Mineral deposits and metallogeny of Fennoscandia

Edited by Pasi Eilu

Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 53, 13–18, 2012

Main geological features of

Fennoscandia

Lahtinen, R. 2012. Main geological features of Fennoscandia. Geological Survey of

Finland, Special Paper 53, 13–18, 1 figure.

The Fennoscandian Shield shares a similar geology and metallogeny with the an-
cient shields in Canada, Australia, Brazil and South Africa. The shield is situated
in the north-westernmost part of the East European Craton and is the largest ex-
posed area of Precambrian rocks in Europe. The shield constitutes large parts of
Fennoscandia in Finland, NW Russia, Norway and Sweden. The Precambrian
rocks can be followed below the Phanerozoic cover sequences of the East European
platform towards the south and southeast, forming as a whole the Fennoscandian
crustal segment. The Norrbotten province, with its Archaean and Proterozoic cov-
er rocks, most probably also continues to the NW, below the Caledonian orogenic
belt, and crops out again in the Lower Allochthon.

Keywords (GeoRef Thesaurus, AGI): bedrock, tectonics, orogenic belts, Fenno-

scandian Shield, Phanerozoic, Proterozoic, Archean, Fennoscandia

Raimo Lahtinen
Geological Survey of Finland, P.O. Box 96, FI-02151 Espoo, Finland

E-mail: [email protected]

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Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 53
R. Lahtinen

ARCHAEAN

The Archaean crust, either exposed or con- The Belomorian province (Fig. 1) is dominat-
cealed under Palaeoproterozoic cover rocks and ed by 2.9–2.7 G granitoids and includes volcanic
granitoids, occurs in the east and north of Fen- rocks formed at 2.88–2.82 Ga, 2.8–2.78 Ga and
noscandia. Four major Archaean provinces have 2.75–2.66 Ga. The Neoarchaean ophiolite-like
been outlined (Fig. 1; modified after Hölttä et al. rocks and 2.7 Ga eclogites in the Belomorian
2008). The western and eastern parts of the Kare- province are possible examples of Phanerozoic-
lian Province comprise Mesoarchaean 2.8–3.0 Ga style subduction and collision (Hölttä et al. 2008).
lithologies, but rocks older than 3.0 Ga (Fig. 1) The Kola province (combined Kola and Mur-
have locally been found. The central part of the mansk provinces of Hölttä et al. 2008) is a mo-
Karelian province is mainly Neoarchaean, having saic of Mesoarchaean and Neoarchaean units, to-
plutonic and volcanic rocks of 2.75–2.70 Ga in gether with some Palaeoproterozoic components.
age. This age difference is also seen in the nature The Archaean growth (accretion) of this province
of volcanic rocks, where the older rocks formed occurred from 2.9 Ga to 2.7 Ga and was followed
in within-plate, probably oceanic, environments, by a collision with the Karelian craton at 2.72 Ga
whereas younger volcano-sedimentary belts show along the Belomorian province. The Archaean
arc-type characteristics (Sorjonen-Ward & Luuk- part of the Norrbotten province is dominantly
konen 2005, Hölttä et al. 2008). Sanukitoid-type concealed under cover rocks, and very limited
plutonic rocks of the Archaean domain have ages data are available (Bergman et al. 2001, Mellqvist
grouping at 2740 and 2718 Ma (Heilimo et al. et al. 1999).
2011).

PALAEOPROTEROZOIC COVER ROCKS OF THE ARCHAEAN CONTINENTS

Rifting of the Archaean continent or continents turbiditic sediments.

