Kinematic history of the Bass River Complex, Nova Scotia: Cadomian tectonostratigraphic relations in the Avalon terrane of the Canadian Appalachians

R. Damian Nance; J. Brendan Murphy

doi:10.1144/GSL.SP.1990.051.01.26

Abstract

The Late Proterozoic Bass River Complex of Nova Scotia, Canada, forms part of the Northern Appalachian Avalon terrane and comprises the Great Village River Gneiss, the platformal metasedimentary Gamble Brook Formation, and the mafic metavolcanic Folly River Formation. Three major periods of deformation within the complex are considered to be of late Precambrian age. The earliest (D1) appears to affect only the gneiss. The second additionally affects the Gamble Brook Formation and records polyphase ductile shear (D2a/D2b) along contacts with the gneiss attributed to sinistral transtension at c. 630 Ma. Locally sheeted, late-kinematic mafic dykes suggest limited crustal extension and may herald the development of basinal conditions in the Folly River Formation. The third deformation (D3a/D3b) records dextral transpression and polyphase, NW-directed thrusting in the Folly River Formation. D3 is tentatively attributed to basin closure during the latest Precambrian and may have accompanied thrust emplacement of late Precambrian bimodal volcanic rocks and turbidites preserved in the nearby Jeffers Group. Regional considerations suggest D2 and D3 kinematics respectively reflect the development and destruction of a late Precambrian volcanic arc rift.

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OpenUrl Abstract
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OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text
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OpenUrl
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OpenUrl
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OpenUrl
1. O’Brien S. J.,
2. Wardle R. J.,
3. King A. F.
(1983) The Avalon Zone: A Pan-African terrane in the Appalachian orogen of Canada. Geological Journal 18:195–222.
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1. Pe-Piper G.,
2. Murphy J. B.
(1989) Petrology of the Folly River Formation: Late Proterozoic rifting in the Covequid Highlands, Nova Scotia. Atlantic Geology 101:364–376.
OpenUrl
1. Pe-Piper G.,
2. Piper D. J. W.
(1987) The pre-Carboniferous rocks of the western Cobequid Hills, Avalon Zone, Nova Scotia. Maritime Sediments and Atlantic Geology 23:41–48.
OpenUrl
1. Pe-Piper G.,
2. Piper D. J. W.
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1. Wardle R. J.
(1978) The stratigraphy and structure of the Greenhead Group: Its relationship to Hadrynian and Palaeozoic rocks, southern New Brunswick. PhD thesis (University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada).
1. Williams H.
(1979) The Appalachian orogen in Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 16:792–807.
OpenUrl Abstract
1. Zen E-An.
(1983) in Contributions to the Tectonics and Geophysics of Mountain chains, Exotic terranes in the New England Appalachians — limits, candidates and ages: a speculative essay, Geological Society of America, Memoir, eds Hatcher R. D. Jr.., Williams H., Ziete I. 158, pp 55–81.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text
1. Doig R.,
2. Murphy J. B.,
3. Nance R. D.
(1989) Preliminary results of U-Pb geochronology, Cobequid Highlands, Avalon Terrane, Nova Scotia. Geological Association of Canada, Program with Abstracts 14:A126.
OpenUrl

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[1] Ballard R. D.,
Uchupi E.
(1975) Triassic rift structure in the Gulf of Maine. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists 59:1041–1072.
OpenUrl Abstract

[2] Ballard R. D.,

[3] Uchupi E.

[4] Barr S. M.,
Macdonald A. S.,
White C. E.
(1987) Mines and Minerals Branch Report of Activities 1986, Part A, The Fourchu Group and associated granitoid rocks of southeastern Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Energy, Report, No 87–5, pp 185–188.
OpenUrl

[5] Barr S. M.,

[6] Macdonald A. S.,

[7] White C. E.

[8] Cullen M. P.
(1984) Geology of the Bass River Complex, Cobequid Highlands, Nova Scotia. MSc Thesis (Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada).

[9] Cullen M. P.

[10] Davis G. H.
(1980) in Cordilleran Metamorphic Core Complexes, Structural characteristics of metamorphic core complexes, Geological Society of America Memoir, eds Crittenden M. D. Jr.., Coney P. J., Davis G. H. 153, pp 35–77.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text

[11] Davis G. H.

