Paleomagnetism of Steel Mountain and Indian Head anorthosites from western Newfoundland

• Published in: Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences
• Main Authors: Murthy, G. S., Rao, K. V.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1976
• Subjects: General Earth and Planetary Sciences; Indian; Newfoundland
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/e76-007; http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/e76-007

As part of studies of anorthosites from the northern hemisphere, the paleomagnetism of two anorthosite inliers at Indian Head and Steel Mountain in western Newfoundland is described. The six sites at Indian Head retain a stable remanent magnetization and yield a paleomagnetic pole at 8 °S, 157½° E(δp = 15°, δm = 20°). This is close to poles for anorthositic and other rock units from within the Grenville Province that represent magnetization of age 1000 m. y., suggesting that there is no relative rotation between western Newfoundland and the southeastern part of the Canadian Shield, at least since the time of the Grenville orogeny. The ten sites at Steel Mountain also retain a stable magnetization, which yields a paleomagnetic pole at 22½° S, 41 °W (δp = 8°, δm = 14°). This position is closer to lower Paleozoic poles from Newfoundland and thus probably represents a lower Paleozoic magnetization.