contained in the Fennoscandian shield began in No clear examples of subduction-related mag-
north-eastern Fennoscandia and became wide- matism between 2.70 and 2.05 Ga have been found
spread after the emplacement of 2.50–2.44 Ga, in Fennoscandia. The 2.02 Ga felsic volcanic
plume-related, layered gabbro-norite intrusions rocks in Finnish Lapland (Kittilä in Fig. 1) occur
and dyke swarms (Iljina & Hanski 2005). Erosion in association with oceanic island arc-type rocks
and deep weathering after 2.44 Ga was followed and are the oldest candidates for Palaeoprotero-
by the Huronian glaciation, and later deep chemi- zoic subduction-related rocks (Hanski & Huhma
cal weathering again covered large areas in the 2005). Associated continental within-plate vol-
Karelian province at ca. 2.35 Ga (Laajoki 2005, canic rocks are possibly related to the continuing
Melezhik 2006). Rifting events at 2.4–2.1 Ga are craton break-up. Bimodal alkaline-tholeiitic mag-
associated with mostly tholeiitic mafic dykes and matism in central Lapland (Hanski et al. 2005)
sills, sporadic volcanism and typically fluvial to and rift-related magmatism in Kola (Pechenga)
shallow-water sedimentary rocks (Laajoki 2005, show that rift magmatism continued further until
Vuollo & Huhma 2005). Local shallow-marine en- 1.98 Ga. Jormua–Outokumpu ophiolites (Fig. 1),
vironments were marked by deposition of carbon- tectonically intercalated with deep-water turbid-
ates at 2.2–2.1 Ga, showing a large positive δ13C ites, are a unique example of Archaean subcon-
isotope anomaly during the Lomagundi–Jatuli tinental lithospheric mantle with a thin veneer of
Event (Karhu 2005, Melezhik et al. 2007). Along oceanic crust formed at 1.95 Ga along the western
the present western edge of the Karelian province, edge of the present Karelian province (Peltonen
2.05 Ga bimodal felsic-mafic volcanic rocks of 2005).
alkaline affinity are intercalated with deep-water

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 Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 53
Main geological features of Fennoscandia

Figure 1. Fennoscandia and its location within the East European Craton. Simplified geological map based on Koistinen et
al. (2001) and insert map based on Gorbatschev and Bogdanova (1993). Subareas: CS – Central Svecofennia; SS – Southern
Svecofennia. Areas and localities: BA – Bergslagen area; G – Gothian terranes; J – Jormua; K – Kittilä; Ki – Kiruna; O – Ou-
tokumpu; OR – Oslo rift; SA – Skellefte Area; SB – Savo Belt; T – Telemarkian terranes; WGC – Western Gneiss Complex.

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Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 53
R. Lahtinen

PALAEOPROTEROZOIC OROGENIC ROCKS

The main Palaeoproterozoic orogenic evolution of the central Svecofennia and in northern Fen-
of Fennoscandia can be divided into the Lap- noscandia.
land–Kola orogen (1.94–1.86 Ga; Daly et al. The southern Svecofennia in the Bergslagen
2006) and the composite Svecofennian orogen area (Stephens et al. 2009) and its extension to
(1.92–1.79 Ga; Lahtinen et al. 2005, 2008). The southern Finland (Väisänen & Mänttäri 2002)
latter is divided into the Lapland–Savo, Fennian, comprise arc-type volcanism at 1.90–1.88 Ga with
Svecobaltic and Nordic orogens. Whereas the partly coeval plutonism at 1.89–1.87 Ga. Sedimen-
Lapland–Kola orogen shows only limited forma- tary sequences also include metacarbonate rocks,
tion of new crust, the composite Svecofennian whereas graphite-bearing rocks are rare. Two meta-
orogen produced a large volume of Palaeoprote- morphic peaks, at 1.88–1.87 and 1.83–1.80 Ga,
rozoic crust in the Svecofennian province. have been detected in the southern Svecofennia.
The Palaeoproterozoic rocks in the Lapland- A major unconformity between them is indicated
Kola orogen (Fig. 1) include small amounts of by the occurrence of lateritic palaeosols (Lahtin-
juvenile, 1.96–1.91 Ga, island arc-type rocks en & Nironen 2010) and ≤ 1.87 Ga quartzites and
and large volumes of felsic granulites (Daly et meta-arkoses (e.g., Bergman et al. 2008). Younger
al. 2006, Huhma et al. 2011). The oldest rocks syn- to post-tectonic granites (1.85–1.79 Ga) are
in the central Svecofennian province are the common in southern Svecofennia.
1.95 Ga supracrustal rocks and granitoids south The Småland area of the Svecofennian prov-
of the Skellefte area (Wasström 2005) and the ince includes subduction-related juvenile volcanic
1.93–1.92 Ga island-arc rocks in the Savo belt and plutonic rocks formed between 1.83 and 1.82
(Fig.1). Arc-type volcanic rocks are slightly older Ga. They were metamorphosed and deformed be-
(ca. 5–10 Ma) than granitoids, but the igneous fore the extrusion and intrusion of the surround-
rocks are predominantly 1.89–1.87 Ga in age in ing WNW-trending, 1.81–1.77 Ga, volcanic and
the Central Finland granitoid complex (CFGC) plutonic rocks (Mansfeld et al. 2005). The 1.81–
and surrounding belts (Kähkönen 2005), and in 1.77 Ga plutonic rocks can be followed north-
the Skellefte and Kiruna areas (Allen et al. 1996, wards under the Caledonian orogenic belt to the
Bergman et al. 2001). Sedimentary rocks are typi- Lower Allochthon (Fig. 1), and they form the
cally metapsammites with local intercalations of core of the Nordic orogen proposed by Lahtinen
black schists and tholeiitic lavas. Abundant, ca. et al. (2005).
1.80 Ga, plutonic rocks occur in the western part

