A re-interpretation of the "Bateman Brook Metamorphic Suite", Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, as sheared, fault-bounded blocks of other units

Authors

  • David W.A. McMullen Department of Geology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia BOP 1X0, Canada
  • Sandra M. Barr Department of Geology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia BOP 1X0, Canada
  • Robert P. Raeside Department of Geology, Acadia University, Wolfville, Nova Scotia BOP 1X0, Canada

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4138/1988

Abstract

The Bateman Brook Metamorphic Suite, as previously defined, is the westernmost unit of the Bras d'Or terrene in the central Cape Breton Highlands. It outcrops along the Eastern Highlands Shear Zone, the contact between the Bras d'Or terrane and the Aspy terrane to the northwest. The Bateman Brook unit has been reported to contain a wide range of lithologies, and contacts with adjacent units are mainly faulted. Re-examination of rocks from the Bateman Brook Metamorphic Suite shows it to consist of semipelitic to psammitic schist, banded mafic gneiss, and foliated, dioritic, mafic gneiss. Rocks exhibit two major shear fabrics, an early intensely foliated and lineated fabric indicative of shear at high metamorphic grade, and a later mylonitic fabric indicative of shear at lower grade. As a result of this study, it is recommended that the name Bateman Brook Metamorphic Suite be abandoned. The southern part of the suite is re-assigned to the McMillan Flowage Formation of the Bras d'Or terrane. The central part is interpreted to include rocks of both the Kathy Road Dioritic Suite and the McMillan Flowage Formation. Most of the northern part is re-assigned to the Jumping Brook Metamorphic Suite of the Aspy terrane. RÉSUMÉ La suite métamorphique de Bateman Brook, telle que définie ameiieurement, est l'unité la plus occidentale du terrain de Bras d'Or dans le centre des hautes-terres du Cap-Breton. Elle affleure le long de la zone de cisaillement de Eastern Highlands, le contact entre le terrain de Bras d'Or et le terrain d'Aspy au nord-ouest. L'unité de Bateman Brook à été décrite comme comprenant une grande variété de lithologies et les contacts avec les unités adjacentes sont principalement faillés. Un réexamen de roches provenant de la suite métamorphique de Bateman Brook montre qu'elle consiste en schiste semi-politique à psammitique, en gneiss mafique rubané et en gneiss mafique dioritique et folié. Les roches montrent deux fabriques de cisaillement majeures, une fabriques de foliation et de linéation précoce fortement développée indiquant un cisaillement à haut grade métamorphique et une fabrique mylonitique plus tardive indicative d'un cisaillement à plus faible grade. Comme résultat de cette étude, il est recommandé que le terme de suite métamorphique de Bateman Brook soit abandonné La partie sud de la suite est réassignéle à la Formation de McMillan Flowage du terrain de Bras d'Or. La partie cent rale est interprétée comme incluant des roches appartenant à la suite dioritique de Kathy Road et à la Formation de McMillan Flowage. La plupart de la partie du nord est réassignée à la suite métamorphique de Jumping Brook du terrain d'Avalon. [Traduit par la rédaction]

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Published

1993-03-01

How to Cite

McMullen, D. W., Barr, S. M., & Raeside, R. P. (1993). A re-interpretation of the "Bateman Brook Metamorphic Suite", Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, as sheared, fault-bounded blocks of other units. Atlantic Geoscience, 29(1). https://doi.org/10.4138/1988

Issue

Vol. 29 No. 1 (1993)

Section

Articles

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