Location and Phanerozoic History of the Tabbernor Fault1

D.L. Giroux 2

Giroux, D.L. (1995): Location and Phanerozoic history of the Tabbemor Fault: in Summary of Investigations 1995, Saskatchewan Geological Suivey, Sask. Energy Mines, Misc. Rep. 95-4.

The Tabbernor Fault (TF) (Figure 1) is a deep rooted, splayed fault system whose complete length is un­known, but is thought to extend from the Northwest Ter­ritories to the Dakotas (see Green et al., 1985). Green et al. ( 1985) and Leclair et al. ( 1994) used regional geo­physical data and drill core to show that the TF sepa­rates the buried expression of the early Proterozoic Flin Flon-Snow Lake Belt of the Trans-Hudson Orogen from parts of the Glennie Domain and Reindeer-South Indian island arc belts. Although it is known to have a Precambrian genesis (Elliott, in press), there is evi­dence (Budding and Kirkland, 1956; Haidl, 1988; Elliott, in press) to suggest that it may have been active during Phanerozoic times and may have affected the deposi­tions of Phanerozoic formations. The purpose of the pre­sent study is two-fold: 1) to map the extent of the TF through southern Saskatchewan, and 2) to examine the post-Precambrian movement history of the fault. The present study is the first to question the exact surface location and possible Phanerozoic history of the TF.

In the summer of 1995, eastern Saskatchewan between 1 02° and 1 04 °W longitude, 56° and 49°N latitude was studied using Landsat 5 TM images, LIFT air photos, and drill cores in order to find the surface and subsur­face location and effects of the TF. The satellite images used in this study were obtained from "quick look" shots off the GCNet provided by the Canadian Center for Re­mote Sensing. They were subsequently enhanced us­ing the XV Interactive Image Display for the X Windows system (version 2.10) with an HPUX (version 9.01) op­erating system, running on an HP9000/730 machine to bring out definite, but subtle features.

The TF appears on the Landsat images as continuous and semi-continuous, light or dark (depending on the kind of enhancement used), 2 km wide, lineaments that contrast in colour with the surrounding ground. These were labeled as "possible" when they were well defined on only one image, "probable" when they could be seen on two or more images, and "certain" when either of the above could be correlated with linear features on aerial photographs. The lineaments on the satellite images are interpreted to represent a variation between humid­ity levels and types of gasses seeping from the fault and those in the ground surrounding it. This is sup­ported by aerial photograph observations (Figure 2).

Lines of roughly homogenous texture, colour, and width on the satellite images represent a variety of different

things on the LIFT photos. In some places they are topographic lineaments such as rivers, long, sharply cut valleys and elongated lakes, and in others they have no expression at all. A topographic feature was interpreted as being caused or controlled by the fault if:

1) it had diagnostic features typical of faults but not of other geomorphic controls such as jointing or glacia-

, / = Probable Lineament

56

','°~.... /

,

' 1'~~ , = Possible Lineament -0,1: ·-% 2~-~ -2_4_4_8 _! 2

', ~(). KM

~f~ {) t) ----e:2:

-~',if ~

55

54

oJ 53

\\, I 52

51

50 vJ }

I

I

109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102

Figure 1 - The Tabbemor Fault in southern Saskatchewan as traced from Landsat 5 TM Images. Dashed lines are extrapola­tions. Notice how closely the fault follows the interpretations of Budding and Kirkland (1956) and Green et al. {1985).

(1) Funded by LITHOPROBE and NSERC grants awarded to C. 81iott, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, PO H48 1R6. (2) Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, McGill University, 3450 University Street, Montreal, PO H3A 2A7.

Saskatchewan Geological Survey 153

tion (for instance cross-cutting lineaments or rectan­gular drainage patterns for the former; eskers, ground moraine or others for the latter). In some cases, however, glacial features (such as ground moraines and kettle lake groups) follow a pre-exist­ing lineament that is presumed parallel to the TF;

2) it had the characteristics of the known trace of the TF where it was mapped in Phanerozoic rocks north of 54°N latitude by Budding and Kirkland {1956), and can be traced into exposed Precambrian rocks.

Many of the topographic lineaments found on the aerial photographs had widths smaller than the minimum Landsat ground resolution. This suggests that the fault may still be active and acts as a conduit for water and gasses upwelling from below (Drury, 1990). Anomalous He flow in drill holes in the Red Earth Indian Reserve near the TF trace (east of Nipawin, SEM Assessment File 63-E-07-0033) supports this inference. It may, there­fore, be possible to locate and verify the existence of the fault from groundwater and gas flow measurements.

