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.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

First Triassic palaeomagnetic constraints from Junggar (NW China) and their implications for the Mesozoic tectonics in Central Asia

Northwestern China belts result from the Palaeozoic collage of Central Asia and the subsequent reactivations due to far-field effects of the Mesozoic Tibetan and the Cenozoic Himalayan collisions. Triassic is a crucial period to understand and decipher the tectonics related to these two episodes. About 250 oriented palaeomagnetic cores from 43 sites were collected from six sections of Upper Permian to Late Triassic sandstone, in South and West Junggar, Northwestern China. Thermomagnetic, IRM and hysteresis measurements reveal magnetite as the main carrier of the magnetic remanence with minor hematite and maghemite. Stepwise thermal demagnetisation has generally isolated two components. The low temperature component, up to 300–350 °C, displays a direction consistent with the present-day geomagnetic field. The locality-mean directions related to the high temperature component (above 350 °C) were also calculated. Two out of six sections display intense viscous magnetisation and the occurrence of maghemite reveals a possible Cenozoic chemical remagnetisation for these two localities. For the other four localities, we assume that the magnetisation is primary because: (1) AMS measurements reveal a primary fabric, (2) there are local occurrences of antipodal polarities, and (3) palaeolatitudes of tilt-corrected poles are compatible with previous studies. The consistency between the Early Triassic poles of West and South Junggar indicates that Junggar evolved as a rigid block only since Early Mesozoic. The comparison of the Late Palaeozoic and the Early Mesozoic poles of Junggar and those of Siberia and Tarim shows major rotations between the Late Permian and the Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous. These periods of discrete rotations are characterized by strike-slip faulting in Tianshan and Altai and they may correlate with the major episodes of coarse-grained detrital sedimentation and uplift of the range. Especially, the counter-clockwise rotations of Junggar relative to Tarim and Siberia, which occurred between the Early and the Late Triassic and between the Late Triassic and the Late Jurassic, are accommodated by transpressive tectonics in the Tianshan and the Altai belts. This reactivation is a far-field effect of Tibetan blocks diachronous collisions. Therefore, these first Triassic palaeomagnetic results from Junggar infer that post-Carboniferous rotations were due to the combined effect of the post-orogenic transcurrent movement and the Mesozoic oblique reactivation.     

Tectonic evaluation of the Indochina Block during Jurassic-Cretaceous from palaeomagnetic results of Mesozoic redbeds in central and southern Lao PDR

Rock magnetic and palaeomagnetic studies were performed on Mesozoic redbeds collected from the central and southern Laos, the northeastern and the eastern parts of the Khorat Plateau on the Indochina Block. Totally 606 samples from 56 sites were sampled and standard palaeomagnetic experiments were made on them. Positive fold tests are demonstrated for redbeds of Lower and Upper Cretaceous, while insignificant fold test is resulted for Lower Jurassic redbeds. The remanence carrying minerals defined from thermomagnetic measurement, AF and Thermal demagnetizations and back-field IRM measurements are both magnetite and hematite. The positive fold test argues that the remanent magnetization of magnetite or titanomagnetite and hematite in the redbeds is the primary and occurred before folding. The mean palaeomagnetic poles for Lower Jurassic, Lower Cretaceous, and Upper Cretaceous are defined at Plat./Plon. = 56.0°N/178.5°E (A₉₅ = 2.6°), 63. 3°N/170.2°E (A₉₅ = 6.9°), and 67.0°N/180.8°E (A₉₅ = 4.9°), respectively. Our palaeomagnetic results indicate a latitudinal translations (clockwise rotations) of the Indochina Block with respect to the South China Block of −10.8 ± 8.8° (16.4 ± 9.0°); −11.1 ± 6.2° (17.8 ± 6.8°); and −5.3 ± 4.7° (13.3 ± 5.0°), for Lower Jurassic, Lower Cretaceous, and Upper Cretaceous, respectively. These results indicate a latitudinal movement of the Indochina Block of about 5–11° (translation of about 750–1700 km in the southeastward direction along the Red River Fault) and clockwise rotation of 13–18° with respect to the South China Block. The estimated palaeoposition of the Khorat Plateau at ca. 21–26°N during Jurassic to Cretaceous argues for a close relation to the Sichuan Basin in the southwest of South China Block. These results confirm that the central part of the Indochina Block has acted like a rigid plate since Jurassic time and the results also support an earlier extrusion model for Indochina.     

