259
.ANORTHOSITIC SILLS OF THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACK MOUNTAINS OF NEW YORK STATE by Theresa Anne,Beddoe Thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE APPROVED: D.R. Wones M.C. Gilbert in Geological Sciences b.X. Hewitt, ChairmaJl Y.W. Isachsen June, 1981 Blacksburg, Virginia J .A. J.M. McLelland

b.X. - Virginia Tech · 2020. 9. 28. · barium apatite (Ba, Cl), Tiebaghi chromite (Cr), Sillbole humite (F), pure anhydrite (S), Durango apatite (P), and spec pure strontianite

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  • .ANORTHOSITIC SILLS OF THE SOUTHERN ADIRONDACK

    MOUNTAINS OF NEW YORK STATE

    by

    Theresa Anne,Beddoe

    Thesis submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the

    Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

    in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

    MASTER OF SCIENCE

    APPROVED:

    D.R. Wones

    M.C. Gilbert

    in

    Geological Sciences

    b.X. Hewitt, ChairmaJl

    Y.W. Isachsen

    June, 1981

    Blacksburg, Virginia

    J .A. Spee~

    J.M. McLelland

  • ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

    I would like to thank

    and for editing the manuscript,

    State Geological Survey and

    for directing the study

    of the New York

    of Colgate University

    for time spent in the field and for reviewing the manuscript, and .

    of the New York State Geological Survey for the use of

    sodium cobaltinitrite and other helpful contributions including

    reviewing the manuscript.

    I would like to thank and for the

    use of their analytical facilities and for his

    expertise during analysis for the completion of some of the analyses and

    for reviewing the manuscript. I would also like to thank

    and for

    their helpful contributions. To go special thanks for

    taking a deep interest in the project and for providing invaluable

    insights. I would like to thank

    and and

    for serving on my thesis committee.

    My deepest thanks go to for being my constant field

    assistant; to , who, at 70 years of age, was

    the best field guide one could ask for; to for her

    help in the field and for zealously typing the manuscript.

    Finally, my special thanks go to my family for their constant

    support and understanding, and to for her continuous

    encouragement and friendship, and for reviewing the manuscript.

    ii

  • This research was supported by graduate teaching and research

    assistantships from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

    and from NSF grant EAR77-23225 AOl to , by a grant to

    of the New York State Geological Survey, the New

    York State Conservation Department, and a Grant-in-Aid of Research from

    Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society.

    iii

  • TABLE OF CONTENTS

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Acknowledgements • List of Figures. ...................................................

    ii

    v

    List of Tables ..................................................... vi

    List of Plates ••••••••••••••• .vii

    Introduction....................................................... 1

    Analytical Procedures •• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . General Geo 1 ogy ••• ................................................. Petrography ••••••••••

    Mineral Chemistry •••.•••••

    Whole Rock Chemistry •• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Metamorphic Petrology •.•

    Intensive Parameters ••••••••

    Metamorphic Assemblages.

    Igneous Petrology.

    Parent Magma •••••.•...•••• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Crystallization Sequence.

    Intrusive History • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Bibliography .•.•••• . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    8

    10

    15

    27

    45

    54

    54

    57

    65

    65

    66

    68

    76

    Appendix 1: Modes. . . . • . . . . . . . . . . • • . • . • . . . . . . . • . • . . . • • • . . . . . . • . . • . . 83

    Appendix 2:

    Appendix 3:

    Vi ta •..•••

    Abstract

    Chemical Analyses .•

    Mineral Analyses •.••••••••.••.•••...••••••••••••••.

    94

    97

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 50

    iv

  • LIST OF FIGURES

    FIGURE PAGE

    1. Southern Adirondacks, New York State--Location Map •..••.•.••••• 3

    2. Lake Pleasant Quadrangle, Northern Half--Geological Map •••••.•• 5

    3. Modal Plagioclase Plot for the Speculator Sheet ..•.••••...••••• 17

    4. Plagioclase Compositions ........................•.............. 29

    5. Pyroxene Compositions •••••••••••.••••••••••••.•••••••.•••••.••• 31

    6. Arnphibole Compositions ......................................... 33

    7. Speculator Sheet Amphibole Compositional Trends ••.•.••••••••••. 37

    8. Biotite Compositions •••••••••.•.•••••••••.•••..•••.•••.•••••••. 39

    9. Speculator Sheet Biotite Compositional Trends •••.....•..••••••. 41

    10. Garnet Compositions ••••.•••••••••••••••••.••••.••••••••..•••••. 44

    11. Whole Rock Chemistry vs. Distance from the Base of the Sill •••• 48

    12. Harker Variation Diagrams •..••••••••••.•••••...•.••••••••.••.•• 50

    13. AFM Variation Diagram for the Sills and the Oregon Dome ••.••••• 53

    14. ACFM Diagram illustrating the garnet corona-producing reaction. 60

    15. AFM Variation Diagram for the Snowy Mountain and

    Thirteenth Lake Dome • •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••.•••••• 73

    Al. Sample Map for the lS Traverse ................................. 87

    A2. Sample Map for the 2S Traverse . ................................ 89

    A3. Sample Map for the 3S and 4S Traverses •••••••.•••••••.•••.••.•• 91

    A4. Sample Map for the Wells Traverses . ............................ 93

    v

  • LIST OF TABLES

    TABLE PAGE

    1. Average Chemical Compositions ••••.••..••..•••.•••••••••.••..••• 46

    2. Metamorphic Geothermometry ••..•••••.••.•.••..•••.•.••••...••... 55

    vi

  • LIST OF PLATES

    PLATE PAGE

    1. Speculator Sheet Garnet with Coronas and

    Spongy Tenantville Garnet •.•..••••.•...•••••.••.•••••.•••.•..•• 21

    vii

  • INTRODUCTION

    A large body of knowledge exists on the major anorthositic

    intrusives of the Adirondack Grenville Province (i.e. Miller, 1918;

    Balk, 1930; Buddington, 1936 and 1939; Isachsen, 1969), yet little is

    known of the petrology and geochemistry of the small leucocratic

    intrusives of the anorthositic series (Buddington, 1969). The petrology

    of two of these small bodies, the Speculator Sheet and the Wells Sill,

    is the subject of this investigation. Both of these bodies crop out in

    the Lake Pleasant 15' Quadrangle of the southern Adirondacks (Figure 1)

    and have intruded into the Rooster Hill/Little Moose Mountain Formations

    (Figure 2). The contact relationships between the Speculator and Wells

    bodies and the metasedimentary country rocks are important in light of

    the current controversy concerning the relationship of the major

    anorthositic massifs with the overlying metasediments.

    Walton and de Waard (1963) have proposed two major orogenic cycles

    for the evolution of the Adirondacks: intrusion of anorthosite,

    beveling by erosion, deposition of sediments on an anorthositic

    basement, then final metamorphism by the Grenville Orogeny. Their

    careful mapping of the eastern and south-central Adirondacks revealed a

    persistent unit of marble calc-silicate rock forming the first unit of

    the metasediments in contact with the massif. Based on these data, they

    suggested that the massif was a pre-Grenville basement for the

    deposition of the overlying metasediments and that the subsequent

    metamorphism and deformation during the Grenville orogeny was solely

    responsible for the present structural relationships between the two

    1

  • 2

    FIGURE 1

    Southern Adirondacks, New York State

    showing the three anorthositic massifs (the Oregon Dome,

    the Thirteenth Lake Dome and the Snowy Mountain Dome)

    and two sills (the Speculator Sheet and the Wells Sill)

    studied. (Isachsen and Fisher, 1970)

  • Indi

    an L

    ake

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    d.

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    eent

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    51

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    970

    w

  • FIGURE 2

    Lake Pleasant Quadrangle, Northern Half

    (Mclelland, in preparation)

    shows the relationship of the Speculator and

    Wells Sills to the Glens Falls Syncline

    and gives a key to sample maps

    in Appendix 1.

  • ~----~·2:---~

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    51

  • 6

    units. Mapping of the anorthositic Snowy Mountain Dome of the south

    central Adirondacks (de Waard and Romey, 1963 and 1969) substantiated

    their hypothesis.

    In contrast to these conclusions, subsequent developments indicate

    that the contact between the metaigneous and metasedimentary units is a

    primary intrusive contact (Buddington, 1939). Husch et al. {1975) and

    Isachsen et al. (1975) cite the intrusive relationships of the Wells and

    Speculator anorthosite masses, which lie stratigraphically above the the

    base of Walton and de Waard's (1963) supracrustal sequence, as evidence

    against an unconformity. Hills and Isachsen (1975) obtained a whole-

    rock Rb-Sr isochron date of 1199 +/- 14 my with an initial Sr ratio of

    0.70452 for the monzonite (mangerite) and metanorite of the Snowy

    Mountain Dome, which agrees well with other dates from Adirondack

    metaigneous rocks (i.e. 1200 my for the Marcy massif using a Nd-Sm whole

    rock-plagioclase isochron; Ashwal et al., 1981). Based on the close

    correspondence of these dates, they conclude that the Snowy Mountain

    Dome is intrusive into the country rock and does not unconformably

    underlie them.

    It is therefore important to establish the geochemical and

    petrologic fingerprints of these sills, to determine if their history is

    linked to that of the major anorthositic massifs, which have been

    interpreted as a basement complex by Walton and de Waard (1963). By

    determining their relationship, a positive contribution may be made to

    this controversy.

    In addition to the intrusive history of the sills, their subsequent

  • 7

    metamorphism must be investigated to understand the changing

    assemblages throughout the sills and the occurrance of fine reaction

    rims of orthopyroxene and plagioclase around some of the garnets.

    Such reaction rims have been discussed in the literature for almost

    a century (i.e. Holland, 1896; Fermor, 1912; Eskola, 1920; Shand, 1945;

    Subramaniam, 1956). Holland (1896, p. 29) first proposed that the

    reaction rim represented a stage in the formation of garnet from the

    primary mafic minerals, and Fermor (1912) believed that the rims formed

    by the destruction of garnet because of a rapid reduction of temperature

    accompanied by a gradual lowering of pressure. These points of view

    have been the two most often advocated.

