which probably represent impressions of thin, wrinkled algal mats have recently been detected in mudstones from the 1100 m.y. old Snowslip Formation, Belt Supergroup, Glacier National Park, Montana. Algal-mat impressions are rarely reported from ancient strata, yet algal mats are common in certain modern environments. Originating primarily in moist settings and in relatively quiescent shallow-water settings, such structures may be of some value in interpreting ancient depositional environments.     

Middle Proterozoic uplift events in the Dunbar dome of northeastern Wisconsin,USA

Isotopic ages of granitic and metamorphic rocks exposed in the Dunbar structural dome of northeastern Wisconsin identify a protracted series of tectonic and hydrothermal events that culminated in major regional uplift during Middle Proterozoic (Keweenawan; ca 1,100 Ma) continental rifting and volcanism. The major rock-forming events and the structural development of the dome occurred during the interval 1,862+/–4 Ma to 1,836+/–6 Ma. Whole-rock Rb-Sr ages are partly reset in response to a widely recognized but cryptic event in Wisconsin and Michigan at about 1,630 Ma. The scale and systematic character of the whole-rock resetting strongly suggests the presence of a fluid phase derived in situ from water dissolved in the silicates or externally from a subthrust plate of low-grade metamorphic rocks. The regional nature of the 1,630-Ma disturbance possibly indicates that it is related to a major tectonic event such as an active plate margin far to the south. Rb-Sr biotite ages for the Dunbar dome (this study), the southern complex of the Marquette district (Van Schmus and Woolsey 1975) and the Felch trough area (Aldrich and others 1965) provide a remarkably coherent pattern that reflects multiple episodes of differential uplift. Younger events superimposed on a regional 1,630-Ma imprint are recorded at 1,330 Ma and 1,140 Ma. The 1,330 Ma disturbance could reflect stabilization following intrusion of the Wolf River batholith at 1,485 Ma. The 1,140-Ma uplift event occurred during Keweenawan rifting and volcanism as a result of stresses imposed on a mosaic of fault-bounded blocks with possible subcrustal influence. The remarkably small variance in the 1,140-Ma biotite age peak argues for rapid uplift and cooling, and hence rapid erosion. Detritus from the uplift probably was being shed into nearby tectonic basins most of which did not survive subsequent uplift and erosion.     

Stromatolites of the lower Missoula Group (Middle Proterozoic), Belt Supergroup,Glacier National Park,Montana

The mode of formation and environmental setting of stromatolites from the lower Missoula Group (ca. 1.1·10⁹ years old) in Glacier National Park, Montana, have been determined. The stromatolite-bearing interval in the lower Missoula Group was deposited in a shallow, intermittently exposed setting of very low relief, the stromatolites forming during periods of submergence. In situ carbonate precipitation was the dominant process involved in the formation of encrusting stromatolitic laminae. This precipitate was deposited within, and probably beneath, algal mats, most likely as a result of the photosynthetic removal of carbon dioxide by the mat-building microscopic algae. Calcite also was precipitated in several types of open-space structures occurring within these stromatolites. Other laminae were produced by the organic stabilization of detrital particles; by the solely physical accumulation of terrigenous material; and probably, by bacterially induced precipitation of iron sulfide which was later oxidized to form hematite layers.Three forms of filamentous microfossils, two of which appear to be oscillatoriacean cyanophytes and the third of which is probably either a cyanophyte or filamentous bacterium, have been detected in these structures. In addition, hematitic pillar-shaped microstructures, interpreted to have been produced by filamentous bacteria, are abundant locally.In gross morphology, the lower Missoula Group stromatolites are simple, unbranched, domal structures ranging from several millimeters to several decimeters in both height and diameter. Physical conditions played a major role in determining the macrostructure of these stromatolites. Of particular importance were the shape of the positive sediment-surface irregularities upon which the stromatolites initially formed, the rate of sedimentation between stromatolite colonies, and the deposition of layers of terrigenous material on stromatolite growth surfaces. The effect of biological factors on stromatolite structure is clearly seen in those portions of stromatolites relatively free of terrigenous material; biological activity was apparently greatest on positive irregularities of the growth surface, resulting in preferential enhancement of such irregularities and development of second- and higher-order hemispheroidal structures.     

