Abstract
Kinematic analysis of the deformation in the Shetland ophiolitic nappe (Unst and Fetlar islands) and in the underthrust Caledonian basement indicates a northeastward sense of nappe emplacement. This deformation is interpreted as Silurian in age. It occurred in greenschist facies metamorphic conditions and it post-dated the initial thrusting of the ophiolite in the oceanic domain. The similarities found between the emplacement histories of the Shetland and Scandinavian ophiolites can be accounted for by a three-plate model for the Caledonian orogen. The northeasterly direction of nappe emplacement in Shetland, parallel to the axis of the Caledonian belt, is attributed to the proximity of a zone of large sinistral transcurrent motion.
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