Abstract
In this paper, we provide two new Triassic palaeomagnetic poles from Winterswijk, the Netherlands, in the stable interior of the Eurasian plate. They were respectively collected from the Anisian (~ 247–242 Ma) red marly limestones of the sedimentary transition of the Buntsandstein Formation to the dark grey limestones of the basal Muschelkalk Formation, and from the Rhaetian (~ 208–201 Ma) shallow marine claystones that unconformably overlie the Muschelkalk Formation. The magnetization is carried by hematite or magnetite in the Anisian limestones, and iron sulfides and magnetite in the Rhaetian sedimentary rocks, revealing for both a large normal polarity overprint with a recent (geocentric axial dipole field) direction at the present latitude of the locality. Alternating field and thermal demagnetization occasionally reveal a stable magnetization decaying towards the origin, interpreted as the Characteristic Remanent Magnetization. Where we find a pervasive (normal polarity) overprint, we can often still determine well-defined great-circle solutions. Our interpreted palaeomagnetic poles include the great-circle solutions. The Anisian magnetic pole has declination D ± ∆Dx = 210.8 ± 3.0°, inclination I ± ∆Ix = − 26.7 ± 4.9°, with a latitude, longitude of 45.0°, 142.0° respectively, K = 43.9, A95 = 2.9°, N = 56. The Rhaetian magnetic pole has declination D ± ∆Dx = 32.0 ± 8.7°, inclination I ± ∆Ix = 50.9 ± 8.1°, with a latitude, longitude of 60.6°, 123.9° respectively, K = 19.3, A95 = 7.4°, N = 21. The poles plot close to the predicted location of global apparent polar wander paths (GAPWaPs) in Eurasian coordinates and are feasible for future apparent polar wander path construction. They confirm that the intracontinental, shallow-marine Germanic Basin, in which the Muschelkalk Formation was deposited, existed at a palaeolatitude of 14.1° [11.3, 17.1] N, in a palaeo-environment reminding of the Persian Gulf today. In Rhaetian times, palaeolatitudes of 31.6° [24.8, 39.8] N were reached, on its way to the modern latitude of 52°N.
Highlights
Palaeogeographic reconstructions provide essential context and boundary conditions for the study of deep-time geological, climatological, and biological processes (Blakey 2008; Scotese and Schettino 2017; Torsvik and Cocks 2017)
From the direction of the magnetic field preserved in a rock, a location may be calculated of the associated palaeomagnetic pole, and when that pole does not coincide with the modern geographic north pole, net plate motion relative to such poles may be calculated (e.g., Tauxe 2010)
With relative motions of major plates relative to each other constrained, all poles from stable plate interiors may be rotated into a common reference location, and a global apparent polar wander path (GAPWaP) may be calculated (e.g., Besse and Courtillot 2002; Kent and Irving 2010; Torsvik et al 2012)
Summary
Palaeogeographic reconstructions provide essential context and boundary conditions for the study of deep-time geological, climatological, and biological processes (Blakey 2008; Scotese and Schettino 2017; Torsvik and Cocks 2017). For times of the supercontinent Pangea, in Triassic time (~ 251–201 Ma), such reconstructions are primarily based on plate tectonic reconstructions using marine magnetic anomalies, which show how continents (2019) 8:30 to the Earth’s spin axis (for palaeo-climate and environment studies), or relative to modern mantle structure (for studies on geodynamic processes) (e.g., Cox and Hart 1986; Besse and Courtillot 2002; Torsvik et al 2008; Kent and Irving 2010; van Hinsbergen et al 2015). With relative motions of major plates relative to each other constrained, all poles from stable plate interiors may be rotated into a common reference location, and a global apparent polar wander path (GAPWaP) may be calculated (e.g., Besse and Courtillot 2002; Kent and Irving 2010; Torsvik et al 2012). It is important to collect new poles from stable continental interiors
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