Mesozoic origins and antecedents of Australia's Eastern Highlands

Australia's Eastern Highlands are a conspicuous manifestation of a tectonic regime that has been previously shown to go back at least 65 Ma. This review of the Mesozoic stratigraphy of eastern Australia gives evidence of a very different regime before 95 Ma, related to the presence of a plate boundary close to the present east coast of the continent.

During the prior regime, cratonic sedimentation in eastern Australia was dominated by labile sediment from an andesitic orogen coincident with the coast north of Brisbane during the Cretaceous, and further offshore in the Jurassic. Whereas the plate boundary north of Brisbane appears to have been simply convergent, that south to Bass Strait may have experienced prolonged oblique‐slip, manifested in the Jurassic by alkaline volcanism within the SE Highlands terrain.

Following a Cenomanian (95–90 Ma) phase of transition, during which the eastern Australian plate boundary may have resembled that margining western North America at present, the plate boundary migrated away from mainland Australia, as is evidenced by the subsequent dominance of quartzose sedimentation on the craton, and the fission‐track and palaeomagnetic evidence of rapidly falling geotherms in the Late Cretaceous. The Eastern Highlands were initiated around 90 Ma ago, and the crestline subsequently migrated west from an initial location at the present coastline.

The geography and history of the Eastern Highlands are inconsistent with concepts of continental margin development based on analogues outside the Pacific realm. The Highlands are an intrinsic element of a continent formerly fronting the Pacific Ocean, but now abutting a back‐arc basin.     

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.     

Palaeomagnetic evidence for Tertiary counterclockwise rotation of Adria

With the aim of obtaining Tertiary palaeomagnetic directions for the Adriatic Foreland of the Dinaric nappe system, we carried out a palaeomagnetic study on platform carbonates from stable Istria, from the northwestern and the Central Dalmatia segment of imbricated Adria. Despite the weak to very weak natural remanences of these rocks, we obtained tectonically useful palaeomagnetic directions for 25 sites from 20 localities. All exhibit westerly declinations, both before and after tilt correction. Concerning the age of the magnetizations, we conclude that five subhorizontal and magnetite bearing Eocene localities from stable Istria are likely to carry primary remanence, whereas three tilted and hematite-bearing ones were remagnetized. In the northwestern segment of imbricated Adria the cluster of the mean directions improved after tectonic correction indicating pre-tilting magnetization. In contrast, Maastrichtian–Eocene platform carbonates from Central Dalmatian were remagnetized in connection with the late Eocene–Oligocene deformation or Miocene hydrocarbon migration. Based on the appropriate site/locality means, we calculate mean palaeomagnetic directions for the above three areas and suggest an alternative interpretation of the data of Kissel et al. [J. Geophys. Res. 100 (1995) 14999] for the flysch of Central Dalmatia. The four area mean direction define a regional palaeomagnetic direction of Dec=336°, Inc=+52°, k=107, α₉₅=9°. From these data we conclude that stable Istria, in close coordination with imbricated Adria, must have rotated by 30° counterclockwise in the Tertiary, relative to Africa and stable Europe. We suggest that the latest Miocene–early Pliocene counterclockwise rotations observed in northwestern Croatia and northeastern Slovenia were driven by that of the Adriatic Foreland, i.e. the rotation of the latter took place between 6 and 4 Ma.     

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.     

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。     

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.     

Holocene chronostratigraphy of northeastern Baffin Bay based on radiocarbon and palaeomagnetic data

