Tectonostratigraphic controls on the Connaigre Peninsula of south-central Newfoundland and their implications for intrusion-related mineral resources

The Connaigre Peninsula of south-central Newfoundland has long been considered to be amongst the most complete and best exposed sections of Neoacadian and older Avalonian rocks in the Appalachians. The rocks of this region range from the Cryogenian volcano-sedimentary rocks of the Tickle Point Formation (ca. 682 Ma rhyolite) to the Middle to Upper Devonian clastic sedimentary rocks of the Great Bay De L'Eau and Poole's Cove formations and Late Devonian Belleoram Granite and Old Woman Stock (ca. 380 Ma). However the recent age determination of the Pass Island Granite that shows it as Silurian (423 ± 4 Ma), contradicts earlier interpretations that the whole of the Connaigre Peninsula formed on the Avalonian microcontinent. It is now evident that the eastern portion exhibits a distinct Neoproterozoic to Lower Palaeozoic tectonostratigraphy. Five distinct phases of granitoid emplacement are recorded across the Connaigre Peninsula. The oldest of these is the Furby's Cove Intrusive Suite (ca. 673 Ma) that intruded the Tickle Point Formation prior to deposition of the Connaigre Bay Group. The later unit is in turn cut by the ca. 620 Ma Simmons Brook Intrusive Suite. All of these units are cut by a series of ca. 570 Ma intrusive bodies belonging to the Grole and Hardy's Cove intrusive suites and Harbour Breton Granite. At the southern end of Hermitage Bay, Grole Intrusive Suite rocks are intruded by the Silurian Pass Island Granite. All of these units are restricted to a region between the Hermitage Bay Fault to the west and the White Horse - East Bay fault to the east. The youngest intrusive rocks in the region are the Late Devonian Belleoram and Old Woman granitic bodies, as well as a series of mafic sills and/or flows on the Boxey Point Promontory, and several minor granitic dykes and small bodies that are considered offshoots of the Belleoram Granite. These Late Devonian intrusions are only known to cut the Ediacaran Long Harbour Group, Latest Ediacaran to Upper Cambrian Young's Cove Group and Devonian Cinq Isles, Poole's Cove and Great Bay De L'Eau formations, which are restricted to (or in the case of the Cinq Isles and Poole's Cove formations partly overlap) the areas to the east of the White Horse - East Bay fault. Given the different pre-Devonian tectonostratigraphies on either side of the White Horse - East Bay fault, the Connaigre Peninsula is herein informally divided into the Deadman's Bight (western) and Wreck Cove (eastern) domains. Intrusion related mineralisation on the Connaigre Peninsula is largely restricted to Mo +/- Cu and fluorite occurrences associated with the Old Woman Stock. Similar Mo deposits occur within the coeval Ackley Pluton to the north-east and the associated minor intrusion on Belle Island. However to date no Mo mineralisation has been identified within the age equivalent Belleoram Granite, although minor fluorite occurrences are observed.

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