The effects of metamorphism on O and Fe isotope compositions in the Biwabik Iron Formation, northern Minnesota |
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| Authors: | Elizabeth Valaas Hyslop John W Valley Clark M Johnson Brian L Beard |
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| Institution: | (1) Department of Geology and Geophysics, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 1215 West Dayton Street, Madison, WI 53706, USA |
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| Abstract: | The Biwabik Iron Formation of Minnesota (1.9 Ga) underwent contact metamorphism by intrusion of the Duluth Complex (1.1 Ga).
Apparent quartz–magnetite oxygen isotope temperatures decrease from ∼700°C at the contact to ∼375°C at 2.6 km distance (normal
to the contact in 3D). Metamorphic pigeonite at the contact, however, indicates that peak temperatures were greater than 825°C.
The apparent O isotope temperatures, therefore, reflect cooling, and not peak metamorphic conditions. Magnetite was reset
in δ18O as a function of grain size, indicating that isotopic exchange was controlled by diffusion of oxygen in magnetite for samples
from above the grunerite isograd. Apparent quartz–magnetite O isotope temperatures are similar to calculated closure temperatures
for oxygen diffusion in magnetite at a cooling rate of ∼5.6°C/kyr, which suggests that the Biwabik Iron Formation cooled from
∼825 to 400°C in ∼75 kyr at the contact with the Duluth Complex. Isotopic exchange during metamorphism also occurred for Fe,
where magnetite–Fe silicate fractionations decrease with increasing metamorphic grade. Correlations between quartz–magnetite
O isotope fractionations and magnetite–iron silicate Fe isotope fractionations suggest that both reflect cooling, where the
closure temperature for Fe was higher than for O. The net effect of metamorphism on δ18O–δ56Fe variations in magnetite is a strong increase in δ18OMt and a mild decrease in δ56Fe with increasing metamorphic grade, relative to the isotopic compositions that are expected at the low temperatures of initial
magnetite formation. If metamorphism of Iron Formations occurs in a closed system, bulk O and Fe isotope compositions may
be preserved, although re-equilibration among the minerals may occur for both O and Fe isotopes.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. |
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