Petrochemistry of the mafic-rich rocks, Lac des Mille Lacs area, northwestern Ontario

Abstract

An investigation of the petrology and chemistry of two groups of mafic-rich intrusions from the Lac des Mille Lacs area was carried out. The Quetico group consists of hornblende-rich ultramafic to mafic rocks; the Shebandowan group consists of serpentinized ultramafic rocks and metagabbro. A spectrographic method was employed to quantitatively determine Al2O3, CaO, Co, Cr, Cu, Mn, Ni, Ti, V and Zr in the rocks. This, and other chemical data, indicate that these two spatially related groups, although mineralogically distinct, have similar chemical features, and have apparently crystallized from compositionally similar magmas under different water vapour pressures. Their similarities to ultramafic rocks from other areas provide some implications regarding ultramafic rock types of orogenic areas.