Abstract
The reliability of an Apparent Polar Wander Path (APWP) obviously depends on the paleomagnetic poles used to determine it. The APWP of Africa and South America are fairly well defined for the 330–260 Ma interval. However, this study pointed out a moderate shift between these two curves, and an incoherency of the South American data, contrary to the African ones, which are homogeneous. A number of South American pole positions were re-evaluated in an effort to better constrain the APWP for the entire continent. Most of discarded poles correspond to sites at the area of the junction of Cordillera with the stable craton. That could have structural implications for the evolution of the western margin of the Gondwana. A new criterion for the evaluation of paleomagnetic poles reliability for APWP is presented. Based on comparison of data from different continents and labeled “coherence” criterion, it is independent from Van der Voo’s ones.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Amenna M., Derder M.E.M., Henry B., Bayou B., Maouche H., Bouabdallah H., Ouabadi A., Beddiaf M. and Ayache M., 2014. Improved Moscovian part of the Gondwana APWP for paleocontinental reconstructions, obtained from a first paleomagnetic pole, age-constrained by a fold test, from In Ezzane area in the Murzuq basin (Algeria, Stable Africa). J. Afr. Earth Sci., 99, 342–352. DOI: 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2013.12.006.
Amenna M., 2015. Applications du paléomagnétisme dans la bordure occidentale du bassin de Murzuq en Algérie. PhD Thesis. USTHB Houari Boumediene University, Algiers, Algeria (in French).
Arriagada C., Roperch P., Mpodozis C. and Fernandez R., 2006. Paleomagnetism and tectonics of the southern Atacama Desert (25-28°S), northern Chile. Tectonics, 25, TC4001.
Beck M., 1998, On the mechanism of crustal block rotations in the central Andes. Tectonophysics, 299, 75–92.
Besse J. and Courtillot V., 2002. Apparent and true polar wander and the geometry of the geomagnetic field over the last 200 Myr. J. Geophys. Res., 107, 2300, DOI: 10.1029/2000JB000050.
Brandt D., Ernesto M., Rocha-Campos A.C. and Dos Santos R., 2009. Paleomagnetism of the Santa Fé Group, central Brazil: Implications for the late Paleozoic apparent polar wander path for South America. J. Geophys. Res., 114, B02101, DOI: 10.1029/2008JB005735.
Butler R.F., 1992. Paleomagnetism: Magnetic Domains to Geologic Terranes. Blackwell Science (http://www.geo.arizona.edu/Paleomag/book/).
Butler R., Richards D., Sempere T. and Marshall L., 1995, Paleomagnetic determinations of vertical-axis tectonic rotations from Late Cretaceous and Paleocene strata of Bolivia. Geology, 23, 799–802.
Carrapa B., Huntington K.W., Clementz M., Quadel J., Bywater-Reyes S., Schoenbohm L.M. and Canavan R.R., 2014. Uplift of the Central Andes of NW Argentina associated with upper crustal shortening, revealed by multiproxy isotopic analyses. Tectonics, 33, 1039–1054 DOI: 10.1002/2013TC003461
Creer K.M., Irving E. and Runcorn S.K., 1954. The direction of the geomagnetic field in remote epochs in Great Britain. J. Geomagn. Geoelectr., 6, 163–168.
Creer K.M., 1970 A palaeomagnetic survey of South American rock formations. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. A, 267, 457–557.
Daxberger H. and Ritler U., 2015. Kinematics of Neogene to Recent upper-crustal deformation in the southern Central Andes (23°–28°S) inferred from fault-slip analysis: Evidence for gravitational spreading of the Puna Plateau. Tectonophysics, 642, 16–28.
Derder M.E.M., Henry B., Merabet N. and Daly L., 1994. Paleomagnetism of the Stephano-Autunian lower Tiguentourine formation from stable Saharan craton (Algeria). Geophys. J. Int., 116, 12–22.
Derder M.E.M., Henry B., Merabet N., Amenna M. and Bourouis S., 2001a. Upper Carboniferous paleomagnetic pole from stable Saharan craton and the Gondwana reconstructions. J. Afr. Earth Sci., 32, 491–502.