The northeastern Baffin Bay continental margin, which experiences high sediment accumulation rates, is an excellent location to study Holocene sedimentary variations. However, it is often difficult to obtain reliable chronologies of the sediment archives using traditional methods (δ¹⁸O and radiocarbon) due to specific oceanographic conditions (e.g. corrosive bottom waters). Here we propose a chronostratigraphy of three cores collected on the northwestern Greenland margin (AMD14‐204, AMD14‐210 and AMD14‐Kane2B) based on a combination of radiocarbon dating and palaeomagnetic records. Geophysical properties of discrete samples were used to verify the reliability of the palaeomagnetic records. Palaeomagnetic analyses indicate a strong and stable natural remanent magnetization carried by low coercivity ferrimagnetic minerals (magnetite) in the pseudo‐single domain grain size range. Correlation of the full palaeomagnetic vector (inclination, declination, and relative palaeointensity) was used to establish a reliable chronostratigraphical framework for two of the cores (AMD14‐204 and AMD14‐210) and to propose an original palaeomagnetic record for the previously ¹⁴C‐dated core AMD14‐Kane2B that covers most of the Holocene. Overall, this new chronostratigraphy allowed improvement of the timing of the main palaeoenvironmental changes that occurred in this area during the Holocene.     

Palaeomagnetism of some rocks from Peninsular India and Kashmir

A palaeomagnetic study of seven sites in redbeds of the Late Precambrian Bhander and Rewa Series of the Upper Vindhyan System confirms that their original magnetization was extensively overprinted during the Early Tertiary, possibly related to the extrusion of the Deccan Traps about 65 Ma ago. Careful thermal demagnetization at temperatures close to the Curie Temperature of hematite revealed the primary magnetization in 100 of 121 specimens investigated. The resulting palaeomagnetic pole for the Upper Vindhyan System lies at 51.0S 37.8E. A combination with all previous results gives an overall palaeomagnetic pole at 47.3S 32.7E (N = 18, K = 35.5, A₉₅ = 5.8°). Twelve samples from the Gwalior Traps (1830 Ma) give a palaeomagnetic pole at 16N 160.5E after magnetic cleaning.Twelve flows collected from the Permo-Carboniferous Panjal Traps of Kashmir give mean direction D = 156.5, I = + 32.5 (κ = 19.8, α₉₅ = 9.9°) with a positive fold test. The palaeomagnetic pole (32N 282E), however, lies close to that observed for Deccan Trap times in India. It appears that the magnetization of the Panjal Traps was acquired during the Early Tertiary Himalayan uplift following which they were tilted to their present attitudes.     

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.     

试论前寒武纪变质岩古地磁研究的可行性：以闽北地区的研究为例

本文从变质作用与岩石矿物获得剩磁的关系和剩磁获得时间与同位素记年的相关性，岩石的形变对磁化方向的影响等方面讨论了前寒武纪变质岩古地磁研究的可行性；并列举部分国外前寒武纪早期岩石的例证；同时重点以闽北地区前寒武纪变质岩的古地磁结果为例，讨论了获得磁性可信性及其在地质构造方面的意义。     

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 Hilina Pali palaeomagnetic excursion and possible self‐reversal in the loess from western Ukraine

A loess‐palaeosol succession from the last glacial cycle was palaeomagnetically studied in the Rivne abandoned brickyard (western Ukraine). Two samples of undisturbed loess from the same depth of parallel sections display steep negative inclinations. These reversed directions in the loess dated at c. 18 ka may possibly be correlated with the Hilina Pali palaeomagnetic excursion. This is the first occurrence of the Hilina Pali in a loess sediment. Unfortunately, the loess with negative inclination does not form any continuous layer that could be suitable for studies of detailed features of geomagnetic field inversion. Another six samples from an illuvial horizon of the Holocene soil also showed negative inclinations and strongly deviated declinations. This part of the section does not represent, however, any palaeomagnetic excursion. The anomalous magnetization in maghemite‐ and titanomagnetite‐rich sediment results most probably from self‐reversal remagnetization. A new insight into palaeomagnetic excursions noted in loess, especially in its parts affected by pedogenic processes, is recommended.     

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.     

LIU TUNGSHENG'S PALAEOMAGNETIC LOESS RESEARCH IN SWITZERLAND

编者按　11月22日是刘东生先生的生日,在先生离开我们的一年多时间里,我们时刻在怀念他。这里我们刊登了刘先生的密友之一、瑞士的Heller教授的短文,怀念与刘先生一起研究黄土磁学的点点滴滴。本文是Heller教授为刘先生的纪念文集撰写的,但因故未及在文集中刊出。现在本刊补登,除了表示对先生的深切怀念,也表示对Heller教授的感谢和歉意。