Speleology and magnetobiostratigraphic chronology of the Buffalo Cave fossil site, Makapansgat, South Africa

Speleological, stratigraphic, paleomagnetic and faunal data is presented for the Buffalo Cave fossil site in the Limpopo Province of South Africa. Speleothems and clastic deposits were sampled for paleomagnetic and mineral magnetic analysis from the northern part of the site, where stratigraphic relationships could be more easily defined and a magnetostratigraphy could therefore be developed for the site. This is also where excavations recovered the fossil material described. A comparison of the east and South African first and last appearance data with the Buffalo Cave fauna was then used to constrain the magnetostratigraphy to produce a more secure age for the site. The magnetostratigraphy showed a change from normal to reversed polarity in the basal speleothems followed by a short normal polarity period in the base of the clastic deposits and a slow change to reversed directions for the remainder of the sequence. The biochronology suggested an optimal age range of between 1.0 Ma and 600,000 yr based on faunal correlation with eastern and southern Africa. A comparison of the magnetobiostratigraphy with the GPTS suggests that the sequence covers the time period from the Olduvai event between 1.95 and 1.78 Ma, through the Jaramillo event at 1.07 Ma to 990,000 yr, until the Bruhnes-Matuyama boundary at 780,000 yr. The faunal-bearing clastic deposits are thus dated between 1.07 Ma and 780,000 yr with the main faunal remains occurring in sediments dated to just after the end of the Jaramillo Event at 990,000 yr.     

Paleomagnetism of the Siberian traps: New data and a new overall 250 Ma pole for Siberia

The flood basalt province in Siberia is one of the largest in the world but the number of reliable paleomagnetic data on these volcanics is still limited. We studied lava flows and trap-related intrusions from two areas in the north and west of the Siberian platform. A dual-polarity characteristic component was isolated from most samples with the aid of stepwise thermal and alternating field demagnetization. We then compiled all published paleomagnetic data on the Siberian traps that have been obtained according to modern standards; also included are presumably trap-related overprint directions in Paleozoic rocks. Although these overprints and trap results may locally differ, the corresponding mean poles based on remagnetized sediments and volcanics show excellent overall agreement and justify pooling of both data types. Several ways of data grouping were attempted; the trap mean pole proved to be rather insensitive to statistical treatment. Irrespective of the averaging procedure used, the overall mean poles for the Siberian traps (NSP2: 55.1°N, 147.0°E; N = 8, K = 123, A₉₅ = 5.0° or NSP4: 57.2°N, 151.1°E; N = 8, K = 192, A₉₅ = 4.0°) differ slightly, but significantly from the coeval mean poles of Baltica [Torsvik, 2001; Van der Voo, R., and Torsvik, T.H., The quality of the European Permo-Triassic paleopoles and its impact on Pangea reconstructions, in: Timescales of the Paleomagnetic Field, J. E. T. Channell, D.V. Kent, W. Lowrie, and J.G. Meert, eds., AGU Geophys. Monogr., 2004, 135, 29–42]. We consider possible causes for this difference and conclude that it could be explained either by persistent non-dipole terms in the Permo-Triassic geomagnetic field or widespread inclination shallowing in the European data.     

Avalonia,get bent!–Paleomagnetism from SW Iberia confirms the Greater Cantabrian Orocline

The amalgamation of Pangea formed the contorted Variscan-Alleghanian orogen,suturing Gondwana and Laurussia during the Carboniferous.From all swirls of this orogen,a double curve in Iberia stands out,the coupled Cantabrian Orocline and Central Iberian curve.The Cantabrian Orocline formed at ca.315–290 Ma subsequent to the Variscan orogeny.The formation mechanism of the Cantabrian Orocline is disputed,the most commonly proposed mechanisms include either(1)that south-westernmost Iberia would be an Avalonian(Laurussian)indenter or(2)that the stress field changed,buckling the orogen.In contrast,the geometry and kinematics of the Central Iberian curve are largely unknown.Whereas some authors defend both curvatures are genetically linked,others support they are distinct and formed at different times.Such uncertainty adds an extra layer of complexity to our understanding of the final stages of Pangea’s amalgamation.To solve these issues,we study the late Carboniferous–early Permian vertical-axis rotations of SW Iberia with paleomagnetism.Our results show up to 70
counterclockwise vertical-axis rotations during late Carboniferous times,concurring with the anticipated kinematics if SW Iberia was part of the southern limb of the Cantabrian Orocline.Our results do not allow the necessary penecontemporaneous clockwise rotations in Central Iberia to support a concomitant formation of both Cantabrian and Central Iberian curvature.The coherent rotation of both Gondwanan and Avalonian pieces of SW Iberia discards the Laurussian indenter hypothesis as a formation mechanism of the Cantabrian Orocline and confirms the Greater Cantabrian Orocline hypothesis.The Greater Cantabrian Orocline likely formed as a consequence of a change in the stress field during the late Carboniferous and extended beyond the Rheic Ocean suture affecting the margins of both Laurussia and Gondwana.     

