Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letters to Editor
  • Published:

207Pb/206Pb whole Rock Age of the Archaean Granulite Facies Metamorphic Event in West Greenland

Nature Physical Science volume 244, pages 50–53 (1973)Cite this article

Abstract

IN the Archaean basement complex of West Greenland there are several widely separated granulite facies areas, up to 100 km across1. Rocks from three such areas, Sukkertoppen, Nord-land and Fiskenaesset (Fig. 1), were originally selected for this study on the assumption that the granulite facies metamorphism represented the oldest metamorphic event observable in West Greenland1. This idea has been shown to be ill founded by subsequent geological and geochronological work2,3. The granulite facies metamorphism is now recognized as a distinctive time marker which probably has the following chronological relationships with other principal events in the Archaean of West Greenland, particularly in the Godthaabsfjord area2,3: (1) Plutonic development ∼ 3,700-3,750 m.y. ago4,5 of a complex of granites, granodiorites and tonalites. Metamorphism, migmatization and deformation, with production of banded gneisses (Amitsoq gneisses). (2) Intrusion of a basic dyke swarm (Ameralik dykes) into the Amitsoq gneisses. (3) Eruption of basic volcanics and deposition of sediments (Malene supracrustals). (4) Emplacement of basic igneous complexes with prominent calcic anorthosites. Possibly broadly similar in age throughout the Archaean of West Greenland. (5) Tectonic interleaving of earlier rock units. (6) Intrusion of major suite of granites, granodiorites, tonalites and diorites at 3,040 ±50 m.y. ago6, the parent rocks of the Nûk gneisses. (7) Deformation and folding, accompanied by migmatization and metamorphism that culminated in amphibolite facies conditions in the Godthaabsfjord area, but reached granulite facies to the north and south (in the areas we discuss in this communication). Earlier felsic rocks converted to gneisses. (8) Emplacement of Qôrqut granite and pegmatites, ˜ 2,600 m.y. ago (Oxford unpublished data). Intrusion of Precamb-rian dolerite dykes.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

  • Purchase on Springer Link
  • Instant access to full article PDF
Buy now

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Windley, B. F., Am. Assoc. Petrol. Geol. Mem., 12, 899 (1969).

    Google Scholar 

  2. McGregor, V. R., Phil. Trans. R. Soc., A, 273, 343 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. Bridgwater, D., McGregor, V. R., and Windley, B. F., Trans. geol. Soc. S. Afr. (in the press).

  4. Black, L. P., Gale, N. H., Moorbath, S., Pankhurst, R. J., and McGregor, V. R., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 12, 245 (1971).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  5. Moorbath, S., O'Nions, R. K., Pankhurst, R. J., Gale, N. H., and McGregor, V. R., Nature phys. Sci., 240, 78 (1972).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  6. Pankhurst, R. J., Moorbath, S., and McGregor, V. R., Nature, 243, 24 (1973)

    ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. Windley, B. F., Herd, R. K., and Bowden, P., Bull. Greenland geol. Surv. (in the press).

  8. Windley, B. F., and Smith, J. V., Bull. Greenland geol. Surv. (in the press).

  9. Moorbath, S., Welke, H., and Gale, N. H., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 6, 245 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  10. Welke, H., Moorbath, S., Cumming, G. L., and Sigurdsson, H., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 4, 221 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  11. Moorbath, S., and Welke, H., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 5, 217 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  12. Flanagan, F. J., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 33, 81 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  13. York, D., Earth planet. Sci. Lett., 5, 320 (1969).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Williamson, J. H., Can. J. Phys., 46, 1845 (1968).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. Heier, K. S., Phil. Trans. R. Soc., A, 273, 429 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bridgwater, D., Watson, J., and Windley, B. F., Phil. Trans. R. Soc., A, 273, 493 (1973).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. Evans, C. R., Nature, 207, 54 (1965).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. Oversby, V. M., Geochim. cosmochim. Acta, 34, 65 (1970).

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Oxford,

    L. P. BLACK, S. MOORBATH & R. J. PANKHURST

  2. Department of Geology, University of Leicester,

    B. F. WINDLEY

Authors
  1. L. P. BLACK
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. MOORBATH
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. J. PANKHURST
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. B. F. WINDLEY
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

BLACK, L., MOORBATH, S., PANKHURST, R. et al. 207Pb/206Pb whole Rock Age of the Archaean Granulite Facies Metamorphic Event in West Greenland. Nature Physical Science 244, 50–53 (1973). https://doi.org/10.1038/physci244050a0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/physci244050a0

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing