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North American Jurassic Apparent Polar Wander: Implications for Plate Motion, Paleogeography, and Cordilleran Tectonics Steven R

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North American Jurassic Apparent Polar Wander: Implications for Plate Motion, Paleogeography, and Cordilleran Tectonics Steven R University of Portland Pilot Scholars Environmental Studies Faculty Publications and Environmental Studies Presentations 10-10-1986 North American Jurassic Apparent Polar Wander: Implications for Plate Motion, Paleogeography, and Cordilleran Tectonics Steven R. May Robert F. Butler University of Portland, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://pilotscholars.up.edu/env_facpubs Part of the Environmental Sciences Commons, and the Geophysics and Seismology Commons Citation: Pilot Scholars Version (Modified MLA Style) May, Steven R. and Butler, Robert F., "North American Jurassic Apparent Polar Wander: Implications for Plate Motion, Paleogeography, and Cordilleran Tectonics" (1986). Environmental Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations. 10. http://pilotscholars.up.edu/env_facpubs/10 This Journal Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Environmental Studies at Pilot Scholars. It has been accepted for inclusion in Environmental Studies Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of Pilot Scholars. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JOURNAL OF GEOPHYSICAL RESEARCH, VOL. 91, NO. B11, PAGES 11 1 519-11,544, OCTOBER 10, 1986 NORTH AMERICAN JURASSIC APPARENT POLAR WANDER1 IMPLICATIONS FOR PLATE MOTION, PALEOGEOGRAPHY AND CORDILLERAN TECTONICS Steven R. Mayl and Robert F. Butler Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson Abstract. Eight paleomagnetic poles are con­ Paleomagnetic studies for cratonic North sidered to be reliable Jurassic reference poles America have been overshadowed in recent years by for cratonic North America. These poles form a the popularity of using paleomagnetism to con­ consistent chronological progression defining two strain the motion histories of suspect terranes arcuate tracks of apparent polar wander (APW) within the western Cordillera [Beck, 1976, 19801 from Sinemurian through Tithonian time (203-145 Hillhouse, 19771 Hillhouse and Gromme, 19801 Ma). Combined with reliable Triassic and Creta­ Irving et al., 1985]. Unfortunately, our under­ ceous reference poles, the resulting path is well standing of the North American APW path is not so modeled by paleomagnetic Euler pole (PEP) analy­ advanced as to warrant this neglect especially sis and is significantly different from previous for certain time intervals like the Jurassic. APW compilations. These differences reflect Reliable estimates of relative latitudinal dis­ differences in original data sets, modes of placements of suspect terranes are ultimately analysis, and geologic time scales and translate constrained by the accuracy of cratonic reference into substantial and important differences in poles, yet perusal of recent compilations auch as paleolatitude estimates for cratonic North Irving and Irving [ 1982] and Harrison and Lindh America. PEP analysis reveals two cusps, or (1982] reveals intervals of geologic time for changes in the direction of APW1 one in the Late which confidence parameters associated with Triassic to Early Jurassic (Jl) and one in the reference poles are very large. Such uncertain­ Late Jurassic (J2). The Jl cusp represents the ties translate directly into imprecise and change in North American absolute plate motion potentially inaccurate estimations of the paleo­ aBSociated with rifting of the central Atlantic la ti tud ina l history of North America. The and Gulf of Mexico, while the J2 cusp correlates Jurassic has been a particularly blatant example temporally with the marine magnetic anomaly M21 of this problem because of the paucity of well plate reorganization and to various North dated, reliable paleopoles, coupled with an American intraplate tectonomagmatic events (e.g., unusually large amount of apparent polar wander. Nevadan Orogeny). Analysis of pole progression The Late Triassic-Jurassic North American APW along the Jl to J2 and J2 to Cretaceous APW path records the opening and early plate motion tracks indicates constant angular plate velocity evolution of the central Atlantic Ocean basin of 0.6°-o. 1° /m.y. from 203 to 150 Ma followed by [Steiner, 1975, 1983]. Geometric analysis of the significantly higher velocity from 150 to 130? path can be directly related to plate reorganiza­ Ma. Late Triassic-Jurassic reference poles indi­ tion and North American absolute motion within cate more southerly paleolatitudes for cratonic the geologically-geophysically constrained rift North America than have previous compilations and drift history. The timing of first-order requiring modification of displacement scenarios changes in the shape of the APW path as deduced for suspect