Reassembling the Paleogene–Eocene North Atlantic igneous province: New paleomagnetic constraints from the Isle of Mull, Scotland

The paleomagnetic data sets from the British Tertiary Igneous Province (BTIP) have recently been criticized as being unreliable and discordant with data from elsewhere in the North Atlantic Igneous Province (NAIP) [Riisager et al. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 201 (2002) 261–276; Riisager et al. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 214 (2003) 409–425]. We offer new paleomagnetic data for the extensive lava flow sequence on the Isle of Mull, Scotland, and can confirm the paleomagnetic pole positions emanating from important earlier studies. Our new north paleomagnetic pole position for Eurasia at 59 ± 0.2 Ma has latitude 73.3°N, longitude 166.2°E (dp/dm = 5.2/7.0).A re-evaluation and an inter-comparison of the paleomagnetic database emanating from the NAIP were carried out to test for sub-province consistency. We find a general agreement between the Eurasian part of NAIP (BTIP and Faeroes) and East Greenland data. However a compilation of West Greenland data displays a large and unexplained dispersion. We speculate on if this is related to different sense of block rotation of the Tertiary West Greenland constituents. Combining all data from the NAIP constituents, give a pole position at 75.0°N, 169.9°E (N = 25, K = 84.3, A₉₅ = 3.2) in Eurasian reference frame.     

对古地理再造中古地磁方法的回顾与探讨

古地磁数据的获取和应用是进行古地理再造的重要基础.同时,计算机技术的发展以及GIS技术的推广,极大地推动了古地理再造方法的革新,为古地理再造提供了更加方便、高效的软件辅助平台.本文主要围绕古地磁数据资料、应用方法及软件开发等方面,对其发展历史与研究现状作一详细的回顾与探讨.     

江苏金坛和尚墩旧石器遗址地层的古地磁年代与磁化率研究

北方黄土研究中磁化率分析已越来越多运用到第四纪风尘堆积研究中。采用古地磁极性柱结合磁化率曲线比对定年的方法,初步确定江苏金坛和尚墩遗址750cm厚的地层年龄为330kaBP,对应磁化率曲线判断该区域分别经历了24kaBP左右、110kaBP左右、190—240kaBP左右、300kaBP左右的4个暖湿期,其中间隔有3个干冷时期,具有完整的3个气候旋回。对应地层发育的4个古土壤层、3个黄土层的风尘堆积—古土壤序列。研究表明,虽然古地磁极性定年的方法有一定的局限性,但在以磁化率信息为辅助的条件下,可在一定程度上消除这些局限,获得较为准确的地层年代,多种证据表明这种方法是可靠的。     

Evolution of the Komiji Syncline in the North Fossa Magna, central Japan: Paleomagnetic and K–Ar age insights

Abstract We carried out paleomagnetic measurements and K–Ar dating on Neogene andesitic lavas and sills of the Shigarami Formation in North Fossa Magna, central Japan. The Shigarami Formation is distributed in the axial part of the Komiji Syncline in the folding zone of the southwestern North Fossa Magna. Results of the present study indicate that the Komiji Syncline was formed shortly after 4.42 ± 0.12 Ma during the Pliocene. The sedimentary rocks of the Shigarami Formation consist of shallow marine and fluvial deposits. Intrusions of andesitic sills are found in the shallow marine deposits and two andesitic lava flows are present in the fluvial deposits. Oriented samples were taken from the sills at four sites and from the lavas at three sites. The samples produced stable remanent magnetization through stepwise alternating field and thermal demagnetizations. Results of a positive fold test indicate that the stable remanent magnetizations concentrate around a mean reversed polarity of declination = 169.0°, inclination = ?58.5° and 95% confidence limit = 9.0° after corrections have been made according to the direction of the bedding of the sedimentary rocks. Four fresh samples were selected for K–Ar dating from the samples used for paleomagnetic measurements. The groundmass of three samples taken from the sills yield ages of 4.42 ± 0.12, 4.49 ± 0.22 and 4.69 ± 0.13 Ma, whereas the one taken from the lower lava has an age of 5.91 ± 0.26 Ma. We believe that the Komiji Syncline was formed after the emplacement of lavas and sills in the area, because the descending Miocene strata were folded concordantly with the Shigarami Formation. The Pliocene and Pleistocene strata rest unconformably on the folded strata. The deformation might have progressed during the Pliocene, then slowed down in the Early Pleistocene. Our results suggest that the northwestward motion of the Philippine Sea Plate and the collision of the Tanzawa Block affected not only the South Fossa Magna, but also the North Fossa Magna.     

