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For exceptions, permission may be sought for such use through Elsevier’s permissions site at: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/permissionusematerial Precambrian Research 154 (2007) 159–174 Age and paleomagnetic signature of the Alnø carbonatite complex (NE Sweden): Additional controversy for the Neoproterozoic paleoposition of Baltica Joseph G. Meert a,∗, Harald J. Walderhaug b, Trond H. Torsvik c,d,e, Bart W.H. Hendriks c a Department of Geological Sciences, 241 Williamson Hall, University of Florida, Gainesville, Fl 32611, USA b Department of Earth Science, University of Bergen, Allegt. 41, N5007 Bergen, Norway c Geological Survey of Norway, Leiv Eirikssons vei 39, N-7401 Trondheim, Norway d Institute for Petroleum Technology and Applied Geophysics, Norwegian University of Science & Technology, N-7491 NTNU, Norway e School of Geosciences, Private Bag 3, University of The Witwatersrand, WITS 2050, South Africa Received 19 July 2006; received in revised form 8 December 2006; accepted 22 December 2006 Abstract A paleomagnetic investigation of the Alnø carbonatite complex dikes was undertaken in an attempt to refine the apparent polar wander path for Baltica. The currently available paleomagnetic database for the Ediacaran–Cambrian segments of the Baltica APWP is marked by disparate (and often supposedly) coeval poles. This has led to remarkable conclusions about rapid rates of drift or true polar wander. Our study shows that the Alnø Complex (584 ± 7 Ma) is coeval with the Fen Carbonatite Complex (583 ± 15 Ma) via 40Ar/39Ar dating of biotite and K-feldspar. We identify three components of remanent magnetization in the Alnø Complex. The first is a low unblocking/coercivity component with a mean declination of 51.2◦ and inclination of +70.2◦ (k = 22, a95 = 8.3◦). A paleopole calculated from this direction falls at 62.7◦N, 101◦E. The high coercivity and unblocking components show a large spread in both declination and inclination. A somewhat artificial grouping of shallow–intermediate vectors (inclinations less than 60◦) yields a mean direction with a declination of 108.1◦ and an inclination of 10.5◦ (k = 5.3, a95 = 32.1◦). This direction is statistically indistinguishable from that obtained by Piper [Piper, J.D.A., 1981. Magnetic properties of the Alnøn complex. Geol. Foren. Stock. Forhandlingar, 103, 9–15 (Part 1)] and yields a paleomagnetic pole at 3.5◦N, 269◦E. Conversely, the remaining high unblocking/coercivity components (inclinations > 60◦) yields a second grouping with a mean declination of 28◦ and inclination of 76.8◦ (k = 24; a95 = 16.1◦; Fig. 5E). This direction is indistinguishable from the present Earth’s field at the site. We conclude that the Alnø Complex poles (and indeed many of the Ediacaran poles for Baltica) should be viewed with scepticism when used for paleogeographic/geodynamic models. © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Keywords: Baltica; Alnø; Carbonatite; 40Ar/39Ar dating; Paleomagnetism 1. Introduction Author's personalThe latest Neoproterozoic copy was a pivotal time in ∗ Corresponding author. Fax: +1 352 392 2231. Earth history, with the breakup of the supercontinent E-mail addresses: jmeert@ufl.edu, [email protected]fl.edu of Rodinia and possible “Snowball Earth” conditions (J.G. Meert). setting the scene for the Ediacaran and subsequent Cam- 0301-9268/$ – see front matter © 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. doi:10.1016/j.precamres.2006.12.008 160 J.G. Meert et al. / Precambrian Research 154 (2007) 159–174 brian biologic explosion (Knoll, 1996; Hoffman et al., to-low (Popov et al., 2002, 2005; Iglesia-Llanos et 1998; Meert and Torsvik, 2003). In this context, reli- al., 2005) or equatorial (Piper, 1981; Eneroth, 2002; able paleomagnetic data are crucial to demonstrating Eneroth and Svenningsen, 2004) paleolatitudes during whether or not the pre-Ediacaran glaciations were truly the 610–550 Ma interval, thus lending support to the global in nature, or may to a large extent be explained concept that Vendian glaciations in Baltica were part by the (latitudinal) positions of individual continents. of a “Snowball Earth” scenario (Table 1). The latter Specifically for Baltica, a key question is whether the studies indicating low paleolatitudes for Baltica are also widespread Vendian tillites may be explained simply by controversial. In addition, the Snowball Earth episodes a high latitude position for Baltica, or alternatively con- are now considered pre-Ediacaran (>635 Ma), so if the stitute evidence for extensive low-latitude glaciations. low-latitude results for Baltica are correct, then there The Vendian glacials, however, are not well dated and may have been a separate (post-Ediacaran) low-latitude may well be post-Snowball Earth, making a global cor- glaciation (Gaskiers?) represented by the Moelv tillite relation problematic (see Bingen et al., 2005; Meert, (Bingen et al., 2005; Meert, 2007). 