    Some recent workers in other areas (i.e. Kornprobst, 1977; Horrocks,

    1980) have interpreted these coronas to be the result of lower pressures

    and/or higher temperatures. In the Adirondacks, de Waard (1965, 1967)

    used them to distinguish the high pressure field from the low pressure

    field of the granulite facies. De Waard (1965) states that the rims

    most probably form from the reaction hbd + gar + qtz = opx + plag + H2o and thus that garnet is a disappearing phase in granulite facies

    terranes in rocks that also contain hornblende and quartz. The

    selective occurrences of garnet rims in the rocks of the Wells and

    Speculator bodies conflict with this interpretation.

  • ANALYTICAL PROCEDURES

    McLelland's map (in preparation, Figure 2) of the Lake Pleasant 15 1

    quadrangle was used as a base map for extensive sampling of the two

    sills. 81 samples were collected from the Speculator Sheet and 39 thin

    sections were described. 51 samples were collected from the Wells Sill

    and 33 thin sections were described. The sample locations are shown in

    Appendix 1. Twelve samples were collected from the Oregon Dome from the

    Siamese Pond trail in the Thirteenth Lake 15 1 quadrangle. Eight thin

    sections were described.

    Modes, also presented in Appendix l, were determined optically from

    point counts of each thin section. Grain size ranged from less than 0.5

    mm to 6 mm and the number of points counted were sufficient for the

    reported values to have a statistical accuracy of better than :2% (Van

    Der Plas and Tobi, 1965).

    Mineral analyses were performed with an ARL-SEMQ microprobe with an

    operating voltage of 15kv; mineral standards for the six and nine

    element analyses were Goschener titanite (Ti), Rockport fayalite (Fe),

    Marjalahti olivine (Mg), synthetic tephroite (Mn), Tiburon albite (Na,

    Al, Si), Ingamells' orthoclase (K), anorthite glass (Ca), synthetic

    barium apatite (Ba, Cl), Tiebaghi chromite (Cr), Sillbole humite (F),

    pure anhydrite (S), Durango apatite (P), and spec pure strontianite

    (Sr}. Matrix correction factors used were those of Bence and Albee

    (1968}.

    Rock analyses were performed using a Phillips automated wavelength-

    dispersive, X-ray fluorescence spectrometer. Five samples from the 2S

    8

  • 9

    traverse of the Speculator Sheet and seven samples from the lW traverse

    of the Wells Sill were collected for analysis. Their locations are

    shown in Appendix 1. Five samples from the Oregon Dome were collected

    along the Siamese Pond Trail. Major element abundances were analyzed on

    fused glass disks using the technique described by Norrish and Hutton

    (1969) and later modified by Harvey et al. (1973). Trace element

    abundances were determined on pressed powder pellets using the matrix

    correction methods of Reynolds (1963). Rock standards for the major

    elements were USGS standards PCC-1, BCR-1, GSP-1, AVG-1, and G-2.

    Precisions are better than 1% of the amount present for Si02, Al 2o3, + Ti02, Fe2o3, Cao, and K2o; about 3% for MgO and Na2o; and about - 0.01%

    absolute for MnO and P2o5• GSP-1 was used as the standard for the trace element analyses (Rb and Sr). Precisions are approximately 1% for Rb

    and Sr.

  • GENERAL GEOLOGY

    The Adirondack Grenville Province of northern New York State

    consists of intensely deformed and faulted granulite-facies metamorphic

    rocks, which are cored by a 3100 km2 body of anorthosite (Marcy massif).

    The study area in the southern Adirondacks is dominated by metasediments

    and a number of smaller anorthositic bodies (Figure 1).

    The second largest (greater than 300 km2 - Isachsen and Fisher,

    1970) anorthositic massif of the province, the Oregon Dome, covers the

    southwest corner of the Thirteenth Lake 15 1 Quadrangle and the northern

    tips of the Lake Pleasant and Harrisburg 15 1 Quadrangles. The dome

    consists of a large outer rim of anorthositic gabbro with an inner core

    of anorthosite and intrudes biotite-hornblende granitic gneiss and

    leucogranitic gneiss (Krieger, 1937).

    To the north, the Thirteenth Lake Dome is cored by anorthosite-

    norite and surrounded by a comagmatic charnockite (Letteney, 1969). To

    the northwest of the Oregon Dome, in the north-central Indian Lake 15 1

    Quadrangle, the Snowy Mountain Dome also has a core of anorthosite that

    grades outward to charnockite (de Waard, 1969).

    The two anorthositic sills of the study intrude the syenite gneiss

    of the Rooster Hill/Little Moose Mountain Formations in the northern

    half of the Lake Pleasant 15 1 Quadrangle (Figure 2; sample locations are

    in Appendix 1). The Oregon Dome also crops out in the extreme

    northeastern corner of this quadrangle. Mclelland (in preparation;

    Figure 2) has shown that the dome intrudes the Lake Durant Formation

    within the quadrangle. As this formation stratigraphically underlies

    10

  • 11

    the Rooster Hill/Little Moose Mountain Formations, the Oregon Dome also

    stratigraphically underlies the two sills.

    The Speculator Sheet crops out five kilometers south of Speculator

    in the center of the Glens Falls syncline, which plunges to the east-

    southeast (Mclelland and Isachsen, 1980). The sheet intruded the

    country rock before the formation of the syncline; therefore, the strike

    of the sheet parallels the trace of the fold and its dip is 10-15°

    toward the axis of the fold. The structural relationships concerning

    the southern limb of the fold are not completely clear. The whole of

    the Speculator Sheet dips to the south; it may be that the rest of the

    sheet is faulted away (Mclelland, personal colTU'llunication) but further

    work will be needed to substantiate this. The exposed thickness of the

    sheet is approximately 500 feet.

    Miller (1916) produced a detailed report on the geology of the Lake

    Pleasant Quadrangle. He described the Speculator Sheet as "a basic

    phase of syenite, usually non-quartzose and of dioritic or gabbroic

    composition." He did state that "the rock looks much like certain

    garnet-bearing phases of anorthosite described by both Cushing and

    Kemp." Bartholom~ (1956) likewise mapped the quadrangle as part of his

    study of Hamilton County, New York. He mapped the Speculator Sheet as

    gabbroic anorthosite and anorthosite intrusive into syenite gneiss.

    The sheet consists of gabbroic anorthosite and anorthosite that

    appear grey to white in outcrop and weather buff to white. The mafic

    minerals define a slight to strong lineation. The rock becomes more

    mafic at the stratigraphic base; where highly garnetiferous, the outcrop

  • 12

    is colored red. In the extreme eastern part, the country rock is cut by

    several thin mafic dikes. Metasedimentary inclusions of quartzite and

    fine-grained well-foliated gneiss have been observed by others

    (Bartholome, 1956); intrusions of gabbroic anorthosite occur in the

    underlying syenite gneiss.

    The Wells Sill intrudes along the southern limb of the Glens Falls

    syncline, close to the contact of the Rooster Hill/little Moose Mountain

    Formations with the subjacent Tomany Mountain/Blue Mountain Lake

    Formations. It extends east-southeastward to Tenantville, a total

    distance of about 22 kilometers (Goldberg, 1975; and Mclelland, personal

    conmunication), striking N59W and dipping to the northeast at 27-34°.

    The section of the sill studied in detail is fault-bounded on the west

    and east and crops out on and in the vicinity of the Silver Bells ski

    hill to the southeast of the town of Wells. Bartholome (1956) mapped

    the sill as gabbroic anorthosite intruding syenite gneiss. It intrudes

    the Rooster Hill/Little Moose Mountain Formations, which on the north

    side of the sill is a locally-charnockitic syenite gneiss, and on the

    south side is charnockite (Mclelland, personal communication).

    The sill is composed of three different facies: a gabbro, an

    anorthositic gabbro, and a fine-grained gabbroic anorthosite named the

    Tenantville facies by Mclelland (personal communication) for it crops

    out extensively in the Tenantville area (Harrisburg 15' Quadrangle).

    The two. leucocratic facies of the sill have a stratigraphic thickness of

    about 300 feet; including the gabbroic facies, the sill has a total

    thickness of about 500 feet.

  • 13

    The gabbro is the most extensive lateral unit and is medium-grained

    and equigranular with diffuse modal banding in outcrop due to higher

    concentrations of plagioclase. It is dark to black when fresh and

    generally weathers a deep rust or black. Its abrupt contact with the

    intrusive Tenantville facies is well exposed at the top of the ski hill

    and also at the northwest base of the hill, where the contact has been

    emphasized by weathering.

    Anorthositic gabbro covers an area of about one square kilometer on

    the ski hill and forms the core of the sill. It appears grey to white

    in outcrop and weathers buff to white. The mafic minerals define a

    distinct lineation. Pyroxene rimmed with hornblende and the occasional

    rimmed garnet are most striking.

    The Tenantville facies surrounds and is gradational into the

    anorthositic gabbro. It is intrusive into the gabbro facies and

    contains many inclusions of the gabbro. The contacts between the gabbro

    and the Tenantville facies are quite sharp and well-defined; the gabbro

    inclusions show no signs of assimilation by the anorthositic gabbro. At

    the top of the ski hill, the Tenantville facies has a number of

    metasedimentary inclusions of two different types: well-assimilated

    amphibolite and a few carbonate rocks. The Wells sill is cut by a few

    pegmatitic quartzofeldspathic veins, one of which is best exposed in a

    stream bed on the north side of the hill. In outcrop, the Tenantville

    facies is white and fine-grained. It weathers white and has no

    foliation. The large spongy garnets are distinctive in outcrop.

    The syenite gneiss of the Rooster Hill/Little Moose Mountain

  • 14

    Formations is white with rust-colored staining in outcrop. It is

    medium-grained, with large microperthitic augen imparting a

    conglomerate-like texture to the rock. The mafic minerals define a

    strong lineation. (See Mclelland and Isachsen, 1980.)

