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Wabigoon Belt
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Wabigoon Belt

geological region, Canada
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Quick Summary

The Wabigoon Belt is a geological region in Canada, part of the larger greenstone-granite belts found on most continents. These belts are considered tectonic slices of oceanic and island arc crust that have been thrust together. The Wabigoon Belt, specifically, is described as an island arc built on oceanic plateau crust, overlain by a more mature arc.12

Greenstone sequences within these belts typically consist of a lower volcanic group and an upper sedimentary group. The volcanic rocks are ultramafic and basaltic, while the sediments are land-derived, including shales and sandstones. These rocks have undergone metamorphism, giving them a characteristic green color due to minerals like chlorite and epidote. The formation of these belts occurred throughout the Archean Eon, with significant periods of development around 2.7 to 2.6 billion years ago.12

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. Precambrian - Structure and formation of greenstone-granite belts
  2. Precambrian - Age and occurrence of greenstone-granite belts

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