Escape models of the Alpine-Carpathian-Pannonian region in the light of palaeomagnetic observations

Recent tectonic models of the Alpine-Carpatho-Pannonian region (ALCAPA) assume a large eastward shift of the Transdanubian Range domain, in the Cenozoic. Since palaeomagnetism is one of the most powerful tools in solving geodynamic processes, the authors present an approach to the escape problem by using all available and relevant palaeomagnetic data. This data set demonstrates consistency with models put forward by geologists for Jurassic and older ages. From the mid-Jurassic on the Northern Calcareous Alps (NCA) did not share the rotations of the Transdanubian Range domain and of the Southern Alps. After individual movements from Neocomian to Miocene, the Transdanubian Range domain must have drifted northward in the mid-Miocene up to the Southern margin of the Northern Calcareous Alps, before starting the escape in the geologists' definition.     

碳酸盐岩中磁性矿物及其在古地理研究中的作用

磁性矿物及其转化现象在碳酸盐岩中十分常见。在其沉积演化各个阶段形成的磁性矿物,分别携带了它们形成时的古环境信息,是沉积古地理学和环境磁学的直接研究对象。磁性矿物在其形成过程中还受到地磁场的磁化作用,致使其获得了原生剩磁。鉴于对这类磁性矿物的准确鉴定及其所携带的原生剩磁成分的准确辨识,是获得可靠古地磁资料和建立地块极移曲线、编制非当今界限的古地理图与进行古地理重建的前提,从而成为古地磁学和大地构造古地理学的主要研究对象。在后生阶段形成的磁性矿物,通常由原有的磁性矿物转化而成,这种转化作用常起因于构造运动及与其密切相关的岩浆活动和流体活动。由于在其转化过程中,地磁场也相应发生了变化,所以新生磁性矿物就携带上新的剩磁（重磁化剩磁）,因而它们也应该是古地磁学和大地构造古地理学的重要研究对象。如果在进行古地磁研究时,增加与构造事件和热事件相关样品的采集,加强磁性矿物的成因矿物学研究,那么就可以为进行古地理重建,提供更加可靠和更加丰富的古地磁资料。由此表明,在古地理学这一门综合性很强的地球科学,发展到巳经形成许多分支学科的今天,有必要关注磁性矿物与古地理研究之间的密切联系。     

欧亚黄土中古地磁极性界线的地层学解释

本文以欧亚黄土中记录的布容一松山极性倒转界线为例,简要回顾近年来对黄土中 古地磁极性界线地层学解释的讨论。研究表明,由于在记录古地磁极性转换时存在不同程度 的“错位”,黄土中所测的极性界线的年代地层意义存在很大的不确定性。就中国黄土而言,第 ８层黄土（Ｌ_８）中下部或第８层古土壤（Ｓ_８）顶部测得的布容－松山界线系“错位”的产物,该层位 的年龄应老于 ０．７９ＭａＢ．Ｐ。对黄土中测得的Ｃｏｂｂ Ｍｏｕｎｔａｉｎ极性事件界线进行地层学解释, 推论蓝田猿人化石层位的年龄１．２ＭａＢ．Ｐ。     

Dominant Lid Tectonics behaviour of continental lithosphere in Precambrian times:Palaeomagnetism confirms prolonged quasi-integrity and absence of supercontinent cycles