  • PETROGRAPHY

    The Speculator Sheet

    The well-lineated gabbroic anorthosite of the sheet contains 50 to

    99% plagioclase, a to 23% hornblende, a to 24% orthopyroxene, 0 to 24% clinopyroxene, a to 16% garnet, 0 to 9% opaque minerals, a to 3% biotite, and traces of apatite, zircon, and hematite. The modal

    plagioclase content of the samples collected along the 2S, 3S, and 4S

    traverses (see Appendix 1 for locations) are plotted against vertical

    distance from the base of the sill in Figure 3. This section shows the

    typical scatter observed in all the traverses but illustrates the

    increasing leucocratic nature towards the stratigraphic top of the sill

    that is typical of the body.

    The equant plagioclase crystals of the gabbroic anorthosite are

    generally 2 mm long, and display albite and pericline twinning, as do

    all the plagioclase crystals from the anorthositic bodies studied. Some

    of these crystals form mosaic aggregates that are pseudomorphs after

    originally euhedral plagioclase 10 - 15 mm long and 2 - 5 mm thick. The

    centers of these aggregates rarely contain a relict core crystal of

    plagioclase (3-4 mm). The largest of these relicts exhibit Spry•s

    (1969) mortar texture with fine (less than 0.5 mm) recrystallization

    around the edges. Antiperthitic blebs are rare and minute (less than 1

    micron); randomly oriented opaque needles are common. Patchy alteration

    to sericite or muscovite is common.

    The major mafic mineral is pyroxene. Clinopyroxene is usually

    dominant over orthopyroxene though abundances of the two vary

    15

  • 16

    FIGURE 3

    Modal Plagioclase for Speculator Sheet Traverses

    2S, 3S, and 4S presented as a function of

    stratigraphic feet above the lower contact.

  • 500 +-(.) c +-c: 400 0 (.)

    '-CD 300 ~ 0

    ~200 0 ..a c +- 100 CD CD

    '+-

    17

    ·--y· . £__

    1· •

    35• \ "· .----------- ./· ·:--.. ,/ -;::•2S \ Vs " o.____.~~_._~'~_._~_.__..__..~

    20 40 60 80 100 modal 0/o plagioclase

  • 18

    substantially. Pyroxene occurs in subequant to elongate crystals, 0.5 -

    2 rrm in size with a few relict orthopyroxene phenocrysts reaching up to

    8 rrm in length. Clinopyroxene exhibits occasional orthopyroxene

    exsolution along the (100) plane, especially in the larger grains

    (greater than 1 mm). Rare exsolution of opaque minerals occurs along a

    plane which makes a small angle to (100). Orthopyroxene shows a fine

    twinning which has, in some cases, initiated alteration to amphibole

    along the twin plane. The pyroxene crystals are sometimes altered to

    hornblende along crystal boundaries or in patches in the interior of the

    crystal. Some have reaction rims of hornblende or are altered to

    chlorite •

    . The hornblende occurs in elongate crystals generally less than 0.5

    mm in length; a very few larger crystals extend up to 2 rrm.

    Biotite occurs in both small (less than 0.5 rrm) crystals and larger

    elongate crystals up to 2 rrm by 1 mm in size. Biotite and hornblende

    define the foliation. It alters to a chlorite or to an unidentified

    fibrous material. Locally, small (less than 0.5 mm), lath-shaped

    titanite (retrograde?) grows along its cleavages.

    Zircon and apatite are ubiquitous accessories. Apatite is found in

    subhedral crystals, sometimes growing to large sizes (6 mm by 1.5 mm).

    Hematite occurs as staining along crystal boundaries and fractures, and

    in aggregates of opaque minerals. One large (greater than 1 rrm)

    euhedral crystal of titanite was observed in the anorthosite of the

    Speculator Sheet. The opaque phases are ilmenite with very rare

    magnetite and pyrite. They usually occur in small crystals (less than

  • 19

    0.5 nm) or occasionally form irregular aggregates less than 1.5 mm in

    size. These opaque phases are commonly rimmed by metamorphic titanite

    and only rarely by garnet. They are often associated closely with other

    mafic phases, at times surrounding and interpenetrating them.

    Deep pink garnet occurs in porphyroblasts of varying shapes up to 12

    mm in diameter, generally free from inclusions but cut by parallel

    fractures. The distribution of the garnet varies widely; there are

    substantial fluctuations in garnet content with the more mafic rocks

    being those that are more garnetiferous. As compared to those in the

    gabbroic veins, the garnets in the anorthositic gabbro facies display a

    striking dactylic intergrowth that surrounds the porphyroblasts in a

    regular and undeformed reaction rim that grows larger as the central

    garnets decrease in size. In some rocks, the central garnet has

    completely disappeared. The rim consists of thin (20 micron) stringers

    of orthopyroxene and rarely hornblende (Plate 1, a and b) which radiate

    outward approximately normal to the face of the garnet, penetrating

    surrounding plagioclase or separated by equally thin stringers of calcic

    plagioclase (An70_90). Where large plagioclase grains occur adjacent to

    the garnet they display a sharply defined calcic rim 20-30 microns

    thick. Opaque oxides often occur around and between the orthopyroxene

    stringers (Plate 1, c).

    The mafic dikes that cut the eastern country rock contain 28 to 70%

    hornblende, 26 to 42% plagioclase, 1 to 17% orthopyroxene, 0 to 8%

    garnet, 0 to 4% clinopyroxene, and traces of biotite, opaque minerals,

    apatite and hematite (see Appendix 1; 4S2, 4S3, 4S5). The gabbros of

  • 20

    PLATE 1

    a) Speculator Sheet garnet with an

    orthopyroxene - plagioclase corona

    b) Speculator Sheet garnet corona with hornblende

    c) Speculator Sheet garnet corona with opaques

    d) Tenantville spongy garnet

  • 22

    the basal portion of the sheet differ from these mafic dikes because

    they contain pyroxene as the dominant mafic phase and they are more

    leucocratic and coarser grained (i.e. Appendix 1: 4S8, 4S9, 4Sl0).

    The Wells Si 11

    a) Gabbro

    The medium-grained, gneissic gabbro contains 39 to 49% plagioclase,

    9 to 38% hornblende, 2 to 19% orthopyroxene, 1 to 15% clinopyroxene, 0

    to 11% biotite (with 1 to 3% conman), 0 to 15% quartz, 0 to 9% opaque

    minerals, 0 to 3% garnet, and traces of apatite, hematite and zircon.

    The quartz usually occurs in veins; hematite staining is often present

    along grain boundaries and fractures.

    Plagioclase occurs in small (less than 0.5 nm) granulated crystals

    and exhibits pericline and albite twinning. Antiperthitic blebs are

    rare. The grains are equant with little indication of preferred

    orientation.

    The main mafic mineral is usually hornblende which occurs in

    elongate crystals up to 2 mm long. These segregate into gneissic bands

    of subparallel crystals with large interstitial opaques.

    Orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene occur in 0.5 to 1.0 nm subequant to

    elongate crystals with a few larger relict phenocrysts (about 2 mm).

    The large crystals of both pyroxenes exhibit exsolution similar to the

    pyroxenes of the Speculator Sheet. The pyroxenes conmonly show

    alteration to amphibole along grain boundaries and in patches within the

    pyroxene.

    The biotite crystals are rarely longer than 1 nm and are sometimes

  • 23

    bent. A few are broken. The opaque minerals are primarily ilmenite

    with little magnetite and rare pyrite. These may form irregular

    aggregates up to 2 mm long. Hematite is often present in these

    aggregates. Garnet, when it does occur, is very pale pink to colorless,

    and either forms small euhedral crystals 0.5 mm in size, or it forms in

    contact with the opaque aggregates. It has few inclusions, which are

    most often apatite or quartz.

    b) Anorthositic Gabbro

    The anorthositic gabbro contains 50 to 81% plagioclase, 3 to 39%

    hornblende, 1 to 16% clinopyroxene, 0 to 10% orthopyroxene, 0 to 8%

    biotite, 0 to 24% quartz, 0.2 to 6% opaque minerals, 0 to 2% apatite and

    traces of zircon and hematite. Quartz occurs in veins. The

    anorthositic gabbro is compositionally and texturally similar to the

    anorthositic gabbro of the Speculator Sheet, except that: (1) Garnet is

    much less common. (2) Hornblende is sometimes the dominant mafic phase.

    (3) The plagioclase content of the rock does not change in any

    systematic manner; nor is the base of the unit more gabbroic. (4) The

    pyroxenes tend to form clots which are surrounded by hornblende.

    c) The Tenantville Facies

    The fine-grained Tenantville facies contains 72 to 85% plagioclase,

    0 to 18% hornblende, 0 to 6% clinopyroxene, 0 to 6% orthopyroxene, 0 to

    3% biotite, 0 to 3% garnet, 0 to 18% quartz, 0 to 3% opaque minerals,

    and traces of apatite, zircon and hematite. The quartz occurs mainly in

    veins.

    The Tenantville facies of the Wells Sill is generally more

  • 24

    leucocratic and finer grained than the anorthositic gabbro, with

    individual crystals rarely exceeding 0.5 ITITI in size and always less than

    2 rrm.

    Plagioclase occurs as small (less than 0.5 ITITI) rounded grains; some

    aggregates form pseudomorphs of original plagioclase phenocrysts 10-15

    mm in size. Rarely, a large (5-6 ITITI) relict plagioclase will remain

    intact in the center of the aggregates. The plagioclase exhibits both

    albite and pericline twinning, has rare antiperthitic blebs and is more

    sericitized in this facies than in any other.

    Hornblende is the most common mafic mineral, and occurs in small

    elongate crystals or blocky crystals 1.5 mm in size.

    Pyroxene is a minor phase and may be altogether absent (Appendix 1;

    5W7). Where it does occur, it is most often clinopyroxene with minor

    orthopyroxene or has been completely altered to chlorite. It forms

    small (less than 0.5 111Tl) rounded to irregular crystals. It exhibits no

    exsolution; alteration to hornblende is rare.

