Late Archean granites: markers of modern-style plate tectonics?

The multidisciplinary project will address the issue of petrogenesis, emplacement

processes, and tectonic setting of Late Archean (ca. 2.9–2.6 Ga) granites in the Bienville subprovince,

NE Canada. In particular, the project will concentrate on analysis of fabric and

architecture of selected plutons, numerical modelling of associated crustal strains, determining

high-precision radiometric age using laser ablation ICP-MS and ID-TIMS and geochemical

composition including trace elements and Rb–Sr, Sm–Nd, and Hf isotopes. The obtained data

will be used to interpret thermal and mechanical conditions in the host rock during

emplacement, durations, tempos, and spatial and temporal patterns of plutonism. These

interpretations will then serve as a basis for a general discussion and testing the hypothesis

whether the Late Archean granites record plume-dominated vertical tectonics or whether they

record modern-style motions of lithospheric plates.