[12] Donohoe H. V.
(1983) Mines and Minerals branch Report of Activities 1982, Bass River Complex: Part of the Avalonian basement in Nova Scotia, Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Energy, Report, No 83–1, pp 327–348.
OpenUrl

[13] Donohoe H. V.

[14] Donohoe H. V.,
Cullen M. P.
(1983) Deformation, age, and regional correlation of the Mount Thom and Bass River Complexes, Cobequid Highlands, Nova Scotia. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 3:190.
OpenUrl

[15] Donohoe H. V.,

[16] Cullen M. P.

[17] Donohoe H. V.,
Wallace P. I.
(1980) 1980 Annual Meeting Trip 19, Geological Association of Canada, Halifax, Structure and stratigraphy of the Cobequid Highlands, Nova Scotia (Department of Geology Dalhousie University, Halifax, Nova Scotia), pp 1–64.

[18] Donohoe H. V.,

[19] Wallace P. I.

[20] Donohoe H. V.,
Wallace P. I.
(1985) 1985 Annual Meeting Excursion 3. Geological Association of Canada, Fredericton, Repeated orogeny, faulting, and stratigraphy in the Cobequid Highlands, Avalon terrain of northern Nova Scotia (University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, New Brunswick), II, pp 1–77.

[21] Donohoe H. V.,

[22] Wallace P. I.

[23] Donohoe H. V.,
Halliday A. N.,
Keppie J. D.
(1986) Two Rb-Sr whole-rock isochrons from plutons in the Cobequid Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada. Maritime Sediments and Atlantic Geology 22:148–154.
OpenUrl

[24] Donohoe H. V.,

[25] Halliday A. N.,

[26] Keppie J. D.

[27] Eisbacher G. H.
(1969) Displacement and stress field along part of the Cobequid Fault, Nova Scotia. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 6:1095–1104.
OpenUrl Abstract

[28] Eisbacher G. H.

[29] Eisbacher G. H.
(1970) Deformation mechanics of mylonitic rocks and fractured granites in Cobequid Mountains, Nova Scotia, Canada. Geological Society of America Bulletin 81:2009–2020.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text

[30] Eisbacher G. H.

[31] Gaudette H. E.,
Olszewski W. J. Jr.,
Donohoe H. V.
(1984) Mines and Minerals Branch Report of Activities 1983, Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Energy Report, Rb/Sr isochrons of Precambrian age from plutonic rocks in the Cobequid Highlands, Nova Scotia, No 84–1A, pp 285–292.
OpenUrl

[32] Gaudette H. E.,

[33] Olszewski W. J. Jr.,

[34] Donohoe H. V.

[35] Haworth R. J.,
Lefort J. P.
(1979) Geophysical evidence for the extent of the Avalon Zone in Atlantic Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 16:552–567.
OpenUrl Abstract

[36] Haworth R. J.,

[37] Lefort J. P.

[38] Hofmann H. J.
(1974) The stromatolite Archaeozoon acadiense from the Proterozoic Greenhead group of Saint John, New Brunswick. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 11:1098–1115.
OpenUrl Abstract

[39] Hofmann H. J.

[40] Hollister L. S.,
Crawford M. L.
(1986) Melt-enhanced deformation: A major tectonic process. Geology 14:558–561.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text

[41] Hollister L. S.,

[42] Crawford M. L.

[43] Keppie J. D.
(1985) in The Caledonian Orogen-Scandinavia and Related Areas, The Appalachian collage, eds Gee D. G., Sturt B. A. (John Wiley, New York), pp 1217–1226.

[44] Keppie J. D.

[45] Keppie J. D.,
Murphy J. B.
(1988) Anatomy of a telescoped pull-apart basin: an example from the Cambro-Ordovician of the Antigonish Highlands. Maritime Sediments and Atlantic Geology 24:123–138.
OpenUrl

[46] Keppie J. D.,

[47] Murphy J. B.

[48] Keppie J. D.,
Dostal J.,
Murphy J. B.
(1979) Petrology of the late Precambrian Fourchu Group in the Louisbourg area, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia Department of Mines Paper, No 79–1, pp 1–18.

[49] Keppie J. D.,

[50] Dostal J.,

[51] Murphy J. B.