    Biotite occurs in small (less than 1.5 ITITI) elongate crystals. The

    growth of titanite along its cleavages is characteristic. Some biotite

    crystals (less than 1.0 nm in size) are riddled with opaque inclusions;

    these are most probably a secondary alteration of the opaque phase.

    Light pink garnets form in small (less than 0.5 mm) euhedral

    crystals which have a tendency to form aggregates of what can be termed

    a 11 spongy 11 garnet up to 4 l11TI in size. These spongy garnets contain

    inclusions of plagioclase, pyroxene, hornblende, biotite, and opaque

    minerals and have no reaction rims (Plate l, d).

  • 25

    Apatite and zircon are corrmon accessories; hematite is rare. Opaque

    minerals are ilmenite with rare magnetite and pyrite, and form

    aggregates generally less than 2 nm long which contain frequent

    inclusions of titanite.

    The Oregon Dome

    The strongly lineated anorthositic gabbro contains 60 to 83%

    plagioclase, 3 to 18% clinopyroxene, 0.2 to 7% hornblende, 1 to 7%

    orthopyroxene, 0.2 to 7% garnet, 0.2 to 6% opaque minerals, 0 to 2%

    biotite, and traces of apatite, zircon and hematite.

    This facies of the dome is similar to the anorthositic gabbro and

    gabbroic anorthosite of the sills except for grain size, the nature of

    the garnets and the opaques. In the Oregon Dome, grain size is larger

    overall, with single crystals of minerals commonly achieving lengths of

    2-4 nm and larger. The garnets are pink and have no coronas of

    orthopyroxene and plagioclase; they are anhedral with many inclusions

    and are sometimes closely associated with mafic phases (opaques and

    hornblende). There is a consistent thin rim of plagioclase between the

    mafic phase and the garnet. Magnetite is also more conman in the dome

    than in the sills.

    The Country Rock

    The finely lineated syenite gneiss of the Rooster Hill/Little Moose

    Mountain Formations in contact with the Speculator Sheet contains 60 to

    70% patch perthite, 10 to 15% plagioclase, 10 to 15% hornblende, 5 to

    10% quartz, 1 to 3% opaque minerals, 1 to 3% clinopyroxene, 1 to 2%

    biotite, and traces of orthopyroxene, zircon and apatite.

  • 26

    The coarsely-exsolved patch perthite occurs in small to medium sized

    (less than 2 mm), equant to irregular crystals. Hematite staining is

    heavy along crystal and exsolution boundaries. Elongated and flattened

    quartz crystals occur as large 4.0 rrm laths. Most hornblende occurs in

    small (0.5 mm) laths though there are a few 2 rrm irregular fractured

    crystals. The plagioclase occurs as small (less than 0.5 rrm) rounded

    crystals. Biotite occurs as small (less than 0.5 rrm) laths that are

    altered to a red, amorphous mineral. Opaque minerals are small equant

    crystals forming irregular aggregates up to 1.5 rrm long in very mafic

    areas. Equant to rectangular clinopyroxene crystals are usually less

    than 0.5 rrm and always less than 2 rrm in size. Patchy alteration of the

    pyroxene to hornblende is corrmon. Orthopyroxene is extremely rare,

    occurring as small, isolated, equant to rectangular crystals. Euhedral

    zircons and euhedral apatite laths are small (less than 0.5 rrm).

    Hematite staining is pervasive, especially on perthite crystals and

    biotites and other mafic phases.

  • MINERAL CHEMISTRY

    Mineral analyses were obtained from 17 thick sections of the

    Speculator Sheet, two thick sections of the mafic veins that cut the

    eastern end of the Sheet (4S2, 4S5), four sections each of the three

    facies of the Wells Sill, and six sections of the anorthositic gabbro

    facies of the Oregon Dome. The number of analyses of each mineral

    species in each slide ranged from one to ten with an average of five,

    depending on the abundance of the mineral. A second set of amphibole

    and biotite analyses was taken to determine fluorine and chlorine

    contents. Analyses are presented in Appendix 3.

    Plagioclase

    Plagioclase compositions for the two sills and the Oregon Dome are

    presented in Figure 4. Within the Wells Sill, the plagioclase becomes

    more calcic from the gabbro (An42 _47 ) to the anorthositic gabbro

    (An 50_54 ) to the Tenantville facies (An52_56 ). Plagioclase composition

    for the Speculator Sheet ranges from An44 to An87 • The three samples

    with high anorthite content (An70_87 ) are from rocks which have a large

    volume of rimmed garnets. The composition of plagioclase in garnet

    coronas ranges from An74 to An87 , except for one sodic analysis

    resulting from zoning in large plagioclases adjacent to garnet with no

    or very minute rims. Data on the Oregon Oome 1 s anorthositic gabbro

    indicates a composition ranging from An47 to An53 • Orthoclase content

    in all the plagioclases is less than 2%.

    Pyroxene

    Pyroxene compositions are presented in Figure 5. The tie lines

    27

  • 28

    FIGURE 4

    Plagioclase Compositions for the Oregon Dome,

    Wells Sill, and Speculator Sheet.

    Oregon Dome: small circles - anorthositic gabbro

    Wells Sill: squares - gabbro facies

    triangles - anorthositic gabbro

    large circles - Tenantville facies

    Speculator Sheet: filled triangles - gabbroic anorthosite

    x - from garnet coronas

    squares - gabbroic veins

  • U> c: 0 ·-+-U> 0 a. G> E E 0 0 (.) c

    c Cl) 0 U> O> 0 G> .... 0 0 0 C'I 0 -a..

    ... 0

    ... 0

    29

    c

  • 30

    FIGURE 5

    Pyroxene Compositions for the Oregon Dome,

    Wells Sill and Speculator Sheet.

    Symbols are as in Figure 4.

  • en c 0 ..... en 0 a. E 0 (.)

    Cl> c Cl> )( 0 ... ~

    Cl..

    Cl> E 0 0 c: 0 C'I Q) ... 0

    "'O :c

    en Cl)

    Q)

    3:

    0 v

    31

    -Q) Cl> .c en ... 0 -0 :J (.) Cl> 0.. en

    0 v

  • 32

    between coexisting clinopyroxene and orthopyroxene are generally

    subparallel, both within and between the three bodies. The

    clinopyroxenes in the Speculator Sheet and in the Tenantville and

    anorthositic gabbro facies of the Wells Sill range in composition from

    Wo46Fs12En42 to Wo48Fs19En33 ; however, those of the Oregon Dome and the

    gabbro facies of the Wells Sill tend to be more iron-rich, ·with

    compositions in the Oregon Dome ranging from Wo44Fs19En 37 to

    Wo46Fs22 En32 and in the gabbro facies from Wo46 Fs17En37 to Wo46Fs21 En33 •

    The same relationship is seen in the orthopyroxenes, with the Speculator

    Sheet and the Tenantville and anorthositic gabbro facies of the Wells

    sill ranging from wo1Fs34En65 to wo1Fs47En52 , whereas the Wells gabbro

    and Oregon Dome range from wo1Fs46En53 to Wo1Fs51 En48 • Na, Ti, and Mn

    are present only in trace amounts (less than 0.05 moles of oxide) in

    both pyroxenes. The clinopyroxenes of the Speculator Sheet contain

    approximately 11% of calcium Tschermak 1 s molecule while those of the

    Wells Sill contain only 8%. The clinopyroxenes of the Oregon Dome

    contain 12% of the molecule. The orthopyroxenes of the Speculator Sheet

    contain 4% of magnesium Tschermak 1 s molecule as do those of the Wells

    Sill, whereas the Oregon Dome contains slightly over 5%.

    Amphibole and Biotite

    Compositional data for the amphiboles in the three bodies are given

    in Figure 6 according to Leake 1 s (1978) classification for calcic

    amphiboles. Amphiboles for all three bodies are ferroan pargasitic

    hornblende. A few amphiboles, usually from rocks affected by garnet

    corona - producing reactions, are ferroan pargasite. There is a strong

  • 33

    FIGURE 6

    Amphibole Compositions for the Oregon Dome,

    Wells Sill and Speculator Sheet

    according to Leake (1978).

    Symbols are as in Figure 4.

  • Cal

    cic

    Am

    phib

    ole

    Com

    posi

    tions

    Ca+

    Na

    > 1

    .34

    ; N

    a<

    0.6

    7;

    Na+

    K >

    0.5

    0;

    Ti<

    0.5

    0

    Si

    7.5

    7.0

    6.5

    6.0

    - Q) LL + 1.0

    ~ 0

    .5

    - ....... Ct ~

    0

    i >--- - I

    I I

    Ede

    nitic

    E

    deni

    te

    Hor

    nble

    nde

    Ferr

    o-Fe

    rro

    -E

    deni

    te

    Ede

    nitic

    H

    ornb

    lend

    e

    I

    I

    Par

    gasi

    tic

    Par

    gasi

    te

    Hor

    nble

    nde •••

    ~~i ..

    .... Fe

    rroan

    ~· ~

    Parg

    a site

    6

    .oce

    . Fe

    rroa

    n 1

    Par

    gasi

    tic

    Hor

    nble

    nde

    Ferr

    o-Fe

    rro

    -P

    arga

    site

    P

    arga

    sitic

    H

    ornb

    lend

    e

    I I

    I

    I

    w

    -+::>

  • 35

    negative correlation between the amounts of iron and octahedral aluminum

    as there is a positive correlation between titanium and tetrahedral

    aluminum, as is illustrated in Figure 7. This is a reflection of

    titanium and tschermakitic substitutions: 0.48 Al atoms/formula unit

    were substituted in the Y site by tschermakitic substitution, and 0.11

    and 0.17 Ti atoms/formula unit were substituted by Ti+4 + 2AlIV = 2Si + Mg 2+ and Ti+4 + 2Na = Mg + 2Ca, respectively. Analyses for fluorine (see Appendix 3) indicate as much as a 7.5% (= F/(F +OH+ Cl))

    substitution of fluorine for (OH) in the Speculator Sheet while the

    greatest substitution in Wells is 4.5%.

