Petrographic and mineralogical characteristics of diagenetic overprinting in Neoproterozoic diamictites from Murchisonfjorden, Nordaustlandet, Svalbard

Bal, Szczepan; Nejbert, Krzysztof; Michalski, Krzysztof; Domańska-Siuda, Justyna; Manby, Geoffrey; Hołda-Michalska, Aleksandra; Sláma, Jiři

doi:10.2478/mipo-2025-0004

Abstract

The diagenetic processes exhibited by the Neoproterozoic diamictites from Murchisonfjorden (Nordaustlandet, NE Svalbard) are presented. Diamictite samples from the Cryogene Polarisbreen Group - the Petrovbreen Member of the Elbobreen Formation and the Wilsonbreen Formation were analysed. The mineralogical associations composed of chlorite group minerals (chamosite), albite, calcite, Fe-dolomite, clay minerals (illite) and quartz, recognized by integrated optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy techniques are typical for an advanced stage of mesogenetic diagenesis. Low-grade burial mineral associations were not identified. Our investigations indicate that during diagenesis increased heat flux accompanied fluid migration and remineralization. Identified Fe-Ti – oxides, anatase in thin sections and magnetite identified by rock-magnetic experiments are the products of the secondary diagenetic mineralization. The ferromagnetic carriers representing primary depositional remanence magnetization (DRM) were not preserved.

