Palaeomagnetism of Ketilidian metamorphic rocks of SW Greenland,and 1850-1600 m.y. apparent polar movements

Proterozoic supracrustal rocks of southwest Greenland and amphibolite dykes intruding the basement possess a thermal remanent magnetisation acquired during slow regional uplift and cooling between 1800 and 1600 m.y. following the Ketilidian mobile episode. Most samples from amphibolite dykes (mean palaeomagnetic pole 214°E, 31°N) possess a stable remanence associated with development of hematite during regional thermal metamorphism. Metavolcanics from the eastern part (eight sites, palaeomagnetic pole 230°E, 60°N, A₉₅ = 15°) and western part (twelve sites, 279°E, 59°N, A₉₅ = 17°) of Ars?k Island have magnetisations postdating folding and are related to KAr ages dating regional cooling (1700-1600 m.y.); magnetic properties are highly variable and partially stable remanence resides predominantly in pyrrhotite.These results agree in part with other palaeomagnetic results from the northern margin of the same craton, and currently available palaeomagnetic results assigned to the interval 1850-1600 m.y. are evaluated to define apparent polar wander movements. Two large polar movements are recognised during this interval with the possibility of a third at ca. 1800 m.y. It is concluded that apparent polar wander movements in Proterozoic times are most accurately described in terms of closed loops.     

Palaeomagnetism of silurian lavas of Somerset and Gloucestershire,England

Detailed alternating field demagnetisation of Upper Llandovery volcanics of the Mendip Hills and Gloucestershire has isolated remanence directions interpreted as primary from each of five sites. Well-defined high-coercivity secondary magnetisation is present in six samples of one site and low-coercivity secondary remanence is present in all samples from another site; the former component was apparently acquired in Permo-Triassic times. Primary directions of magnetisation show marked improvement in precision after correction for penecontemporaneous folding, and show a late Llandovery reversal in the sense R → N.The group mean directions of magnetisation isD = 243.5°,I = 47.5° (precision parameterk = 29). Petrographic examination confirms observations from magnetic properties that relict titanomagnetite (oxidation classes 3 to 5) is the remanence carrier in most samples. Hematite, probably mostly late magmatic in origin, is widely developed in all samples, but only the principal remanence carrier where it has thoroughly replaced the titanomagnetite. Low-coercivity remanence is apparently caused by weathering effects but there is no clear visible cause for secondary high-coercivity remanence carried by some samples.The mean virtual geomagnetic pole position is close to Upper Silurian/Lower Devonian pole positions from other parts of Britain and defines a minimum apparent polar shift of 60° between late Ordovician and Upper Llandovery times. Reference to absolute age dates suggests that this shift took place between ca. 447 and 434 m.y. followed by slight polar movement between ca. 434 and 394 m.y.     

Superimposed Recent,Permo-Carboniferous and Ordovician palaeomagnetic remanence in the Builth Volcanic Series,Wales

The Builth Volcanic Series of Llanvirnian age in Llanelwedd Quarries, mid-Wales, carries three components of natural remanent magnetisation. Component P, regarded as primary, is a thermochemical remanence directed at D = 181.7°, I = +54.5°, α₉₅ = 4.4° relative to bedding. Component S is a secondary component with in situ D = 178.7°, I = ?6.7°, α₉₅ = 5.4° and is believed to be a low-temperature chemical remanence (CRM) of Permo-Carboniferous age. Component R is directed close to the present geomagnetic field and is believed to be a recent viscous remanence (VRM).The results are of interest for three reasons. First, they are an unusually good example of multi-component NRM analysis, the three components being so clearly discriminated by thermal demagnetisation because they have almost completely separate blocking temperature ranges. Second, they provide evidence of a Permo-Carboniferous event (possibly a mild thermal or hydrothermal pulse promoting CRM acquisition) some 40 km north of the Hercynian orogenic front. Third, they illustrate very clearly the importance of detailed demagnetisation: this work revises the pole position for these rocks by ～ 10° and removes an obstacle to the palaeomagnetic recognition of the ～ 1000 km wide Iapetus Ocean cutting Britain in Ordovician time.     