Stromatolites of the upper Siyeh Limestone (Middle Proterozoic), Belt Supergroup,Glacier National Park,Montana

Calcareous stromatolites of the upper Siyeh Limestone (ca. 1.1 ° 10⁹ years old) were studied in the central part of Glacier National Park, Montana. The stromatolites, mound- and dome-shaped structures deposited in a shallow, generally submerged, tidally influenced setting, were formed by a combination of in situ carbonate precipitation and organic stabilization of detrital material. Well-developed, 1–4 cm diameter, branched columns occur in a single stromatolite bed.Physical factors, including the size and shape of sediment-surface irregularities upon which the stromatolites developed, the rate of sedimentation between stromatolites, and the water depth, played a major role in controlling stromatolite macrostructure. Deposition of non-organically stabilized detritus on stromatolite growth surfaces inhibited the development of small-diameter columns by smoothing over developing growth features. Columnar structures are absent in stromatolites that contain abundant non-organically stabilized sediment. In contrast, they are well-developed in a stromatolite bed that is relatively deficient in such material.“Molar-tooth” structures are common in the impure dolomitic limestones, and the abundant sheet-shaped forms appear to be sparry-calcite-filled syneresis cracks.     

Fracturing,fluid flow and shear zone development: Relationships between chemical and mechanical processes in Proterozoic mafic dykes from southwestern Montana,USA

Fluids can play an important role in the localization of deformation in the deep crust, yet the specific mechanisms active during the complex interactions between metasomatism, metamorphism and deformation remain elusive. Precambrian metagabbronorite dykes in southwest Montana contain fractures filled with Hbl±Grt and discrete cm‐scale shear zones with well‐preserved strain gradients. This system offers an ideal opportunity to constrain the chemical and mechanical processes that facilitated strain localization. An early M₁ assemblage of Grt₁+Cpx₁+Pl₁+Qz developed at conditions of 0.51–0.85 GPa and 500–700°C and is preserved largely as a static replacement of relict igneous phases (Opx, Pgt, Pl) in coronitic textures. An M₂ assemblage characterized by Grt₂+Pl₂±Cpx₂+Hbl+Scp+Qz developed at 0.86–1.00 GPa and 660–730°C coincided with fluid flow and deformation associated with shear zone development. Microstructural observations in marginal protomylonite/mylonite and laminated ultramylonite suggest a shear zone evolution that involved (1) nucleation from pre‐existing fractures that were sites for major fluid infiltration, (2) initial widening coincident with grain‐size reduction by microfracturing, dislocation creep, and synkinematic metamorphic reaction by solution transfer, and (3) a switch in the dominant deformation mechanisms active in the ultramylonite from grain‐size insensitive mechanisms to grain‐size sensitive granular flow accommodated by fluid‐assisted diffusion. Throughout this evolution, the effective bulk compositions of the rock volumes responding to metamorphism changed through a combination of mechanical and metasomatic processes.     

Palaeoenvironmental interpretation of Middle and Late Wisconsinan fossil coleopteran assemblages from western Olympic Peninsula,Washington, USA

Organic sediments exposed in a seacliff near Kalaloch, Washington, contain abundant, well-preserved beetle remains. Fossil assemblages dating from about 48 000 to 40 000 yr BP are dominated by species typical of the lowland and montane forests in the region today. A few species, Micropeplus laticollis, Olophrum consimile, Olophrum boreale, Arpedium cribratum, and Tachinus thruppi are presently not members of the Pacific Northwest fauna. Mean July temperature during this part of the Middle Wisconsinan is estimated to have been about 1°C lower than today. Later Wisconsinan assemblages are dominated by non-arboreal species, indicating a treeless, probably tundra environment. Mean July temperature based mostly on the occurrence of the alpine leaf-beetle species, Asiorestia pallida, is estimated to have been at least 3°C lower than the present day. Palaeoclimatic interpretations based on beetles are in good agreement with those based on pollen.     

