Analysis of pebble shape fabrics in the central western part of the Confederation Lake greenstone belt, Red Lake region, NW Ontario

grantor: University of TorontoThis thesis presents the results of a quantitative geometric analysis of pebble shape fabrics in an Archean greenstone belt of northwestern Ontario. The analytical method used has been called the Inertia Tensor Method (ITM) by its inventor, P.-Y.F. Robin. In addition to the geometric analysis, qualitative information was obtained, in the thesis project, about the ductile to brittle deformation modes of individual pebbles. Results obtained in the project provide new information about the ductile behaviour of metaconglomerate derived mainly from volcanic rocks. Novel types of graphic plots are introduced which may be widely applicable in the structural analysis of all varieties of strained metaconglomerates. The axial ratio of the pebble shape fabric (A°/C ° =1.4), prior to the ductile tectonic deformation, was estimated graphically. Using this ratio, the principal components of distortional strain were determined where the ductile deformation of the metaconglomerate was largest.M.Sc