中国主要陆块特定时段的漂移演化历史及其对海相钾盐成矿作用的制约

中国钾盐资源匮乏,目前陆相钾盐资源已基本探明,但海相找钾还没有取得重大进展,然而,要想建立适合中国小陆块海相成钾理论框架,实现海相找钾突破,一个重要基础性工作是确定特定时段中国小陆块典型海相盆地的古地理纬度。而古地磁学是确定陆块的纬向运动,开展古地理重建的最有效手段。文章针对中国4类成钾潜力较高的典型海相盆地所属陆块——华北、华南、羌塘、兰坪-思茅陆块,通过收集、评价和筛选以往古地磁研究成果,总结了这些陆块在主要成盐成钾阶段的古纬度变迁历史,确定华北陆块(绥德)在中、晚奥陶世的古纬度为9.2°S~14.2°S,华南陆块(成都)在三叠纪的古纬度为10.6°N~23.1°N,羌塘陆块(雁石坪)在中、晚侏罗世的古纬度为14.6°N~27.5°N,兰坪-思茅盆地(江城)在白垩纪至古新世的古纬度为20.9°N~27.6°N。同时,为了更好地探讨兰坪-思茅盆地的成钾潜力,对与其相邻的已发现巨型钾盐矿床的印度支那块体开展了相应时段的古纬度研究,确定该陆块(万象)在白垩纪的古纬度约为21.1°N~21.3°N。最后,综合古纬度和其他地质证据,从大地构造背景上探讨了4个陆块的成盐、成钾条件。     

Traces from the past: the Cenozoic regolith and intraplate neotectonic history of the Gun Emplacement,a ferricreted bench on the western margin of the Mt Lofty Ranges,South Australia

The Gun Emplacement is a small but distinctive bench on the Eden–Burnside Fault Escarpment near Anstey Hill, in the northeastern suburbs of Adelaide, South Australia, occurring at an elevation of ～210–220 m asl. It is underlain by Middle Eocene North Maslin Sand and is capped by resistant, ferricreted colluvium. Paleomagnetic dating of hematitic mottles in the ferricreted colluvium, immediately underlying the emplacement, returned a Pliocene/Early Pleistocene age. This age is equivalent to that obtained for summit surface weathering. Fault scarps and exposures, including slickensides and fault gouge material, suggest that the Eden–Burnside Fault at this location has a strong en échelon pattern developed in response to reverse-sinistral oblique-slip faulting, reflecting continental stress fields. Remnants of ferricrete cappings forming stranded benches on the Eden–Burnside Fault Escarpment at elevations up to 25 m above the Gun Emplacement demonstrate recurrent tectonism of the South Mt Lofty Ranges related to intraplate deformation. There are at least four distinct ferricrete benches preserved on the eastern side of the active fault leading up from the Gun Emplacement surface. These benches demonstrate alternating periods of stability and tectonic activity disrupting and uplifting the ferricreted surfaces. A fresh surface rupture occurs and may be related to a recent seismic event.     

New paleomagnetic data on the Anabar Uplift and the Uchur-Maya region and their implications for the paleogeography and geological correlation of the Riphean of the Siberian Platform

The results of paleomagnetic studies of the reference sections of the Riphean and Late Proterozoic intrusive bodies of two remote areas of the Siberian Platform are presented. Within the limits of the Uchur-Maya region the sedimentary rocks of the Gonam, Omakhta, Ennin and Konder formations were studied; and the Riphean sedimentary rocks of the Burdur and Kotuykan formations on the northern and western slopes of the Anabar Uplift and, also, the Late Proterozoic intrusive complexes, located in the basins of the Fomich, Magan, Dzhogdzho and Kotuykan Rivers were studied. The paleomagnetic poles obtained in the course of this work and the present-day geochronological data give grounds to assume that: (1) the accumulation of the Riphean of the Anabar Uplift occurred after the formation of the Uchurskaya series of the Uchur-Maya region and was completed in approximately 1.5 Ga; (2) the Konder layers, compared according to the correlation pattern accepted at the present time [Semikhatov and Serebryakov, 1983] with the bottoms of the Totta formation, can be related to the appreciably more ancient stratigraphic level; (3) the intrusion of the studied intrusive bodies of the northern and western slopes of the Anabar Uplift occurred nonsimultaneously, although within close time intervals of approximately 1.5 Ga. The estimates of the kinematic parameters of the drift of the Siberian Platform within an interval of 1.7–1.0 Ga is carried out.