The analysis of Meso–Cenozoic paleomagnetic poles and the apparent polar wander path of Siberia

Abstract

The Meso-Cenozoic paleomagnetic data for the Siberian Platform and its closest folded framing are analyzed for compliance with four criteria: structural-tectonic coherence, the accuracy of dating the rocks and the corresponding characteristic component, quality assurance of the paleomagnetic field and laboratory procedures, and the degree of grouping of the characteristic components around the mean. It is established that (1) the reliable paleomagnetic data are highly nonuniformly distributed in time. The intervals 0–60, 80–120, and 180–220 Ma lack any paleomagnetically reliable poles. Three intervals (60–80, 160–180, and 220–240 Ma) are only characterized by a single reliable pole for each interval. Two intervals (120–140 and 140–160 Ma) have three reliable poles for each of them. The largest number of the reliable paleomagnetic poles (29) falls in the interval 243–251 Ma. (2) The analysis of the paleomagnetic data for the Mesozoic of the Siberian Platform, the Mesozoic segment of the apparent polar wander path (APWP) constructed from these data, and its comparison with the global APWP curve in the coordinates of stable Europe (Torsvik et al., 2008) discredit the hypothesis of the tectonic incoherence between Siberia and stable Europe throughout the Mesozoic. The available paleomagnetic data are in favour of complete tectonic coherence of the Siberia Platform and stable Europe from the Late Jurassic (150 Ma). The position of the Triassic poles of Siberia relative to the coeval poles of the global APWP in the coordinates of stable Europe suggests a clockwise rotation of the former relative to the latter by at least 14°–15°, which probably took place in the Late Triassic.