Paleomagnetic evidence for a large (∼2,000 km) sinistral offset along the Great Glen fault during Carboniferous time

Abstract

Research Article| December 01, 1981 Paleomagnetic evidence for a large (∼2,000 km) sinistral offset along the Great Glen fault during Carboniferous time Rob Van der Voo; Rob Van der Voo 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Chris Scotese Chris Scotese 2Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Rob Van der Voo 1Department of Geological Sciences, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109 Chris Scotese 2Department of Geophysical Sciences, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60637 Publisher: Geological Society of America First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Online ISSN: 1943-2682 Print ISSN: 0091-7613 Geological Society of America Geology (1981) 9 (12): 583–589. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1981)9<583:PEFALK>2.0.CO;2 Article history First Online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Rob Van der Voo, Chris Scotese; Paleomagnetic evidence for a large (∼2,000 km) sinistral offset along the Great Glen fault during Carboniferous time. Geology 1981;; 9 (12): 583–589. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1981)9<583:PEFALK>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Middle to Late Devonian paleomagnetic data from cratonic North America and Europe indicate that a 2,000-km sinistral displacement occurred between these two continents during Carboniferous time. Because the Lewisian basement of northwest Scotland and the Archean-Proterozoic basement in Greenland have strong geologic affinities, the fault(s) responsible for the displacement are likely to be found to the south of the northwestern Scottish Lewisian basement. In addition, published paleomagnetic directions for Middle to Upper Devonian rocks from the Orcadian Basin in Scotland give a mean pole near lat 50°N, long 150°E (A95 = 8.8°; K = 76.9; N = 5), which is in excellent agreement with the cratonic North American pole for this time, after closing of the Atlantic Ocean. A comparison between the Orcadian Basin results and those from areas to the south of the Great Glen fault in Scotland and England (mean pole near lat 31°N, long 152°E for Great Britain), reveals a paleolatitude difference of more than 15° for contemporaneous rocks and suggests that most of the commensurate sinistral motion between the North American craton and Europe took place along the Great Glen fault. Previous explanations for the Orcadian Basin results were cast in terms of implausible remagnetizations; some of the previous analyses can be shown to be incorrect. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.