The distribution of microfossil assemblages in Proterozoic rocks

A biostratigraphic model of the temporal distribution of distinctive Proterozoic microfossil assemblages is suggested, based on studies of upper Precambrian chert-embedded and compression-preserved organic-walled microfossils from the reference sections of Eurasia, North America and Australia. Microfossils from 2.0 to 0.542 Ga can be divided into seven successive informal global units which can be compared to standard units of the International and Russian time scales. Each unit is characterized by a particular association of taxa, typified by the fossil assemblage that gives it its name. These form broad biostratigraphic units comparable to assemblage zones of Phanerozoic successions; in general (but with minor differences) they correspond to chronostratigraphic units accepted by the Internal Commission on Stratigraphy. The units are: (1) Labradorian, the upper part of the Paleoproterozoic (Orosirian and Statherian), 2.0–1.65 Ga; (2) Anabarian, lower Mesoproterozoic (Calymmian–Ectasian)/Lower Riphean–lower Middle Riphean, 1.65–1.2 Ga; (3) Turukhanian, upper Mesoproterozoic (Stenian)/upper Middle Riphean, 1.2–1.03 Ga; (4) Uchuromayan, lower Neoproterozoic (late Stenian–Tonian)/lower Upper Riphean, 1.03–0.85 Ga; (5) Yuzhnouralian, upper Neoproterozoic (Cryogenian)/upper Upper Riphean, 0.85–0.63 Ga; (6) Amadeusian, lower Ediacaran/lower Vendian, 0.63–0.55 Ga; (7) Belomorian, upper Ediacaran/upper Vendian, 0.55–0.542 Ga.     

High-temperature carbonate minerals in the Stillwater Complex, Montana, USA

High-temperature carbonate minerals have been observed in association with sulfide minerals below the platiniferous Johns-Manville (J-M) reef of the Stillwater Complex in a stratigraphic section that has been previously shown to be characterized by unusually Cl-rich apatite. The carbonate assemblage consists of dolomite with exsolved calcite in contact with sulfide minerals: chalcopyrite and pyrrhotite in the Peridotite Zone; and pyrrhotite with pentlandite, pyrite and chalcopyrite in Gabbronorite Zone I of the Lower Banded Series. A reaction rim surrounds the carbonate–sulfide assemblages, showing an alteration of the host orthopyroxene to a more calcium-enriched, Fe-depleted pyroxene. The calcite–dolomite geothermometer yields a minimum formation temperature as high as 950 °C for the unmixed assemblages. Iron and manganese concentrations exceed the range seen in carbonatite and mantle xenolith carbonates and are distinctly different from the nearly pure end-member carbonates associated with greenschist-grade (and lower) assemblages (e.g., carbonate veins in serpentinite) that occur locally throughout the complex. The association of high-temperature carbonates with sulfides beneath the J-M reef supports the hydromagmatic theory which involves a late-stage chloride–carbonate fluid percolating upwards, dissolving PGE and sulfides and redepositing them at a higher stratigraphic level. Characterization of the processes which form strategically important metal deposits, such as the J-M reef of the Stillwater Complex and the analogous Merensky reef of the Bushveld Complex in South Africa, could potentially lead to better exploration models and, more broadly, a deeper understanding of the cooling and compositional evolution of large bodies of ultramafic and mafic magma and of carbonatites, on both a local and a regional scale.     

Facies and origin of shales from the mid-Proterozoic Newland Formation, Belt Basin, Montana, USA

Shales constitute more than 60% of the world's sediments, yet while facies models for sandstones and carbonates are at a high level of sophistication, the study of shales has clearly lagged behind. In the mid-Proterozoic Newland Formation six major shale facies types, deposited in nearshore to basinal environments, are distinguished on the basis of bedding characteristics, textural features, and the proportions of silt, clay and carbonate. Textural features of these shale types are related to sedimentary environments as deduced from associated lithologies. The shales are undisturbed by bioturbation, and their textural and sedimentary characteristics reflect subaqueous growth of microbial mats, erosion and deposition by storms, deposition of flocculated vs. dispersed clays, continuous slow background sedimentation, winnowing by waves or currents, and subaerial exposure.     