terranes along the western Cordil­ by paleomagnetic Euler pole (PEP) analysis lera. [Gordon et al., 1984] corresponds remarkably well with various global and regional plate and intra­ Introduction plate tectonic events suggesting causal relation­ ships. The time scale used is that of Harland et An apparent polar wander (APW) path is a time al. (1982]. sequence of paleomagnetic poles that records the paleolatitude and azimuthal orientation of a North American Jurassic APW plate within the dipolar geomagnetic field [Irving, 1977, 1979]. Invocation of the axial Historical Development of the JuraBBic APW Path geocentric dipole hypothesis permits sequential palaeogeographies to be constructed within a The first Jurassic paleomagnetic results from reference frame tied to the rotation axis. APW North America were described by Collinson and paths contain information regarding both the Runcorn (1960]. Poles from the Kayenta and direction and velocity of plate motion and there­ Carmel formations on the Colorado Plateau were fore are fundamental to analyses of plate kine­ used to construct the APW path shown in Figure matics, terrane displacements, and paleogeog­ la. As was common during this time, the calcu­ raphy. For this reason, APW paths require lated poles were based solely on directions of constant revision and reinterpretation as new natural remanent magnetism (NRM) without aid of paleomagnetic, geochronologic, and tectonic data current demagnetization techniques. In the case become available. of the Kayenta and Carmel Formations, NRM data provided very poor estimates of true pole posi­ t ions. Subsequent work has shown that these 1 Now at Exxon Production Research Company, units have significant Cenozoic or present field Houston, Texas. secondary overprints which have been successfully removed from Kayenta samples but not from the Copyright 1986 by the American Geophysical Union. Carmel Formation [Steiner and Helsley, 19741 Steiner, 1983]. The Mesozoic APW path con­ Paper number 6B5934. structed by Collinson and Runcorn [1960] shows a 0148-0227/86/006B-5934$05.00 gle track of polar motion from Early Triassic 11 ,519 11,520 May and Butler1 Jurassic Apparent Polar Wander Fig. 1. ''Late Triaaaic" through Juraaaic North American APW paths. (a) Collinson and Runcorn [1960); Trc, Triassic Chugwater Formation; Trm, Triassic Moenkopi Formation; Trn, "Triassic" Newark Group rocks; Jk, Jurassic Kayenta Formation; Jc, Jurassic Carmel Formation. (b) Irving and Park [1972); TR, Triassic; J, Jurassic; and K, Cretaceous mean poles with associated A95 confidence circles. (c) Harrison and Lindh [1982). (d) Irving and Irving [1982), Figures le and ld were constructed with a "sliding-window" technique and show mean pole locations with A95 confidence circles. Mean ages of selected reference poles are shown in millions of years. Chugwater and Moenkopi Formation poles through a was baaed on an average of poles from the White "Late Triassic Newark Formation" pole to the Mountain Magma Series [Opdyke and Wenaink, 1966), Jurassic Carmel and Kayenta poles, the average of the Anticoati Island diabase dike [Larochelle, which was indistinguishable from the geographic 1971), the Island Intrusions [Symons, 1970), and north pole. the Kayenta Formation pole of Collinson and Irving [1964) concluded that there were no Runcorn [ 1960]. reliable Jurassic paleopolea for North America Ironically, we now recognize that much of the and pointed out that the Kayenta and Carmel early paleomagnetic work by DuBois et al. [1957), Formation results of Collinson and Runcorn [1960) Opdyke [1961), deBoer [1967, 1968), and Beck were biased by present field overprint and were [1972) on Newark Supergroup and related rocks of not representative of the Jurassic paleofield. the northeastern United States was applicable to However, Irving and Park [1972) published a mean Jurassic APW. However, until the late 1970s, Juraaaic pole which, like the earlier Collinson these rocks were considered to be Late Triassic and Runcorn result, was statistically coincident rather than Early Jurassic. with the geographic pole (Figure lb). Thia pole McElhinny [1973) included only two paleopoles May and Butler1 Jurassic Apparent Polar Wander 11 '521 within hia Jurassic mean pole, those being the appear to be any satisfactory scheme free of White Mountain Magma Series pole [Opdyke and subjectivity. Although basically employing a 30- Wenaink, 1966] and the "Appalachian Mesozoic m.y. sliding window, Harrison and Lindh [1982] dikes" pole of deBoer [1967]. The resultant mean diacuaa a modification for constructing APW paths Jurassic pole at 76°N, 142°E lacked an associated baaed on weighting individual paleopoles ac­ confidence oval but waa used to define a track of cording to their "information content." Part of APW connecting Triassic and Cretaceous poles this technique involves weighting poles depending exclusive of the north pole.
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