Paleomagnetism of fluorite veins in the Devonian St. Lawrence granite, Newfoundland, Canada

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Authors: Kawasaki, K., Symons, D. T.A.
• Other Authors: Cook, F.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 2008
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Canada; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e08-045; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/E08-045; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/E08-045

Paleomagnetic results are reported from the Devonian St. Lawrence granite and the fluorite veins within the granite or its related porphyry dikes. Paleomagnetic analysis of 359 specimens from 29 sites shows that there is no statistically significant difference at 95% confidence between the site mean characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) directions carried by pyrrhotite and (or) magnetite of the granite and fluorite veins. No post-granite metamorphic event is known in the area. Thus, these concordant directions indicate that the granite and fluorite veins are coeval and retain a primary remanence. However, the mean ChRM direction of 25 vein and granite sites yields an Early Pennsylvanian paleopole of ∼316 Ma on the North American apparent polar wander path at 35.5°N, 129.2°E (A 95 = 3.4°) that is younger than the 374 ± 2 Ma Devonian U–Pb zircon age for the granite. Two intersecting vertical vein sets indicate that the St. Lawrence granite has not been tilted since emplacement of the fluorite veins. Therefore, the difference between the measured and expected paleopoles is interpreted to result from a postemplacement counterclockwise rotation of ∼17° of the St. Lawrence granite region about a vertical axis. Analysis of Carboniferous paleopoles in the northern Appalachian orogen indicates the rotation at the St. Lawrence area is Late Devonian during the Acadian orogeny.