THE DOLODAU DYKES, CANADA - AN EXAMPLE OF AN ARCHEAN CARBONATITE

The Archean Dolodau carbonatite dykes occur near a late tectonic syenite stock located in the Northern Volcanic Zone of the Abitibi greenstone belt. The biotite sovite and amphibole-biotite silicocarbonatite dykes produced fenitization of the host rocks. The Dolodau carbonatites compare favourably with Phanerozoic carbonatites in petrography, mineralogy and geochemistry. An Archean age is suggested by field geology and the isotope data available. The similarities suggest that Archean carbonatite petrogenetic processes were similar to modern day processes.