Articles | Volume 16, issue 9
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-16-785-2025
https://doi.org/10.5194/se-16-785-2025
Research article
 | 
05 Sep 2025
Research article |  | 05 Sep 2025

Characterizing some major Archean faults at depth in the Superior craton, North America

David B. Snyder, Jack M. Simmons, John A. Ayer, Mostafa Naghizadeh, Ademola Q. Adetunji, Taus R. C. Jørgensen, Graham J. Hill, Eric A. Roots, and Saeid Cheraghi

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Cited articles

Abbott, D. H., Mooney, W. D., and VanTongeren, J. A.: The character of the Moho and lower crust within Archean cratons and the tectonic implications. Tectonophysics, 609, 690–705, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tecto.2013.09.014, 2013. 
Adetunji, A. Q., Ferguson, I. J. Simmons, J. M., Chong, Ma., Cheraghi, S., Snyder, D. B., and Ayer, J. A.: Trans-crustal geophysical responses beneath the supergiant Timmins-Porcupine orogenic gold camp, Canada, J. Geophys. Res.-Sol. Ea., https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JB028839, 2025. 
Artemieva, I. M. and Shulgin, A.: Making and altering the crust: A global perspective on crustal structure and evolution, Earth Planet. Sc. Lett., 512, 8–16, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epsl.2019.01.033, 2019. 
Aulbach, S., Griffin, W. L., Pearson, N. J., and O'Reilly, S. Y.: Nature and timing of metasomatism in the stratified mantle lithosphere beneath the central Slave craton (Canada), Chem. Geol., 352, 153–169, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemgeo.2013.05.037, 2013. 
Ayer, J., Amelin, Y., Corfu, F., Kamo, S., Ketchum, J., Kwok, K., and Trowell, N.: Evolution of the southern Abitibi greenstone belt based on U-Pb geochronology: autochthonous volcanic construction followed by plutonism, regional deformation and sedimentation, Precam. Res., 115, 63–95, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0301-9268(02)00006-2, 2002. 
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Subsurface geometries of ancient faults mapped by high-resolution geophysical surveys use reflected seismic waves. Such surveys in southern Canada map faults which host significant gold or nickel deposits. Reflectors are considered to be brittle if upper-crustal, lava flows if folded or broken, and mid-crustal if mostly parallel. Steep fault zones possibly first formed in ocean settings when the lava erupted. Folding and horizontal shortening probably occurred during later mountain building.
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