[52] Milligan G. C.
(1970) Geology of the George River Series, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia Department of Mines and Energy Memoir, No 7, pp 1–111.

[53] Milligan G. C.

[54] Murphy J. B.,
Keppie J. D.
(1987) The stratigraphy and depositional environment of the late Precambrian Georgeville Group, Antigonish Highlands, Nova Scotia. Maritime Sediments and Atlantic Geology 23:49–61.
OpenUrl

[55] Murphy J. B.,

[56] Keppie J. D.

[57] Murphy J. B.,
Keppie J. D.,
Dostal J.,
Hynes A. J.
(1990) in The Cadomian Orogeny, The geochemistry and petrology of the late Precambrian Georgeville Group: a volcanic arc rift succession in the Avalon terrane of Nova Scotia, Geological Society, London, Special Publication, eds D’Lemos R. S., Strachan R. A., Topley C. G. 00, pp 000–000.
OpenUrl

[58] Murphy J. B.,

[59] Keppie J. D.,

[60] Dostal J.,

[61] Hynes A. J.

[62] Murphy J. B.,
Pe-Piper G.,
Nance R. D.,
Turner D.
(1988) Current Research, Part A. Geological Survey of Canada Paper, Preliminary report on the geology of the eastern Cobequid Highlands, No 88–1A, pp 99–107.
OpenUrl

[63] Murphy J. B.,

[64] Pe-Piper G.,

[65] Nance R. D.,

[66] Turner D.

[67] Nance R. D.
(1986) Precambrian evolution of the Avalon terrane in the Northern Appalachians: A review. Maritime Sediments and Atlantic Geology 22:214–238.
OpenUrl

[68] Nance R. D.

[69] O’Brien S. J.,
Wardle R. J.,
King A. F.
(1983) The Avalon Zone: A Pan-African terrane in the Appalachian orogen of Canada. Geological Journal 18:195–222.
OpenUrl CrossRef Web of Science

[70] O’Brien S. J.,

[71] Wardle R. J.,

[72] King A. F.

[73] Pe-Piper G.,
Murphy J. B.
(1989) Petrology of the Folly River Formation: Late Proterozoic rifting in the Covequid Highlands, Nova Scotia. Atlantic Geology 101:364–376.
OpenUrl

[74] Pe-Piper G.,

[75] Murphy J. B.

[76] Pe-Piper G.,
Piper D. J. W.
(1987) The pre-Carboniferous rocks of the western Cobequid Hills, Avalon Zone, Nova Scotia. Maritime Sediments and Atlantic Geology 23:41–48.
OpenUrl

[77] Pe-Piper G.,

[78] Piper D. J. W.

[79] Pe-Piper G.,
Piper D. J. W.
The Late Hadrynian Jeffers Group, Cobequid Highlands, Avalon Zone of Nova Scotia: a back-arc volcanic complex. Geological Society of America Bulletin, In press.

[80] Pe-Piper G.,

[81] Piper D. J. W.

[82] Wardle R. J.
(1978) The stratigraphy and structure of the Greenhead Group: Its relationship to Hadrynian and Palaeozoic rocks, southern New Brunswick. PhD thesis (University of New Brunswick, Fredericton, Canada).

[83] Wardle R. J.

[84] Williams H.
(1979) The Appalachian orogen in Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 16:792–807.
OpenUrl Abstract

[85] Williams H.

[86] Zen E-An.
(1983) in Contributions to the Tectonics and Geophysics of Mountain chains, Exotic terranes in the New England Appalachians — limits, candidates and ages: a speculative essay, Geological Society of America, Memoir, eds Hatcher R. D. Jr.., Williams H., Ziete I. 158, pp 55–81.
OpenUrl Abstract/FREE Full Text

[87] Zen E-An.

[88] Doig R.,
Murphy J. B.,
Nance R. D.
(1989) Preliminary results of U-Pb geochronology, Cobequid Highlands, Avalon Terrane, Nova Scotia. Geological Association of Canada, Program with Abstracts 14:A126.
OpenUrl

[89] Doig R.,

[90] Murphy J. B.,

[91] Nance R. D.

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Kinematic history of the Bass River Complex, Nova Scotia: Cadomian tectonostratigraphic relations in the Avalon terrane of the Canadian Appalachians

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