Rae craton

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North America cratons and basement rock.
North America cratons and basement rock.

The Rae craton is an Archean craton located in northern Canada north of the Superior craton.

[edit] Ungava Peninsula

The Ungava Peninsula, situated on the northeast portion of the Canadian Shield, is where the Rae Province connects with the Superior Province. The area is composed of Archean rocks (ca. 2.7-2.9 Ga) from the Douglas Harbour Domain (see Superior craton). The Archean rocks are overlain by Paleoproterozoic supracrustal sequences (ca. 1.8-2.1 Ga) and intruded by Paleoproterozoic diabase dykes (ca.2.0-2.2 Ga). The supracrustal rocks comprise nappes that form part of the Ungava and Labrador troughs. In the zone east of the Labrador Trough axis, the Paleoproterozoic deformation reworked the Archean rocks of the Douglas Harbour Domain, as well as the Paleoproterozoic diabase dykes. The metamorphic conditions which parallel the deformation increase from west to east and from middle amphibolite to granulite facies. U-Pb isotope analyses of zircon yield secondary ages around 1790 Ma. These results are interpreted as the age of metamorphism. They indicate reactivation of the northeastern margin of the Superior Province during a Paleoproterozoic tectono-metamorphic event, resulting from probable continental collision. (Madore, 2001).

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  • Madore, L., and Y. Larbi. (2001) "Regional structural character of the northeastern Ungava Peninsula: Connection between the Rae and Superior provinces." St. John's 2001 Technical Programme SS2: Tectonic Integration of Circum-Superior Orogens. Online Abstract:[1]