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Oxygen and hydrogen isotope studies of a Precambrian granite-rhyolite terrane, St. Francois Mountains, southeastern Missouri

Wenner, David B. and Taylor, Hugh P., Jr. (1976) Oxygen and hydrogen isotope studies of a Precambrian granite-rhyolite terrane, St. Francois Mountains, southeastern Missouri. Geological Society of America Bulletin, 87 (11). pp. 1587-1598. ISSN 0016-7606. doi:10.1130/0016-7606(1976)87<1587:oahiso>2.0.co;2. https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20220919-577420000

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Abstract

Isotopic analyses were made on whole-rock samples and minerals from 25 granites, 21 rhyolites, and 10 basaltic dikes and sills from the l,500-m.y.-old St. Francois Mountains terrane. The δD of chlorite is relatively uniform at −44 to −65, but the whole-rock and feldspar δ18O values systematically increase from +7 in the northeast to +14 in the southwest, correlating with an increasing intensity of “brick-red” alteration of the K-feldspars. Coexisting quartz and feldspar are typically not in isotopic equilibrium, except in the northeast. The coarser grained (>1 mm) quartz (δ18O = 8.8 to 10.6) is isotopically similar to “normal” igneous quartz, but the δ18O of the finer grained quartz correlates with the whole-rock δ18O pattern. Although the St. Francois terrane is geologically similar to many low-18O Tertiary volcanic-plutonic complexes that have interacted with meteoric-hydrothermal fluids at high temperatures, only a single locality (Stono Mountain) contains low-18O quartz and feldspar (δ18O quartz = 4.6 to 5.4). Even at this locality, the feldspars were later enriched in 18O by the same alteration event that affected the rest of the region. This second stage of hydrothermal activity apparently involved aqueous fluids having δ18O ≈ 0 to −6 and δD = 0 to −25. The temperature of alteration may have been as low as 50° to 100°C in the southwest (upper part of the volcanic section). This event affected some of the basaltic dikes and sills, but others were not altered and must have been intruded afterward. Rb-Sr and K-Ar age data suggest that the regional alteration occurred as late as 1,100 to 1,200 m.y. ago, long after the age of primary igneous activity. The hydrothermal fluids apparently originated as meteoric surface waters, indicating that during late Precambrian time such waters were isotopically similar to present-day meteoric waters in warm climates; this interpretation implies that the late Precambrian oceans must have been isotopically similar to present-day ocean.


Item Type:Article
Related URLs:
URLURL TypeDescription
https://doi.org/10.1130/0016-7606(1976)87<1587:oahiso>2.0.co;2DOIArticle
Additional Information:We wish to thank M. E. Bickford and L. T. Silver for useful discussions of this work. Financial support for this research was provided by National Science Foundation Grants DES 71-00510 A03 (Taylor) and DES 74-13268 (Wenner).
Funders:
Funding AgencyGrant Number
NSFDES 71-00510 A03
NSFDES 74-13268
Other Numbering System:
Other Numbering System NameOther Numbering System ID
Caltech Division of Geological and Planetary Sciences2642
Issue or Number:11
DOI:10.1130/0016-7606(1976)87<1587:oahiso>2.0.co;2
Record Number:CaltechAUTHORS:20220919-577420000
Persistent URL:https://resolver.caltech.edu/CaltechAUTHORS:20220919-577420000
Usage Policy:No commercial reproduction, distribution, display or performance rights in this work are provided.
ID Code:117041
Collection:CaltechAUTHORS
Deposited By: Tony Diaz
Deposited On:22 Sep 2022 20:00
Last Modified:22 Sep 2022 20:00

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