MESO- AND NEOPROTEROZOIC

Rocks of the Gothian (1.64–1.52 Ga) and Tele- A NW-trending Neoproterozoic belt (part of the
markian events (1.52–1.48 Ga), their areas in- Timanide orogen) occurs in the northeastern edge
dicated by G and T in Figure 1, respectively, are of the Fennoscandian Shield (Fig. 1).
present in the Sveconorwegian orogenic belt in the The Caledonian orogenic belt (Fig. 1) consists
SW part of Fennoscandia. These rocks, Palaeo- of four levels of thrust sheets where the Lower
proterozoic basement windows in western Norway and Middle Allochthons are generally considered
(WGC in Fig. 1) and some of the 1.81–1.77 Ga to represent E-vergent thrusts of pre-collisional
rocks were heavily reworked during repeated orog- continental margin rocks (Gee et al. 2008). Ar-
enies in the Meso- and Neoproterozoic (Bingen et chaean and Palaeoproterozoic parts of the Lower
al. 2008). Rocks of the rapakivi granite associa- Allochthon are probably autochthonous and a
tion (1.65–1.47 Ga) are locally voluminous and es- direct continuation of the Norrbotten province
pecially characteristic for the southern Svecofen- rocks. Meso- and Neoproterozoic rocks are com-
nia (Rämö & Haapala 2005). The 1.34–1.14 Ga mon in the Lower and Middle Allochthons. Some
period includes some bimodal magmatism asso- of the passive margin-related Neoproterozoic
ciated with sedimentation. The Sveconorwegian marine sandstones and bituminous Alum Shales
orogeny (1.14–0.97 Ga) involved accretion of in the Lower Allochthon can also be autochtho-
terranes followed by post-collisional magmatism nous. Most of these rocks are related to the open-
between 0.96 and 0.90 Ga (Bingen et al. 2008). ing of the Iapetus Ocean (Gee et al. 2008).

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 Geological Survey of Finland, Special Paper 53
Main geological features of Fennoscandia

PHANEROZOIC

The opening of the Iapetus Ocean started ca. 600 Uppermost Allochthon has affinities to the Lau-
Ma ago, and the final continent-continent colli- rentian margin and can be regarded as an exotic
sion occurred during the Scandian orogeny (430– terrane (Gee et al. 2008). Significant amounts of
390 Ma), followed by an orogenic collapse. The Devonian alkaline rocks occur in the Kola prov-
Upper Allochthon in the Caledonian orogenic ince, and voluminous Late Carboniferous to Ear-
belt (Fig. 1) is characterised by Phanerozoic rocks ly Triassic rift magmatism is seen in the Oslo Rift
(500–430 Ma) derived from the Iapetus Ocean, in- (Fig. 1).
cluding ophiolites and island-arc complexes. The

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