Paleomagnetic study of Cambrian Potsdam Group sandstones,St. Lawrence Lowlands,Quebec

We report paleomagnetic results from oriented drill core samples collected at 10 sites (80 samples) from the Covey Hill and 19 sites (96 samples) from the overlying, fossiliferous Cha?teauguay Formations of the gently dipping Late Cambrian Potsdam Group sandstones exposed in the St. Lawrence Lowlands of Quebec. Stepwise thermal demagnetization analyses ave revealed the presence of two predominant groups of coherent magnetizations C-1 and C-2, after simple correction for bedding tilt. The C-1 group magnetization is a stable direction (D=332°, I=+18°) with unblocking temperatures (T_UB) between 550 and 650°C, present in the older Covey Hill Formation; this direction is probably a chemical remanence acquired during the Covey Hill diagenesis and carried predominantly by hematite. The C-2 group magnetization (D=322°, I=+9°) is present at 13 sites of the younger Cha?teauguay Formation; this is probably carried by magnetite and represents a penecontemporaneous, depositional DRM, characterized by T_UB spectra 400–550°C. We believe that C-2 is relatively younger than C-1 based on a combination of arguments such as the presence of opposite polarities, internal consistency, similarity and common occurrence of C-1 and C-2 respectively in the Covey Hill and Cha?teauguay members. The corresponding paleomagnetic poles C-1 (46°N, 149°E; dp, dm=3°, 5°) and C-2 (37°N, 156°E; dp, dm=2°, 5°) are not significantly different from most of the other Late Cambrian (Dresbachian-Franconian) poles derived from sediments exposed in the southern region (Texas) of the North American craton which are also believed to have been deposited during Croixian Sauk sea transgression similar to the Potsdam sandstones. Although adequate faunal control is lacking (in particular for the Covey Hill Formation), this comparison with the Cratonic poles suggests a Late Cambrian age to the Potsdam poles. The agreement between the results also gives the evidence for internal consistency of cratonic poles at least for Late Cambrian.The incoherent C-3 group remanence (D=250°, I=?15°) is commonly present at 7 sites in both the formations; this may not correspond to a reliable paleomagnetic signal. The other remanence C-4 (D=180°, I=+10°) is found only at 3 sites located in the uppermost stratigraphic levels of the Cha?teauguay Formation; the corresponding paleomagnetic pole (40°N, 107°E) does not differ significantly from the Ordovician and some Late Cambrian poles. The present data are insufficient to resolve a problem in apparent polar wander for Middle and Late Cambrian time posed by the existence of high-latitude poles for some strata of Middle Cambrian age and low-latitude poles for some strata of Late Cambrian age.     

Magnetic Anisotropy as an Aid to Identifying CRM and DRM in Red Sedimentary Rocks