    Biotite compositional data for the two sills and the Oregon Dome are

    illustrated in Figure 8. The biotites in all three bodies show only a

    small range in composition. Titanium substitutions are reflected by a

    correlation between the amounts of Ti and octahedral vacancies as in the

    upper plot of Figure 9. In the lower plot of Figure 9, the x-axis

    corrects for the Al tschermakitic substitution and the Y axis corrects

    for the Ti vacancy substitution. The data should fall along the solid

    line which indicates Ti tschermakitic substitution; however, they fall

    along a parallel line because 0.09 atoms/formula unit of Ti were

    substituted by a third substitution. These substitutions are: 0.12 Al

    atoms/formula unit were substituted in the Y site by tschermakitic

    substitution, and 0.175, 0.34 and 0.095 Ti atoms/formula unit were

    substituted by Ti+4 + 2AlIV = 2Si + Mg+2, Ti+4 +a vacancy = 2Mg+2 and Ti02 = Mg(OH) 2, respectively. Analyses for fluorine indicate as much as 8.25% (= F/(F +OH+ Cl)) of fluorine has been substituted for (OH) in

  • 36

    FIGURE 7

    Amphibole compositional trends for the

    Speculator Sheet:

    tetrahedral aluminum vs. titanium and

    Fe/(Fe+Mg) vs. octahedral aluminum

    (atoms/formula unit).

  • 37

    ·\ • c:::t" c:::t" r lQ • • • •

    • o_ ' 0 -r ::::> IQ ::::> • '+-• • '+- ........... ........... \ 0 0 -• (!) - {. (!) ~ • \ ~ ·- ~ •• r- -•

  • 38

    FIGURE 8

    Biotite Compositions for the Oregon Dome,

    Wells Sill and Speculator Sheet

    projected on the biotite quadrangle.

    Symbols as in Figure 4.

  • 39

    eastonite siderophyl lite 3.0 ------.-,---~,~-----.-, ---......

    "' -c -:l 0 :l E ~

    0 .... ........ 2.5 -"' E 0 -0

    >

  • 40

    FIGURE 9

    Biotite compositional trends for the Speculator Shee

    titanium vs. octahedral vacancies, and

    titanium minus octahedral vacancies vs.

    tetrahedral minus octahedral aluminum

    (atoms/formula unit). Solid line indicates

    trend of Ti tschermakitic substitution.

  • -::J '+--............

    0.7

    .So.5

    I-

    41

    0.3 ________ ......_ __ ,_____ 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5

    :J0.4 '+--............

    0 -r;i 0.2 D I

    o!lI (a/fu)

    I- 0.0 ____ ......._ __ ....__ __ _..___ 2.0 2.2 2.4 2.6

    Alnz::.-Alm (a/fu)

  • 42

    the Speculator Sheet biotites, whereas the maximum substitution in the

    Wells Sill is 4.0%.

    Garnet

    The garnet compositions are summarized in Figure 10. The Mn and Ca

    molecular contents for the garnets are uniform at about Sp2_3 and

    Gr17_21 respectively; however, the amounts of Fe and Mg vary

    considerably. Garnets which do not have coronas have Py13Alm65 to

    Py19Alm60 (i.e. the Wells Sill and Oregon Dome plots, figure 10).

    Those with reaction rims range from Py19Alm61 to Py33Alm45 (see

    Speculator Sheet plots, Figure 10).

  • 43

    FIGURE 10

    Garnet Compositions for the Oregon Dome,

    Wells Sill and Speculator Sheet.

    Symbols as in Figure 4.

  • ~--

    ........ -

    .--v....-~~~-~-'"~·,--

    ~ A

    lm

    + Sp

    10

    Gar

    net

    Com

    posi

    tions

    Py

    Ore

    gon

    Dom

    e 4o)

    0

    21 f

    20

    30 A

    lm

    10

    20

    + Sp

    Py

    Py

    Wel

    ls S

    ill

    o} S

    pecu

    lato

    r Sh

    eet

    .;::. .;::.

    4

    .A

    AA

    .a

    .. 21

    t ..

    a§>

    a

    30

    Alm

    10

    20

    30

    40

    50

    Gr

    + Sp

  • WHOLE ROCK CHEMISTRY

    Chemical analyses and norms are presented in Appendix 2; average

    compositions are presented in Table 1 for five analyses of the

    Speculator Sheet gabbroic anorthosite, three analyses of the Wells

    gabbro, one analysis of the Wells Tenantville facies, three analyses of

    the Wells anorthositic gabbro and five analyses of the Oregon Dome

    anorthositic gabbro.

    The data from the Speculator Sheet and Wells Sill are presented in

    Figure 11 as a function of stratigraphic distance above the lower

    contact with the metasediments. Variation of major oxide data in the

    Speculator Sheet is minor, and is a function of the mafic content of the

    rock (see Figure 3); as the rock becomes more leucocratic towards the

    top of the exposure, Si02, Al 2o3, Cao and Na2o increase while Fe203,

    MnO, and MgO decrease.

    Variation within the Wells Sill is slightly more complex. The mafic

    zone on the upper and lower sides of the sill is defined by high MgO,

    Fe203, MnO, Ti02, and P2o5 values and low Si02, Al 2o3,. Na2o, and K2o values; however, the point for the basal gabbro facies (100 feet, Figure

    11) is high in silica because of a fine quartz veining in the basal

    section of the sill. The three data points from the anorthositic gabbro

    are rich in Si02, A1 2o3, Cao, Na2o, and K2o and poor in Fe2o3, MnO, MgO,

    Ti02, and P2o5• They approximate the values for the Speculator Sheet

    rocks. The one value for the Tenantville facies lies at a greater Si02 value and lower Fe2o3 and MgO values than the anorthositic gabbro, but the rest of the data are comparable to the anorthositic gabbro.

    45

  • TABL

    E l

    AVER

    AGE

    CHEM

    ICAL

    COM

    POSIT

    IONS

    SPEC

    ULAT

    OR

    WELL

    S SI

    LL

    0.0.

    Pa

    rent

    Ma

    gma

    fade

    s Ga

    bAn

    Gab

    Tena

    nt

    AnGa

    b An

    Gab

    * W

    eight

    %

    Si02

    52

    .54

    49,7

    8 57

    .43

    53.4

    9 49

    .49

    54.0

    5 Ti

    02

    0.40

    2,

    03

    0.61

    0.

    61

    3.02

    0.

    53

    Al20

    3 24

    .91

    15 .0

    1 22

    ,06

    23.8

    8 19

    .34

    25.4

    4 Fe

    203

    4. 12

    14

    .24

    3,89

    4.

    41

    10.5

    7 2.

    35

    MnO

    0.06

    0.

    20

    0,03

    0.

    03

    0. 11

    Mg

    O 2 .

    15

    5.33

    1.

    38

    l,74

    2.73

    1.

    30

    +::-

    cao

    10,8

    5 9,

    07

    8.32

    9,

    61

    9.71

    10

    .20

    O'\

    Na20

    3.

    72

    2. 14

    3.

    06

    4.20

    2.

    84

    4.54

    K2

    0 0,

    54

    0.85

    1.

    36

    1.27

    0.

    72

    0.90

    P2

    05

    0.08

    0.

    24

    0.20

    0.

    14

    0.39

    0.

    09

    H20

    0.53

    0,

    87

    0,59

    0.

    81

    0.89

    -

    i

    Tota

    l 99

    .90

    99.7

    6 98

    .93

    l 00.

    19

    99.8

    1 99

    .58

    ppm

    Rb

    3.6

    12.2

    18

    . l

    22.2

    0.

    7 Sr

    52

    0.5

    258.

    5 32

    9.7

    413.

    8 64

    3.2

    * Bu

    dd1 n

    gton

    197

    2

    -~-._,,-.,.,.._~ -

    -~,,,.-,-

    _,.,,._~-

    '~<"--"--'"""'~:_-

    ____

    ",."-,_--,=-.,,_~_ •. ~

    ~-~---

    -~----~

    ----=~-~

    -,---,~~-~

  • 47

    FIGURE 11

    Oxide weight% variation of the sills as a

    function of stratigraphic feet above the lower

    contact of the sill with the metasediments.

    Symbols are as in Figure 4.

  • IC> N 0 0 "'o a. .

    0

    N 0 0 c ~ 0

    0

    N

    0 N-~

    0

    C\I N 0 I- 0

    0 ...

    "' 0 z N

    = 0 0 °' -(.) CD CD ,._

    .s::; CJ)

    0

    "' 0 :l Cll

    N 0 0 "'o a. ci

    I _o_ ·~,

  • 49

    FIGURE 12

    Harker Variation Diagrams for the major

    elements (weight%) and Rb and Sr (ppm).

    Symbols are as in Figure 4.

  • 50

    Harker Variation Diagrams

    30 16 0 i. Al 20 3 Fe203 ~ 0 26 12

    MtA 0 0 i. 0

    22 0 0 8 0 i. & A i.

    18 9 4 ~a 0

    0 i. 14 0 0 0

    i. coo 12 a r:j ~ ~{;. 0 MgO 10 A

    0 a ~ 4 ·6) 0 0 6 ~ MAA 0

    6 Na20 i. 0 4

    CJ>(}J ~ 4 Q) Ti02 0 0 '8~ 2 0 2 0

    K20* 2 0 0

    ell~ 0 0 60

    0 Rb 0 o0 i. Sr 600 40

    0 0 i. 0 0 ~

    400 6 AA ~A 20 A 0 0 o• 0 0

    200 0 0 0 %i-M. 0 48 52 56 60 48 52 56 60

    Si02 weight 0/o Si 02 weight 0/o

  • 51

    Figure 12 shows the same data plotted on Harker variation diagrams.