2007). Eneroth (2002) and Eneroth and Svenningsen (2004) Unfortunately, the existing paleomagnetic data for reported an equatorial paleolatitude derived from the Baltica in the Neoproterozoic time period are ambigu- 608 ± 1 Ma (U–Pb) Sarek dike swarm. Eneroth and ous. While the bulk of existing data seems to Svenningsen (2004) argued for a primary remanence in indicate either high-to-intermediate (>30◦) latitudes the dikes, but have subsequently withdrawn the papers (e.g., Torsvik et al., 1995, 1996; Torsvik and Rehnstrom,¨ because of incorrect orientations (Eneroth, 2006a,b). 2001; Meert et al., 1998; Bingen et al., 2005; Walderhaug Thus, the Sarek paleomagnetic results should not be used et al., 2007), several recent paleomagnetic studies to establish the position of Baltica during the Neopro- have suggested that Baltica occupied intermediate- terozoic. Table 1 Paleomagnetic Poles from Baltica (Ediacaran–Early Ordovician) Pole name Qa Decb Incc a95d GLate GLonf Platg Plonh Agei 1. Swedish Limestone 5 335 −52 13.4 58.3 13.9 3.3 34.79 458 2. Swedish Limestones 5 116 67 9 58 13 29.75 55.06 475 3. Swedish Limestones 6 138 62 5.1 59 15 17.96 45.83 475 4. St. Petersburg Limestone 5 130.4 73.1 3.6 58 30 33.12 58.18 478 5. Andrarum Limestone 3 51 57 6.8 55.7 14 51.72 110.32 500 6. Tornetrask Fm/Dividal Group 4 57 66 8.9 68.2 19.5 55.89 115.53 535 7. Winter Coast 6 279 41.3 3 65.5 39.8 25.17 312.11 555 8. Arkhangelsk 6 120 −31.7 3.9 65.6 40.5 28.3 290.0 555 9. Zolotitsa 6 298.9 37.7 2.3 65.5 40.0 31.7 292.9 555 10. Verkhotina 5 305 35.9 2.2 64.8 40.5 32.2 297.0 555 11. Mean 7–10 6 296.1 37 10.6 65.0 40 29.6 298.1 555 12. Volhynia lavas 4 269 66 2.4 52.8 28.3 36 333.0 555 13. Fen Complex 4 203 −49 8 59.3 9.3 56.73 151.17 583 14. Alnø steep—this study 4 51.2 70.2 8.3 62.5 17.5 62.7 101 584 15. Alnø shallow—this study 3 108 10.5 32.1 62.5 17.5 3.5 269 584 16. Alnø Piper 3 107.2 1.6 9.3 62.5 17.5 7.6 272 584 17. Egersund Dikes 6 120 69 10 58.4 6.2 31.4 44.1 608 Notes: References by pole numbers: (1–3) Torsvik and Trench (1991); (4) Smethurst et al. (1998); (5 and 6) Torsvik and Rehnstrom¨ (2001); (7) Popov et al. (2002); (8) Iglesia-Llanos et al. (2004); (9 and 10) Popov et al. (2005); (11) this study; (12) Nawrocki et al. (2004); (13) Meert et al. (1998); (14) this study steep component; (15) this study shallow component; (16) Piper (1981); (17) Walderhaug et al. (2007). a Q-value based on Van der Voo (1990). b Declination. Author's personal copy c Inclination. d Alpha-95 circle of 95% confidence about the mean direction. e Site latitude. f Site longitude. g Paleomagnetic pole latitude. h Paleomagnetic pole longitude. i Age determination by pole (1–6) fossil correlation; (7–12) U–Pb zircon; (13–16) 40Ar/39Ar biotite; (17) U–Pb zircon and 40Ar/39Ar biotite. J.G. Meert et al. / Precambrian Research 154 (2007) 159–174 161 Fig. 1. (A) All directional data from the study by Piper (1981) for the Alnø Complex in Sweden; (B) grouping of steep directions in the Piper (1981) study; (C) Northerly and shallow components from the Piper (1981) study; (D) Southeasterly and shallow components (some sites reversed) that Piper (1981) claimed as the primary remanence for the Alnø Complex. Piper (1981) conducted a paleomagnetic study of the in the sedimentary studies (Nawrocki et al., 2004). The Alnø carbonatite complex, obtaining a confusing array mean Winter Coast pole (Table 1) would situate Baltica of directions in the various rock types of the complex. in latitudes from ∼5◦Sto40◦S. The results encompassed at least three different com- These equatorial latitude studies stand in marked ponents, with mean inclinations ranging from 2◦ to 76◦ contrast to results obtained from the Fen carbonatite (Fig.