The geochemical evolution of the Logan Igneous Suite, Ontario, Canada: new insights from the Logan Basin and implications for the genesis of the Mesoproterozoic Midcontinent Rift System

Abstract

AbstractThe 1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift System (MRS) of North America comprises a series of Mesoproterozoic flood basalts and intrusive rocks emplaced in the Lake Superior region. The mafic rocks preserved on the NW flank of Lake Superior offer insights into the early development of the rift. New geochemical data collected from intrusive rocks in the Logan Basin, coupled with improved constraints on timing relationships between units, allow for a better understanding of the geochemical evolution of intrusive rocks therein. The extensive dataset suggests many previously unrecognized relationships between MRS intrusive rocks, indicating multiple, distinct mantle-source characteristics with highly variable crustal contamination histories, implying a complicated magma plumbing system. The data presented here suggest that five geochemically distinct mantle source regions were involved in the emplacement of the Logan Igneous Suite, each with its own distinct contamination history and perhaps different degrees of partial melting. The geochemical variations could suggest either a progressive, relative depletion in the mantle source over time or heterogeneity of the source region. However, based on the model for MRS magmatism presented here, we suggest that units related to the Logan Igneous Suite were tapping a heterogeneous mantle source that varied over time.