Discovery of an Eo-Meso-Neoarchean terrane in the East Greenland Caledonides

Abstract

This study investigates basement gneisses from the Niggli Spids thrust sheet of the East Greenland Caledonides in an attempt to place them into the broader context of the Archean-Paleoproterozoic architecture of the Greenland shield. Our combined whole-rock geochemical and U-Pb zircon geochronology results from Gåseland reveal an Archean terrane defined by TTG magmatic events at 3607. Ma and 3070-2980. Ma followed by metamorphism and high-K granite intrusion at 2790-2677. Ma. These results identify a relatively pristine Archean terrane with previously unknown Eoarchean rocks that holds potential for future investigations into the early evolution of continental crust, and adds to a growing body of data characterizing the Archean-Paleoproterozoic architecture of East Greenland. © 2013 .