Although Plate Tectonics cannot be effectively tested by palaeomagnetism in the Precambrian aeon due to the paucity of high precision poles spanning such a long time period,the possibility of Lid Tectonics is eminently testable because it seeks accordance of the wider dataset over prolonged intervals of time;deficiencies and complexities in the data merely contribute to dispersion.Accordance of palaeomagnetic poles across a quasi-integral continental crust for time periods of up to thousands of millions of years,together with recognition of very long intervals characterised by minimal polar motions(～2.6-2.0,～1.5-1.25 and～0.75-0.6 Ga)has been used to demonstrate that Lid Tectonics dominated this aeon.The new PALEOMAGIA database is used to refine a model for the Precambrian lid incorporating a large quasiintegral crescentric core running from South-Central Africa through Laurentia to Siberia with peripheral cratons subject to reorganisation at～2.1,～1.6 and～1.1 Ga.The model explains low levels of tidal friction,reduced heat balance,unique petrologic and isotopic signatures,and the prolonged crustal stability of Earth's"Middle Age",whilst density concentrations of the palaeomagnetic poles show that the centre of the continental lid was persistently focussed near Earth's rotation axis from～2.8 to 0.6 Ga.The exception was the～2.7-2.2 Ga interval defined by～90°polar movements which translated the periphery of the lid to the rotation pole for this quasi-static period,a time characterised by glaciation and low levels of magmatic activity;the～2.7 Ga shift correlates with key interval of mid-Archaean crustal growth to some 60-70%of the present volume and REE signatures whilst the～2.2 Ga shift correlates with the Lomagundiδ～(13)C and Great Oxygenation events.The palaeomagnetic signature of breakup of the lid at～0.6 Ga is recorded by the world-wide Ediacaran development of passive margins and associated environmental signatures of new ocean basins.This event defined the end of a dominant Lid Tectonic phase in the history of Earth's continental lithosphere recorded by the quasi-integral Precambrian supercontinent Palaeopangaea and the beginning of the comprehensive Plate Tectonics which has characterised the Phanerozoic aeon.Peripheral modifications to the lid achieved a symmetrical and hemispheric shape in Neoproterozoic times comparable to the familiar short-lived supercontinent(Neo)Pangaea(～350-150 Ma)and this appears to be the sole supercontinent cycle recorded by the palaeomagnetic record.Prolonged integrity of a large continental nucleus accompanied by periodic readjustments of peripheral shields can reconcile divergent tectonic analyses of Precambrian times which on the one hand propose multiple Wilson Cycles to explain some signatures of Plate Tectonics,and alternative interpretations which consider that Plate Tectonics did not commence until the end of the Neoproterozoic.     

地球历史的“开”、“合”节律与古地磁变化

地球历史的节律突出表现为“开”与“合”有规律的组合。“开”、“合”节律应根据地质、地球化学、地球物理、生物等各种信息综合分析而建立，一般可分为全球性、区域性、地区性、露头和微观五个级别的“开”、“合”旋回或韵律。文中综合各方面资料编制了全球“开”、“合”旋回演化简图。古地磁场强度、古地磁场极性倒转比例、古地磁场极性倒转频率和真极移速率在地史上均呈周期变化，与开合构造关系密切，同受全球性因素制约。因此，用“开”、“合”观点研究古地磁可以揭示古地磁的本质特征。通过古地磁的研究有助于确定“开”、“合”环境，恢复“开”、“合”历史，探索“开”、“合”机制。     

Palaeomagnetism of Caledonian intrusive suites in the Northern Highlands of Scotland: Constraints to tectonic movements within the Caledonian orogenic belt

To evaluate the scale of tectonic movements within the northern sector of the 500-400 Ma Caledonian orogenic belt and its Precambrian foreland zone between the Great Glen Fault (GGF) zone to the southeast and the Laurentian Block to the northwest, we have studied the palaeomagnetism of minor intrusive rocks within the Northern Highlands terrain. These rocks include

1. (1) amphibolites and other metamorphic rocks predating deformation,

2. (2) microdiorities, dolentes and related suites emplaced, and probably magnetised, between 450 and 420 Ma, and

3. (3) Lower-Middle Devonian lamprophyres.

A range of predominantly NNE negative and SSW positive components are resolved by cleaning treatment with a dispersion of declinations towards a minority WNW-ESE axis; isolated southerly negative directed hematite-held components suggests limited, but no widespread, remagnetisation in Devonian-Carboniferous times.Comparison is made with data from other tectonic divisions in the Caledonian orogenic belt and the bordering forelands. Palaeopoles from the Northern Highlands closely conform in part with North American Ordovician poles and in part with the post-Ordovician palaeopoles from Britain south of the GGF. The definitive motions of the British Caledonides to emerge from the palaeomagnetic analysis are an anticlockwise rotation of the Caledonian terrain in early Ordovician times, small relative motions during the remainder of Ordovician times followed by large clockwise and then anticlockwise rotations during late Ordovician to early Silurian times contemporary with the last major movements on the Moine Thrust (ca. 430 Ma). Late Silurian-Devonian movements along the GGF were probably below the limits of palaeomagnetic detectability. The collective data require that apparent polar wander movements and concomitant continental movements have currently been incompletely recovered by North American studies and the path for Lower Palaeozoic times is more complex than recognised hitherto.     

