Paleozoic rocks of the Pelly Mountains, central Yukon, preserve greater than 150 m.y. of sedimentation, magmatism and base-metal mineralization. To identify secular trends in regional tectonics and metallogeny, a multi-year project on the stratigraphy of the Pelly Mountains in the Quiet Lake (105F) and Finlayson Lake (105G) map areas was initiated. Field studies during summer 2015 focused on two stratigraphic intervals: (1) mafic volcanic, volcaniclastic and clastic rock successions assigned to the Cambrian-Ordovician Cloutier and Groundhog formations (Kechika group); and (2) felsic volcanic, volcaniclastic and clastic rock successions assigned to the Devonian-Mississippian Black Slate and Felsic Volcanic formations (Seagull group). Cambrian-Ordovician strata were deposited in a marine environment characterized by episodic mafic volcanism and extensional tectonism. Devonian-Mississippian strata record the transition from an extensional turbidite basin to a metalliferous volcanic rift basin, and resemble key rock assemblages of the Selwyn basin (Earn Group) and Yukon-Tanana terrane (Grass Lakes and Wolverine Lake groups).

Paleomagnetic and geobarometric results are reported here for the Early Jurassic Granite Mountain batholith, an ~600 km² granodiorite intrusion in the Yukon-Tanana Terrane. Paleomagnetic analyses of 331 specimens from 24 sites yield magnetite-borne characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) directions. Eight northerly and westerly sites display a mean direction A (D=337, I=69°; a 95 =7.6°, k=54). Another 11 sites appear to be lightning-struck, or exhibit unstable remanence, and 3 sites in a fault-bounded block to the southeast carry an anomalous northeast upwards ChRM direction B. Two sites in a Cretaceous andesite porphyry dyke and its contact zone give a westerly, steep-down ChRM direction, C. Aluminum-in-hornblende geobarometry at 10 sites defines emplacement depths of ~16 km in the north and west, and ~19 km in the southeast. The batholith has probably not been significantly tilted since its emplacement, but it may be subdivided into two separate intrusive phases or structural blocks that have experienced differential uplift. Ambient temperatures at 16-19 km were too high for magnetite to record an enduring remanence, so the observed ChRMs likely record uplift of the batholith through ~15 km depth, at 180-170 Ma. Both A and C ChRM directions are similar to those expected for Early Jurassic and Late Cretaceous reference poles, respectively, suggesting that the Yukon-Tanana Terrane is not far-traveled with respect to cratonic North America since Early Jurassic time.

for a copy of this paper please contact the Yukon Geological Survey; geology@gov.yk.ca.

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for a copy of this paper please contact the Yukon Geological Survey; geology@gov.yk.ca.

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for a copy of this paper please contact the Yukon Geological Survey; geology@gov.yk.ca.

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for a copy of this paper please contact the Yukon Geological Survey; geology@gov.yk.ca.

The McQuesten River region in the northern part of the McQuesten and Mayo map areas (scale 1:250 000) is underlain by Upper Proterozoic to Mississippian rocks that were deposited in an offshelf setting during the formation of the northern Cordilleran continental margin, deformed during the Mesozoic, and intruded by pre and post-kinematic intrusions. The Selwyn Basin phase of evolution of the continental margin is represented by rock units that correlate with units defined in the eastern part of Selwyn Basin. Dark clastic and rare felsic metavolcanic rocks of the Deconian-Mississippian Earn Group unconformably overlie rocks of the Selwyn Basin phase and are overlain conformably by the Mississippian Keno Hill quartzite. Dark, fine-grained metaclastic rocks of unknown age locally overlie Keno Hill quartzite. Four episodes of plutonism can be distinguished in the area, the earliest probably Early Paleozoic in age, another mid-Triassic in age, and two phases of Cretaceous granitic magmatism. Early Paleozoic bodies are typically metre-scale, fine-grained diabasic dikes and sills intruding rocks of the Hyland Group. Mid-Triassic diorite to gabbro occurs in discontinuous pods of various sizes, primarily in the Tombstone Thrust sheet where they intrude Devonian and Mississippian rocks. The most voluminous and widespread granitic rocks are the early Late Cretaceous Tombstone intrusions (92 ± 2 Ma). Typical Tombstone intrusions are weakly porphyritic, medium-grained hornblende-biotite granite to granodiorite, but they range from syenite to granodiorite and are locally peraluminous. The latest episode of granitic magmatism, the 65 ± 3 Ma McQuesten intrustions, is not yet fully delineated but includes five stocks of peroluminous potassium feldspar megocrystic granite. Paleozoic and Mesozoic structures occur in the region. The Sprague Creek Fault, a pre-Late Cambrian normal fault, is inferred from stratigraphic relationships. A possibly Jurassic phase of shortening is represented by west-northwest-trending, south-vergent folds that pre-date Jura-Cretaceous structures. The most pervasive and important phase of deformation is Jura-Cretaceous in age and kinematically complex. The Robert Service and Tombstone thrusts and Tombstone Strain Zone formed between the Late Jurassic and early Late Cretaceous during northward and northwestward displacement of more southerly hanging wall rocks. The McQuesten River region has numerous mineral occurrences, a long history of mining and mineral exploration and good potential for further discoveries.