Paleomagnetism of Khatyrka and Maynitsky superterranes, Koryak highlands, far eastern Russia

We have completed a paleomagnetic reconnaissance study of sedimentary and volcanic extrusive rocks collected from two major tectonic zones in northeastern Russia. Paleomagnetic sites were sampled within the fault-bounded structural units of the Khatyrka and Maynitsky superterranes and an overlap sequence of the Khatyrka superterrane. These sampling localities were chosen to allow both within-site and between-site fold tests. Stepwise thermal demagnetization within the temperature range 200–640°C showed a characteristic linear demagnetization path between thermal demagnetization steps of 400°C and 530°C. For thermal steps above 550°C, the magnetic intensity of many samples began to increase rapidly with magnetic directions, which were random between heating steps, suggesting the formation of new magnetic phases in these samples. Paleomagnetic samples collected from basalts and sediments of the Khatyrka superterrane and basalts and gabbros of the Maynitsky superterrane pass fold tests and show significant poleward motion of these superterranes since the formation of their rocks. The observed paleomagnetic paleolatitudes between 24°N or S and 32°N or S can be compared with expected paleolatitudes of 57°N to 79°N. Paleomagnetic results from sites collected from overlapping Senonian rocks pass a fold test at the 99% confidence level and give a pole position not significantly different from that expected from the apparent polar wander path for the Eurasia or North America plates, suggesting that these sedimentary units overlapping the Khatyrka superterrane were deposited along the ancient northeast margin of the Eurasian plate. The declination, in stratigraphie coordinates, shows a maximum clockwise rotation of about 20° when compared with the Eurasian APWP.