To further evaluate the potential of magnetic anisotropy techniques for determining the origin of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) in sedimentary rocks, several new remanence anisotropy measurement techniques were explored. An accurate separation of the remanence anisotropy of magnetite and hematite in the same sedimentary rock sample was the goal.In one technique, Tertiary red and grey sedimentary rock samples from the Orera section (Spain) were exposed to 13 T fields in 9 different orientations. In each orientation, alternating field (af) demagnetization was used to separate the magnetite and hematite contributions of the high field isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM). Tensor subtraction was used to calculate the magnetite and hematite anisotropy tensors. Geologically interpretable fabrics did not result, probably because of the presence of goethite which contributes to the IRM. In the second technique, also applied to samples from Orera, an anisotropy of anhysteretic remanence (AAR) was applied in af fields up to 240 mT to directly measure the fabric of the magnetite in the sample. IRMs applied in 2 T fields followed by 240 mT af demagnetization, and thermal demagnetization at 90°C to remove the goethite contribution, were used to independently measure the hematite fabric in the same samples. This approach gave geologically interpretable results with minimum principal axes perpendicular to bedding, suggesting that the hematite and magnetite grains in the Orera samples both carry a depositional remanent magnetization (DRM). In a third experiment, IRMs applied in 13 T fields were used to measure the magnetic fabric of samples from the Dome de Barrot area (France). These samples had been demonstrated to have hematite as their only magnetic mineral. The fabrics that resulted were geologically interpretable, showing a strong NW-SE horizontal lineation consistent with AMS fabrics measured in the same samples. These fabrics suggest that the rock's remanence may have been affected by strain and could have originated as a DRM or a CRM.Our work shows that it is important to account for the presence of goethite when using high field IRMs to measure the remanence anisotropy of hematite-bearing sedimentary rocks. It also shows that very high magnetic fields (>10 T) may be used to measure the magnetic fabric of sedimentary rocks with highly coercive magnetic minerals without complete demagnetization between each position, provided that the field magnetically saturates the rock.     

Author index 1984 (volumes 67–71)

Magnetic properties of samples from Bell Island sedimentary rocks have been studied. X-ray analysis indicates that the main magnetic mineral is hematite in all samples. The other iron-bearing minerals identified are siderite and chamosite. Microscope observations of thin sections suggest that the rocks consist of oolitic hematite in a matrix of siderite or calcite. The intensity of natural remanent magnetization (NRM) varies in the range of (0.03–0.4 A m^?1), depending on the percentage of hematite. The thermal demagnetization curves of NRM show in some cases a sharp increase in magnetization at temperatures in the range 500–600°C. The peaks that occur in these demagnetization curves are due to a chemical change of siderite during repeated laboratory heating. X-ray analysis confirmed that the newly formed material is magnetite. Since the original NRM has been masked by the new intergrown material, this would result in a serious error in the determination of paleomagnetic pole positions. The samples showing this behaviour were not considered for paleomagnetic study. The samples containing oolitic hematite in a calcite matrix exhibit very high stability of NRM, including directional stability until almost 670°C. For these samples, a virtual pole position based on N = 6 samples (32 specimens) demagnetized to 665°C is 34°N, 114°E, not far from published Ordovician poles for the North American craton.     

Early and late Paleozoic remagnetization of the Cambrian Peerless Formation,Colorado

The Upper Cambrian Peerless Formation in central Colorado contains two secondary components of magnetization. The dominant component was removed during initial AF demagnetization of specimens whereas a weaker component was removed during subsequent thermal demagnetization. IRM acquisition experiments suggest that the dominant component has low coercivity whereas the weaker component has high coercivity. The latter component has southeasterly and shallow directions and the corresponding pole position is located at 40.0°N, 134.5°E. The high coercivity, blocking temperatures over 600°C, and petrographic evidence suggest this component resides in diagenetic hematite. The magnetization is interpreted as a CRM acquired in the late Paleozoic. The low coercivity component directions fall on a great circle that passes through the modern field direction and two modes at 107°E, +10° and 287°E, −10°. This component is interpreted as a vector sum of two antipodal CRMs and a modern VRM. The pole position (10°N, 150°E) suggests acquisition in the early Paleozoic and the remanence resides either in maghemite or in diagenetic magnetite.     

