Crustal Magnetism, Tectonic Inheritance, and Continental Rifting in the Southeastern United States
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The correct deadline for ballots is 6 April. See p. 60 for more information. Crustal magnetism, tectonic inheritance, and continental rifting in the southeastern United States E.H. Parker, Jr., University of Georgia, Department of Geology, 210 Field St., Athens, Georgia, 30602, USA, [email protected] ABSTRACT The Brunswick magnetic anomaly (BMA) in southern Georgia is coincident with seismic reflectivity marking the deep crustal suture between Laurentia and a crustal block of Gondwanan affinity. The source of the BMA remains enigmatic because of its apparent relationship with both the Permo-Carboniferous Alleghanian orogeny (ca. 315–270 Ma) and the emplacement of the Central Atlantic Magmatic Province (ca. 200 Ma). In this paper, the BMA is modeled using relatively weak (<0.5 A/m) reversed-polarity remanent magnetization in lower crustal rocks (16–24 km depth) outboard of the Laurentian margin. The acqui- sition of this magnetic signature is consistent with transpression and strike-slip motion along the margin during the initial stage of Alleghanian convergence, which overlaps with the Kiaman Reversed Superchron (ca. 320–263 Ma). Simple magnetic models show that the onshore segment of the BMA can be explained as an effect of continental collision rather than voluminous magmatism along the suture zone. If Central Atlantic Magmatic Province intrusions were not focused along the suture zone, then evidence for tectonic wedging at the crust-mantle boundary associated with Alleghanian convergence may be preserved along the onshore segment of the BMA, rather than over-printed by Mesozoic magmatism. INTRODUCTION Figure 1. Aeromagnetic map (red = high; blue = low) of the eastern margin of The Brunswick magnetic anomaly (BMA) coincides with deep North America showing the approximate locations of existing seismic profiles seismic reflectivity marking the Late Paleozoic Suwannee-Wiggins crossing the Brunswick magnetic anomaly (BMA) and East Coast magnetic suture zone (SWS) between Laurentia and a crustal block of anomaly (ECMA). Seismic profiles from EDGE 801, USGS 32, and BA-6 Gondwanan origin (McBride et al., 2005). In southern Georgia, indicate relatively abrupt crustal thinning from ~35 km to ~15 km across the prominent, south-dipping reflectors on Consortium for ECMA. Inboard of the ocean-continent transition, crustal thickness estimates Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP) lines crossing the range from 35 to 40 km on line BA-3 and 33–36 km for both Consortium for Continental Reflection Profiling (COCORP) transects. Strong dipping BMA define the lower crustal suture (Figs. 1 and 2) (McBride and reflectivity marking the Suwannee-Wiggins suture (SWS) is evident on EDGE Nelson, 1988). The reflectivity is interpreted as a mylonitic zone 801, BA-6, and both COCORP transects. The dipping reflectivity and change between Grenville-age North American basement and a in crustal structure as the BMA diverges from the ECMA suggest the magnetic Gondwanan crustal block accreted during the Permo- low is related to continental collision. BA—Brunswick anomaly; BSFZ—Blake Carboniferous Alleghanian orogeny (Thomas, 2010). Drilling Spur fracture zone. (Map modified from Tréhu et al., 1989; Austin et al., 1990; data across the Atlantic Coastal Plain show that the BMA is Sheridan et al., 1993; Lizarralde et al., 1994; North American Magnetic Anomaly Group, 2002; Bartholomew and Hatcher, 2010.) 2014 roughly coincident with the boundary between accreted peri- Gondwanan terranes and the Gondwanan Suwannee terrane (Chowns and Williams, 1983; Dallmeyer et al., 1987). However, Mesozoic rifting and emplacement of the Central Atlantic rocks related to the Suwannee terrane are found north of the BMA Magmatic Province (CAMP) overprint Alleghanian structure (Tauvers and Muehlberger, 1987), suggesting the magnetic across the southeastern United States. The Triassic–Jurassic South anomaly is more closely associated with the deep crustal suture Georgia basin cuts across the BMA (McBride, 1991), and rift basin than the upper-crustal terrane boundary. formation was followed by extensive magmatism across the GSA TODAY | APRIL/MAY GSA Today, v. 24, no. 4–5, doi: 10.1130/GSAT-G192A.1. 4 during continental rifting and emplacement of CAMP intru- sions in the southeastern United States. In this paper, the BMA is modeled using reversed-polarity remanent magnetization in lower crustal rocks (16–24 km depth) along the SWS and outboard of the Laurentian margin. Strong remanent magnetization (>3.0 A/m) of exhumed granulites in other collision zones (e.g., Australia, Adirondacks, Sweden) suggests that remanence may be the source of long-wavelength magnetic anomalies in the deep crust (McEnroe et al., 2004, and references therein). The reversed-polarity remanent magnetiza- tion of Gondwanan basement blocks may have been acquired during the Kiaman Reversed Superchron (ca. 320–263 Ma), the longest reversed polarity event in Earth’s history (Garcia et al.,