Late Hercynian remagnetization of Tournaisian series from the Laval syncline,Armorican Massif,France

Paleomagnetic investigations have been conducted on Tournaisian volcanics and sediments from the Laval syncline, in order to evaluate the consequences of the Late Variscan tectonic and thermic phases. On the southern flank of the syncline, anisotropy measurements have yielded maximum susceptibility in the schistosity planes. Thermal demagnetization exhibits only remagnetizations, characterized by a large range of blocking temperatures (from 350° to 670°C). Two phases of remagnetization seem to follow each other. The first may have occurred during the Tournaisian major orogenic phase. The second has taken place during the latest Stephanian/earliest Permian, in relation with the latest Variscan thermal event. All results are in favour of a clockwise rotation by 15–40° of the Laval syncline after the latest overprints. According to results from other regions of Brittany, this clockwise rotation involved the whole Armorican Massif. This motion may be related to the latest compression phase which has tightened the Ibero-Armorican arc, well before the Permo-Triassic opening of the Bay of Biscay.