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Clay Petrology Of Cambro-Ordovician Continental Margin, Cow Head Klippe, Western Newfoundland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 July 2024

Robert K. Suchecki ,
Edward A. Perry Jr.  and
John F. Hubert
Robert K. Suchecki
Affiliation:
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, U.S.A.
Edward A. Perry Jr.
Affiliation:
Department of Geology/Geography, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01002, U.S.A.
John F. Hubert
Affiliation:
Department of Geology/Geography, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01002, U.S.A.
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Abstract

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The sedimentary rocks of the Taconic Cow Head klippe contain three clay-mineral suites of progressively younger stratigraphic occurrence. An illite—14A chlorite suite is the oldest, occurring in the Middle Cambrian to early Lower Ordovician part of the 310-m Cow Head Breccia. These earliest clays were transported from the stable craton and shelf, slowly accumulating during 70 x 106 yr on the continental slope in limestone breccia, green and gray shale, and argillaceous limestone. The illite and 14A chlorite are judged to be largely detrital. An illite-expandable chlorite suite is in early to late Lower Ordovician limestone breccia, green and gray shale, and argillaceous limestone of the Cow Head Breccia. A corrensite-illite-smectite suite of late Lower to Middle Ordovician age occurs in the Cow Head Breccia and throughout the overlying 200-m ‘Red Shale’ and the more than 400-m ‘Green Sandstone’ flysch sequence of volcanogenic sandstone and gray shale. Beginning in the early Lower Ordovician, increasing amounts of Mg2+-rich volcanic detritus were rapidly transported westward from a developing volcanic island arc in central Newfoundland. During burial metamorphism, volcanic materials and their alteration products reacted to form the illite-smectite with 5–10% expandable layers plus corrensite or expandable chlorite found in the younger two clay-mineral suites.

Type
Research Article
Information
Clays and Clay Minerals , Volume 25 , Issue 3 , June 1977 , pp. 163 - 170
Copyright
Copyright © Clay Minerals Society 1977

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