Early Proterozoic Calc-Alkaline and Middle Proterozoic Tholeiitic Dyke Swarms from Central-Eastern Argentina: Petrology, Geochemistry, Sr-Nd Isotopes and Tectonic Implications

The Rio de La Plata craton in Argentina (Azul and Tandil regions)is characterized by Early Proterozoic (2·0 Ga) calc-alkalineand Middle Proterozoic (1·6 Ga) tholeiitic dyke swarmsintruding the crystalline basement involved in the TransamazonianOrogeny (2·2–1·9 Ga). The calc-alkalinedykes have andesitic and rhyolitic compositions and trend east–west,whereas the tholeiitic dykes mainly trend N30°W and arerepresented by basalts with low (0·9–1·7wt %) and high TiO₂ (up to 3·7 wt %). The calc-alkalinedykes have primitive mantle (PM)-normalized trace element patternsenriched in Rb, Ba, K, La, Ce and Nd, and significant negativeNb and Ti anomalies. These dykes are characterized by     

江西省新元古界微古植物组合及其时代

江西省新元古代地层发育良好,近年来在1∶5万区调中获得了较为丰富的微古植物化石资料.通过对其进行比较系统的整理与总结,共计发现微古植物化石52属111种,按地层区划及不同时期又可划分为9个微古植物组合.本文概述了各组合特征,同时结合区域地层及同位素年龄资料进行了对比讨论.     

New Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) ammonite assemblages from Kutch, India

The Bathonian ammonite assemblages have been previously poorly recorded in Kutch. The present study has unearthed a rich array of ammonite taxa ranging from the Middle to Upper Bathonian. While Oxycerites Rollier (1909) is a new record from Kutch, the oldest occurrence of Choffatia Siemiradzki (1898) has been found from the Middle Bathonian horizon. Oxycerites cf. orbis (Giebel) is a zonal index of the Late Bathonian in other areas and thus facilitates interprovincial correlation. Besides, palaeobiogeographic and stratigraphic distribution of many species have been modified based on new information. For example, macrocephalitin species, i.e., Kamptokephalites cf. etheridgei Spath (1928), Macrocephalites bifurcatus transient intermedius Spath (1928), M. cf. mantataranus Boehm (1912) were previously known from West Pacific, Indonesia have been now found in Kutch. Gracilisphinctes Buckman (1920) has been previously known to occur during the Middle Bathonian time, the present work extends its stratigraphic distribution up to the definite Upper Bathonian horizon. Procerites hians (Waagen) an endemic species in Kutch previously known from the Upper Bathonian beds, its stratigraphic range has been extended down to the Middle Bathonian.Detail taxonomy of the newly obtained taxa has been done and in many cases sexual dimorphism has been recognized.     

Geochemical characteristics and depositional environment of the Middle Permian mudstones from central Qiangtang Basin,northern Tibet

Geochemical characteristics of the Middle Permian mudstones from the Longge Formation in the Jiaomuri area, central uplift zone of Qiangtang Basin have been analysed to constrain their provenance, tectonic setting, depositional redox condition and palaeoclimate. Based on the geochemical parameters like CIA, PIA, ICV values and Th/U, K/Rb ratios indicate that the source rocks were affected by low degree weathering conditions. The U/Th, V/Cr, Ni/Co, V/Sc ratios and U_au, C‐values of samples suggest that the mudstones were formed in an oxic environment, with arid palaeoclimate. Bulk‐rock geochemistry analysis indicates that they are mainly arkose and subarkose, derived from dominantly andesitic rocks, probably a mixing of felsic and mafic provenance. The CIA, PIA and ICV values of these samples suggest that the Longge mudstones are compositionally immature and related to moderate weathering. The tectonic discrimination diagrams, as well as critical trace and REE characteristic parameters imply an oceanic arc or continental arc setting for the depositional basin of mudstones from the Longge Formation, probably back‐arc basin. This study supports an occurrence of archipelagic oceanic basins in the Jiaomuri area in the Middle Permian, which provides evidence for the research of the Longmu Co–Shuanghu–Lancangjiang Suture. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