    Although the scatter is large, several trends are evident. With

    increasing silica, which is the result of an increase in plagioclase

    content, Al 2o3, Cao, Na2o, and K2o increase, and Fe2o3, MgO, and Ti02 decrease. Once again, the values for the Tenantville facies and the

    quartz-veined gabbro plot on the high silica side of the diagram, but

    their oxide components are similar to the anorthositic gabbro and Wells

    gabbro, respectively. The Wells gabbro has a trend that shows a much

    smaller change of oxide content with Si02•

    The Rb and Sr data plotted in Figure 12 show a tendency to increase

    and decrease respectively with increasing Si02• Rb content, as well as

    K2o content, is lower in the Oregon Dome and Speculator Sheet as

    compared to the Wells Sill.

    In most cases, the rocks from the Wells Sill span all the values

    from the other two bodies with the gabbro samples more mafic than the

    Oregon Dome compositions and the anorthositic gabbro samples being very

    similar to rocks from the Speculator Sheet. Though all the rocks

    studied are calcic (Peacock, 1931), the AFM ternary variation diagram

    (Figure 13) indicates that the Speculator Sheet and the Wells

    anorthositic gabbro and Tenantville facies have a differentiation trend

    showing only moderate iron enrichment, whereas the Oregon Dome and the

    Wells gabbro have a differentiation trend of more extreme iron

    enrichment. Nockold's and Allen's calc-alkalic (1953) and alkalic

    (1954) differentiation trends are provided for reference.

  • 52

    FIGURE 13

    AFM Ternary Variation Diagram for the

    Speculator Sheet, the Wells Sill, and

    the Oregon Dome. A =Na2o + K20; F = Total Fe + MnO M = MgO (weight%). Symbols as in Figure 4;

    filled small circle is the composition of the

    hypothetical parent magma for the Adirondack

    anorthosite (Buddington, 1974); solid line is

    the average calc-alkalic differentiation trend

    (Nockolds and Allen, 1953); dashed line is the

    average alkalic differentiation trend

    (Nockolds and Allen, 1954).

  • 53

    lJ....

  • METAMORPHIC PETROLOGY

    Intensive Parameters

    The intensive parameters for the metamorphism of the two sills and

    the Oregon Dome are similar; significant variations were not found

    between the three bodies.

    Estimates of geothermometry in Table 2 indicate a maximum

    metamorphic temperature of 650 - 700° C, which agrees well with the

    feldspar and oxide geothermometry presented by Bohlen and Essene (1977),

    whose four samples from this area yield temperatures of 690 - 700° C.

    The results of the clinopyroxene - orthopyroxene geothermometry are high

    because of one of two reasons. First, they could be a reflection of

    igneous temperatures, with reequilibration between the two minerals upon

    cooling ceasing effectively at temperatures below 850° C. Second, _they

    could be a reflection of the fact that both orthopyroxene -

    clinopyroxene geothermometers are designed for less Fe-rich pyroxenes at

    much higher temperatures than the pyroxenes in these rocks. Bishop's

    (1979) ilmenite - clinopyroxene geothermometer indicates a maximum

    temperature of 600 - 700° C with a late reequilibration at 425 - 525° C,

    which could have caused the late formation of titanite in and around the

    ilmenite. This is consistent with the conclusions of Jaffe, Jaffe and

    Ashwal (1977) who determined a period of late reequilibration at 500 -

    700° C in the Marcy Quadrangle, based on low pigeonite exsolution in

    host augite throughout the quadrangle.

    The stability of plagioclase (Ghent, 1977) places a limiting maximum

    metamorphic pressure on the sills of 13 kb. Thompson (1976b) indicates

    54

  • 55

    TABLE 2

    GEOTHERMOMETRY

    Estimate Mineral Reference oc Pair 850t25 opx .. cpx Wood and Banno (1974) 855±25 opx .. cpx We 11 s ( 1977)

    625±25 cpx-hbd Kretz and Jen (1978) 655±100 gar-bio Thompson (1976b} 693±100 gar-bio Goldman and Albee (1977} 696±100 gar-bio Ferry and Spear (1978) 683±50 cpx-gar Raheirn and Green (1974) 654±100 cpx-gar Dahl (1980) 650±50 cpx .. ilm Bishop (1979)

    475±50 cpx-ilm Bishop (1979)

  • 56

    that the country rock assemblage Mg-rich biotite and sillimanite is

    stable at minimum pressures of 5.8 to 6.4 kb at the temperatures of

    metamorphism of the area. The presence of sillimanite in metasediments

    throughout the Adirondacks in itself gives an upper limiting pressure of

    6, 8, and 10 kb at temperatures of 600, 700, and 800° C respectively

    (Holdaway, 1971 and Richardson et al., 1968). Determinations of

    pressure in other areas of the Adirondacks have yielded pressure

    estimates from 7 to 10 kb (Jaffe, Jaffe and Ashwal, 1977; De Witt and

    Essene, 1975). By linear extrapolation of experimental data on garnet

    assemblages to crustal conditions (Kushiro and Yoder, 1966; Green and

    Ringwood, 1967 and 1972; Raheim and Green, 1974), Whitney (1978)

    determined that in silica-saturated rocks in the Adirondacks, garnet of

    compositions reported for the Adirondack Highlands (Mclelland and

    Whitney 1977; (FeO/MgO)gar/(FeO/MgO)cpx = 6.7 - 8.2) forms at temperatures of 715° ! 25° C and pressures of 7.1!1.4 kb. Martignole's and Schrijver's (1971) analysis of garnet-quartz

    symp1ectites in rocks around the Adirondack and Morin anorthosite masses

    suggested a load pressure of the order of 8 - 10 kb.

    It is concluded that the sills were metamorphosed at a pressure of

    about 8 kb, which corresponds to a depth of roughly 25 km.

    Metamorphic oxygen fugacity may be estimated in two ways. The

    analysis of three magnetite-ilmenite pairs yields an estimate of log f 0 2

    = -14 to -17.5 for a temperature of 650 to 700° C from Buddington and Lindsley (1964), though there may be a problem because of the

    (retrograde?) formation of titanite, as was noted previously. Wanes

  • 57

    (1981) has reassessed data for the assemblage titanite - magnetite -

    quartz, all three of which are minor constituents of the sills and the

    Oregon Dome. His data yield an estimate of a minimum log f 0 of -16.8 2

    to -18.5 for a temperature of 650 - 700° C. A log f 0 greater than the 2

    Wanes (1981) estimate and less than the magnetite-ilmenite estimate is

    indicated for the metamorphism of these rocks.

    The biotite fluorine data was used to estimate metamorphic fluid

    composition, using the experimental data of Munoz and Ludington (1974,

    Figure 5). A log fH 0/fHF = 3.5 - 5 is indicated for 650 - 700° C and a 2 F/(F +OH+ Cl) = 5 - 10%~ Troll and Gilbert (1972) state that

    phlogopite extracts more fluorine from a vapor under comparable

    conditions and at a faster rate than does tremolite. The hornblende

    data generally support these conclusions, with maximum substitution

    approximately 1% less than that in biotite.

    Metamorphic Assemblages

    The stability of garnet within the Adirondack granulite facies has

    been a matter of debate for some time (Buddington 1963 and 1966; de

    Waard, 1965 and 1967b; Whitney, 1978; Whitney and Mclelland, 1973;

    Mclelland and Whitney, 1977). Changes in rock composition, temperature,

    and load and water pressure have been cited to explain the occurrence

    and non-occurrence of garnet. A study of the garnet petrology in the

    Wells and Speculator Sheets provides some valuable data for resolving

    the controversy because of the lack of a systematic temperature or

    pressure gradient over the area, and because both unrimmed and rimmed

    garnets occur in the same rock type.

  • 58

    The five mineral assemblages found in the Wells and Speculator Sills

    (in addition to quartz, plagioclase, ilmenite and magnetite) are:

    (1) Hornblende-Garnet-(Biotite) H-G-(B)

    (2) Orthopyroxene-Clinopyroxene-(Garnet) 0-C-(G)

    (3) Hornblende-Clinopyroxene-Orthopyroxene-Garnet-(Biotite) H-C-0-

    G-(B)

    (4) Hornblende-Orthopyroxene-Clinopyroxene-(Garnet) H-0-C-(G)

    (5) Hornblende-Biotite-Orthopyroxene-Clinopyroxene-(Garnet) H-B-0-

    C-(G)

    Assemblage (3) H-C-0-G-(B) occurs in both the gabbro and Tenantville

    facies of the Wells Sill (2Wl, 2W6, 5W4). Microprobe data indicate that

    the ratio Fe/(Fe+Mg) = XFe decreases in the order Gar-Hbd-Opx-Cpx for

    assemblages (1), (2), and (3). The mineral chemistry, textural evidence

    of the rimming of pyroxene by hornblende, patchy interior alteration of

    pyroxene to hornblende, and the garnet coronas suggest the reaction

    hbd + qtz = opx + cpx + gar + an + ab + H2o can be used to describe the stability of hornblende. Assemblage (1) H-

    G-(B) is found only in the Tenantville facies of the Wells Sill (1W15,

    5W7). The assemblage (2) 0-C-(G) occurs only in pockets of anorthosite

    in the Speculator Sheet (2S20) where the garnet is isolated from the

    system by a corona.

    Assemblage (5) H-B-0-C-(G) is found in the anorthositic gabbro of

    both sills and also in the Wells Sill gabbro (i.e. 1S30, 2Sl7, 1W2,

    1W9). It is the most common assemblage in the sills. Microprobe data

    indicate that XFe decreases in the order Hbd-Opx-Bio-Cpx. The mineral

  • 59

    FIGURE 14

    ACFM Diagram with mineral compositions projected

    from plagioclase, quartz and water onto the

    Cao - FeO - MgO plane. The three phase

    triangle sweeps to the left with

    metamorphism, forming the garnet coronas.

  • 0 c (.)

    60

  • 61

    chemistry and textural evidence of the close association of biotite with

    other mafic phases suggests the following reaction controls the

    coexistence of hornblende and biotite,

    hbd + bio + qtz = an + ab + opx + cpx + or + H2o where anorthite, albite and orthoclase form a plagioclase solid

    solution. Assemblage (4) H-0-C occurs in the anorthositic gabbro of

    both sills (3S9, 4S8, 1Wl2).

