This dissertation represents an investigation of the mid-Paleozoic tectono-thermal and kinematic evolution of the crust in eastern coastal Maine as recorded by the plutonic rocks of this region.
The first chapter describes the plutonic rocks of the Coastal Maine Magmatic Province. A tectonic model is developed in which late Ordovician-Silurian bimodal magmatism is interpreted to reflect crustal melting as a result of intraplating of mantle melts at high crustal levels during a period of tension. Large scale melting of lower crustal source regions, represented by voluminous intrusion of Devonian granites, reflects a period of transpression during which upwelling mantle melts were confined to the base of the crust. The diversity of granitic plutons reflects changes in the mineral assemblages present during partial melting, and in some instances, modification as a result of mixing/mingling with mantle melts.
The second chapter examines the effect of accessory minerals on the initial Pb isotopic signature of anatectic granites. Their initial Pb isotopic composition reflects (a) the age, type, modal distribution, and heterogeneity in the initial U and Th content of the accessory phase(s) present in the source, (b) variation in melt composition and temperature during partial melting, (c) the fraction of the source melted, and (d) the extent to which the melt is homogenized prior to crystallization. It is shown that granitic plutons derived by crustal anatexis of a common source material are not required to have similar initial lead isotopic compositions.
The third chapter presents the results of a Pb isotopic investigation of selected plutonic rocks from the Coastal Maine MagmaticProvince. This study was designed to test and refine petrogenetic models presented in Chapter 1. The Pb isotopic signature of the granitic plutons reveals the presence of two lithologically heterogeneous source regions beneath the Avalon Composite Terrane. The upper crustal source region has an mean V-Pb age of -2.0 Ga and the high 207Pb/204Pb-206Pb/204Pb characteristic of Avalonian crust. The lower crustal source region has an average U-Pb age of -1.3 Ga and lower 207Pb/204Pb. This source region may represent either the autochthonous basement to the Avalon platform or the eastern extension of the basement to the Gander Terrane of central Maine. / Ph. D.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:VTETD/oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/39074 |
| Date | 08 August 2007 |
| Creators | Hogan, John Patrick |
| Contributors | Geology, Sinha, A. Krishna, Hewitt, David A., Eriksson, Susan C., Tracy, Robert J., Arth, Joseph G., Stewart, David B. |
| Publisher | Virginia Tech |
| Source Sets | Virginia Tech Theses and Dissertation |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Dissertation, Text |
| Format | viii, 231 leaves, BTD, application/pdf, application/pdf |
| Rights | In Copyright, http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ |
| Relation | OCLC# 23174779, LD5655.V856_1990.H642.pdf |
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