U-Pb zircon ages for the Nordenskiold formation (Laberge Group) and Cretaceous intrusive rocks, Whitehorse trough, Yukon.

We report here the results of U-Pb zircon analyses for samples collected during regional mapping of the northern Whitehorse trough. Three samples of the Nordenskiold formation, a crystal-rich volcaniclastic unit that occurs at several stratigraphic horizons in the Laberge Group, yielded concordant U-Pb zircon ages of 188.1 ± 0.4 Ma, 187.2 ± 0.4 Ma and 186.5 ± 0.3 Ma, respectively. These results clearly indicate multiple eruptive events rather than recycling of the volcaniclastic material. Zircons from a thin layer of ash tuff in the Tanglefoot formation (Laberge Group) yielded a concordant U-Pb age of 187.1 ± 0.7 Ma, confirming correlation with the Nordenskiold formation. A sample of porphyritic granite from the only pluton intruding the northern Whitehorse trough, near Carmacks, yielded a concordant U-Pb zircon age of 112.8 ± 0.2 Ma, whereas a precise age could not be resolved from zircons extracted from a porphyry dyke intruding the Tantalus Formation in the southern Whitehorse trough.

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Last Updated April 17, 2026, 21:58 (UTC)
Created April 17, 2026, 21:58 (UTC)
contact_email eservices@gov.yk.ca
contact_person {"en": "Yukon Geological Survey", "fr": "Yukon Geological Survey"}
criticality_level []
data_dictionary []
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open_canada_collection federated
open_canada_date_published 2011-04-04 00:00:00
open_canada_keywords {"en": ["geochronology", "tanglefoot-formation", "tantalus-formation", "ygs-import", "ygs-import-20250711", "ygs-publications", "yukon-geological-survey", "zircon-dating"], "fr-t-en": ["géochronologie", "formation de tanglefoot", "formation de tantale", "importation d'ygs", "ygs-import-20250711", "publications de l'YGS", "enquête géologique du yukon", "datation au zirconium"]}
open_canada_subject ["science_and_technology"]
sensitivity_level unrestricted
title_fr
update_frequency unknown