Late Archaean ages for the deposition of clastic sediments belonging to the Malene supracrustals, southern West Greenland: Evidence from an ion probe U-Pb zircon study

Ion probe U-Pb age determinations on zircons from two samples of metasediment belonging to the Malene supracrustals of southern West Greenland closely constrain the age of sedimentation, between the youngest age obtained from detrital material and the age of metamorphic overgrowth. For both samples, older and younger limits of ca. 2900 Ma and ca. 2650 Ma, respectively, are indicated. Some of the detrital zircons are best interpreted as derived from their source rock after the regional high-grade metamorphism at ca. 2800 Ma: if so, the older limit of the age of sedimentation is younger than 2800 Ma. The hypothesis that all Malene supracrustal rocks pre-date the middle to late Archaean Nuk gneisses is no longer valid. This has major implications for interpretations of the late Archaean crustal evolution of western Greenland: the period between 2800 and 2500 Ma was characterised by major tectonic activity and metamorphism. (orig.)