Preliminary petrographic studies of the Archaean Uivak gneisses, Nain Province, Labrador

The Saglek Block of the Nain Complex in Northern Labrador forms the westernmost part of the North Atlantic Craton. It is one of the few regions on Earth where early Archaean crust is preserved. It consists of regionally metamorphosed gneisses to either granulite-facies from 2.74 to 2.71 Ga or amphibolite-facies at ca. 2.70 Ga. The Saglek Block is dominated by two suites of metaigneous gneisses: the Uivak I TTG suite (>3.6 Ga) and the Uivak II augen gneisses (ca. 3.4 Ga). Four samples offelsic Uivak I orthogneiss were selected to petrographi- cal and mineralogical studies: Johannes Point Cove (L1419), TigigakyukInlet (L1434; L1440) and Big Island (L1443). Sample composition (granodiorite-tonalite) and mineralogy (mostly plagioclase and quartz, with minor K-feldspar and biotite, and accessory zircon and apatite) for three of the four samples are consistent with published data of the Uivak I gneiss. Sample L1434 contains ferroean diopside and hornblende, which are absent in the other samples. Based on detailed mineralogical analyses, authors concluded that more mafic sample, can not belong to the suite of the Uivak I gneisses. Most probably it represents the younger Uivak II. Further, geochronological study is going to be conducted to characterise both, Uivak I and Uivak II gneisses isotopically