Derder M.E.M., Henry B., Bayou B., Amenna M. and Djellit H., 2001b. New Moscovian paleomagnetic pole from the Edjeleh fold (Saharan craton, Algeria). Geophys. J. Int., 147, 343–355.
Derder M.E.M., Henry B., Bayou B., Ouabadi A., Bellon H., Djellit H., Khaldi A., Amenna M., Baziz K., Hemmi A. and Guemache M.A., 2006. New African Lower Carboniferous paleomagnetic pole from intrusive rocks of the Tin Serririne basin (Southern border of the Hoggar, Algeria). Tectonophysics, 418, 189–203.
Domeier M., Van der Voo R., Tohver E., Tomezzoli R.N., Vizán H., Torsvik T.H. and Kirshner J., 2011a. New Late Permian paleomagnetic data from Argentina: Refinement of the apparent polar wander path of Gondwana, Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 12, Q07002, DOI: 10.1029/2011GC003616.
Domeier M., Van der Voo R., Tomezzoli R.N., Tohver E., Hendriks B.W.H., Torsvik H., Vizán T.H. and Dominguez A., 2011b. Support for an “A-type” Pangea reconstruction from high-fidelity Late Permian and Early to Middle Triassic paleomagnetic data from Argentina. J. Geophys. Res., 116, B12114, DOI: 10.1029/2011JB008495.
Domeier M., Van der Voo R. and Torsvik T.H., 2012. Paleomagnetism and Pangea: The road to reconciliation. Tectonophysics, 514-517, 14–43.
Embleton B.J.J., 1970. Nuevos estudios paleomagnéticos del Neopaleozoico (Paganzo II) de la República Argentina. Revista Asoc. Geol. Argentina, 25(1), 101–110 (in Spanish).
Ernesto M., Chiaramonti P.C. and de Barros Gomes C., 2015. The Early Triassic magmatism of the Alto Paraguay Province, Central South America: Paleomagnetic and ASM data. Open Geosci., 1, 386–394.
Fisher R.A., 1953. Dispersion on a sphere. Proc. R. Soc. London A, 217, 295–305.
Geuna S.E. and Vizán H., 1998. New Early Cretaceous palaeomagnetic pole from Córdoba Province (Argentina): revision of previous studies and implications for the South American database. Geophys. J. Int., 135, 1085–1100.
Geuna S.E. and Escosteguy L.D., 2004. Palaeomagnetism of the Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian transition from Paganzo basin, Argentina. Geophys. J. Int., 157, 1071–1089.
Geuna S.E., Escosteguy L.D. and Limarino C.O., 2010. Paleomagnetism of the Carboniferous-Permian Patquia Formation, Paganzo basin, Argentina: implications for the apparent polar wander path for South America and Gondwana during the Late Palaeozoic. Geol. Acta, 8, 373–397, DOI: 10.1344/105.000001578.
Gilder S., Rousse S., Farber D., McNulty B., Sempere T., Torres V. and Palacios O., 2003, Post-Middle Oligocene origin of paleomagnetic rotations in Upper Permian to Lower Jurassic rocks from northern and southern Peru. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 210, 233–248, DOI: 10.1016/S0012-821X(03)00102-X.
Harrison G.S.A. and Lindh T., 1982. A polar wandering curve for North-America during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. J. Geophys. Res., 87(B3), 1903–1920.
Henry B., Merabet N., Yelles Chaouche A., Derder M.E.M. and Daly L., 1992. Geodynamical implications of a Moscovian palaeomagnetic pole from the stable Sahara craton (Illizi basin, Algeria). Tectonophysics, 201, 83–96.
Henry B., Merabet N., Derder M.E.M. and Bayou B. 2004. Chemical remagnetizations in the Illizi basin (Saharan craton, Algeria). Geophys. J. Int., 156, 200–212.
Henry B., Derder M.E.M., Amenna M., Maouche S., Bayou B., Ouabadi A., Bouabdallah H., Ayache M., Beddiaf M. and Bastandji R., 2014. Paleomagnetic dating of continental geological formations: Strong diachronism evidenced in the Saharan platform and geodynamical implications. J. Afr. Earth Sci., 99, 353–362. DOI: 10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2014.02.010.
