Time span of plutonism, fabric development, and cooling in a Neoproterozoic magmatic arc segment: U-Pb age constraints from syn-tectonic plutons, Sark, Channel Islands, UK

Brent V. Miller, Scott D. Samson, Richard S. D'Lemos

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

35 Scopus citations

Abstract

New U-Pb zircon and titanite dates from syn-tectonic plutons on the British Channel Island of Sark constrain the time span of plutonism, fabric development, and cooling in this part of the Neoproterozoic Cadomian magmatic arc. The Tintageu leucogneiss is a mylonitic unit that was dated previously at 615.6-2.3+4.2 Ma. The Port du Moulin quartz diorite, which intruded the Tintageu unit, contains a high-strain solid-state deformation fabric that is less intense than, but parallel to, fabrics in the leucogneiss and yields a U-Pb zircon date of 613.5-1.5+2.3 Ma. The Little Sark quartz diorite also displays solid-state deformation fabrics in addition to relict magmatic textures, and yields a U-Pb zircon date of 611.4-1.3+2.1 Ma. The North Sark granodiorite is largely penetratively undeformed, exhibits mainly magmatic fabrics and textures and has a U-Pb zircon date of 608.7-1.0+1.1 Ma. Two fractions of titanite from each intrusion are essentially concordant and are identical within error, with mean dates of 606.5 ± 0.4 Ma (Port du Moulin quartz diorite), 606.2 ± 0.6 Ma (Little Sark quartz diorite), 606.4 ± 0.6 Ma (North Sark granodiorite). The new U-Pb data, in combination with previous U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar data and previous field studies, confirm the syn-tectonic nature of the Sark plutons and quantify the time span (ca. 7 m.y.) required for intrusion and sufficient crystallization of each body to record incremental strain during waning deformation. Titanite U-Pb and hornblende 40Ar/39Ar dates mark final cooling about 2 m.y. after intrusion of the last pluton.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)79-95
Number of pages17
JournalTectonophysics
Volume312
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 30 1999

Keywords

  • Cadomian orogeny
  • English Channel Islands
  • Magmatic arc
  • Syn-tectonic plutonism
  • Titanite
  • U-Pb
  • Zircon

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Geophysics
  • Earth-Surface Processes

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