Magnetic Characteristics of the Lower Crust: Examples from the Chipman Tonalite, Chipman Dikes, and Fehr Granite, Athabasca Granulite Terrane, Northern Canada

The Athabasca granulite terrane (AGT) in northernmost Saskatchewan, Canada is an outstanding exposure of lower crustal rocks having experienced high temperature (~800°C) and high pressure (>1.0 GPa) conditions followed by uplift and exhumation to the surface. With little alteration since 1.9 Ga these rocks allow us to study ancient lower crustal lithologies. Aeromagnetic anomalies over this region are distinct and complex, and along with other geophysical measurements, define the Snowbird Tectonic zone, stretching NE-SW across the Canadian Shield and separating the Churchill province into the Hearne domain (mid-crustal rocks, lower metamorphism) from the Rae domain (lower crust rocks, higher metamorphism). The eastern part of the AGT is dominated by the Chipman tonalite batholith (3.3 Ga), and on the far east the Fehr Granite (2.4 Ga). Both units were intruded by the extensive mafic Chipman dike swarm at ~1.9 Ga. On-going magnetic studies of these three units are aimed at characterizing the rock magnetism and remanence of each group as well as relating magnetic properties to the observed aeromagnetic signatures. The Fehr granite is weakly magnetic, with susceptibilities ranging from 9.4 x 10-6 to 2.1 x 10-4 with an average of 9 x 10-5 SI. The remanence held by many Fehr granite samples is weak, but stronger than expected at ~1 mA/m. The bland aeromagnetic signature over the Fehr granite reflects low susceptibility and low remanence. Chipman tonalite samples show a wide range of magnetic properties including distinct oxide zones with susceptibilities of 0.3 SI and remanence values greater than 10 A/m to relatively non-magnetic areas with susceptibilities of 1x 10-4 SI and magnetization of .01 A/m. Hysteresis properties indicate a range of behavior from single-domain to multi-domain magnetite with a majority of samples indicating pseudo-single-domain behavior (average Mr/Ms = 0.13, Hcr/Hc = 3.3). Low temperature experiments confirm the presence of magnetite, and occasional pyrrhotite. Aeromagnetic signatures over the Chipman tonalite vary from a pronounced high on the western part of body, correlated to the higher susceptibility samples, to distinct low regions to the east. The Chipman dikes appear to have consistent susceptibilities averaging 9.4 x10-4 SI, but a bimodal remanence distribution. Most dike samples from the eastern side of the region carry a weak magnetization of ~2 mA/m, whereas a few dikes have much higher susceptibilities and marked remanence >1 A/m. The large difference in remanence is reflected in the aeromagnetic map, with positive regions correlating with higher concentrations of wider, less altered dikes. Although further work is underway, it appears that rocks in the southeastern domain of the AGT are only weakly magnetic, and unable to cause large aeromagnetic anomalies either induced or remanent.