Irving E. and Hastie J., 1975. Catalogue of Paleomagnetic Directions and Poles. Volume 2. Geomagnetic Series 3, Earth Physics Branch, Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
Irving E., Tanczyk E. and Hastie J., 1976a. Catalogue of Paleomagnetic Directions and Poles. Volume 3. Geomagnetic Series 5, Earth Physics Branch, Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
Irving E., Tanczyk E. and Hastie J., 1976b. Catalogue of Paleomagnetic Directions and Poles. Volume 4. Geomagnetic Series 6, Earth Physics Branch, Energy, Mines and Resources Canada, Ottawa, Canada.
Irving, E., Tanczyk, E., Hastie, J., 1976c. Catalogue of paleomagnetic directions and poles, fifth issue. Publ. Earth Phys. Branch, Ottawa, Geomagn. Series, 10: 87 pp.
Irving E. and Irving G.A., 1982. Apparent polar wander paths from Carboniferous through Cenozoic and the assembly of Gondwana. Geophys. Surv., 5, 141–188.
Jupp P.E. and Kent J.T., 1987. Fitting smooth paths to spherical data. Appl. Stat., 36, 34–36.
Lamali A., Merabet N.E., Henry B., Maouche S., Hamoudi M. and Ayache M., 2014. Réaimantations énigmatiques des formations du Silurien et du Dévonien inférieur du Tassili N-Ajjer (Bassin d’Illizi, Algérie). Bull. Serv. Géol. Nat. Algérie, 25, 181–199 (in French).
Le Goff M., 1990. Lissage et limites d’incertitude des courbes de migration polaire: pondération des données et extension bivariate de la statistique de Fisher. Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. Paris, 311(II), 1191–1198 (in French).
Le Goff M., Henry B. and Daly L., 1992. Practical method for drawing VGP paths. Phys. Earth Planet Inter., 70, 201–204.
Li Z.X., Powell C.M.C.A. and Trench A., 1993. Paleozoic global reconstructions. In: Long J.A. (Ed.), Paleozoic vertebrate biostratigraphy and biogeography. London Belhaven Press, London, U.K., 25–53.
McElhinny M.W. and Lock J., 1996. IAGA paleomagnetic databases with Access. Surv. Geophys., 17, 575–591.
McElhinny M.W., Powell C.M.C.A. and Pisarevsky S.A., 2003. Paleozoic terranes of eastern Australia and the drift history of Gondwana. Tectonophysics, 362, 41–65.
Macedo-Sanchez O., Surmont J., Kissel C., Mitouard P. and Laj C., 1992, Late Cainozoic rotation of the Peruvian Western Cordillera and the uplift of the Central Andes. Tectonophysics, 205, 65–77.
McFadden B.J., Anaya F. and Swisher C.C. III, 1995, Neogene paleomagnetism and oroclinal bending of the Central Andes of Bolivia. J. Geophys. Res., 100, 8153–8167.
Nürnberg D. and Müller R.D., 1991. The tectonic evolution of the South Atlantic from Late Jurassic to present. Tectonophysics, 191, 27–53.
Powell C.M., Roots S.R. and Veevers J.J., 1988. Pre-breakup continental extension in East Gondwanaland and the early opening of the eastern Indian ocean. Tectonophysics, 155, 261–283.
Prezzi C.B. and Vilas J.F., 1998, New evidence of clockwise vertical axis rotations south of the Arica Elbow (Argentine Puna). Tectonophysics, 292, 85–100.
Rakotosolofo N.A., Tait J.A., Carlotto V. and Cárdenas J., 2006. Palaeomagnetic results from the Early Permian Copacabana Group, southern Peru: Implication for Pangea palaeogeography. Tectonophysics, 413, 287–299.
