Archean Greenstone Belts

Archean Greenstone Belts

This book is the first comprehensive compilation of data and ideas relating to the origin, evolution, and significance of the world's greenstone belts, and includes contributions from over 100 experts. In the first of two parts, reviews are presented on broad topics relating to the geology of greenstone belts and their surroundings, covering mainly post-1980 research. These include: historical, sedimentologic, volcanic, structural, metamorphic, metallogenic, and thermal aspects; summaries of mafic/ultramafic magnetism, strain, fluids, geophysics and deep structures; relations with associated granitoids, tectonic evolution, and geochronology; and field relationships. The second part takes a more focused look at the geology of specific cratons and individual greenstone belts worldwide, including Archaean, Proterozoic, and Phanerozoic examples. Detailed geologic maps on large and small scales, extensive tabulations of data, and short written summaries of the salient features are included for all belts. The book will be a valuable reference tool for academic and industrial researchers, students, explorationists, and anyone interested in the evolution of Earth processes over geologic time.

The Abitibi greenstone belt of eastern Canada represents the world's largest Neoarchean terrane of supracrustal rocks. Straddling the border between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, the belt covers an area that is approximately 700 km from southeast to northwest and 350 km from north to south. The belt is comprised of several major east-trending successions of folded volcanic and sedimentary rocks, with intervening intrusions. The supracrustal rocks of the Abitibi greenstone belt are uniquely well preserved and have mostly been overprinted only at a low metamorphic grade, allowing the study of primary geological relationships.

This book provides a comprehensive overview of the evolution of one of the oldest and best-exposed Archaean cratons on this planet. There is currently a renewed interest in the early Earth, and the Kaapvaal craton has long served as a model for early crustal evolution. This unique multidisciplinary resource features information on geology, tectonics, geochemistry, and geochronology. It offers a wealth of new data on various aspects of the craton as well as contributions on the various crustal units by international specialists.

This book explores all aspects of large igneous provinces as key processes in shaping our planet, for researchers, graduate students and mining industry professionals.

This book presents an integrated approach to the study of the evolution of the Archean lithosphere, biosphere and atmosphere, and as such it is a unique contribution to our understanding of the early Earth and life. The structural and geochemical make-up of both the oceanic and continental crust of the Archean Earth is documented in some case studies of various cratons, and the implications of the Phanerozoic plate and plume tectonic processes for the Archean geology are discussed in several chapters in the book. All chapters are process-oriented and data-rich, and reflect the most recent knowledge and information on the Archean Earth. The interdisciplinary approach of examining the evolution of the Archean crust, oceans, and life that we adopt in this book sets it apart from previous publications on Precambrian geology. The book will be attractive to researchers in academia and in industry, and to senior undergraduate students, graduate students and faculty in earth and natural sciences.

Archaean Geochemistry 1972 - 1984 The realisation that the continental crust contains well-preserved relics which date as far back as 4/5 of the Earth's age has given a great impetus to the study of early Precambrian terrains. As late as the mid-sixties the Archaean still constituted the 'terra-in cognita' of earth science. High metamorphic grades, poor out crop, and not least a widely assumed obliteration of early crustal records by convective recycling and thermal reworking had com bined to discourage research in this field. Many excellent local studies existed, notably around gold mining centres, but remained unrelated to a broader regional and theoretical understanding. This situation has changed as the consequence of two inter-related factors: (1) advances in isotopic methods and their application to Precambrian rocks, and (2) the recognition that some of the oldest terrains have retained a wealth of primary igneous and sedi mentary textures and even geochemical characteristics.