Flood Basalt to Rhyolite Suites in the Southern Paran? Plateau (Brazil): Palaeomagnetism, Petrogenesis and Geodynamic Implications

The petrology and palaeomagnetism of basic and acidic volcanicrocks of the Paran? plateau (South Brazil) have been investigated.The lower sections of the sequence are largely composed of tholeiiticbasalts and tholeiitic basaltic andesites while the upper portionsare essentially represented by rhyodacites showing intercalationsof basaltic and/or andesitic rock-types. Tholeiitic andesitesprevail at the basic-acidic boundary. Petrography, mineral chemistry and bulk-rock composition (majorand trace elements) data clearly define tholeiitic suites displayingpossible liquid lines of descent related to different degreesof partial melting and crystal fractionation controls. Mass balance calculations, based on phenocrysts and/or microphenocrystspresent in the different rock-types are consistent with thehypothesis that rhyodacitic melts may be derived from basaltsthrough low-pressure crystal fractionation processes accompaniedby crustal contamination. Palaeomagnetic data indicate high rates of magma emission (e.g.700 m in <1 m.y.) and sometimes the contemporaneous eruptionin different areas of basic and acidic lavas. Moreover, thepositions of the palaeomagnetic poles indicate that the volcanicfields of Paran? and Namibia (southern Africa) were joined at120 m.y. B.P. All the data consistently indicate that Paran? volcanism occurredduring the Lower Cretaceous after the formation of up-domingstructures, and that the initial opening of the South AtlanticOcean, at the latitudes of the Paran? basin, occurred not before120 m.y. B.P. * Reprint requests to E. M. Piccirillo.     

Palaeomagnetic Study on the Precambrian-Cambrian Boundary Candidate Stratotype Section at Meishucun, Yunnan

The Meishucun secton has been recommended as an international candidate stratotype secton of thePrecambrian-Cambrian boundary. The paper deals with the palaeomagnetic study on the section. A total of159 palaeomagnetic samples were successively collected from the platform-facies sequence of carbonates andphosphates at the section. Thermal demagnetization results indicate a great majority of the rocks at the sectionhave been strongly overprinted by recent magnetic field, but 57 samples have preserved remanentmagnetization with antipodal directions (mean D/I=4.2°/ 7.1°, K=9, α_(95) = 6.6°). Baaed on calculation,the location of the palaeomagnetic pole was at 68.8°N and 270.7°E, which is different from any palaeopolesobtained from younger Phanerozoic rocks in South China. The results reveal a polarity zonation which in-cludes at least 9 reversal events. A comparison of China's magnetostratigraphic records with those fromSiberia, Australia and the western U.S.A. shows that all the sections are characterized by frequent polarity re-versals.     

Palaeomagnetic correlation and dating of Plio/Pleistocene sediments at the southern margins of the North Sea Basin

A series of discontinuous sediment sequences, of Plio/Pleistocene age, occur onshore around the southern North Sea margins, notably in the East Anglian region of Britain. Intensive lithological and palaeontological analyses of these sediments have shown that they record both major and minor oscillations in climate, sea level and environmental conditions. However, significant uncertainties exist regarding the absolute and relative chronostratigraphies of many of these sequences, hindering understanding of the relative impacts of climatic, eustatic and tectonic changes on the palaeogeographic development of the southern North Sea basin. Here, a number of key East Anglian Plio/Pleistocene sites are subjected to robust palaeomagnetic and mineralogical examination, in order to determine those sediments which display reliable, syn‐depositional magnetic polarities, which are thus of use in ascribing a palaeomagnetically determined age from comparison with the Geomagnetic Polarity Timescale (GPTS). Based on a range of palaeomagnetic and complementary mineralogical methods, reliable palaeomagnetic directions were obtained from eight sites, with reversed polarities displayed by sediments from three sites. These polarity determinations can be used to infer absolute ages and test published, between‐site correlations. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Palaeomagnetic studies of fold development and propagation in the Pembrokeshire old red Sandstone

The geometry of two folds in lower Devonian Old Red Sandstone in Pembrokeshire, deformed in the Hercynian, has been defined at intermediate stages during their evolution by this preliminary palaeomagnetic study. This is possible because remagnetization appears to have occurred in discrete episodes during deformation and the shape can be reconstructed by restoring the fold limbs to an angle at which the remagnetization directions coincide. The plunge of the folds is shown to vary considerably during evolution, one fold having an early easterly plunge which changed to the present westerly plunge, the other fold having an early plunge which was more steeply to the west than its present attitude. Clockwise rotation of the whole of southern Pembrokeshire by 40° towards the end of, or since, the Hercynian deformation, is indicated by the palaeomagnetic data and a structural model for this is proposed.     