New Bathonian (Middle Jurassic) ammonite assemblages from Kutch,India

The Bathonian ammonite assemblages have been previously poorly recorded in Kutch. The present study has unearthed a rich array of ammonite taxa ranging from the Middle to Upper Bathonian. While Oxycerites Rollier (1909) is a new record from Kutch, the oldest occurrence of Choffatia Siemiradzki (1898) has been found from the Middle Bathonian horizon. Oxycerites cf. orbis (Giebel) is a zonal index of the Late Bathonian in other areas and thus facilitates interprovincial correlation. Besides, palaeobiogeographic and stratigraphic distribution of many species have been modified based on new information. For example, macrocephalitin species, i.e., Kamptokephalites cf. etheridgei Spath (1928), Macrocephalites bifurcatus transient intermedius Spath (1928), M. cf. mantataranus Boehm (1912) were previously known from West Pacific, Indonesia have been now found in Kutch. Gracilisphinctes Buckman (1920) has been previously known to occur during the Middle Bathonian time, the present work extends its stratigraphic distribution up to the definite Upper Bathonian horizon. Procerites hians (Waagen) an endemic species in Kutch previously known from the Upper Bathonian beds, its stratigraphic range has been extended down to the Middle Bathonian.Detail taxonomy of the newly obtained taxa has been done and in many cases sexual dimorphism has been recognized.     

Fault-controlled pluton emplacement in the Sevier fold-and-thrust belt of southwest Montana,USA

Problems associated with syncompressional pluton emplacement center on the need to make room for magma in environments where crustal shortening, not extension, occurs on a regional scale. New structural data from the Pioneer and Boulder batholiths of southwest Montana, USA, suggest emplacement at the top of frontal thrust ramps as composite tabular bodies at crustal depths between 1 and 10 km. Frontal thrust facilitated pluton emplacement was accommodated by: (1) a magma feeder zone created along the ramp interface; (2) providing ‘releasing steps’ at ramp tops that serve as initial points of emplacement and subsequent pluton growth; and (3) localizing antithetic back-thrusts that assist in pluton ascent. A model of magma emplacement is proposed that involves these elements. This model for syntectonic ramp-top emplacement of plutons helps explain how space is made for plutons within fold-and-thrust belts.     

A 2200-yr record of hydrologic variability from Foy Lake, Montana, USA, inferred from diatom and geochemical data

A 2200-yr long, high-resolution (∼5 yr) record of drought variability in northwest Montana is inferred from diatoms and δ¹⁸O values of bio-induced carbonate preserved in a varved lacustrine core from Foy Lake. A previously developed model of the diatom response to lake-level fluctuations is used to constrain estimates of paleolake levels derived from the diatom data. High-frequency (decadal) fluctuations in the de-trended δ¹⁸O record mirror variations in wet/dry cycles inferred from Banff tree-rings, demonstrating the sensitivity of the oxygen-isotope values to changes in regional moisture balance. Low frequency (multi-centennial) isotopic changes may be associated with shifts in the seasonal distribution of precipitation. From 200 B.C. to A.D. 800, both diatom and isotope records indicate that climate was dry and lake level low, with poor diatom preservation and high organic carbon: nitrogen ratios. Subsequently, lake level rose slightly, although the climate was drier and more stable than modern conditions. At A.D. 1200, lake level increased to approximately 6 m below present elevation, after which the lake fluctuated between this elevation and full stage, with particularly cool and/or wetter conditions after 1700. The hydrologic balance of the lake shifted abruptly at 1894 because of the establishment of a lumber mill at the lake's outlet. Spectral analysis of the δ¹⁸O data indicates that severe droughts occurred with multi-decadal (50 to 70 yr) frequency.     

Late Wisconsin climate in northeastern USA and southeastern Canada,reconstructed from fossil beetle assemblages

Mean July and January temperatures are reconstructed from radiocarbon-dated fossil beetle assemblages, yielding a synthesis of palaeoclimatic history of the regions south of the Laurentide Ice Sheet in North America from 35 000 to 8500 yr BP. Mean July temperatures close to the last glacial maximum were 11–12°C colder than present; mean January temperatures were possibly 10–19°C colder. Mutual climatic range analyses of the beetle assemblages show warming of mean summer temperatures as early as 13.7 kyr, although ice-proximal sites were consistently about 5°C cooler than ice-distal sites. Late-glacial mean summer temperatures peaked between 12 and 11 kyr, then remained fairly constant through the early Holocene. Mean winter temperatures did not reach modern values until after 10 kyr.