    Geothermometry indicates no regular change of temperature for the

    different assemblages; there is a non-systematic variation of 65° that

    is within a reasonable uncertainty for the geothermometer and is

    therefore not considered to be significant. As there is no evidence to

    substantiate a temperature, pressure or f 0 gradient (though changes 2

    that are within the errors of the estimations used here may occur) the

    factor controlling the assemblage is believed to be the fugacity of

    water. There is a significant variation from assemblages with two

    hydrous mineral phases to totally anhydrous assemblages. This is

    consistent with Buddington (1963) who determined that the variety of

    mineral assemblages in the orthogneisses between any two isograds is

    best interpreted in terms of development under a wide range of PH 0• 2 The metamorphism of these rocks, either on cooling or during the

    Grenville Orogeny, not only involved recrystallization of mineral

    phenocrysts such as plagioclase and pyroxene and the development of a

    foliation but also involved an addition of mobile components. Late

    stage magmatic water or fluid from the surrounding country rock affected

    the original igneous mineral assemblages. Hornblende was produced by

  • 62

    hydration of original pyroxene by reactions similar to opx + cpx + an +

    ab + H2o = hbd + qtz. Biotite resulted from a mobilization of potassium from the potassic content of the original plagioclase and possibly from

    the surrounding quartz syenite. The biotite present in these rocks

    probably accounts for the low potassic content of this plagioclase

    (Orl.O-l.S) as compared to Ashwal~s (1978) primary plagioclase

    composition of Or6, as well as accounting for the relative rarity of

    antiperthite. Both biotite and hornblende have been stabilized at

    granulite conditions by the substitution of fluorine (Holloway, 1977).

    The calcium content of the plagioclase is affected by the formation

    of garnet (becomes more albitic), or subsequent garnet coronas (becomes

    less albitic). With increasing grade of metamorphism, hydrous phases

    react to form garnet and pyroxene and to release water. At maximum

    metamorphic conditions garnet and clinopyroxene react to form the garnet

    coronas, forming the anhydrous mineral assemblage 0-C-(G).

    Ashwal et al. (1981) suggest that the cooling of the Adirondack

    Highlands continued 200-300 my after the magmatic event, and may have

    been associated with relatively rapid uplift after isobaric cooling from

    magmatic temperatures to ambient lower crustal temperatures (about 800°

    C), producing the metamorphic mineral assemblages. The present data are

    not inconsistent with such a history. The assemblages could be the

    result of two different thermal histories: (1) Cooling from magmatic

    temperatures produces hydrous mineral assemblages. A subsequent rise in

    temperature accompanied by decreasing f H 0 produces garnet and 2 eventually garnet coronas. (2) Cooling from magmatic temperatures to

  • 63

    Grenville temperatures produces hydrous mineral assemblages. Uplift

    then causes dehydration, producing garnet and finally the garnet

    coronas.

    Bartholome (1956) and also Buddington (1966), with particular

    reference to the Speculator Sheet, believe that the rims formed

    contemporaneously with the garnet, drawing an analogy between the

    orthopyroxene - plagioclase rims in this gabbroic anorthosite with the

    hornblende rims of garnets in the amphibolite of the Gore Mountain

    Barton garnet mine. The observations of this study are inconsistent

    with this hypothesis. Garnets are found in every stage from totally

    unrimmed to spherical knots of myrmekitic orthopyroxene and plagioclase

    grains suggesting complete replacement of the garnet. In contrast to

    the rimmed garnets of the anorthositic gabbro, those of a derivative of

    the anorthositic gabbro, the Tenantville facies, have no rims. The

    composition of the garnet is the critical factor determining if it

    reacts: only those garnets that have a pyrope content greater than 18

    or 19% show development of coronas; calcium content is not critical.

    This is illustrated by the Na-absent ACFM diagram of Figure 14, where

    the mineral compositions are projected from plagioclase onto the Cao -

    FeO - MgO plane of the tetrahedron. All those garnets with an

    Fe/(Fe+Mg) ratio less than 0.77 will be involved in the reaction gar +

    cpx + qtz = opx + an, as the three phase triangle sweeps to the left with metamorphism. The effect of ilmenite would be to decrease the

    amount of ferromagnesian silicate phases and to increase the amount of

    quartz needed for reaction (Mclelland and Whitney, 1977). Those garnets

  • 64

    with Fe/(Fe+Mg) greater than 0.77 will not participate in the reaction

    at these metamorphic conditions. The hornblende that occurs in some

    rims is a retrograde product of the original orthopyroxene, formed by

    increasing f H 0 with decreasing metamorphic grade. Opaque oxides which 2 occur in the rim are an indication that ilmenite or hornblende played a

    role in the formation of that garnet. The zoning of plagioclase

    adjacent to the rims is a result of diffusion of calcium away from the

    garnet during formation of the rim.

    Therefore, in these rocks, Fe-rich garnet is not a disappearing

    phase, but is part of the characteristic assemblage of the granulite

    facies, whereas Mg-rich garnet is a disappearing phase. The garnet's

    reaction to orthopyroxene and plagioclase is a function of the

    composition of the garnet and of f H 0, and not of pressure, temperature 2 or rock composition. Those garnets without coronas simply contain

    enough iron to be stable at conditions at which coronas were formed

    around the more magnesian garnets.

  • IGNEOUS PETROLOGY

    Parent Magma

    There have been innumerable proposals hypothesizing a parent magma

    composition for anorthosite, as outlined in Table 1 of de Waard (1969).

    It was Buddington (1936) who first proposed a magma of a gabbroic

    anorthosite composition, based on the concept that the anorthosite

    series and the spatially associated acid rocks - syenite, monzonite,

    quartz monzonite or granite (syenite, mangerite, adamellite and

    charnockite; see Streckeisen, 1973) - are separate intrusions

    (Buddington, 1969; Anderson, 1969; Davis, 1969 and 1971; Ashwal and

    Seifert, 1980). The generation of such a magma has been discussed

    extensively in the literature (Emslie, 1980; Isachsen, 1969) and

    experimental data have demonstrated mechanisms of generation under both

    hydrous and anhydrous conditions, though a magma formed under hydrous

    conditions would immediately become undersaturated with continued

    temperature rise so that no gas phase would be present after the

    earliest stages of generation (Yoder, 1954 and 1965; Yoder, 1969).

    Anhydrous experiments in the systems anorthite - diopside - silica

    (Clark et al., 1962), plagioclase (Ab40An60) - diopside - enstatite

    (Emslie, 1970) and anorthite - diopside - forsterite (Presnall et al.,

    1978) all indicate a dramatic shift of the piercing point toward

    anorthite or plagioclase with increasing pressure up to 20 kb. This

    suggests that partial melting at high pressure of plagioclase bearing

    mafic and ultramafic source materials can produce aluminous melts which

    would crystallize large amounts of plagioclase upon intrusion to

    65

  • 66

    shallower depths (Ashwal, 1978). The high temperatures required for

    generation of aluminous melts under anhydrous conditions (approximately

    1400° Cat 15 kb - Emslie, 1970 and Presnall et al., 1978} are

    consistent with crystallization temperatures obtained by Ashwal (1978 -

    1200-1300° C at 15-20 kb}. However, further experimental work is

    necessary to completely substantiate the anhydrous mechanisms of

    generation of a gabbroic anorthosite magma. Evidence for a gabbroic

    anorthosite parent magma ranges from the occurrence of satellitic sheets

    of gabbroic anorthosite that intrude the country rocks bordering the

    main Adirondack anorthosite massif (Buddington, 1972) to trace element

    data (Ashwal and Seifert, 1980}. The existence of such a magma for the

    Nain complex has been demonstrated by Wiebe (1979).

    Buddington (1972) postulated a chemical composition of that

    hypothetical magma composed of 60% liquid of gabbroic anorthosite

    composition and 40% andesine crystals (see Table 1). This composition

    is very similar to that of the anorthositic gabbro facies of the

    Speculator and Wells Sills (Figure 13). These facies therefore may

    represent a cumulate from a magma that may have also given rise to some

    of the larger anorthositic bodies.

    Crystallization Sequence

    Feldspar accumulation from an essentially dry gabbroic anorthosite

    magma has also been demonstrated experimentally (Yoder, 1969). Ashwal

    (1978) has proposed a crystallization sequence for a magma of gabbroic

    anorthosite composition. Plagioclase of composition An 50Ab44or6 (based

    on the spectrographic analyses of Isachsen and Moxham (1969) and the

  • 67

    reintegrative microprobe analyses of Kay (1977)) crystallized first, and

    when the magma was about 65% crystallized, plagioclase was joined by

    augite and pigeonite (Wo36En41Fs23 and wo11En 57Fs32 respectively,

    determined by microprobe reintegration of coarsely exsolved pyroxenes).

    After the magma was about 80% crystalline, hemo-ilmenite and magnetite

    formed, and at 92%, apatite crystallized. Such a crystallization

    sequence would drive Buddington•s (1972) parent magma composition from

    lower left to upper right on the AFM diagram of Figure 13 to yield the

    other rocks in the sills except for the Wells gabbro.

    Though the application of any crystallization sequence to the sills

    is hypothetical at best because of severe complications due to

    subsequent metamorphism, the textural evidence observed for the Wells

    and Speculator Sills supports Ashwal's hypothesis. The Tenantville

    facies and the anorthositic gabbro of the Wells Sill and the Speculator

    Sheet contain large pseudomorphs of primary plagioclase phenocrysts.

    There are large crystals of both orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene in the

    Speculator Sheet and the Wells anorthositic gabbro, the latter of which

    exhibits exsolution of orthopyroxene, though there is no evidence of

    primary pigeonite. It is most probable that the magma had been emplaced

    before crystallization of pyroxene because of the lack of pyroxene

    megacrysts in the Tenantville facies. Opaque minerals form irregular

    interstitial aggregates; apatite forms both small and very large

    euhedral crystals.