Permo-Pennsylvanian palaeotemperatures from Fe-Oxide and phyllosilicate δ18O values

The oxygen isotope composition of fossil roots that have been permineralized by hematite are presented from eight different stratigraphic levels spanning the Upper Pennsylvanian and Lower Permian strata of north-central Texas. Hematite δ¹⁸O values range from − 0.4% to 3.7%. The most negative δ¹⁸O values occur in the upper Pennsylvanian strata, and there is a progressive trend toward more positive δ¹⁸O values upward through the lower Permian strata. This stratigraphic pattern is similar in magnitude and style to δ¹⁸O values reported for penecontemporaneous authigenic palaeosol phyllosilicates and calcites, suggesting that all three minerals record similar paragenetic histories that are probably attributed to temporal palaeoenvironmental changes across the Late Pennsylvanian and Early Permian landscapes.Palaeotemperature estimates based on paired δ¹⁸O values between penecontemporaneous hematite and phyllosilicate samples suggest these minerals co-precipitated at relatively low temperatures that are consistent with a supergene origin in a low-latitude soil-forming environment. Hematite–phyllosilicate δ¹⁸O pairs indicate (1) relatively low soil temperatures (∼ 24 ± 3 °C) during deposition of the upper Pennsylvanian strata followed by (2) a considerable rise in soil temperatures (∼ 35–37 ± 3 °C) during deposition of the lowermost Permian strata. Significantly, δD and δ¹⁸O values of contemporaneous phyllosilicates provide single mineral palaeotemperature estimates that are analytically indistinguishable from temperature estimates based on hematite–phyllosilicate oxygen isotope pairs. The results between the two temperature-proxy methods suggest that the inferred large temperature change across the Upper Pennsylvanian–Lower Permian boundary might be taken seriously. If real, such a significant climate change would have undoubtedly had far-reaching ecological effects within this region of Pangaea. Notably, there are important lithological and palaeobotanical changes, such as disappearance of coal and coal swamp floras, across the Upper Pennsylvanian–Early Permian boundary of north-central Texas that may be consistent with major climatic change toward warmer conditions.     

Imprinting chemical remanent magnetization in claystones at 95 °C

Thermal effects related to burial and hydrothermal alteration leads to chemical remanent magnetization (CRM). We present an experimental study of CRM production by heating claystones at 95 °C. A vertical magnetic field of 2 mT was applied to the claystones during heating and the evolution of the remanence during heating in air is monitored intermittently for up to four months. Solid fragments (9 to 26 g) of claystones are included in a Teflon holder that is placed in the oven under a controlled atmosphere. Newly formed grains acquire a CRM and a thermoviscous magnetization (TVRM), both being parallel to the applied magnetic field. CRM is related to the amount of newly formed grains that pass the critical volume during the reaction. To measure the acquired remanence, the claystones are first cooled in a zero magnetic field and then measured using a 2G SQUID magnetometer.In the frame of the research programme on the feasibility of radioactive waste disposal in a deep geological formation, we investigate the magnetic transformation of Mont Terri Lower Dogger claystones (Switzerland) due to thermal imprinting at 95 °C. We simulate the dehydration that occurs in the walls of galleries after excavation when interstitial water evaporates and rehydration when the galleries are refilled allowing water to move towards dehydrated zones. During dehydration, the remanence gains one order of magnitude at the beginning of the experiment and then it follows a linear rate of 0.23 ± 0.07 mA m^− 1/day between 3 and 14 days. The magnetic susceptibility increases by a few percent. The increase of the remanence and of the magnetic susceptibility stops after 15 days. Mass monitoring indicates that interstitial water evaporates when remanence and magnetic susceptibility stabilizes. During rehydration, the remanence increases again whilst magnetic susceptibility drops by a few percent. After 20 days, the remanence during rehydration follows a rate of 0.42 ± 0.15 mA m^− 1/day. By contrast, when rehydration takes place later, after 66 days, the rate is much lower (0.09 ± 0.04 mA m^− 1/day). Low temperature investigation of magnetic properties indicates an initial magnetic assemblage of magnetite and pyrrhotite. Newly formed magnetite and hematite carry the remanence. We propose that magnetite is formed at the expense of pyrite. Hematite results from the progressive oxidation of newly formed magnetite. Our results suggest the possibility that any claystones that pass the oil window can be remagnetized due to the unique action of temperature.     

