ABSTRACT
The Middle Ordovician Shoal Arm Formation, which is located in the
central volcanic belt of north-central Newfoundland, is a
tripartite assemblage of hematitic argillites, grey cherts, and
black shales directly underlying a flysch sequence. The hematitic
argillites are enriched in Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Co. Factor analysis
and principal component analysis indicate the presence of a
hydrothermal component, presumably derived from hydrothermal
activity in the coeval Lawrence Head volcanics. Unusual, (?)
calcareous Mn-Fe-oxide nodules are present in the top parts of
turbidites in the hematitic argillites. Electron microprobe
analysis of a color transition from a red to a green argillite
indicates fractionation of Mn from Fe by diagenetic mobilization
of Mn and subsequent precipitation as Mn-carbonate in adjacent
green, calcareous argillites. The detrital component of the Shoal
Arm Formation is influenced by several, geochemically different,
clastic sources. The top part of the Shoal Arm Formation is
characterized by a Zr-, Nb-, and Y-rich clastic component that may
reflect either erosion or volcanic activity of lateral equivalents
of the Lawrence Head volcanics. The hydrothermal component
disappeared with erosion of these volcanics. The overlying grey,
mottled and laminated cherts reflect a biogenic bloom, which
preceded euxinification of the depositional basin. Synchronous and
diachronous depositional models are proposed to explain the
tectonic history of the Shoal Arm Formation. The synchronous model
emphasizes the high biological productivity and limited
circulation in a restricted basin as the cause for the observed
euxinification. The diachronous model explains the black shale
facies with a prograding, deep-water anoxic layer that developed
during rapid basin subsidence as the result of thrust-loading. In
this model, the black shales were deposited in front of flysch
sediments derived from a southeastward prograding thrust stack.
The Middle Ordovician Taconic sequence of New York (i.e., the
upper part of the Poultney Formation, the Indian River, and the
Mt. Merino Formations) exhibits hematitic argillites in a similar
lithostratigraphic position relative to black shale and flysch as
the Shoal Arm Formation. Comparison of the Shoal Arm Formation
with this part of the Taconic sequence indicates that the two
tectonic models are also applicable to this sequence. Both the
Indian River Formation and the Mt. Merino Formation are slightly
enriched in Fe, Mn, and the trace elements Pb and Ni. This modest
metal enrichment is explained either by recycling of Fe and Mn
into the seawater in expanded oxygen minimum zones and subsequent
precipitation at oxic/anoxic interfaces, or by a distal
hydrothermal component. A continental source of Fe is excluded.
Minor enrichment of biogenically derived material in the Mt.
Merino Formation suggests that biological productivity may not
have been the determining factor for euxinification.
The comparison with Precambrian sequences that contain
Superior-type banded iron-formations and black shales in
comparable stratigraphic positions indicates little geochemical
similarity with the two Ordovician sequences. Enrichments of Fe,
Mn, Pb, Ni, Co, and Cr in both iron-formations and black shales
are generally stronger than in the Ordovician cases.
Interpretations of biological productivity are hampered by the
insufficient knowledge of inorganic element associations with
biological matter in Precambrian oceans. As a consequence, it is
difficult to test the proposed tectonic models with the available
geochemical data. Comparisons to that point have to rely upon
field observations alone.
Brüchert, V., 1992. The origin of metalliferous argillites
in the Shoal Arm Formation of north-central Newfoundland.
Unpublished MSc. thesis, State University of New York at Albany.
262 pp., +xii
University at Albany Science Library call number: SCIENCE
Oversize (*) QE 40 Z899 1992 B79
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