Rapalini A.E. and Vilas J.F., 1991. Tectonic rotations in the Late Palaeozoic continental margin of southern South America determined and dated by palaeomagnetism. Geophys. J. Int., 107, 333–351
Rapalini A. E., Fazzito S. and Orue D., 2006, A new late Permian paleomagnetic pole for stable South America: The Independencia Group, eastern Paraguay. Earth Planets Space, 58, 1247–1253.
Ricou L.E., Besse J., Marcoux J. and Patriat P., 1990. Une reconstruction du Gondwana révisée à partir de données pluridisciplinaires. Compt. Rend. Acad. Sci. II, 311, 463–469 (in French).
Schmidt P.W., Powell C.M.C.A., Li Z.X. and Thrupp G.A., 1990. Reliability of paleomagnetic poles and APWP of Gondwanaland. Tectonophysics, 184, 87–100.
Sinito A.M., Valencio D.A. and Vilas J.F. 1979. Palaeomagnetism of a sequence of upper Palaeozoic-lower Mesozoic red beds from Argentina. Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc., 58, 237–247.
Solano M.C., Goguitchaichvili A, Sanchez-Bettucci L., Cejudo-Ruiz R., Calvo-Rathert M., Ruiz-Martinez V.C., Soto R. and Alva-Valdivia L. 2010. Paleomagnetism of Early Cretaceous Arapey Formation (Northern Uruguay). Stud. Geophys. Geod., 54, 533–546.
Somoza R. and Tomlinson A., 2002, Paleomagnetism in the Precordillera of northern Chile (22-30-S); implications for the history of tectonic rotations in the Central Andes. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 194, 369–381.
Thompson R., 1972. Palaeomagnetic results from the Paganzo Basin of north-west Argentina. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 15, 145–156.
Thompson R. and Clark R.M., 1981. Fitting polar wander path. Phys. Earth Planet. Inter., 27, 1–7.
Tomezzoli R.N., 2009. The Apparent Polar Wander Path for South America during the Permian-Triassic. Gondwana Res., 15, 209–215.
Tomezzoli R.N., Vizán H., Tickyj H. and Woroszylo M.E., 2013. Revisión de la posición del polo paleomagnético de Sierra Chica en la curva de desplazamiento polar aparente del Gondwana. Proceedings of Third Biennial Meeting of Latinmag, Volume 3, Special Issue Montevideo (http://www.geofisica.unam.mx/LatinmagLetters/LL13-03-SP/LLv3spIndex.html, in Spanish).
Torsvik T.H., Müller R.D., Van der Voo R., Steinberger B. and Gaina C., 2008. Global plate motion frames: toward a unified model. Rev. Geophys., 46, RG3004.
Torsvik T.H., Van der Voo R., Preeden U., MacNiocaill C., Steinberger B., Doubrovine P.V., van Hinsbergen D.J.J., Domeier M., Gaina C., Tohver E., Meert J.G., McCausland P.J.A. and Cocks L.R.M., 2012. Phanerozoic polar wander, paleogeography and dynamics. Earth Sci. Rev., 114, 325–368, DOI: 10.1016/j.earscirev.2012.06.007.
Valencio D.A., Vilas J.F. and Mendía J.E., 1977. Paleomagnetism of a sequence of red beds of the middle and the upper sections of Paganzo Group (Argentina) and the correlation of Upper-Palaeozoic-Lower Mesozoic rocks. Geophys. J. R. Astron. Soc., 51, 59–74.
Van Alstine D.R. and de Boer J., 1979. A new technique for constructing apparent polar wander paths and a revised Phanerozoic path for North America. Geology, 6, 137–139.
Van der Voo R. 1990. The reliability of paleomagnetic data. Tectonophysics, 184, 1–9.
Wu L. and Kravchinsky V.A., 2014. Derivation of paleolongitude from the geometric parametrization of apparent polar wander path: implication for absolute plate motion reconstruction. Geophys. Res. Lett., 13, 4503–4511, DOI: 10.1002/2014GL060080.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Henry, B., Derder, M.E.M., Amenna, M. et al. Better constrained selection of the Paleozoic West Gondwana (South America) paleomagnetic poles for the APWP determination. Stud Geophys Geod 61, 185–198 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11200-016-1036-9
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11200-016-1036-9