Paleomagnetic results from the Late Carboniferous/Early Permian Casper Formation: implications for northern Appalachian tectonics

Paleomagnetic samples were collected from 190 m of the Late Carboniferous/Early Permian Casper Formation in southeastern Wyoming. A total of 549 samples was drilled near the vicinity of Horse Creek Station at an average stratigraphic interval of 33 cm. All samples were reversely magnetized. Rock magnetic analyses indicate that the primary carrier of remanence in the formation is hematite. A selection criterion applied to the partial demagnetized data restricted the sample population to 233, resulting in a paleomagnetic North Pole located at 47.4°N, 127.4°E (δ_p=0.7;δ_m=1.4). The Casper pole agrees well with other Late Carboniferous/Early Permian poles for cratonic North America. The tight clustering of these paleomagnetic poles suggests that little apparent polar motion with respect to North America occurred during this time. Comparing the stable North American poles with paleomagnetic poles from Late Carboniferous/Early Permian strata of the New England-Canadian Maritime region (Acadia) indicates that this region did not reach its present position relative to North America until at least the Early Permian.     

Note on the palaeomagnetism of the Sekondi series,Ghana

From a collection of 39 oriented hand-samples at 16 sites, total N.R.M. directions at 12 sites from the Elmina Sandstone (Devonian or possibly Carboniferous) of the Ghana coast fall in a group. Their in-situ mean (D = 334°, $\text{I = +11}\text{1}\text{2}\text{°}$) is significantly divergent from the local geomagnetic field, and does not correlate with expected Palaeozoic remanence directions. A bedding-tilt test suggests that the magnetisation is secondary, and comparison with other African data suggests a Mesozoic (possibly Cretaceous) age. The remanence is only partially stable against thermal demagnetisation. The observations are consistent with a remanence originating at the time of faulting, tilting and uplift which marked the beginning of rifting of South America from Africa.     

Palaeomagnetic evidence from the Ordovician and Silurian of northwest Peninsular Malaysia

The Ordovician and Silurian Setul Limestone of the Langkawi Islands, northwest Peninsular Malaysia, has a mean magnetic vector ofD = 338°,I = 62° after cleaning and correction for tilt. This is equivalent to a palaeolatitude of 43°, and a palaeomagnetic pole at 46°N, 76°E. The Silurian part of the Setul limestone also shows a similar direction. The Ordovician results are equivalent to a palaeolatitude of 43°, N or S. Recent reconstructions, based on palaeontology, place Indochina and China in the northern hemisphere in the Ordovician; if this is correct, a palaeolatitide of 43° for Langkawi would imply that Malaya-Indochina was the most northerly continental fragment at that time.     

Paleomagnetism and ore mineralogy of some basalts of the Geirud Formation of Late Devonian - Early Carboniferous age from the southern Alborz,Iran

Basaltic lavas from the southern Alborz, an area about 40 km northeast of Tehran, Iran, have been paleomagnetically investigated. The lavas are of Late Devonian-Early Carboniferous age, and belong to the basal member of the Geirud Formation. At 11 sites a total of 80 cores was drilled.Detailed analyses by means of progressive demagnetization of the natural remanent magnetization (NRM) were made both by the application of alternating magnetic fields and by heating. Also, on a number of specimens a study was done both with thin sections and with polished sections. There proved to be general agreement between the properties of the characteristic NRM and the kind of Fe-Ti oxides in the lavas. In the case of specimens containing magnetite only the characteristic NRM was entirely removed at temperatures just below 600°C, or in alternating fields up to 1500/2000 Oe peak value; on the other hand, in specimens containing both magnetite and a substantial part of hematite (martite) the final part of the characteristic remanence was removed at temperatures above 600°C, and this remanence resisted alternating fields above 2000 Oe peak value. From the characteristic site-mean directions of 5 sites an average paleomagnetic direction is computed withD = 210.8°,I = 66.9°, and α₉₅ = 3.9°.This result might be taken as an indication that at the Devono-Carboniferous transition the southern part of the Alborz was located in the present Indian Ocean off the Arabian coast.     

