Zone of variably metamorphosed rocks occurring in Archaean and Proterozoic cratons
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Kilimafedha greenstone belt in Tanzania
Greenstone belts are zones of variably metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic sequences with associated sedimentary rocks that occur within Archaean and Proterozoic cratons between granite and gneiss bodies.
The name comes from the green hue imparted by the colour of the metamorphic minerals within the mafic rocks: the typical green minerals are chlorite, actinolite, and other green amphiboles. Greenstone belts also often contain ore deposits of gold, silver, copper, zinc and lead.
A greenstone belt is typically several dozens to several thousand kilometres long. Typically, a greenstone belt within the greater volume of otherwise homogeneous granite-gneiss within a craton contains a significantly larger degree of heterogeneity and complications and forms a tectonic marker far more distinct than the much more voluminous and homogeneous granites. Additionally, a greenstone belt contains far more information on tectonic and metamorphic events, deformations, and paleogeologic conditions than the granite and gneiss events, because the vast majority of greenstones are interpreted as altered basalts and other volcanic or sedimentary rocks. As such, understanding the nature and origin of greenstone belts is the most fruitful way of studying Archaean geological history.
Greenstonebelts are zones of variably metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic sequences with associated sedimentary rocks that occur within Archaean...
The Isua GreenstoneBelt is an Archean greenstonebelt in southwestern Greenland, aged between 3.7 and 3.8 billion years. The belt contains variably metamorphosed...
The Barberton GreenstoneBelt is situated on the eastern edge of the Kaapvaal Craton in South Africa. It is known for its gold mineralisation and for...
The Nuvvuagittuq GreenstoneBelt (NGB; Inuktitut: [nuv.vu.a.git.tuq]) is a sequence of metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic and associated sedimentary...
The Abitibi greenstonebelt is a 2,800-to-2,600-million-year-old greenstonebelt that spans across the Ontario–Quebec border in Canada. It is mostly made...
The Temagami GreenstoneBelt (TGB) is a small 2.7 billion year old greenstonebelt in the Temagami region of Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It represents...
Eswatini granite-greenstone terrane situated in the southeastern part of the craton." Archean life in the Barberton GreenstoneBelt – Some of the most...
known as greenstonebelts. They are thought to have formed at ancient oceanic spreading centers and island arc terranes. The Abitibi greenstonebelt in Ontario...
Swayze greenstonebelt further south is interpreted to be a southwestern extension of the Abitibi greenstonebelt. The Archean Red Lake greenstonebelt in...
Y.; Condie, Kent C. (2001). "Archean mantle plumes: Evidence from greenstonebelt geochemistry". Mantle Plumes: Their Identification Through Time. doi:10...
The Central Lapland GreenstoneBelt (CLGB) is a greenstonebelt located in the northern part of the Fennoscandian Shield. The region belongs to Lapland...
craton. The Marda–Diemals greenstonebelt in the Southern Cross Terrane can be divided into three layers: the lower greenstonebelt (ca. 3.0 Ga) characterized...
evaporitic precipitation then deposited on the sea floor. The Barberton GreenstoneBelt, located in the Kaapvaal Craton, also contains evidence of life. It...
Swayze greenstonebelt further south is interpreted to be a southwestern extension of the Abitibi greenstonebelt. The Archean Red Lake greenstonebelt in...
mafic and ultramafic greenstonebelt rocks, intrusive granitic dome structures, and volcanic sedimentary rocks. These greenstonebelts worldwide are thought...
The South Pass greenstonebelt (2.8 Ga) is located within the Wyoming craton in the US. The region was the site of Wyoming's initial gold discovery in...
Abitibi gold belt is a region of Canada that extends from Wawa, Ontario to Val-d'Or, Quebec. Located within the mineral-rich Abitibi greenstonebelt, the gold...
Swayze greenstonebelt is a late Archean greenstonebelt in northern Ontario, Canada. It is the southwestern extension of the Abitibi greenstonebelt. Volcanism...
(over 2500 million years old), mostly belong to granite-greenstonebelts. The greenstonebelts contain metavolcanic and metasedimentary rock that has undergone...
The Yellowknife greenstonebelt, also called the Yellowknife Volcanic Belt, is an Archean greenstonebelt in the southern Slave craton, Northwest Territories...
The Flin Flon greenstonebelt, also referred to as the Flin Flon – Snow Lake greenstonebelt, is a Precambrian greenstonebelt located in the central area...
remainder in neighbouring Eswatini. It constitutes 40% of the Barberton GreenstoneBelt. The area ranges in altitude from 600 to 1,800 metres (2,000 to 5,900 ft)...
contains migmatitic TTG gneisses, and the eastern block contains 2.7 Ga greenstonebelts and calc-alkaline plutons. The formation of the basement rock of the...
The Ecstall GreenstoneBelt is a north-northwest trending greenstonebelt in northwestern British Columbia, Canada. It is located in the Kitimat Ranges...
The Hope Bay greenstonebelt, also called the Hope Bay volcanic belt, is a 42 km (26 mi) long Archean greenstonebelt in western portion of Kivalliq Region...
Heavy Bombardment. The largest Eoarchean rock formation is the Isua GreenstoneBelt on the south-west coast of Greenland, which dates from 3.8 billion...
other ultramafic and high-magnesian mafic volcanic rocks in Archaean greenstonebelts. The youngest komatiites are from the island of Gorgona on the Caribbean...
Archean: a period defined by the first crustal formations (the Isua greenstonebelt) until the deposition of banded iron formations due to increasing atmospheric...
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