The Moniaive Shear Zone: a major zone of sinistral strike-slip deformation in the Southern Uplands of Scotland

Abstract

Synopsis The Moniaive Shear Zone is a recently delineated major zone of enhanced ductile deformation (up to 5 km wide) within the Southern Uplands of Scotland. The northern margin of the zone coincides with the Orlock Bridge Fault at the boundary between Ordovician and Silurian grey-wackes. Outwith the shear zone, the greywackes are typically weakly deformed, with the regional S1 fabric being developed within mudstone interbeds. Within the shear zone, Silurian Gala Group greywackes are deformed by locally pervasive linear and planar fabrics which yield a consistent sinistral sense of shear. The shear-zone fabric, in general, dips steeply towards the NW with its strike being sub-parallel to that of the regional S1 cleavage. Detailed petrological and micro-structural studies have demonstrated that the Moniaive Shear Zone comprises several zones of high strain enclosing lenticular domains of relatively low strain. The relationship between the Moniaive Shear Zone and the Cairnsmore of Fleet Granite indicates that the main phase of ductile movement on the zone occurred prior to 392 Ma although the exact age of ductile deformation on the shear zone is uncertain.