Simon Dolega's Honours Thesis Abstract

The Max Lake polymictic conglomerates are exposed near Highway 527, about 88 km north of the intersection with Highway 11-17 near Thunder Bay, Ontario Canada. The conglomerates are part of the Lac des Iles greenstone belt in the Wabigoon subprovince, Superior province of the Canadian Shield. The R_f/Φ method for initially elliptical objects was used to estimate the amount of strain on the conglomerates. In the Max Lake conglomerates, chlorite-actinolite clasts are more deformed than amphibolite clasts, which are more deformed than granitoid clasts. Heterogeneous strain also occurs among different outcrops. The overall amount of strain is lower where larger, more abundant and more competent clasts are found. Petrographic and microstructural analyses were used to determine the peak metamorphic grade preserved by each clast in the polymictic conglomerate. The matrix of the conglomerate and the chlorite-actinolite clasts preserve a peak metamorphic mineral assemblage stable in the greenschist facies. The amphibolite clasts preserve a peak metamorphic mineral assemblage stable in the amphibolite facies. The preservation of the amphibolite facies metamorphic mineral assemblage in the amphibolite clasts indicates that these clasts were derived from a metamorphic terrane.