A fast and accurate palaeomagnetic sampler for field use

The construction and operation of a sampler which takes accurately orientated cubes of soft sediment for palaeomagnetic analysis is described, and the accuracy of palaeomagnetic sampling techniques is dis-cussed. The sampler has been used for analysing recent estuarine muds.     

Geomagnetic Polarity Events in China since 2.48 Ma

This paper presents the results of palaeomagnetic studies of Cenozoic volcanic rocks and Quaternary strata in China, which have confirmed the occurence of some short-period polarity events, After a correlation with the worldwide palaeomagnetic data, a geomagnetic polarity time scale for the time since 2.48 M has been compiled.     

Stratigraphy and remanence acquisition of a palaeomagnetic reversal in alluvial Siwalik rocks of Pakistan

A high-resolution record of a palaeomagnetic reversal is documented in Miocene alluvial rocks of Pakistan. We examined lateral variability of lithostratigraphy and palaeomagnetic stratigraphy through the same palaeomagnetic reversal in six correlated sections. Each section contains one or more palaeomagnetic sites with directions between fully reversed and fully normal. The position of the reversal illustrates local relief in the study area and the time-transgressive nature of certain stratigraphic units. Variability in the thickness of the transitional interval indicates contemporaneous variability in sediment accumulation rates. Different characteristics of palaeomagnetic remanence are associated with the depositional and post-depositional history of these sediments. Variability in patterns of remanence behaviour is the basis for inferences about post-depositional processes. We discuss two magnetic parameters that express coherency of palaeomagnetic samples—the maximum angle of deviation and the circular standard deviation. Of particular interest are samples with incoherent palaeomagnetic signals. The incoherency of samples is inversely correlated with the thickness of the transitional interval. A low rate of sediment accumulation, suggested by a thin transitional interval, may facilitate a prolonged period of remagnetization through pedogenic or hydrological processes. Alternatively, transition intervals, denned by coherent magnetization, may be thin as a result of pedogenically induced incoherency.     

The Late Carboniferous to Late Triassic segment of the apparent polar wander path of Iberia

A palaeomagnetic study has been carried out at 16 well-dated sites from four areas in central Spain (southeastern Iberian Massif and western Iberian Ranges) in order to constrain the Late Carboniferous to Late Triassic segment of the apparent polar wander path (APWP) of Iberia. 322 samples (218 with useful results) were collected from andesitic rocks at Atienza (287 ± 12 Ma) and from Triassic continental red beds at Molina de Aragón (Anisian-Ladinian), Alcaraz (Ladinian-Carnian), Alcázar de San Juan (Ladinian-Carnian) and Cuevas de Ayllón (Carnian-Norian). Comparison of the palaeomagnetic results from the western Iberian Ranges and from the Iberian Massif indicates that the investigated area of the Iberian Ranges forms part of Stable Iberia. The palaeomagnetic poles obtained in this study and a revision of previous palaeomagnetic data, discarding poles obtained from areas of doubtful stability, show together a gradual and consistent change in latitude and longitude resulting in a coherent segment of the APWP for the Late Carboniferous to Late Triassic time span.     

Magnetic carriers and remanence mechanisms in magnetite‐poor sediments of Pleistocene age,southern North Sea margin

Pleistocene sedimentary sequences in the East Anglian region of Britain record both major and minor climatic oscillations, and the impact of isostatic and eustatic variations. Intensively studied in terms of their lithology and biostratigraphy, the sequences have been difficult to place in an absolute timeframe. Dating and correlation by magnetostratigraphy has been attempted over a number of years. However, these sediments are difficult to date by palaeomagnetic means because they are poor in detrital magnetite, are subject to post‐depositional deformation and diagenesis, and have unknown rates of sedimentation. Determining whether their natural remanence magnetisation (NRM) directions are reliable thus requires information on the mode and timing of remanence acquisition. Here, we apply palaeomagnetic, rock magnetic and mineralogical analyses to identify the NRM carriers in these sediments and hence their palaeomagnetic reliability. Within oxidised fluvial sediments (the Kesgrave Formation), the magnetic carriers appear to be relict magnetic minerals (ferrian ilmenites, chromites, haematite and goethite), which sometimes carry a reliable primary depositional remanence (DRM) but often an overprinting viscous (time‐varying) remanence (VRM). Within some reduced marine and intertidal sediments (within the Crag basin), the iron sulphide, greigite, has been found to carry a reliable, ‘syn’‐depositional chemical remanence (CRM). In all the sediments, magnetic inclusions within silicates are abundant, are significant for the mineral magnetic signal but contribute little to any recoverable palaeomagnetic information. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Correction of pole positions for palaeomagnetic data from the Mesozoic of Australia

