Paleomagnetism of Jurassic dolerites from Northern Victoria Land, Antarctica - Onset of rapid Jurassic pole shift?

Abstract:

Flood basalts (Kirkpatrick) and sills (Ferrar) of the Transantarctic mountains (183Ma) have been studied paleomagnetically in detail in the 60’s to 90’s of the 1900's yielding two groups of paleopole positions plotting at ~55°S (A) or at ~80°S (B). Group A poles have been interpreted to reflect the Early Jurassic Earth magnetic field but the significance of Group B poles is less clear. Here we report new data from the Kirkpatrick basalts at Gair Mesa (73.47°S; 162.87°E), where about 800 stratigraphic meters including 23 volcanic flows were sampled. After removal of a steep magnetic overprint straight linear segments trending toward the origin of the projection plane are identified in 151 samples from 22 sites. All characteristic directions are of normal polarity and interpreted to be carried by magnetite. The resulting mean pole plots at 66.4°S; 227.7°E, A95=6.2°, k = 25.7 similar to group B poles. Reflecting light microscopy suggests that the original magnetization has survived low temperature alteration. Since secular variation has been averaged (Sb=15.9°) we argue that the Gair Mesa basalts have recorded the time averaged geomagnetic field during early to mid Jurassic times. Hence, we conclude that both groups A and B are of primary origin and consequently speculate that group B paleopoles might reflect the onset of the recently postulated Jurassic pole shift.