Drill cores and isopach and structure maps give addi­tional confirmation of the trace of the TF, and help con-

56

55

54

50

}

109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102

Figure 2 - Interpreted fault-induced lineaments as seen from aerial photographs. In many cases these coincide with observed satellite lineaments.

154

strain the time of movement. Of the drill cores suitably located on or near the inferred trace of the TF (Figure 3), many show evidence of post-lithification faulting from such features as slickensides (Figure 4), micro­faults, fractures, and fault breccia (Figures 5 and 6). The youngest formation affected is the Bird Bear Forma­tion, which indicates some fault movement in Late De­vonian or younger times (as in lmperlal Co-op drill core, Figure 4). Linear features, erosional edges, and anoma­lous, self-contained basins shown on isopach maps of Paleozoic formations (Paterson, 1973, 1975) coincide with the surface trace of the TF, which suggests that movement occurred at various times during Paleozoic deposition. Structure and distribution maps of the Creta­ceous Manville Group suggest a possible relationship between the TF and Cretaceous deposition (J. Christopher, pers. comm., 1995).

1 . Acknowledgments

The following people are thanked for their support and criticisms: Dr. Colleen Elliott (Concordia University), Ms. Fran Haidl and Dr. Doug Paterson (Saskatchewan Geo­logical Survey), Mr. Marc Cote (University of Regina),

56

55

54

53

52

51

50

* = Drill Core Lqr::atl<Jn

2~_'!__2.4_4.8_22 KM

0.,~ I

~~-:11:1~::~:recci&} * [P, 0.

~:!;!tt::rHIII * ~~r::~~-~~r *

109 108 107 106 105 104 103 102

Figure 3 - Locations of drill cores examined for deformation features.

Summary of Investigations 1995

Figure 4 - Core containing fractured, gray, porous limestone with vertical slickensides. Core, Ceepee Annette; Location, 10-25-36-5-W2; Depth, below 440 m; Duperow Formation, Late Devonian.

,; .

..... , ,.

Figure 5 - Tan coloured, interlaminated, argil/aceous folded and faulted limestone and dolomite. Arrows are on reverse faults. "S" folds can be seen within the circle. Core, California Standard Bannock; Location, 15-5-46-9-W2; Depth, approx. 544 m; Winnipegosis Formation, Middle Devonian.

Saskatchewan Geological Survey

Figure 6 - Fractured and faulted, dense, fine carbonate clasts and matrix. Core, SR1; Yeoman Formation, Early Ordovician. See Haid/ (1988) and Elliott (in press).

and the Central Survey and Mapping Agency of Saskatchewan.

2. References Budding, A.J. and Kirkland, S.J.T. (1956): The geology of the

Reindeer River area; Sask. Dep. Miner. Resour., Rep. 22, 42p.

Drury, S.A. (1990): A Guide to Remote Sensing; Oxford Univer­sity Press, New York, New York, XXp.

Elliott, C.G. (in press): The Tabbernor Fault, and Proterozoic and Phanerozoic Movements in Saskatchewan and Mani­toba; LITHOPROBE Report, Trans-Hudson Orogen Tran­sect.

Green, A.G., Hajnal, Z., and Weber, W. (1985): An evolution­ary model of the western Churchill Province and western margin of the Superior Province in Canada and the north­central United States; Tectonophysics. v116, p281-322.

Haid!, F.M. (1988): Lithology and stratigraphy of Lower Paleo­zoic strata: New information from cores in the Cumberland Lake area, east-central Saskatchewan; in Summary of In­vestigations 1988, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Sask. Energy Mines, Misc. Rep. 88-4, p202-210.

Leclair, A.D .• Lucas, S.B., Scott, A.G., Viljoen, D., and Broome, H.J., (1994): Regional geology and geophysics of the sub-Phanerozoic Precambrian basement south of the Flin Flon-Snow Lake-Hanson Lake Belt, Manitoba-Sas­katchewan; in Current Research, Part C, Geol. Surv. Can., Pap. 94-1C, p215-224.

Paterson, D.F. (1973): Computer plotted isopach and structure maps of the Devonian formations in Saskatchewan; Sask. Dep. Miner. Resour., Rep. 164.

____ (1975): Computer plotted isopach and structure maps of the Lower Paleozoic formations in Saskatchewan; Sask. Dep. Miner. Resour., Rep. 165.

155