Thermochemical remanent magnetization in Jurassic silicic volcanics from Nevada,U.S.A.

Characteristic magnetizations from Middle Jurassic dacitic to andesitic subaerial volcanics (the Fulstone and Artesia Formations) in the Buckskin Mountain Range, western central Basin and Range Province, are well-grouped, generally display univectorial decays to the origin in demagnetization and have hematite blocking temperatures restricted almost entirely to above 620°C. Petrographic, rock magnetic and electron microprobe investigations confirm that nearly pure hematite is the essential magnetic phase (up to about 10 vol. %) occurring as a replacement of coarse titaniferous magnetite phenocrysts and fine groundmass particles, as a secondary alteration product of ferromagnesian phenocrysts and as a mobilized phase filling cracks and other open spaces. The presence of antipodal directions in each flow unit and in interbedded volcanoclastic units (some having retained magnetite as a major magnetic phase) and magnetite-dominated remanences in time-equivalent intrusives cutting the flows indicates that the volcanics acquired their hematite remanence, a faithful record of the geomagnetic field, in high-temperature, deuteric oxidation during and following their emplacement, not during a later thermal event such as regional metamorphism. The remanence is probably a thermochemical remanent magnetization, although part may be of thermoremanent origin.     

Rock magnetic properties and palaeomagnetic results of sediments from a stone implement layer in the Bose Basin,Guangxi

Directional samples were taken to study rock magnetism and palaeomagnetic records from the Dong- sheng profile, which is 5 m thick and on the northwest edge of the Bose Basin. Mineralogy and rock magnetism of typical samples indicate that coarse granular titanomagnetite, and fine-grained hematite, superparamagnetic maghemite formed by pedogenesis are in the sediment, which has undergone many transformative processes during different stages of pedogenesis. Parallel samples were taken for thermal demagnetization (TH) (0 to 680℃) and alternating field (AF) demagnetization (0 to 80 mT) respectively. Experimental results of these two kinds of demagnetization illustrate that there are two or more magnetic components in the samples. Intensity of NRM decreases by almost 60% to 90% rapidly when the temperature ranges from 100℃ to 350℃, with a steady magnetic component. It is impossible to analyze the magnetic components at high temperature because those fluctuate widely when the temperature is higher than 400℃. Steady magnetic components from 100℃ to 350℃ indicate that the remanence was mainly carried by fine-grained hematite formed by pedogenesis, reflecting a change in the geomagnetic field while the magnetite was being oxidized into hematite by chemical weathering after deposition. The formative age of the sediments cannot be obtained by magnetic methods in this profile.     

A new precambrian paleomagnetic pole for northern Europe

A paleomagnetic study was made of the granitic rock farsundite, exposed in southern Norway. An objective was to test the contemporaneity of this body with the neighbouring Egersund anorthosite of presumed age about 900 m.y. Two of the nine sites sampled were rejected, as the magnetization was dominantly unstable. At the seven other sites, this unstable component was either absent or it could be equally well removed by AF or thermal demagnetization: after AF treatment, all samples from these sites were left with a very stable remanence, directed steeply upwards. This magnetization was probably acquired at the time of either emplacement or recrystallization of the farsundite. A magnetic test for anisotropy indicated that the stable remanence is misaligned with the ancient Earth's field direction by about 3°, apparently due to layering of the rock fabric. After correction for this anisotropy, the mean direction from the seven sites is D = 341°, I = 82.2°, k = 142, α = 5.0°, corresponding to a paleomagnetic north pole at 43.3°S, 166.0°W, dp = 9.3°, dm = 9.7°, which lies on Spall's European polar wandering curve. The farsundite pole is not significantly different from a pole position based on the Egersund anorthosite, which supports the supposition that the two rock formations are cogenetic.     