Embleton and Schmidt (1977) have published an account of the detailed movement of the palaeomagnetic pole, basing their discussion on recent palaeomagnetic data of Schmidt (1976). The poles used by Embleton and Schmidt (1977) do not accord with the palaeomagnetic data. Schmidt's data appear to need drastic modification, and even if they were correct, the deduced polar wandering trail of Embleton and Schmidt (1977) is of doubtful validity.     

Rodinia connections between Australia and Laurentia: no SWEAT,no AUSWUS?

Although geological comparisons between Australia and North America have provided a basis for various Neoproterozoic Rodinia reconstructions, quantitative support from precisely dated palaeomagnetic poles has so far been lacking. We report U–Pb ages and palaeomagnetic results for two suites of mafic sills within the intracratonic Bangemall Basin of Western Australia, one of which is dated at 1070 ± 6 Ma and carries a high‐stability palaeomagnetic remanence. Comparison of the Bangemall palaeopole with Laurentian data suggests that previous reconstructions of eastern Australia against either western Canada (SWEAT) or the western United States (AUSWUS) are not viable at 1070 Ma. This implies that the Pacific Ocean did not form by separation of Australia–Antarctica from Laurentia, and that up to 10 000 km of late Neoproterozoic passive margins need to be matched with other continental blocks within any proposed Rodinia supercontinent. Our results permit a reconstruction (AUSMEX) that closely aligns late Mesoproterozoic orogenic belts in north‐east Australia and southernmost Laurentia.     

磁铁矿与黄铁矿双向交代研究及意义

在华北盆地南缘早古生代碳酸盐岩中,发现了包括交代假象和交代残余枯内的一系列足以支持磁铁矿与的矿之间发生双向交代作用的确凿矿物学证据,甚至在同一个磁性矿物颗粒内,还辨认出方向完全相反而且是先后发生的２种交代现象。磁铁矿（铁磁性矿物）和黄铁矿（顺磁性矿物）之间有双向交代会直接干扰古地磁数据,并影响以此为基础而开展的地块运动分析和古地理的重建。     

The change of palaeomagnetic vector orientations induced by Eulerian rotations: applications for the relative rotations of Spain and Europe

Eulerian rotations of continents induce changes of palaeomagnetic vector orientation that cannot easily be deduced from the parameters of the rotation. An algorithm for the calculation of the new palaeomagnetic declination is proposed and simple rules describing the phenomena are drawn. Applications of this algorithm to the relative rotations of Spain and Europe during the Mesozoic allow a comparison of the geological models with the available palaeomagnetic data, indicating: (1) Spain and Europe did not move with respect to one another between Lower Permian and Upper Triassic times; (2) the palaeomagnetic declination difference observed between these two blocks in the Triassic could be due to a multiphase history, the opening of the Bay of Biscay having occurred during the latest phase in Upper Cretaceous.     

Layer parallelisation: An unrecognised mechanism for palaeomagnetic rotations in fold belts

We report a new driving mechanism for vertical-axis rotation in fold belts: during directed folding, there always are layers which are tilted oblique to the regional shortening direction. These layers are geometrically incompatible with fold closure and must become accommodated towards parallelism with the other layers in the course of further shortening. Accommodation is achieved through vertical-axis rotations of the layers towards the shortening direction. A revision of palaeomagnetic data sets from fold belts shows that (1) incompatible layers occur in almost all data sets, reflecting a certain degree of non-cylindrical folding, and (2) a parallelisation of the layers by true vertical-axis rotations occurred when folding became intense. Layer parallelisation is a potential source of disturbance for palaeomagnetic and tectonic interpretation. It can be the explanation for some of the frequent outliers in palaeomagnetic data sets, and a basic model for the rotation pattern of palaeomagnetic directions.