Paleomagnetism of late Cretaceous dykes in the Gangdese belt: New constraints on the position and structure of the southern margin of Asia prior to the India-Asia collision

This paper report paleomagnetic data from late Cretaceous diorite dykes that sub-vertically intrude granodiorites in the eastern Gangdese belt near the city of Lhasa. Our research goals are to provide further constraints on pre-collisional structure of the southern margin of Asia and the onset of the India-Asia collision. Magnetite is identified as the main magnetic carrier in our study. The magnetite shows no evidence of metamorphism or alteration as determined from optical and scanning electron microscope observations. A strong mineral orientation is revealed by anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility analysis both for the intruded dykes and the country rocks. The authors interpret this AMS fabric to have formed during intrusion rather than deformation. Fifteen of 23 sites yield acceptable site mean characteristic remanences with dual polarities. A scatter analysis of the virtual geomagnetic poles suggests that the mean result adequately averaged paleosecular variation. The paleomagnetic pole from the Gangdese dykes yields a paleolatitude of 14.3°N±5.8°N for the southern margin of Asia near Lhasa. The paleolatitude corresponds to an in-between position of the Lhasa terrane during about 130–60 Ma. Furthermore, the mean declination of the characteristic remanent magnetization reveals a significant counterclockwise rotation of 18°±9° for the sampling location since about 83 Ma. In the light of tectonic setting of the dykes, the strike of the southern margin of Asia near Lhasa is restored to trend approximately about 310°, which is compatible with the hypothesis that the southern margin of Eurasia had a quasi-linear structure prior to its collision with India.©2023 China Geology Editorial Office.     

河西走廊地块古生代地层古地磁初步研究

古地磁初步研究结果表明,早古生代阶段,河西走廊过渡带与阿拉善地块古纬度接近,且漂移过程中形影相随,说明其间并无洋盆相隔。志留纪末,河西走廊过渡带与阿拉善地块拼接,但二者磁极位置与古方位均有差异,可能表明走廊过渡带相对于阿拉善地块同时作了顺时针旋转。泥盆纪时,两地块古纬度一致,但古方位不同,可能反映在碰撞拼合后二者间仍有相对的旋转运动。二叠纪时,二块体的空间位置及其配置关系已与现状接近。     

塔里木地块奥陶纪古地磁新结果及其构造意义

本文报道塔里木地块阿克苏—柯坪—巴楚地区奥陶纪古地磁研究新结果.对采自44个采点的灰岩、泥灰岩及泥质砂岩样品的系统岩石磁学和古地磁学研究表明,所有样品可分成两组：第一类样品以赤铁矿和少量磁铁矿为主要载磁矿物,该类样品通常可分离出特征剩磁组分A;第二类样品以磁铁矿为主要载磁矿物,系统退磁揭示出这类样品中存在特征剩磁组分B.特征剩磁组分A分布于绝大多数奥陶纪样品中,具有双极性,但褶皱检验结果为负,推测其可能为新生代重磁化.特征剩磁组分B仅能从少部分中晚奥陶世样品中分离出,但褶皱检验结果为正,且其所对应古地磁极位置（40.7°S,183.3°E,dp/dm=4.8°/6.9°）与塔里木地块古生代中期以来的古地磁极位置显著差别,表明其很可能为岩石形成时期所获得的原生剩磁.古地磁结果表明塔里木地块中晚奥陶世位于南半球中低纬度地区,很可能与扬子地块一起位于冈瓦纳古大陆的边缘;中晚奥陶世之后,塔里木地块通过大幅度北向漂移和顺时针旋转,逐步与冈瓦纳大陆分离、并越过古赤道;至晚石炭世,塔里木地块已到达古亚洲洋构造域的南缘.     

Paleomagnetism,magnetic fabric,and <Superscript>40</Superscript>Ar/<Superscript>39</Superscript>Ar dating of Pliocene and Quaternary ignimbrites in the Arequipa area,southern Peru

⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar ages and paleomagnetic correlations using characteristic remanent magnetizations (ChRM) show that two main ignimbrite sheets were deposited at 4.86 ± 0.07 Ma (La Joya Ignimbrite: LJI) and at 1.63 ± 0.07 Ma (Arequipa Airport Ignimbrite: AAI) in the Arequipa area, southern Peru. The AAI is a 20–100 m-thick ignimbrite that fills in the Arequipa depression to the west of the city of Arequipa. The AAI is made up of two cooling units: an underlying white unit and an overlying weakly consolidated pink unit. Radiometric data provide the same age for the two units. As both units record exactly the same well-defined paleomagnetic direction (16 sites in the white unit of AAI: Dec = 173.7; Inc = 31.2; α95 = 0.7; k = 2749; and 10 sites in the pink unit of AAI; Dec = 173.6; Inc = 30.3; α95 = 1.2; k = 1634), showing no evidence of secular variation, the time gap between emplacement of the two units is unlikely to exceed a few years. The >50 m thick well-consolidated white underlying unit of the Arequipa airport ignimbrite provides a very specific magnetic zonation with low magnetic susceptibilities, high coercivities and unblocking temperatures of NRM above 580°C indicating a Ti-poor titanohematite signature. The Anisotropy of Magnetic Susceptibility (AMS) is strongly enhanced in this layer with anisotropy values up to 1.25. The fabric delineated by AMS was not recognized neither in the field nor in thin sections, because most of the AAI consists in a massive and isotrope deposit with no visible textural fabric. Pumices deformation due to welding is only observed at the base of the thickest sections. AMS within the AAI ignimbrite show a very well defined pattern of apparent imbrications correlated to the paleotopography, with planes of foliation and lineation dipping often at more than 20° toward the expected vent, buried beneath the Nevado Chachani volcanic complex. In contrast with the relatively small extent of the thick AAI, the La Joya ignimbrite covers large areas from the Altipano down the Piedmont. Ti-poor titanomagnetites are the dominant magnetic carriers and AMS values are generally lower than 1.05. Magnetic foliations are sub horizontal and lineations directions are scattered in the LJI. The AMS fabrics are probably controlled by post-depositional compaction and welding of the deposit rather than transport dynamics. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

南海南部约80ka以来的古地磁记录

晚更新世以来以一系列地磁漂移事件是区域地层对比和确定沉积物年代框架的重要工具.但是在海相沉积物中,识别这些地磁漂移事件多依赖相对磁场强度(RPI)的变化,在地磁方向异常方面鲜有报到,从而影响对这些事件可靠性的讨论.本文选择南海南部巽他陆架附近重力活塞钻孔BKAS2PC的沉积物,进行系统的岩石磁学和古地磁研究,获得该钻孔沉积记录的RPI和磁倾角变化信息.岩石磁学及扫描电镜结果表明沉积物的原生主要载磁矿物为单畴(SD)和假单畴(PSD)钛磁铁矿.在一些层位,沉积后发生的还原作用形成胶黄铁矿等铁硫化物.磁性矿物的浓度和粒度等参数呈现显著的两阶段变化特征,上部(约220 cm以上)含量低而粒度细,下部含量高但粒度相对较粗,整体上均在一个数量级范围内波动.样品的交变退磁特征显示当交变场超过60 mT时,受胶黄铁矿影响产生旋转磁化,剩磁强度反而上升.因此,在20～60 mT之间确定原生特征剩磁,并把RPI定义为NRM_((20-40)mT)/ARM_((20-40)mT).通过~(14)C限定,并与其他有良好年代控制的相对磁场强度曲线进行对比,建立了钻孔的年代框架.结果显示,钻孔沉积物记录了几次显著的地磁漂移事件,这为联合应用RPI与磁场方向异常构建海相沉积物年代学框架提供了新的依据.     

帕米尔东北缘晚新生代旋转运动新证据

为进一步研究帕米尔东北缘晚新生代演化特征,在塔里木盆地西部英吉沙背斜上新世地层中采集了11个采点共111块古地磁样品.对样品进行系统热退磁测定,揭示了一组高温特征剩磁分量,获得了采样剖面的上新世古地磁极.特征剩磁方向为:Dg=342.4°,Ig=59.2°,κg=32.3,α95=8.6°;Ds=352.4°,Is=49.9°,κs=59.1,α95=6.3°,相对应的古地磁极位置为:79.7°N,295.9°E,dp=5.6°,dm=8.4°,α95=6.9°.这一高温分量通过了倒转检验,代表了研究区上新世时期的原生特征剩磁.通过对英吉沙背斜周缘断裂及形成的大地构造背景分析,结合其地貌特征、GPS数据,认为英吉沙背斜在开始形成至今经历了明显的逆时针构造旋转,该旋转同晚新生代以来帕米尔东北缘喀什凹陷发生刚性构造旋转运动有着密切的关系.     

塔里木陆块新元古代—早古生代古板块再造及漂移轨迹

塔里木陆块周缘的新元古界地层记录了涉及Rodinia聚合和裂解的构造热事件,但塔里木在Rodinia超大陆中的位置以及在Rodinia裂解后如何运动尚无定论.采用收集的古地磁数据,并结合塔里木西北缘阿克苏地区的野外工作以及塔里木周缘代表性岩石如A型花岗岩、基性岩墙群、大陆溢流玄武岩和双峰式火山岩等的同位素年代学数据,将塔里木陆块从Rodinia超大陆中裂解的时间限制在830～ 700 Ma BP.之后,塔里木陆块随澳洲板块一起加入冈瓦纳大陆.约在450Ma BP,塔里木陆块和澳洲板块发生分离,并快速北漂,最终在晚古生代加入劳亚大陆.新元古代—早古生代,塔里木陆块整体上从北半球较高纬度向南半球漂移,并在奥陶纪向北半球快速回返.