Duration and Geochemical Evolution of Triassic and Jurassic Magmatism
along the Eastern North American Margin
Abstract
Our understanding of the impact of melt generation and the interplay
between magmatism and mechanical stretching during progressive rifting
leading to seafloor spreading remains rudimentary. The Eastern North
American Margin (ENAM) provides an excellent location to study the
influence of rift magmatism on continental break-up considering the
preservation of ~30 Myr of syn-rift strata and voluminous
basaltic dikes, sills, and flows. Previous studies mainly focused on
magmatism preserved in ENAM rift basins, emphasizing Central Atlantic
Magmatic Province (CAMP) activity. Aeromagnetic datasets show pervasive
magmatism across the ENAM proximal domain in the form of dikes that
largely remain undated. We present in-situ apatite U-Pb geochronology
and whole-rock geochemical data from diabase dikes along the ENAM to
determine the temporal and chemical evolution of Mesozoic dike
emplacement and evaluate whether these magmas were emplaced rapidly at
~201 Ma or in episodic pulses during rifting and break-up.
New in-situ apatite U-Pb analyses collectively indicate multiple
magmatism pulses along the proximal domain of the ENAM, clustering
around ~201 Ma, ~180 Ma, and
~150 Ma. A first pulse at the Triassic/Jurassic boundary
is likely due to decompression melting of an enriched mantle, a second
smaller pulse in the Early Jurassic potentially correlative to the Blake
Spur Magnetic Anomaly and lithospheric breakup, and a third small pulse
in the Early Jurassic potentially correlative to the transition to
symmetric seafloor spreading. These results indicate prolonged off-axis
magmatism is likely due to slow spreading rates driving delocalization
of extension away from the rift axis into the proximal domain.