References

Blatt, H., Tracy, R., & Owens, B. (2006). Petrology: igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. Macmillan.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Chumakov, N. M. (1968). O kharaktere pozdnedokembriyskogo oledeneniya Shpitsbergena. In Dokl. Akad. Nauk. SSSR, Ser. Geol. (Vol. 180, pp. 1446–1449).
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Denyszyn, S. W., Halls, H. C., Davis, D. W., & Evans, D. A. (2009). Paleomagnetism and U–Pb geochronology of Franklin dykes in High Arctic Canada and Greenland: a revised age and paleomagnetic pole constraining block rotations in the Nares Strait region. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 46(9), 689–705. https://doi.org/10.1139/E09-042
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Devouard, B., Pósfai, M., Hua, X., Bazylinski, A., Frankel, R. B., & Buseck, P. R. (1998). Magnetite from magnetotactic bacteria: Size distributions and twinning. American Mineralogist, 83, 1387–1398. https://doi.org/10.2138/am-1998-11-1228
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Dunlop, D. J., & Özdemir, Ö. (1997). Rock magnetism: fundamentals and frontiers (No. 3). Cambridge university press. https://doi.org/10.1017/CBO9780511612794
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Edwards, M. B. (1976). Sedimentology of Late Precambrian Sveanor and Kapp Sparre Formations at Aldousbreen, Wahlenbergfjorden, Nordaustlandet. Norsk Polarinstitutt Årbok 1974, 5 1–62.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Eyster, A., Weiss, B. P., Karlstrom, K., & Macdonald, F. A. (2020). Paleomagnetism of the Chuar Group and evaluation of the late Tonian Laurentian apparent polar wander path with implications for the makeup and breakup of Rodinia. Bulletin, 132(3–4), 710–738. https://doi.org/10.1130/B32012.1
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Fairchild, I. J., & Hambrey, M. J. (1984). The Vendian succession of northeastern Spitsbergen: petrogenesis of a dolomite-tillite association. Precambrian Research, 26(2), 111–167. https://doi.org/10.1016/0301-9268(84)90042-1
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Flood, B., Gee, D. G., Hjelle, A., Siggerud, T., & Winsnes, T. S. (1969). The geology of Nordaustlandet, northern and central parts.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Garwood, E. J., & Gregory, J. W. (1898). Contributions to the glacial geology of Spitsbergen. Quarterly Journal of the Geological Society, 54(1–4), 197–227. https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.JGS.1898.054.01-04.18
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gee, D. G. & Page, L. (1994). Caledonian terrane assembly on Svalbard: new evidence from 40Ar/39Ar dating in New Friesland. American Journal of Science, 294, 1166–86. https://doi.org/10.2475/ajs.294.9.1166
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Gee, D. G., & Tebenkov, A. M. (2004). Svalbard: a fragment of the Laurentian margin. In The Neoproterozoic Timanide Orogen of Eastern Baltica (eds D. G. Gee & V. Pease), pp. 191–206. Geological Society of London, Memoirs 30. https://doi.org/10.1144/GSL.MEM.2004.030.01.16
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Haggerty, S. E. (1976). Opaque Mineral Oxides in Terrestrial Igneous Rocks; Mineralogical Society of America: Chantilly, VA, USA. Reviews in Mineralogy, 3, 101–300. 54.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Haggerty, S. E. (1991). Oxide textures - A mini atlas. In Oxide Minerals: Petrologic and Magnetic Significance; Lindsley, D.H., Ed.; Mineralogical Society of America: Chantilly, VA, USA. Reviews in Mineralogy, 25, 129–219.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Halverson, G. P. (2011). Glacial sediments and associated strata of the Polarisbreen Group, northeastern Svalbard. Geological Society, London, Memoirs 36 (1): 571–579. https://doi.org/10.1144/M36.55
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Halverson, G. P., Maloof, A. C., & Hoffman, P. F. (2004). The Marinoan glaciation (Neoproterozoic) in northeast Svalbard. Basin Research, 16(3), 297–324. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2117.2004.00234.x
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Halverson, G. P., Kunzmann, M., Strauss, J. V., & Maloof, A. C. (2018a). The Tonian-Cryogenian transition in Northeastern Svalbard. Precambrian Research, 319, 79–95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2017.12.010
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Halverson, G. P., Porter, S. M., & Gibson, T. M. (2018b). Dating the late Proterozoic stratigraphic record. Emerging Topics in Life Sciences, 2(2), 137–147. https://doi.org/10.1042/ETLS20170167
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Halverson, G. P., Shen, C., Davies, J. H., & Wu, L. (2022). A Bayesian approach to inferring depositional ages applied to a late Tonian reference section in Svalbard. Frontiers in Earth Science, 10, 798739. https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2022.798739
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hambrey, M. J. (1982). Late Precambrian diamictites of northeastern Svalbard. Geological Magazine, 119(6), 527–551. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756800027035
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hambrey, M. J., Harland, W. B., & Waddams, P. (1981). Late Precambrian tillites of Svalbard. Earth’s Pre-Pleistocene Glacial Record, 592–600.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Harland, W. B. (1997). The Geology of Svalbard. Geological Society of London, Memoirs 17, 1–521. https://doi.org/10.1002/(SICI)1099-1034(200001/03)35:1<;47::AIDGJ797>3.0.CO;2-H
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Harland, W. B., & Wilson, C. B. (1956). The Hecla Hoek succession in Ny Friesland, Spitsbergen. Geological Magazine, 93(4), 265–286. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756800066693
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Harland, W. B., & Wright, N. J. R. (1979). Alternative hypothesis for the pre-Carboniferous evolution of Svalbard. Norsk Polarinstitutt Skrifter, 167, 89–117.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Harland, W. B., Hambrey, M. J., & Waddams, P. (1993). Vendian geology of Svalbard. Norsk Polarinstitutt Skrifter, 193.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hoffman, P. F., Halverson, G. P., Domack, E. W., Maloof, A. C., Swanson-Hysell, N. L., & Cox, G. M. (2012). Cryogenian glaciations on the southern tropical paleomargin of Laurentia (NE Svalbard and East Greenland), and a primary origin for the upper Russøya (Islay) carbon isotope excursion. Precambrian Research, 206, 137–158. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.precamres.2012.02.018
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Hoffman, P. F., Kaufman, A. J., Halverson, G. P., & Schrag, D. P. (1998). A Neoproterozoic snowball earth. Science, 281(5381), 1342–1346. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.281.5381.1342
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Krasil’shchikov, A. A. (1967). Tillite-like rocks of North East Land. Pp. 36–62 in Sokolov, V. N. (ed.): Materiali po stratigraphii Shpitsbergena. NIlGA, Leningrad.
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Kulling, O. (1934). Scientific Results of the Swedish-Norwegian Arctic Expedition in the Summer of 1931. Part XI. Geografiska Annaler, 16, 161–254. https://doi.org/10.2307/520104
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Lowrie, W. (1990). Identification of ferromagnetic minerals in a rock by coercivity and unblocking temperature properties. Geophysical research letters, 17(2), 159–162. https://doi.org/10.1029/GL017i002p00159
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Macdonald, F. A., & Swanson-Hysell, N. L. (2023). The Franklin Large Igneous Province and Snowball Earth Initiation. Elements, 19, 296–301. https://doi.org/10.2138/gselements.19.5.296
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Maloof, A. C., Halverson, G. P., Kirschvink, J. L., Schrag, D. P., Weiss, B. P., & Hoffman, P. F. (2006). Combined paleomagnetic, isotopic, and stratigraphic evidence for true polar wander from the Neoproterozoic Akademikerbreen Group, Svalbard, Norway. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 118(9–10), 1099–1124. https://doi.org/10.1130/B25892.1
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
McClelland, W. C., von Gosen, W., & Piepjohn, K. (2019). Tonian and Silurian magmatism in Nordaustlandet: Svalbard’s place in the Caledonian orogen. https://doi.org/10.1130/2018.2541(04)
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Michalski, K., Lewandowski, M., & Manby, G. M. (2012). New palaeomagnetic, petrographic and 40Ar/39Ar data to test palaeogeographic reconstructions of Caledonide Svalbard. Geological Magazine, 149(4), 696–721. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0016756811000835
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Michalski, K., Manby, G. M., Nejbert, K., Domańska-Siuda, J., & Burzyński, M. (2023). Palaeomagnetic investigations across Hinlopenstretet border zone: from Caledonian metamorphosed rocks of Ny Friesland to foreland facies of Nordaustlandet (NE Svalbard). Journal of the Geological Society, 180(1), jgs2021–167. https://doi.org/10.1144/jgs2021-167
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Millikin, A. E., Strauss, J. V., Halverson, G. P., Bergmann, K. D., Tosca, N. J., & Rooney, A. D. (2022). Calibrating the Russøya excursion in Svalbard, Norway, and implications for Neoproterozoic chronology. Geology, 50(4), 506–510. https://doi.org/10.1130/G49593.1
Search in Google Scholar Back to article
Zhang, T., Keller, C. B., Hoggard, M. J., Rooney, A. D., Halverson, G. P., Bergmann, K. D., Crowley, J. L., & Strauss, J. V. (2023). A Bayesian framework for subsidence modeling in sedimentary basins: A case study of the Tonian Akademikerbreen Group of Svalbard, Norway. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 620, 118317. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118317
Search in Google Scholar Back to article

Petrographic and mineralogical characteristics of diagenetic overprinting in Neoproterozoic diamictites from Murchisonfjorden, Nordaustlandet, Svalbard

Abstract

Paradigm

My account