    Ashwal (1978) estimated conditions of initial crystallization of 15

    to 20 kbar and 1200 - 1300° C from the sodic composition of his primary

  • 68

    plagioclase and his primary pyroxene compositions. At the level of

    final emplacement (about 25 - 30 km), metamorphic reconstitution of the

    primary mineral assemblages produced abundant garnet, hornblende and

    minor biotite.

    IntY'Usive History

    Comparison of the mineral chemistry of the two sills and the Oregon

    Dome reveals relationships between the various intrusive facies that are

    most clearly illustrated by the whole rack data as presented in the

    Harker diagrams of Figure 12. Though metamorphism has affected the

    mineral chemistry, comparisons may still be made. Plagioclase

    compositions (Figure 4) for the Wells anorthositic gabbro and

    Tenantville facies and the Speculator sheet are calcic (An50_70) except

    for those from garnet coronas (more calcic) and those from a few very

    mafic rocks (less calcic). Wells gabbro and Oregon Dome compositions

    are less calcic than these (An43_50). The ferromagnesian minerals of

    the Wells gabbro and Oregon Dome are more iron-rich than those of the

    anorthositic gabbro facies of the two sills. Clinopyroxene and

    orthopyroxene (Figure 5) average compositions are Wo47Fs15En38 and

    Wo1Fs40En 59 for the gabbroic anorthosites and wo45Fs21En34 and

    wo1Fs49En 50 for the Wells gabbro and the Oregon Dome. The metamorphic

    mafic minerals also show the same relationships: hornblende (Figur~ 6),

    biotite (Figure 8), and, most clearly, garnet (Figure 10) of the Wells

    gabbro and the Oregon Dome are more iron-rich than the metamorphic

    minerals in the Speculator Sheet and Wells anorthositic gabbro.

    However, in the Wells Tenantville facies, the mafic metamorphic minerals

  • 69

    tend to be slightly more iron enriched than those of the Wells

    anorthositic gabbro. These data indicate that the minerals of the Wells

    gabbro and the Oregon Dome coexisted with magmas that were very similar

    in composition. Likewise, the minerals of the Speculator Sheet and

    Wells anorthositic gabbro seem to have coexisted with magmas of similar

    composition, but which were markedly different from those of the Wells

    gabbro and Oregon Dome.

    The mineral chemistry dictates the major element chemistry, and

    similar relationships may be ascertained from Figure 12. The

    anorthositic gabbro of the Wells Sill and the gabbroic anorthosite of

    the Speculator Sheet have very similar analyses and trends for most of

    the major elements. One analysis of anorthosite from the Speculator

    Sheet shows either higher or lower values for the oxides than the

    remaining four, which is expected because of the lack of mafic minerals

    and the preponderance of plagioclase. The one Tenantville analysis

    occurs at high Si02 because of the significant amounts of vein quartz

    present. The other oxides occur in similar abundances as those for the

    anorthositic gabbro and gabbroic anorthosite of the two sills (Figure

    13), but the point does not lie on the trend of the Wells anorthositic

    gabbro. Such a correlation is also evident in Figure 11, where the data

    are plotted against stratigraphic distance from the base of the sill.

    The gabbro from the Wells Sill and the Oregon Dome may also be

    compositionally compared. They have similar Si02 content, except for

    the one sample of the Wells gabbro which is finely veined with quartz.

    The Wells gabbro is more mafic than any other rock in this study. It

  • 70

    has more MgO and Fe2o3 and less Al 2o3, Cao, and Na2o than any other facies. This mafic enrichment of the gabbro is what gives the arcuate

    shape to the Wells Sill profiles in Figure 11. The Oregon Dome shows a

    more mafic composition than the anorthositic facies of the two sills:

    it is enriched in iron and titanium and depleted in Al 2o3 and Na2o.

    However, the Wells gabbro has a different trend than the Oregon Dome on

    the Harker variation diagram, and its genesis cannot be directly linked

    to that of the Oregon Dome. The Oregon Dome has a trend which parallels

    that of the Speculator and Wells anorthositic gabbro which is dictated

    by the amount of cumulous plagioclase in the rock. The Wells gabbro has

    a shallower trend, but a trend based on two points (the high silica

    point should be disregarded) is hypothetical at best.

    The similarities in mineral chemistry between the Speculator Sheet

    and the anorthositic gabbro and Tenantville facies of the Wells Sill are

    emphasized in the AFM diagram of Figure 13 that shows that they have a

    differentiation trend showing only moderate iron enrichment. The only

    points that deviate from this trend are the three analyses for the Wells

    gabbro facies, which, along with the Oregon Dome, have a trend of more

    extreme iron enrichment, contrary to the rest of the sills. The

    composition of the Wells gabbro on the AFM diagram more closely

    approximates that of the Oregon Dome than the compositions of the rest

    of the Wells Sill and the Speculator Sheet. While these differences are

    emphasized on the AFM diagram, it must be remembered that both the Wells

    and Speculator bodies are calcic (Peacock, 1931).

    Goldberg (1975, 1977) analyzed the rare-earth element abundances of

  • 71

    five small anorthositic bodies, including the Wells-Tenantville Sill,

    and discovered large variations in rare-earth element content and in the

    extent of the europium anomaly. Based on these data he could draw no

    conclusions concerning the pre-Grenville history of the rocks of the

    anorthositic series.

    However, the geochemical evidence from this study suggests two

    compositional episodes of anorthositic intrusive activity in the

    southern Adirondacks, one slightly earlier than the other characterized

    by iron enrichment on an AFM diagram, and the other showing more

    moderate iron enrichment. Data from the Snowy Mountain Dome (de Waard

    and Romey, 1969b), presented in Figure 15, indicate that this body has

    an iron enrichment trend; whereas the Thirteenth Lake Series (Letteney,

    1969) has a trend similar to that of the Speculator Sheet and Wells

    anorthositic gabbro.

    Ashwal et al. (1981) produced an age determination of about 1200 my

    with an initial Nd ratio of 0.51053 for the Marcy massif using

    neodymium-samarium isotopes. This agrees well with the date of 1199 +

    14 my for the mangerite rocks of the Snowy Mountain Dome obtained by

    Hills and Isachsen (1975). This indicates that the intrusive activity

    characterized by iron enrichment trends in the southern Adirondacks

    occurred concurrently with the activity in the Highlands, but does not

    discount the possibility that the intrusive activity characterized by

    more moderate iron enrichment is a slightly younger phenomenon. This is

    indicated by the crosscutting of the gabbro facies of the Wells Sill

    (which shows indication of iron enrichment in the mineral chemistry) by

  • 72

    FIGURE 15

    AFM Ternary Variation Diagram for

    the Snowy Mountain Dome - open circles

    and the Thirteenth Lake Dome - closed circles

    (de Waard and Romey, 1969b; Letteney, 1969).

    A= Na2o + K20; F =Total Fe+ MnO; M = MgO (weight%). Lines are as in Figure 13.

  • 73

    • • • • •

  • 74

    the Tenantville facies.

    In the southern Adirondacks, the data indicate that the first

    intrusive episode led to the development of two different masses, the

    Oregon Dome and the Snowy Mountain Dome. As this magma solidified and

    cooled, it developed a mafic residual liquid that was expelled into the

    country rock along a plane of weakness, perhaps as a result of stresses

    caused by the start of the second period of intrusion. This liquid

    solidified quickly, leaving the fine-grained slightly gneissic gabbro

    exposed in the Wells-Tenantville Sill.

    The second period of magmatic activity formed the Thirteenth Lake

    Dome and at the same time sent two intrusions of gabbroic anorthosite

    into the superjacent country rock. The first of the satellitic

    intrusions formed the Speculator Sheet. As this thick sill of

    stationary magma cooled slowly against a country rock already warmed by

    its proximity to the still cooling Oregon Dome, some settling of mafic

    phases caused a mo~e gabbroic rock at the base of the unit. Poorly

    cemented aggregates of large plagioclase crystals caused the formation ' of more leucocratic pockets; some of these aggregates cause anomalous

    occurrences of more leucocratic material at the base of the sill.

    The second of the satellitic intrusions reached the zone of weakness

    initially penetrated by the mafic differentiate of the Oregon Dome/Snowy

    Mountain Dome magma. At the exposure in Wells, the anorthositic gabbro

    magma penetrated the gabbro and formed a core. The Tenantville facies

    formed as a chill margin against the gabbro (which is more than twice

    the distance from the Oregon Dome as is the Speculator Sheet), as

  • 75

    suggested by the number of suspended plagioclase crystals and the

    absence of other large crystals such as orthopyroxene. In Tenantville,

    the mass of magma that penetrated the gabbro was too small to form a

    slowly-cooled core of anorthositic gabbro; the chilled facies is the

    only leucocratic facies present. The small positive europium anomaly

    for the Tenantville facies found by Goldberg (1975, 1977) would be

    expected from a liquid with suspended plagioclase phenocrysts.

    These intrusive relationships do not support the theory of de Waard

    and Romey (1963 and 1969a) that the Snowy Mountain Dome, and therefore

    also the Oregon Dome, formed a basement upon which the overlying

    sediments were deposited, for the geochemical history of the sills is

    intimately linked with that o~ the three massifs in the southern

    Adirondacks. It is therefore concluded that, at least in this area of

    the Adirondacks, the contacts between metaigneous and metasedimentary

    bodies are primary intrusive contacts, and are not the product of

    sedimentation on an anorthosite basement.

  • 76

    BIBLIOGRAPHY

    Anderson, A.T., Jr. (1969} Massif-type anorthosite: a widespread Precambrian igneous rock IN Isachsen, Y.W., ed. (1969) Origin of Anorthosite and Related Rocks, New York State Museum and Science Service Memoir 18: 47-56.

    Ashwal, L.D. (1978) Petrogenesis of massif-type anorthosites; crystallization history and liquid line of descent of the Adirondack and Morin complexes: unpublished Ph.D. thesis, Princeton University: 136 p.

    Ashwal, L.D., Seifert, K.E. (1980) Rare-earth-element geochemistry of anorthosite and related rocks from the Adirondacks,