Paleomagnetism of Archean rocks from northwestern Ontario: IV. Burchell Lake granite, Wawa–Shebandowan Subprovince

Abstract

The late Archean Burchell Lake granite of the Shebandowan greenstone belt in northwestern Ontario has a characteristic natural remanent magnetization (NRM) resembling the type 1 NRM of the nearby Shelley Lake granite of the Quetico gneiss belt. Of 36 stably magnetized samples, 21 had predominantly normal polarity (1N) NRM and 15 had reverse polarity (1R). The mean direction based on stable end-point and vector subtracted directions is D = 2.3 °I = 48.9 °(k = 23.9, α95 = 10.0°, N = 10 sites). Intersecting remagnetization circles gave a similar direction. The corresponding paleopole BL1 lies at 83.2°E, 71.1°N, near track 6 of the Laurentian apparent polar wander path around 2600 Ma. Although the Burchell Lake pluton is not dated radiometrically, neighbouring granites give K/Ar biotite ages of 2550–2600 Ma, and it is reasonable to suppose that the NRM dates from the time of intrusion or shortly thereafter. A type 2 NRM like that of the Shelley Lake granite was isolated in 12 samples. Its mean direction is D = 80.9 °I = −11.1°, but the precision is unacceptably low (k = 7.7).