Abstract
New pole positions for Triassic and Cretaceous times have been obtained from volcanic and sedimentary sequences in Central Iran. These new results confirm the general trend of the Apparent Polar Wander Path (APWP) of the Central-East-Iran microplate (CEIM) from the Triassic through the Tertiary as published by Soffel and Förster (1983, 1984). Two new palaeopoles for the Triassic of the CEIM have been obtained; limestones and tuffs from the Nakhlak region yield a mean direction of 094.0°/25.0°, N=12, k=4.1,α 95=24.7°, after bedding correction, corresponding to a palaeopole position of 310.8°E; 3.9°S, and volcanic rocks from the Sirjan regions yield a mean direction of 114.5°/35.1°, N=44, k=45.9,α 95=3.2° after bedding correction and a palaeopole position of 295.8°E; 10.3°N. Combining these with the two previously published results yields a new palaeopole position of 317.5°E; 12.7°N, for the Triassic of the CEIM, thus confirming that large counterclockwise rotations of the CEIM have occurred since the Triassic time. New results have also been obtained from Cretaceous limestones from the Saghand region of the CEIM. The mean direction of 340.7°/26.3°, N=33, k=44.3,α 95=3.8°, and the corresponding palaeopole position of 283.1°E; 64.4°N, is in agreement with previously determined Cretaceous palaeopole positions of the CEIM. Furthermore, results have also been obtained from Triassic dolomite, limestone, sandstone and siltstone from the Natanz region, which is located to the west of the CEIM. A total of 161 specimens from 44 cores taken at five sites gave a mean direction of the five sites at 033.3°/25.1°, N=5, k=69.0,α 95=9.3° and a palaeopole position of 167.2°E; 53.7°N. They pass the positive fold test of McElhinny (1964) on the level of 99% confidence. This pole position is in fairly good agreement with the mean Triassic pole position of the Turan Plate (149°E; 49°N). It indicates that the area of Natanz has not undergone the large counterclockwise rotation relative to the Turan plate since the Triassic, which has been shown for the CEIM. A Triassic palaeogeographic reconstruction of Iran, Arabia (Gondwana) and the Turan Plate (Eurasia) is also presented.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Adib D (1978) Geology of the metamorphic complex at the south-western margin of the Central-East Iran microplate (Neyriz area). N Jb Geol Paläont Abh 156:393–409
Becker H, Förster H, Soffel HC (1973) Central Iran, a former part of Gondwanaland? Palaeomagnetic evidence from Infracambrian rocks and iron ores of the Bafq area, Central Iran. Z Geophys 39:953–963
Brunn JH (1976) Über die Entstehung gefalteter Ketten: Kollisions-Tektonik und induzierte Bögen. Z Dtsch Geol Ges 127:323–335
Davoudzadeh M, Seyed-Emami K (1972) Stratigraphy of the Triassic Nakhlak Group Anarak region, Central Iran. Geol Surv Iran Rep 28:5–28
Davoudzadeh M, Schmidt K (1982) Zur Trias des Iran. Geol Rundsch 71:1021–1039
Davoudzadeh M, Weber-Diefenbach K (1987) Contribution to the paleogeography, stratigraphy and tectonics of the Upper Paleozoic of Iran. N Jahrb Geol Paläont Abh 175:121–145
Davoudzadeh M, Soffel HC, Schmidt K (1981) On the rotation of the Central-East-Iran microplate. N Jahrb Geol Paläontol MH 3:180–192
Khramov AN, Rodionov VP (1980) Palaeomagnetism and reconstruction of the palaeogeographic positions of the Siberian and Russian Plates during the Late Proterozoic and Palaeozoic. J Geomagn Geol 32 (Suppl III):23–37
McElhinny MW (1964) Statistical significance of the fold test in Paleomagnetism. Geophys J R Astr Soc 8:338–340
McFadden P, McElhinny MW (1990) Classification of the reversal test in palaeomagnetism. Geophys J Int 103:725–729
Rolf C (1991) Paläo- und gesteinsmagnetische Untersuchungen an Proben aus dem Zentraliran und Reinterpretation paläomagnetischer Ergebnisse aus der Zentral-Ost-Iran Mikroplatte (CEIM) unter Berücksichtigung geologischer Modelle. Dissertation, Fakultät für Geowissenschaften, Universität München, pp 1–125
Schmidt S (1992) Paläomagnetische und gesteinsmagnetische Untersuchungen an Gesteinen aus dem NW Iran. MSc. Thesis, Institut für Allgemeine und Angewandte Geophysik, Universität München, pp 1–110
Schmidt K, Soffel HC (1983) Mesozoic-Cenozoic geological events in Central-East-Iran and their relation to palaeomagnetic results. Geol Surv Iran Rep 51:27–35
Schmidt K, Soffel HC (1984) Mesozoic-Cenozoic geological events in Central-East-Iran and their relation to palaeomagnetic results. N Jahrb Geol Paläontol Abh 168:173–181
Soffel HC, Förster HG (1980) Apparent polar wander path of Central Iran and its geotectonic interpretation. J Geomagn Geoelectr (Suppl III):117–135
Soffel HC, Förster HG (1983) Polar wander path of the Central-East-Iran microplate including new results. Geol Surv Iran Rep 51:13–26
Soffel HC, Förster HG (1984) Polar wander path of the Central-East-Iran microplate including new results. N Jahrb Geol Paläontol Abh 168:165–172
Soffel HC, Förster H, Becker H (1975) Preliminary polar wander path of Central Iran. J Geophys 41:541–543
Soffel HC, Davoudzadeh M, Rolf C (1989) Palaeomagnetic investigations on Phanerozoic formations from Iran: reinterpretation of measurements between 1972 and 1982. Münchner Geophys Mitt Münchner Univers Schriften 4:23–56
Soffel HC, Davoudzadeh M, Rolf C (1992) A New Polar Wander Path of the Central East Iran Microplate (CEIM) and its tectonic interpretation. Geosci Sci Q J Geol Surv Iran 2 (5):2–24
Stöcklin J (1974) Possible ancient continental margins in Iran. In: Burk CA, Drake CL (eds) The geology of continental margins, pp 873–887
Stöcklin J (1977) Structural correlation of the Alpine ranges between Iran and Central Asia. Mem Soc Geol France Ser H 8:333–353
Takin M (1972) Iranian geology and continental drift in the Middle East. Nature 235 (5334):147–150.
Van der Voo R (1993) Palaeomagnetism of the Atlantic, Tethys and Iapetus Oceans. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge
Wensink H (1979) The implication of some palaeomagnetic data from Iran for its structural history. Geol Mynbouw 58:175–185
Wensink H (1982) Tectonic inferences of palaeomagnetic data from some Mesozoic formations in Central Iran. J Geophys 51:12–23
Wensink H (1983) Palaeomagnetism of Red Beds of Early Devonian age from Central Iran. Earth Planet Sci Lett 63:325–334
Wensink H, Varekamp JC (1980) Palaeomagnetism of basalts from Alborz: Iran part of Asia in the Cretaceous. Tectonophysics 68:113–129
Zahedi M (1973) Etude géologique de la région de Soh (W de l’Iran Central). Geol Surv Iran Rep 27:1–197
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Soffel, H.C., Schmidt, S., Davoudzadeh, M. et al. New palaeomagnetic data from Central Iran and a Triassic palaeoreconstruction. Geol Rundsch 85, 293–302 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02422235
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02422235