Paleomagnetism of the Cambro-Ordovician McClure Mountain alkalic complex,Colorado

The Middle to Late Cambrian loop in the North American apparent polar wander path (APWP) has been variously attributed to tectonic rotations, remagnetizations and primary magnetizations. Although no primary thermal remanent magnetizations or primary detrital remanent magnetizations have as yet been demonstrated, the temporally self-consistent nature of the loop has been used as an argument for primary magnetizations. We have studied535 ± 5Ma nepheline syenites and syenites of the McClure Mountain alkalic complex, as well as495 ± 10Ma red trachyte dikes which intruded the complex, in an effort to find a primary TRM. Because Zijderveld analysis yielded consistent results for only one trachyte dike, remagnetization great-circle analysis was employed, giving a pole for the trachyte dikes at the tip of the loop (43°N, 114°E), while the syenites and nepheline synenites gave a pole at the base of the loop (18°N, 142°E). The magnetic carrier in the trachytes is hematite which apparently formed during a pervasive hydrothermal alteration. KAr whole rock dating of the trachytes suggests a Pennsylvanian age for the alteration, and thus a late Paleozoic remagnetization of the trachytes. Thus, the low-latitude Cambrian pole is confirmed, but we find no evidence in this study to support the primary nature of the Cambrian APWP.     

Palaeomagnetic secular variation studies of Finnish lake sediment and the carriers of remanence

Palaeomagnetic and mineral magnetism measurements have been carried out on two cores from Lake Vuokonjarvi in Finnish Karelia. The sediment probably covers 5000 years of continuous deposition at a mean sedimentation rate of about 0.8 mm/yr.The magnetic declination exhibits fluctuations of similar amplitude(～20°) and character to those recorded in northern England and northern Ireland. Magnetic inclination variations are of higher amplitude(～15°) than those found in Britain. Matching the palaeomagnetic patterns with the dated British master curves permits an estimate of the rate of deposition of the Finnish sediments, which is suggested to be more reliable than estimates from radiocarbon dating of the Vuokonjarvi sediment.The stable natural remanence is shown to be carried by fine-grained magnetite and titanomagnetite grains and to have grown by post-depositional alignment during a period of the order of 100 years. Laboratory dehydration of the sediment results in loss of around 40% of the stable natural remanence. Such behaviour is also found in lake sediments from central and southern Europe and should be considered in interpreting palaeomagnetic data from dried out lake sections and ocean cores.     

Magnetic properties of the Cunene Anorthosite Complex,Angola

The Cunene Complex is the largest known anorthosite body and outcrops across the border between Angola and South West Africa. Palaeomagnetic results are reported from a traverse across the dark troctolitic facies of the anorthosite in Angola which yielded fifteen sites with two additional sites in gabbro bodies. Fourteen sites are stable to a.f. demagnetisation and a single site in the cumulative border zone of the anorthosite is reversed with respect to the remainder. Twelve sites combine to give a mean direction of D = 259°, I = ?46° (k = 7) with a virtual geomagnetic pole at 255°E and 3°S. The low overall precision is probably due to apparent polar movement during cooling of the Complex. Radiometric data are currently conflicting and imply that the anorthosite has an age between 1100 and 2600 m.y.; the only clear feature to emerge from age studies is a thermal overprinting at ca. 1100 m.y. The directions of magnetisation are shown to be most consistent with an age of ca. 2100 m.y. with cooling through the Curie point continuing to ca. 2000 m.y.A variety of magnetic tests demonstrate that magnetite is the principal remanence carrier in the dark troctolitic anorthosite where it occurs both as discrete grains and as fine rods in plagioclase. Lowrie-Fuller tests suggest that both these components include single domains but results from separated mineral fractions demonstrate that the bulk of the high coercivity remanence resides in magnetite rods within the feldspar.