Geochemical and Petrographic Analysis of Volcanic Rocks from North Haven Island, Penobscot Bay, Maine, Poster 41

North Haven Island in Penobscot Bay, Maine has a number of well-preserved volcanic rocks of unknown history. There are currently no known age constraints for these fault-bounded rocks, though they are estimated to be at least... [ view full abstract ]

North Haven Island in Penobscot Bay, Maine has a number of well-preserved volcanic rocks of unknown history. There are currently no known age constraints for these fault-bounded rocks, though they are estimated to be at least 500 million years old, and there is no information on the tectonic environment that existed during their eruption.  Additionally, their relationship to other rocks in the northern Appalachians is unknown.  Determining absolute age and neighboring rock relationships on the volcanic rocks exposed at North Haven Island will provide valuable clues about the geologic history of this portion of the northern Appalachians.

The purpose of this thesis research is to describe and classify the volcanic rocks on North Haven Island, to determine their eruptive age and the tectonic setting responsible for their generation, thereby placing them in context to surrounding rock units.   Petrography and whole rock geochemistry will provide information on the composition of these volcanic rocks and the tectonic environment responsible for magma generation.  The geochemical results will be compared to other rocks in the region to see if there is a correlation between any of the units, thereby establishing relationships between these volcanic rocks and other known units in the northern Appalachians.  Determination of the tectonic environment of this volcanism will provide valuable information on geologic history of the region at the time of eruption.  It is hoped that some of the more felsic samples will yield zircons which can be radiometrically dated and provide an age of eruption.